The Story of Addis Acoustic Renaissance Group & the Man Behind the Music

Photo: Addis Acoustic Renaissance Group performing

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 15, 2009 (Ezega.com) -- Ethiopia has a very rich music history. The 1950s and 60s produced some of the best musical talent as well as many great hits that are popular in the country even to this day. There are some who are afraid that the music of this era will soon fade away and be forgotten, giving way to music of the new generation. However, I just witnessed a group that is working hard for the renaissance of this music. They name themselves after their endeavor: “Addis Acoustic Renaissance Group”. I saw this group deliver a wonderful performance the other night at Club Alize located at the far end of Africa Avenue (Bole Road) near the airport.

Club Alize is located on the second floor and accommodates nearly 400 people. The interior of the club has a classic Far East decor and includes cozy couches on the right side of the club. The left part is mainly dominated by the bar counter. On Thursdays, there is extraordinary jazz music played here that everyone seems to enjoy. The founder and leader of the group, the Addis Acoustic Renaissance Group, is Girum Mezmur (guitar player and composer). Other group members include Henock Temesgen (Double Bass), Dawit Ferew (Clarinet), Natnael Tessema (Drum), Shaleka Melaku Tegegn (Accordion), Mesale Legesse (Percussion), and Ayele Mamo (Mandolin). Shaleka Melaku and Ayele Mamo, musicians from the 1950s and 60s, give the group a unique image and stature.

Addis Acoustic Renaissance Group strives to improve itself by adding new arrangements frequently, a trait that seems to give the group a captivating character. On Thursdays, the club is packed with various types of people (old, young, locals, foreigners, couples, groups – you name it.) In fact, it is this quality to embrace and entertain all kinds of people that distinguishes this group from all others. This is a living proof that the same genre of music can, in fact, appeal to various age groups and to people from all walks of life.

Addis Acoustic Renaissance Group’s jazz night is a place that appealed to me for some time now. They play tasteful and classic music from the 1950s and 60s in a way that entertains even those who have no clue about the Ethiopian music of that era.

Girum, the founder and leader of this group, is only 34 years old. However, he has already left his mark as a lead guitarist and coordinator in many well-known bands and records in Addis Ababa. Propelled by formal education from Yared Music School, Girum went on to hone his skills by joining the Axumite Band and later the Coffee House Club. Girum has been performing at the Coffee House as a jazz band leader and guitarist, also introducing the concept of jam session where guest musicians in the house are welcomed and encouraged to join the house band to perform on the spot. His weekly performances there over the past decade have been known to have influenced the live jazz scene in Addis Ababa to date.

Girum has also composed and arranged music for many artists, films, radio programs, and documentaries. Currently, he is involved in several bands and has traveled to various parts of the world, including countries in Africa, Europe, and North-America, with major Ethiopian acts such as Mahmoud Ahmed, Aster Awoke, Teddy Afro, etc. Girum has also performed with internationally known artists such as Ray Lema and Angelique Kidjo. He has also performed at major international music festivals such as the WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance), Montreal Jazz Festival,Ethiopian Music Festival III, IV, V, VII, and several others.

I interviewed Girum recently, who welcomed me with a warm smile for our early morning interview. He is a very polite and sincere person. We discussed his childhood, his music, how he founded the group, and much more. Here follows the full interview with Girum, the founder, band leader, producer and guitar player of Addis Acoustic Renaissance Group.

  Girum Mezmur playing the guitar

Ezega.com: I thank you for coming to my interview.

Girum: Thank you for having me.

Ezega.com: Let me go back to the beginning of Addis Acoustic Renaissance Group. How did you start this group?

Girum: Addis Acoustic Renaissance Group did not start at one specific moment in time. I gave it some thought for a long time. I can also say that it is highly related to my musical background.

When I started music as a child, I began by playing the accordion. There was my uncle’s accordion in our home. It is the same 48 year-old accordion that we are using in our group today. Don’t worry; I am not 48 years old just yet! (with a smile J). Growing up, I also watched my older brothers playing the guitar (as a hobby) and by the time I reached high school, I joined our school band as a guitarist at St. Joseph School. Later, after high school, I joined the Axumite Band where I started to play regularly and also arranged music for the band.

Over the years, as I continued to grow as a professional musician, ideas pop-up in my mind which I jot down on a regular basis. I experimented with different kinds of ideas and music. Ever since Alliance Ethio Francaise started organizing the Ethiopian Music Festival, we [my colleagues and I] always tried to bring something new to these concerts. One day, I saw an Ethiopian television interview with Ato Ayele Mamo, celebrating his golden jubilee (50 years of service) of Ethiopian music - playing the mandolin and composing various songs. This was one inspirational moment for me that led me to consider incorporating the mandolin into the music group that I had in mind.

