mulatu astatke

from the MySpace page:
"Musically trained in London and schooled in the club scene of mid-'60s New York, Mulatu Astatke stands as the exceptional musical innovator of the Ethiopian groove. Starting in 1969, he created the first bands independent of the military, which had previously dominated the country's music scene. Having immersed himself in Caribbean music, funk, jazz and Latin grooves during his lengthy stint abroad, Mulatu returned to his native land to give rise to a brand new sound."

http://www.myspace.com/mulatuastatke

from wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulatu_Astatke
"Mulatu Astatke (born 1943; surname also spelled Astatqé; Amharic: ??? ?????) is an Ethiopian musician and arranger. He is known as the father of Ethio-jazz. Born in the western Ethiopian city of Jimma, Mulatu was musically trained in London, New York City, and Boston, where he was the first African student at Berklee College of Music. Later he combined his jazz and Latin music influences with traditional Ethiopian music."