Source: Filter-Mag.com
Part 1
We may have indie film master Jim Jarmusch to thank for placing Mulatu Astatke in many music libraries, courtesy of the soundtrack to Jarmusch’s 2005 Bill Murray vehicle, Broken Flowers. But Astatke, the father of Ethio Jazz, made history long before the film was released. Astatke, born in Jimma, Ethiopia, is known for combining jazz and Latin music influences with traditional Ethiopian music to create a whole new genre of his own. FILTER caught up with the music guru to talk about Ethiopia then and now, music and science, the science of music, accomplishments, dreams, and how it all started.
What was it like for you growing up in Ethiopia? And then, what made you realize you needed to get away to learn more music from the western world?
I was about 16. High school was where everything sucked—the music situation there. As you know, those subjects are not included in high schools, elementary schools, and kindergartens. So I had the choice between that and high school in the northwest. At that time, families didn’t accept you becoming a musician…so my other interest was to become an engineer. I went to high school in England and there, music, art and dance were included. Finally, while I was studying the arts, my teachers found out I had a talent in music.
They found out before you did?
Of course, because of how I was doing in the class—the way I was playing and writing music, they thought I should be a musician.
When did you develop a personal interest in music?
I heard music all the time, all the kids at school listen to all kinds of music. Finally my interests also turned to music, so while I still studied science subjects for two to three years, I was playing in school bands at the same time. I was studying, and at the same time, I was trying to persuade my family that I should be a musician because that’s what I was told. Finally they said, “Okay, if you want it that much you should go study it,” so I went to London. I went to a community college and studied classical music for a while. I was playing with great musicians in London.
Part 2
Unlike Don Johnston (Bill Murray) in Broken Flowers—AKA the film that popularized Ethio Jazz—the father of the genre, Mulatu Astatke, will never stop working or become a shell of his former life. Here he talks to FILTER about his experiences abroad, the science of music, and his persistence to spread his creation.
(continued from part 1)
How did they receive you in London?
You know, the British were really strict but they were very nice. They gave me the ability to build self-confidence and things like that. British high schools are really very serious and good.
When did you become interested in jazz?
I wanted to try to do compositions and play and write and promote Ethiopian music. I had a few musician friends and I said, “Look, I have a background in classical, but I want to study jazz—do you know any places in America where I can go to learn more about that?” Finally, I came up with Berklee College in Boston, which was the only jazz school in the world at that time, it was 1958. So I went to Berklee and that’s where I really worked my tools. Then I started thinking while writing: “Why don’t I come up with something called Ethio Jazz; why don’t I blend Ethiopian music and jazz?” I thought that if I blend them directly then it would sound like two cultures going at the same time. It took me time but I somehow managed, somehow I put them together. So, my research paper at Harvard, where I recently studied, was about Ethiopian contribution to the world of music and art. It talks about contributions like if you were to go to southern Ethiopia there’s a tribe that plays diminishing scale, which is so great.
Are they aware of what they’re doing and how it’s different?
Well, it’s their country’s music, they grew up with it.
So they have no idea what a diminishing scale means—it just is one?
No, it just is one.
How do you feel music and science are connected?
The harmony section of music is a combination of different sounds...like scientists usually mix chemicals with different chemicals to cause whatever reaction. So you have the artist mixing up different colors and coming up with some kind of new color. Music is the same. They are all connected whether they work with chemicals or work with sounds: artists work with colors. So we mix them up—we come up with something else. So music is what I call science; that’s what makes music science.
Once Ethio Jazz was created, how long and how hard did you have to work to spread it? Are you still playing new variations of that form or are you now focusing on educating other people?
I recorded a CD, which isn’t out yet and has a different concept of the Ethio Jazz. I combined the jazz element with the five-tonal, but that was my experimentation which was seen at Harvard. It’s been very successful. I’ve been working hard to really find out this identity—the different identities of the Ethio Jazz. Also, by upgrading cultural instruments I am able to play in Europe. My target is the cultural Ethio Jazz, which is what we are now working on at MIT. I am using traditional instruments and playing jazz movements and jazz-everything on it. So, not only am I still playing but I am also writing new materials. I never stop. I just keep on working to come up with different sounds, different approaches to music. I hope I have time in the future to do more research. I’ll never stop; I’ll keep on working.
In spreading the word of your creation of Ethio Jazz, it certainly helps to find fans in people like Jim Jarmusch.
He is definitely a great man. He’s one that is really here for me and speaks for my efforts for years and years. We’ve been working for years and finally, now it’s like it’s all over the world. It’s so great this music is really coming up now. We just keep on pushing and playing it out.
Part 3
Mulato Astatke, the man behind Ethio Jazz, a blend of Ethiopian, Latin and Jazz sounds, has obvious roots in Ethiopia. Read on to see what Astatke had to tell FILTER about where he plans to take Ethio Jazz and how he stays true to his Ethiopian roots.
(continued from part 2)
When you started creating music did you ever fell like it would present an opportunity for you to become a lecturer and educator?
No, I just wanted to become a musician. I just wanted to work hard on the future and present something new to the world. But finally I ended up at Harvard and at MIT.
