Mahmoud Ahmed, one of the leading figures in the Ethio-jazz music scene will open the Duke Performances’ 2015-2016 concert season in Durham, North Carolina. The performance will take place on Thursday, September 10 at Reynolds Industries Theater (Duke University). Ahmed will perform with a 10-piece ensemble.
In the early 1970s, Ethiopia lived through a golden age of popular music with the rise of “Ethio-jazz” — a combination of crisscrossing modal melodies and diminished harmonies played against a six-beat funk groove. At the forefront of the scene was singer Mahmoud Ahmed. Ahmed’s 1975 album Erè Mèla Mèla is a classic recording from the peak of Ethiopian music and was the first East African release from that era to be supported by a broad Western audience.
In the late 1990s, dozens of Ahmed’s recordings were reissued on the popular Éthiopiques compilations (four volumes featured Ahmed exclusively) and he became one of Ethiopia’s leading musical ambassadors.
For more details about Mahmoud Ahmed and his discography, visit Mahmoud Ahmed biography.
Concert begins at 20:00 (8:00 pm)
Reynolds Industries Theater
Bryan University Center
125 Science Drive
Durham, NC 27708
For ticket information go to: https://dukeperformances.duke.edu
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
