Mahmoud Ahmed w/ Trio X + Andrew Barker, Charles Waters, Daniel Carter + Soldier/Kane

ISSUE Project Room & Pioneer Works Summer Concert Series

A verified legend of African pop music, Mahmoud Ahmed led the wave of Ethiopian music’s ‘golden age’ in the 60s-70s with his notoriously energetic combination of traditional Amharic music with soul, jazz & funk. His multi-octave voice made him household name in Ethiopia, and a star since nearly the moment he started recording, though this pioneering artist is still relatively obscure in North America. ISSUE and Pioneer Works Center for Art and Innovation are pleased to present Mahmoud Ahmed live in Red Hook, Brooklyn—his first New York performance since 2011. The afternoon includes performances by two trios of American free jazz giants: Joe McPhee, Dominic Duval and Jay Rosen as Trio X, as well as Andrew Barker, Charles Waters and Daniel Carter. As Soldier / Kane, drummer Jonathan Kane and multi-instrumentalist David Soldier perform uprooted Americana.

Doors open at 3pm, music starts at 4pm. With food by Rucola, beverages by Sixpoint Brewery, and Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony by Bunna Cafe.

A free After-Party from 9-11pm features Chances with Wolves. Well-known for their long-running show on the now-defunct EVR Radio, they spin classic soul, 90s hip hop, and 50s throwback, among other unclassifiable sounds.

Image Credit: Mahmoud Ahmed, éthiopiques concert at Barbican, London 27 June 2008, by Adrian Boot.