Sketches of Ethiopia is a studio album by Ethiopian musician, composer, and arranger Mulatu Astatke.[1] It was released on 13 August 2013 through Jazz Village.[1] It peaked at number 24 on the UK Jazz & Blues Albums Chart.[2]
On Sketches of Ethiopia, Mulatu Astatke is backed by Steps Ahead Band, which is not related to the jazz fusion group Steps Ahead.[3] As with his last album Mulatu Steps Ahead (2010), Ethiopian instruments such as the washint, the krar, and the masinko are also used in the album.[4] The album's opening track is a rendition of "Azmari", which was written by Russ Gershon.[3] The album's closing track is "Surma", a collaboration with the Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara, who co-wrote the song with Astatke.[3]Sketches of Ethiopia is Astatke's first internationally distributed studio album.[3]
Richie Troughton of The Quietus stated, "The music itself mixes urban club tempos with traditional rural folk styles, with Mulatu's trademark Ethio-jazz fusion of Latin percussion and Afro-funk rhythms."[11] He added, "While the Ethio-jazz movement may have inspired many young musicians in Ethiopia to pick up instruments, this album serves as a reminder that the original architect of the form is still the undisputed master."[11] Howard Male of The Independent commented that "Each track here is a distinctive entity which contributes to a cohesive funky whole."[12] Banning Eyre of NPR stated, "It's never predictable and, for all the surprises, it never feels cluttered or gimmicky."[13]
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