NALBANDIAN THE ETHIOPIAN & EITHER/ORCHESTRA - ETHIOPIQUES 32: NALBANDIAN THE ETHIOPIAN & EITHER/ORCHESTRA

Ethiopiques 32: Nalbandian the Ethiopian celebrates the long-overlooked legacy of Nerses Nalbandian, the Armenian-born composer whose work helped shape modern Ethiopian music. Arriving in Ethiopia in 1938, Nalbandian became Emperor Haile Selassie’s favoured musician and a key architect of Ethio-jazz, leading the National Theater Orchestra and nurturing many future stars.

After the 1974 fall of Haile Selassie, Nalbandian’s music faded from public performance. Decades later, the Either/Orchestra’s 2004 visit to Addis Ababa sparked its revival, encouraged by Nalbandian’s family and Ethiopiques curator Francis Falceto. Bandleader Russ Gershon rebuilt the charts from surviving scores and recordings, leading the ensemble back to Ethiopia in 2011 to perform the repertoire with local guests.

This volume offers the first properly issued live and studio recordings of that project, restoring Nalbandian’s vibrant, big-band arrangements and his blend of Ethiopian modes, American jazz, and cosmopolitan orchestration. Long regarded as one of the world’s essential archival series, Ethiopiques here uncovers a cornerstone of the country’s musical history.