Fendika Cultural Center

Fendika is the most celebrated live music venue in Addis Ababa and the best place in the city to experience azmari, the tradition of improvising singers who accompany themselves on the one-stringed masenqo and trade witty, often teasing verses with the audience. The original Fendika Azmari Bet opened in the early 1990s in Kazanchis, an area that then had 17 similar venues. Most of the others closed as the district was redeveloped, and Fendika survived largely thanks to Melaku Belay, a dancer who had performed for tips for 12 years before he began managing the house in 2008.

Under Melaku the venue changed in important ways. He introduced monthly salaries for musicians and dancers instead of tip-only pay, and in 2016 expanded the azmari bet into the Fendika Cultural Center, adding a free art gallery with monthly exhibitions, poetry, and a broader music programme. Fendika Azmari Nights, with azmaris and traditional dancers, run every night. The Ethiocolor band has played every other Friday since 2009, with nights starting at 20:00, alternating with Negarit, an Ethio-jazz band led by Teferi Assefa. The Kayn Lab jazz band performs most Mondays, and Poetic Saturdays bring together poets from many language traditions on the first Saturday afternoon of each month.

The centre has had to move. In late 2024 The Reporter Ethiopia reported that a government development project had forced Fendika out of its historic Kazanchis compound and into a new space inside the Hyatt Regency hotel on Meskel Square, with its own entrance, while plans were announced to rebuild at the original site. Fendika's own website still gives the Zewditu Street address in Kazanchis, so call or message before you go to confirm where that night's performance is taking place.

Go in the evening, when the azmaris and dancers perform, including eskista, the shoulder dance most associated with Ethiopia. Tej honey wine, Ethiopian food and coffee ceremonies are part of the experience. It is a good idea to carry small notes, as audiences traditionally tip azmaris who sing verses about them.

Fendika suits music lovers, couples and groups, and anyone wanting a more intimate and authentic evening than the larger show restaurants. Thursday and Friday nights are often recommended for the fullest programmes.