That was quite a night for this ferenge ... we started with dinner at the Greek club which was very nice. Melaku drove as usual so did not pay for his dinner. Then it was off to Club Alize for some music sponsored by l'Alliance Francaise. I was not sure what to expect as I knew nothing about the music festival they were sponsoring.
The band was very young, with an Asian leader playing a soprano saxophone, characterized by its not having the familiar turned up end where the sound exits. There were drums, bass, guitar (Fender Tele at that), trumpet, and washent/flute. The music was original, the band being from France. There were reportedly Ethiopian roots to a lot of their repertoire which was very eclectic and electric. Many numbers had no words, simply cannonading vocal humming and an assortment of sounds emanating from the performers' vocal chords. The attendees were very enthusiastic about the music and the dance floor filled half way through the set. It was one of the most enjoyable sets I have heard since arriving in Addis. The sax player also used a hand-held instrument I have seen before. It is called a kalimba, apparently originating in South Africa, most commonly in a 15-note alto or 17-note treble configuration. It's sound was quite unique, sounding a bit hollow but very metallic at the same time.
There was a bit of a mixup paying the bill and that took a while to sort out. I gave the server 20 birr as a tip for her troubles.
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