Ibex Band (ET) must surely be one of het most influential bands in Ethiopian music history. The musical driving force of the band, guitarist Selam ‘Selamino’ Seyoum Woldemariam – often described as the Ethiopian Jimi Hendrix – and bassist Giovanni Rico, worked together on about 200 albums(!) and recorded an estimated 2,500 songs(!) in the ‘70s and ‘80s. However: the vast majority of these were simply lost over the years.
 
By the way, both musicians formed the musical backbone of Ethiopian icons such as Mulatu Astatke (who appeared at AB in 2025 on his farewell tour), singer Mahmoud Ahmed, Aster Aweke, “Ethiopian gem” Girma Beyene and Tilahun Gessesse. Fortunately, in 2025, Swedish label Muzikawi re-released their 1976 classic Stereo Instrumental Music.
 
Their mission? “We create and share the finest of Ethiopian music with the world.” That has certainly proved true, and with wonderful repercussions. Music magazine Uncut praised Ibex Band with a full-page 8/10 review and The Quietus described the album as “a unique document of the vibrant Ethiopian music scene of the 1970s”. Spurred on by the rave reviews, the itch to perform returned and Ibex Band decided to hit the road once more.

Anyone wanting to take a delicious deep dive into the exceptional Ibex Band story, can head to internet-radio NTS where this two-part series was dedicated to them.