Bar
Fendika Cultural Center
The city's best-known azmari house and cultural centre, led by dancer Melaku Belay, with nightly traditional music and dance and regular Ethio-jazz nights.
Africa Jazz Club at Ghion Hotel
Mulatu Astatke's jazz club in the basement of the historic Ghion Hotel, where a resident band plays Ethio-jazz on Thursday nights.
At a glance
- Type
- Ethio-jazz club
- Area
- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
- Official site
- ghionhotel.com.et
Good to know
- Live Ethio-jazz
- Resident band
Why we recommend it
The Africa Jazz Club, also known as the African Jazz Village, is the club associated with Mulatu Astatke, the vibraphonist and composer widely called the father of Ethio-jazz. Mulatu studied music in London, Boston and New York and, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, led the creation of a sound that blends Ethiopian melodies and scales with jazz and Latin rhythms. Decades later his music reached new audiences around the world, and this small club in Addis Ababa is the place to hear the tradition in the city where it was born.
The club occupies the basement of the Ghion Hotel, in a traditional Ethiopian-style building in the hotel's large gardens next to the Jubilee Palace. Inside, the stage sits in the centre of a circular room, and life-size figures of musicians line the walls: Mulatu himself, the singers Tilahun Gessesse and Mohammed Ahmed, and American jazz greats Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker and Duke Ellington. The effect is intimate, with the audience close to the players.
Addis Fortune, reporting in 2023, described Thursday as the club's night, with the resident ASLI Band led on saxophone by Jorga Mesfin. Its sets mix jazz standards with Ethiopian melodies and long stretches of improvisation, and the crowd is a mix of expatriates and residents. Mulatu himself is listed among the performers associated with the venue, but do not count on seeing him on a given night; treat a visit as an evening with the house band.
Programmes at small venues change, so confirm with the Ghion Hotel that the club is running before you go, and ask about start times and any cover charge. Arrive early to get a seat near the stage, as the room is not large. The rest of the hotel, with its gardens, bars and big pool, makes a pleasant setting for an early drink or dinner beforehand.
The club suits jazz fans, couples and anyone curious about Ethiopia's distinctive musical history. Pair it with a night at Fendika for azmari music and traditional dance, and you will have heard two of the strands that came together in Ethio-jazz. If you are staying at the Ghion, the club is only a short walk across the gardens from your room.
Africa Jazz Club at Ghion Hotel FAQs
What is the Africa Jazz Club?
An Ethio-jazz club associated with Mulatu Astatke, in the basement of the Ghion Hotel.
When is there music?
Thursday has been the club's regular night, with the resident ASLI Band. Confirm with the hotel before you go.
Who plays?
The ASLI Band, led by saxophonist Jorga Mesfin, mixing jazz standards with Ethiopian melodies.
Will Mulatu Astatke be playing?
He is associated with the venue, but do not count on seeing him on a given night.
What is the room like?
A circular room with a central stage and life-size figures of famous musicians on the walls.
Do I need to arrive early?
Yes. The room is intimate, and early arrival gives a better seat.
What else is at the Ghion?
Gardens, a large pool, several bars and a restaurant for a drink or dinner before the music.