In the nightclubs of 1960s Addis Ababa, the music swung. Big bands played Ethiopian scales with American soul and rock rhythms, and singers became stars. One of the most electrifying was Alemayehu Eshete, whose dancing and voice earned him the nickname the Ethiopian Elvis. His recordings from that era, rediscovered decades later, are now treasured around the world as part of the sound of “Swinging Addis”.
Early life and swinging Addis
Alemayehu Eshete was born in Addis Ababa in 1941. He sang with the Police Orchestra, one of the institutional bands that dominated Ethiopian music at the time. His stage energy and style, influenced by American rock and roll, led fans to call him the Ethiopian Elvis.
The 1960s and early 1970s were a golden age for Ethiopian music, with nightclubs, record labels and big bands.
The Derg and Ethiopiques
He recorded many popular songs for Ethiopian labels in this period. After the 1974 revolution, the military Derg government imposed curfews and restrictions that ended much of the nightlife. The Ethiopiques series of reissues, compiled by Francis Falceto, brought his music to international listeners. He performed internationally in later years, reaching new audiences. He died in 2021.
He is remembered as one of the great voices of Ethiopian popular music.
Influence and Ethiopian scales
Younger Ethiopian musicians and international artists have drawn on his recordings. His music used the distinctive scales of Ethiopian music, known as qenet. In imperial Ethiopia, many of the best bands were attached to institutions such as the police, the army and the Imperial Bodyguard. These orchestras employed singers and musicians on salaries, and they played at official events as well as public dances. Singers like Alemayehu built their names through these bands before recording on their own.
Records and a long career
Independent labels such as Amha Records and Philips Ethiopia released singles by the stars of the day in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alemayehu was among the singers whose records sold well in Addis shops. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Alemayehu stayed in Ethiopia through difficult decades and kept singing. When international interest arrived, he was able to perform the songs himself for new audiences in Europe and America.
Alemayehu Eshete earned his nickname by borrowing from Elvis. The recordings he left show he sounded like nobody but an Ethiopian singer in Addis at its liveliest.