As the concept of the Addis Acoustic Renaissance Group started to shape up, I decided on what instruments to include, i.e. double bass, Kebero/drums, clarinet, accordion, and mandolin. One thing all of these instruments had in common was that they were all popular in 1950’s and 1960’s Ethiopian music scene. In the following decades, these instruments were replaced by other instruments: double bass by electric bass, clarinet by saxophone, accordion with organ and electric guitar, and the mandolin almost disappeared. It was clear to me then that, if these instruments from the past were to come together in a new arrangement, they would bring something fresh and contemporary.

After sorting out what instruments to include, the next challenge was to look for the right performers for the project.  I contacted all the current members of the group one by one, and they were all enthusiastic and ready to join me. We also needed to find a collection of songs that would go well with our theme. I then gathered several repertoires from music stores, radio stations, and individuals, and short-listed the ones that would be included in our set list.

I also considered other aspects of our music. I wanted to make sure that the arrangements sounded authentically Ethiopian in addition to their standard look and feel of jazz. This ensured that our setup appealed to both Ethiopian and international crowd alike. I tried to arrange and produce each repertoire in a way that it complemented each band member’s specialty and strength, and that each instrument was well-featured.

We launched our group and held our first performance on May 9, 2008, during the 7^th Ethiopian Music Festival. Subsequently, encouraged by our success, we started playing at Club Alize on Thursday nights on a regular basis.

 Shaleka Melaku Tegegn playing the accordion

Ezega.com: How many of you started the band? 

Girum: All seven members of our group have been present in the band from the beginning. Initially, it was a bit of a challenge for me to decide whether to use the traditional “Kebero” or the standard drum set in the group. Both have different and important characteristics, depending on the context they are used in. Finally, I decided on having both instruments in the band.

Ezega.com: Among the 1950s and 1960s artists, who do you play often? 

Girum: We have played repertoires by Tilahun Gessesse, Bizunesh Bekele, Tefera Kassa, Mahmoud Ahmed, Girma Negash, Baheta G/Hiwot, Ayele Mamo, Ferew Hailu, and several others.

From the mid 1960s to mid 1970s, Ethiopian music arrangements were primarily dominated by wind instruments such as the trumpet and the saxophone. Many call this time the “Golden Age of Ethiopian Music”.  However, the music before the mid 1960s seems to have been overlooked. It is our goal to resurrect the music of this great era.

Ezega.com: In your performances, you have this interactive atmosphere where you encourage the audience to sing and clap with you. I found that very interesting and entertaining. Have you also thought about inviting other musicians to play with you on occasion?

Girum: Yes, we usually encourage our audience to join us during our performances, whether it is by clapping or singing along. It makes the program lively and our audiences seem to enjoy it as well. We also have plans to invite vocalists in some upcoming performances.

Ezega.com: Where is Addis Acoustic Renaissance Group heading? What is your dream as a founder, band leader, producer, and guitarist for the group? 

Girum: Addis Acoustic Renaissance Group has become very successful here in Addis. I will put every effort to make our group “Ethiopia’s Music Ambassador”. From what I see in other internationally well-known bands, I believe that we will do very well internationally. We are preparing to make records as well. In fact, we have already found an international record company that has received our demo very happily. We will publish our album as soon as we finalize terms of the contract. The album will then be available both on local and international markets.

Ezega.com: Let me take you back to your childhood and your family. Did any of your childhood experience contribute to your success?

Girum: I am the last child in our family. No one in my family was a professional musician. However, my brothers have been playing instruments as a hobby. And, as I mentioned earlier, there was my uncle’s accordion in our household which I used to play.

Joining my high school band as a guitarist at St. Joseph School was also a major contributing factor for my becoming the full-time musician I am today. After completing high school, I was recruited by the Axumite Band as a guitarist, my first ever professional band to play in. I played with the band six days a week at the Hilton Hotel. This was a big break for me, a chance that enabled me to improve and develop my talent. Within a year, I started arranging music for the band.

At that point, I had already decided to become a professional musician, and I joined Yared Music School. However, since there was no guitar department at Yared at the time, I decided to major in piano and minor in Kirar (a traditional stringed musical instrument). This was a challenging time for me, since I had to attend classes until 5:00 pm and play with Axumite Band until midnight. I played with this band (Axumite) for more than six years.

After six years with Axumite, I decided to start something of my own with my friends. My dream came true when I, Shewandagn Hailu, and Teddy Afro (Tewodros Kassahun) started the “Afro Sound Band”, an Ethiopian pop/jazz band. That’s where Teddy got his name, “Teddy Afro.” I can say that Afro Sound Band helped all three of us rediscover ourselves and launch our respective successful careers as musicians.

