Swinging Addis
About Swinging Addis
Swinging Addis is the golden-age Ethiopian pop of the late 1960s and early 1970s, when Addis Ababa's nightclubs and the big bands of the imperial guard blended soul, funk, and R&B with Amharic vocals and modal melody. Powerhouse singers like Mahmoud Ahmed, Tlahoun Gèssèssè, and Alèmayèhu Eshèté cut sweltering, brass-driven singles that defined the era. The 1974 revolution and its curfews cut the scene short, making its recordings all the more legendary.
Key Artists
Alèmayèhu Eshèté
1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s
Ayalew Mesfin
1970s
Bzunesh Bekele
1960s, 1970s, 1980s
Getatchew Mekurya
1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s
Girma Bèyènè
1960s, 1970s, 2010s
Hirut Bekele
1970s, 1980s, 1990s
Mahmoud Ahmed
1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s
Muluqèn Mèllèssè
1970s, 1980s, 2010s
Neway Debebe
1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s
Seyfu Yohannes
1960s, 1970s
Tlahoun Gèssèssè
1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s