This is a past event.
It was a bit of a miracle when Mahmoud Ahmed came to Portland to play a show on New Year's Day, 2011. Now the Ethiopian singer is returning for another, this time at the YU arts space, which seems to be getting into the habit of hosting more musical events to the public. This one's not to be missed: Ahmed's glitzy version of traditional Amharic music doesn't have a ton in common with the familiar Ethiopian instrumental jazz-funk that came into vogue among Western listeners a few years ago. Rather, Ahmed marries the slowly curling, snakelike approach to melody that's also found in other styles of music like Qawwali with very crisp, accessible jazz-pop arrangements. Now in his 70s, Ahmed is a superstar at home; seeing him here in Portland might just be a twice-in-a-lifetime experience. NED LANNAMANN
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YU Contemporary
- 800 SE 10th Ave, Portland Southeast OR 97214
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503-236-7996
- www.yucontemporary.org
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