Currently, I am playing with various jazz and pop bands. And for the last six to eight years, I have been giving guitar private lessons as well as teaching at the Mekanissa Jazz School (for six years now). I am very satisfied and grateful when I see some of my talented students in better places. Some have become music instructors themselves. Teaching is a very rewarding career for me and I am so thankful for it. A few months ago, we started a music school of our own with bassist Henock Temesgen, Abegasu Shiota, and other friends. I am fully committed to teaching, playing in different bands, working in my studio, composing music for albums, films, radio programs, and documentaries.

Ezega.com: You are now a well-known artist and I am sure you have many admirers all over. Who is your role model?

Girum: Although I have been influenced in one form or another by various local guitarists and musicians I have encountered during my career, my major inspiration came from Selam Seyoum, the lead guitarist of the popular Roha Band from the 1980s here in Ethiopia. I consider him to be one of the most influential guitar players of that time. He inspired me so much that I used to imitate most of his guitar licks as I was growing up.

Later, I was also influenced by an African-American musician named Wes Montgomery, the self-taught and renowned jazz guitarist of the 1950s and 1960s. In fact, many people tell me that it shows in my playing that I am highly influenced by his style. Hence, as a tribute to Wes, three years ago, I organized a musical concert in his honor with my colleagues, featuring some of Wes’ greatest compositions.

Ezega.com: You have worked with various bands and musicians and performed in different places. What was your biggest challenge on your career path?

Girum: As I mentioned earlier, one challenge I faced was when I joined Yared Music School and continued playing at night with the Axumite Band. It was a very hectic schedule for me to be a full-time student as well as a full-time musician at the same time.

Yared Music School enabled me to discover the academic side of this beautiful craft (theory, musical notations, etc.), which later came in very handy in my career. The piano lessons I took at Yared also allowed me to start composing music on my keyboard at home. My experience at Axumite also helped me excel with the guitar. So, I can say, although challenging, joining Yared Music School at the time was a great decision on my part in the long run.

Ezega.com: You have been with music for most of your life. I wonder, at a deeper level, what does music really mean to you?

Girum: All I can say is music is my life.

Ezega.com: As we are closing our interview, would you like to thank anyone?

Girum:   Oh… there are so many people I can mention. But, first and foremost, I want to thank my family for listening to my call, and for the trust they placed in me; this helped me a lot. And next, it is Dawit Tsige, the bass guitarist for Axumite Band. He was the first person to recruit me to play for Axumite Band. He encouraged me to pursue my career in music. I thank him so much for that.

To all the great musicians that I have worked with in the past and working with today, I say thank you for you support and encouragement.

And last, but not least, I would like to thank my wife, Amital Ermias, for her continued love and support.

Ezega.com: Any other thing you would like to add before we end our interview?

Girum: We have talked about several things so far but I would like to discuss a little about the negative outlook some have developed on contemporary Ethiopian music. This outlook, which is often fabricated by some self-made music critics, and propagated by misinformed media outlets/personalities, is something of a major concern to me as a professional musician.

We cannot deny the fact that there is a lot of music out there that we may consider substandard. But we cannot say that to all and every music. Yes, when we compare the music from the 1950s and 1960s with today’s music, there is certainly a difference in the quality of the music. In the early days, it took a great deal of work for one artist to come out with an album. Often he/she would have to go through the hierarchy within music institutions such as the National Theatre Orchestra, Imperial Body Guard Band, etc., before getting recorded.

On the other hand, nowadays, with the help of technology, amateur artists have been able to record music in their home studios and deliver their products to the local market quickly and easily. This is often done with a major compromise to the quality of the music.

However, this does not mean that there are no great recordings coming out currently either. It is just a matter of acknowledging and giving credit to those great works of art. If the critics start paying attention to not only the mediocre recordings but also take time to recognize the quality work being done, and the media broadcasting more of such works (perhaps with the help of qualified staff with musical backgrounds), this negative outlook on our music would hopefully diminish.

A lot is happening now musically in Addis -- festivals getting stronger, great bands forming, music schools opening, and young talent coming up. Now is the renaissance of the “Golden Age of Ethiopian Music”, and let’s all welcome it positively!

Ezega.com: I wish you good luck and thank you for making time for my interview.

Girum: It is my pleasure. Thank you, too!

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This article was written by Eden Habtamu reporting for Ezega.com from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She can be reached by email at News@Ezega.com. The article can be reprinted in full or in part elsewhere but only by giving full credit to Ezega.com. If reprinted on a website, we ask that you place this active link: Ezega Ethiopian News, pointing to http://www.Ezega.com.