A living legend says goodbye, and Rotterdam is invited.
On 18 September we welcome none other than Mulatu Astatke to Annabel, as part of his global farewell tour. A unique opportunity to see the father of Ethio-jazz live, one of Africa's most influential musical innovators, whose work has inspired generations of musicians and producers.

Mulatu Astatke (born in 1943) is an Ethiopian musician and arranger, best known as the father of Ethio-jazz. Born in the western Ethiopian city of Jimma, Mulatu studied in London, New York City, and Boston, where he combined his interest in jazz and Latin American music with traditional Ethiopian music. He became the first African student to enroll at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he received an honorary degree in 2012. Astatke led his band while playing the vibraphone and congas, instruments he introduced to Ethiopian popular music, along with other percussion instruments, keyboards, and organ. His albums mainly focus on instrumental music, and Astatke appears on all three well-known instrumental albums released during Ethiopia's Golden '70s.

He collaborated with many notable artists in both countries, arranged and played on recordings by Mahmoud Ahmed, and appeared as a special guest with Duke Ellington during a tour of Ethiopia in 1973. Hip-hop artists have also extensively sampled Astatke's tracks, as seen in the works of Nas, Damian Marley, Kanye West, Cut Chemist, and Knaan. He toured with the American band Either/Orchestra in 2006 and recorded an album with the Heliocentrics in 2008, completing a Radcliffe Institute Fellowship at Harvard University, where he worked on modernizations of traditional Ethiopian instruments and premiered part of a new opera, The Yared Opera.

The evening opens with Siegfried Hart, an emerging Rotterdam musician and composer whose work oscillates between modern jazz and experimental electronic music; the perfect warm-up for this special evening.

The concert by Mulatu Astatke, originally scheduled to take place during BIRDfest and later postponed to 8 February 2024, is postponed once again. The new date is 18 September 2025.

Here is the message from his management:

We regret to inform you that Mulatu Astatke's shows are postponed to new dates: 18 September 2025. The artist has taken this decision after consultation with his team, as he is still recovering fully and wants to provide all his fans with a show of the best possible quality. In addition, the shows moved to the September tour will be very special, as they will be part of the artist's farewell tour, culminating in a new album to be announced early March.

All tickets purchased so far remain valid for the new dates and do not need to be exchanged in any way. For all those who cannot attend the new dates, it is possible to request a refund directly at the point of purchase.

We want to thank you for your continued support and understanding.

We understand that this news may be disappointing, but this tour offers a unique opportunity to see Mulatu Astatke live in Europe for the last time. His music has inspired generations, and we are proud to be part of his farewell tour.

All tickets already purchased remain valid for the new date. If you are unable to attend on 18 September 2025, you can request a refund until 28 February 2025 via marketing@bird-rotterdam.nl

Thank you for your understanding and support. We hope to see you at this special show!