Digging into the sounds of Africa | Oliver Degabriele

How did the band first get together, and what were your initial musical aims?

Akalé Wubé was formed out of the love for ethio-jazz standards of the 'Swingin' Addis' golden age of the 60s and 70s. We discovered the music through the series of compilations called 'Ethiopiques', and we all thought it would be a lot of fun to play this music, so we did just that.

Our initial music aim was to have fun with the music and we had no pretension to make it our own or anything like that. We played the songs live, tried out different arrangements and starting to understand what made this music sound 'Ethiopian'.

With time, we started to understand and feel closer to the essence of the music which made it easier for us to venture into writing original compositions while keeping the spirit of the music.

What pulled you towards Ethiopian music? Could you describe some of its 'textures' and how it differs from other forms of jazz?

Ethio-jazz's biggest charm lies in the various sources of inspiration it draws from. These standards can range from funk to reggae to psychedelic rock to afro-beat. It is also a music that was played and recorded in the 60s and 70s, so it possesses that timeless sound which applies for most bands of the time (Led Zeppelin, the Meters and so on). We are all huge fans of 60s and 70s music in the band and we made it our personal challenge to keep our sound as close as possible to the original.

Music-wise, the music is a successful fusion of the above styles mixed the unique voices, interpretation and instruments of the time in Addis Abeba.

The 'Ethiopian' element is sometimes evident in odd yet simple rhythmic patterns, which when played together repetitively can create a trance like effect, generally bound to force you to get up and dance!

It is also present in the modes used a basis for a lot of Ethiopian standards, a mix between the pentatonic (omnipresent in afro-beat) and a more North African sounding sequence of notes which gives the music a unique identity.

You speak of creating a 'fantastic' Ethiopia with your music. Is this a romanticised version of Ethiopia? What does it consist of?

Our major inspiration is the golden age of Ethiopian music, which happened in the 60s and 70s mostly in Addis Abeba. This was lost due to a curfew in the following years, a consequence of the political situation in Ethiopia at the time.

This effectively means that nowadays this music is being rediscovered, mostly by European bands who have fallen under the spell of this genre. It is all tied in with a love for the sound of so-called retro sound of that period, and a lost era of this fantastic "golden age" of Ethiopian music.

Having travelled a lot, how did people in different countries react to your sound? And how are you expecting to be received in Malta?

We are lucky to be playing a genre of music that is new to most of our listeners. Many are intrigued by the term 'ethio-jazz' and I'm not sure what most of them expect, but all seem to leave with a huge sense of curiosity which compels them to listen to more of this genre. It is exactly what I'm hoping will be people's reaction in Malta, and be a catalyst for people discovering this amazing repertoire of music.

We played in Ethiopia in 2010 and that a memorable time in that we did not know how Ethiopians would react to seeing five white guys playing their music... but it was during our first performance in Addis when we realised that people were singing to the songs we were playing, and that they were touched and delighted to hear them being played live. It was a very special moment for us when we realised that what we were giving was as important as what we were receiving - as musicians and as human beings.

Akalé Wubé are: Etienne de la Sayette (saxophones, flutes), Paul Bouclier (trumpet, percussion, krar), Loïc Réchard (guitar), Oliver Degabriele (bass) and David Georgelet (drums). For the April 12 concert, they will be supported by Lester Clayton and Clemence Freschard. Early bird tickets are at €25, €30 normal rate. Bookings: www.maltaticket.com. Doors open at 19:30.