I’m sure you have encountered people who are excited you took Ethiopia music and merged it with jazz, but have you encountered people who weren’t so happy?
Yes, but that was before…now people are with it, people are sensitive to different types of music. They love me for my contribution and I have been on FM stations in Ethiopia for about seven years. So, educated people are playing world music, classical music, jazz, jazz fusions, African music... Now they have a great fondness for Ethio Jazz; it’s really lifting up.
Is there anything you maybe see yourself doing that you have not accomplished yet?
I was talking about upgrading Ethiopian musical instruments and using those instruments to be able to play Ethio Jazz; it’s not only upgrading the instruments but also upgrading the traditional musical players. Not only could they think about five tones but now they could think about 12 tones. Upgrading the instruments but also upgrading the musicians to see in different directions—that will be my next work.
Have you had to sacrifice anything in order to follow your musical dreams? Do you still feel you have deep roots to your home in Ethiopia or maybe London or Boston?
Well, our roots are always there and I always look back to my roots, because if you don’t look after your roots, then you’ll be helpless, you won’t be somebody. My motives are very Ethiopian, but meeting musicians, teaching professors and teachers and things help me so much to see the world more, so it’s what I’ve been doing. I travel a lot and play with different musicians. I’m always open to learning and exchanging new ideas, always. So roots are very important, but there are so many things we can study, so many things next to Ethiopia to research and come up with something new. But my dream is upgrading music and also helping professionals and the musicians look after different music in the world.
Part 4
Mulatu Astatke, the father of Ethio Jazz, is a man of many chapters, from his travels and studies abroad to his research into the depths of indigenous music. Here, the man with so much history behind him talks to FILTER about Ethiopian music in the present and his hopes for the future.
(continued from part 3)
What is the musical climate like now in Ethiopia for high school kids?
Hopefully they are given the chance of music and art and culture. They can watch TV programs. They can listen. There are many improvements. There is one music school there; I hope in the future this will lift the spirit of high schools and elementary schools. So far, so good; anyway.
Do you play with the teachers who are teaching at the Ethiopian music academy?
Teachers there sometimes come and jam with us at clubs in Addis. And sometimes when I’m writing compositions to be performed I pick different musicians from different places and I also get musicians from music schools to come and play with us. But I don’t go to the schools, because they have different approaches.
But while you may not be there in person, they’re still teaching your work?
Definitely, because for the seven years I was teaching there, I was teaching not only music for certain amounts of students at school, but since the programs from the school were going to millions and millions of people every day, I was teaching through radio.
Tell me about how the political climate of the country changed and how that influenced what you did. You’ve seen some drastic changes over your lifetime in Ethiopia; has that changed the way the government funds music education?
You know, my stance to this is always: How you build a country is the question. So, I always believe a country is built by different professionals. With scientists, with politicians and this and that, I always feel like we all have our places. I mean, I never had a problem with the three different preachings of Ethiopia, as long as you don’t involve yourself with what they’re doing and you just keep on working on your professions. I just keep on working on my music. I just keep on educating people to love music and art, to love more art, to love Ethio Jazz and also to know the world. I’m so busy with this. I have to do so much, you know, the minute you have start turning your face to something else, you have a problem over here. I always run away from that. I just want to keep working on what I have to contribute to my country. It’s not my job, it’s their job. My job is to upgrade my music and to work hard and make Ethiopia known to the world and show to the world what we are and what we are contributing.
Part 5
Mulatu Astatke, the father of Ethio Jazz, is a man of many chapters, from his travels and studies abroad to his research into the depths of indigenous music. Here, the man with so much history behind him talks to FILTER about what he does besides spreading the word of Ethiopian music and a massive project involving a new combination of his own design.
(continued from part 4)
What do you do when you’re not focusing on music?
Ah. You know what I do? I really love sports. I used to play soccer a lot before, now because of these few years at Harvard, I stopped for almost 2 or 3 years. I used to play soccer a lot. I follow British Premier League. And sometimes, I love to read books.
But you always come back to music.
I love music so much. I can’t get away from it. I can’t. Maybe for a week or so. But to go away for a lifetime, or to leave 6 months…no way, no way. Because I have all kinds of dreams to work on. I’ve been writing music for a play and for film. You never stop, you know. I have a beautiful dream. Maybe you know the place called Lalibela in Ethiopia? There’s a beautiful church, called the Lalibela Church. It’s made out of one big stone, built up and carved out of one big stone. It’s famous in the world, famous. Now when I go back, I really want to open an opera inside that church. I’ve got to go through about 80 or 85 people to get the permission from the government. So I’m working on that now.
Who is going to perform this opera with you?
I have been contacting a few quartets in Europe and also America. I don’t know, maybe even the American embassy could sponsor these guys. So I’m talking with the Norwegian embassy, going to talk with the American embassy and the British embassy. They might be able to bring me those quartets. But the first thing is to work on the place. I think I’m going to get it, it’s so beautiful. But, this is not going to be a jazz thing, this is very symphonic. It’s music from 360 A.D. against the 21st century—it’s a continuation.
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