The singer and songwriter Alèmayèhu Eshèté, who has died aged 80, was one of the stars of the “golden age” of Ethiopian music in the 1960s and early 70s....
Alemayehu Eshete
Ethiopian singer (1941–2021)
This article is about a person whose name includes a patronymic.
The article properly refers to the person by his given name, Alemayehu, and not as Eshete.
Musical artist
Alemayehu Eshete Andarge (Amharic: ዓለማየሁ እሸቴ አንዳርጌ; June 1941 – 2 September 2021) was an Ethiopian singer, widely known as the "Abyssinian Elvis" for his dynamic performances and his fusion of traditional Ethiopian music with Western rock and roll influences.[2] He emerged in the 1960s and became a prominent figure in the Ethio-jazz movement, alongside musicians such as Mulatu Astatke.
Explore Alemayehu Eshete's vinyl records and top albums.
Eshete's music blended Ethiopian rhythms with elements of funk, soul, and jazz, and his hit songs include Temar Lije and Addis Ababa Bete. His international recognition grew following the release of the Éthiopiques series, which featured many of his early recordings.
Eshete continued to perform until his death in 2021, leaving a lasting legacy in Ethiopian and worl