{{Short description|Ethiopian jazz saxophonist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}} {{more citations needed|date=February 2020}} {{Patronymic name|Getatchew|Mekurya|his|father}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Getatchew Mekurya | image = Getatchew Mekuria (cropped).jpg | native_name = ጌታቸው መኩሪያ | native_name_lang = am | birth_name = Getachew Mekuria | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date|1935|03|14|df=y}} | birth_place = Yifat, Shewa, Ethiopian Empire | origin = Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | death_date = {{death date and age|2016|04|04|1935|03|14|df=y}} | death_place = Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | genre = Ethiopian music, jazz, Ethio-jazz | occupation = | instrument = Tenor saxophone | years_active = 1949–2016 | label = | associated_acts = The Ex, Either/Orchestra, Addis Ababa Municipality Band | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> }}
'''Getatchew Mekurya''' (Amharic: ጌታቸው መኩሪያ; 14 March 1935 – 4 April 2016)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theex.nl/news2016.html|title=Getatchew Mekuria (1935 - 2016) - A Lifelong History In Photos|publisher=The Ex|date=26 November 2016|access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref> was an Ethiopian jazz saxophonist.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/12/arts/music/getatchew-mekurya-ethiopian-jazz-saxophonist-dies-at-81.html |title=Getatchew Mekurya, Ethiopian Jazz Saxophonist, Dies at 81 |work=The New York Times |author=Nate Chinen |date=April 11, 2016}}</ref>
==Early career== Getatchew Mekurya was born on 14 March 1935, in Yifat, Ethiopia.<ref name=NYT/> His father was a honey merchant.<ref name=Wire>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Gallery: Getatchew Mekuria's life in music |url=https://www.thewire.co.uk/galleries/gallery-getatchew-mekuria-s-life-in-music |magazine=The Wire |location=London |publisher=The Wire |date=2017 |access-date=}}</ref> Young Getatchew played traditional Ethiopian instruments such as the washint flute, the krar and the masenqo, and later moved on to the saxophone and clarinet.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/content/king-ethiopian-saxophone-passes-age-81 | title=King of Ethiopian Saxophone Passes at Age 81 | date=9 April 2016 }}</ref><ref name=Wire/>
At age 13, Getatchew began his professional career in 1949 as a part of the Municipality Band in Addis Ababa. In 1955 he joined the house band at Addis' Haile Selassie I Theatre, and in 1965 joined the famous Police Orchestra.<ref name=NYT/>
Getatchew was one of the first musicians to record an instrumental version of ''shellela'', a genre of traditional Amhara vocal music sung by warriors before going into battle.<ref>{{cite book |last=Uhlig |first=Siegbert |author-link= |date=2006 |title=Proceedings of the XVth International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, Hamburg, July 20-25, 2003|location=Wiesbaden |publisher=Harrassowitz |page=185 |isbn=|oclc=71298502 }}</ref> Getatchew took the ''shellela'' tradition seriously, often appearing onstage in a warrior's animal-skin tunic and lion's mane headdress. He continued to refine his instrumental ''shellela'' style, recording an entire album in 1970, ''Negus of Ethiopian Sax'', released on Philips Ethiopia during the heyday of the Ethiojazz movement. Getatchew continued to work alongside many of the biggest orchestras in Addis Ababa, accompanying renowned singers Alemayehu Eshete, Hirut Beqele, and Ayalew Mesfin.
==Later career, collaborations with the Ex and others== Getatchew reached an international audience when his album ''Negus of Ethiopian Sax'' was re-released as part of the Ethiopiques CD series. Getatchew's playing style has been compared to free jazz, but developed in isolation from it during the early 1950s.<ref name="aaj">{{Cite web|last=May|first=Chris|title=Getatchew Mekurya: Negus Of Ethiopian Sax|work=All About Jazz|date=2007-09-28|url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/getatchew-mekurya-negus-of-ethiopian-sax-by-chris-may|access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref><ref name="budamusique">{{Cite web|title=Ethiopiques Volume 14 |url=http://www.budamusique.com/en/ethiopiques/324-ethiopiques-volume-14.html |work=Budamusique.com |access-date=2010-11-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402135243/http://www.budamusique.com/en/ethiopiques/324-ethiopiques-volume-14.html |archive-date=2 April 2012 |df=dmy }}</ref> Getatchew has said he is unfamiliar with either Ornette Coleman or Albert Ayler.<ref name="budamusique" /><ref name="allmusic">{{Cite web|last=Nickson|first=Chris|title=Ethiopiques, Vol. 14: Negus of Ethiopian Sax (Review)|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=ethiopiques-vol-14-negus-of-ethiopian-sax-r639596|pure_url=yes}}|work=Allmusic|access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref>
Dutch avant-garde/punk band the Ex caught the ears of Getatchew, and he invited them to play with him, which they did from 2004 on. Getatchew asked the Ex to be the backing band for his 2006 album, ''Moa Anbessa''. The Ex and Getatchew toured the Netherlands, Belgium and France together in 2006 and 2007,<ref>According to [http://www.theex.nl/history.htm#y2006 the official the Ex website] and [http://bimhuis.com/gigs/getachew-mekuria--the-ex--guests the Bimhuis website], both retrieved 4 April 2016.</ref> and then the United States in 2008 and Canada in 2009 with members of the group Fendika.<ref>{{Cite web|title=An Extended Exography|url=http://www.theex.nl/history.htm|access-date=2010-11-22}}</ref> A second album with the Ex, ''Y'Anbessaw Tezeta'', was released in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Margasak|first=Peter|title=Great Ethiopian saxophonist Getatchew Mekuria dead at 81|url=https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2016/04/05/great-ethiopian-saxophonist-getatchew-mekuria-dead-at-81|work=Chicago Reader|date=5 April 2016|access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref>
Getatchew collaborated with numerous other contemporary artists, including British Tamil singer Susheela Raman and Boston jazz ensemble Either/Orchestra.<ref name=budamusique /> He lived in Addis Ababa, and regularly performed at the Sunset Bar at the Sheraton Addis, and also at Fendika Azmari Bet.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tadias.com/04/05/2016/king-of-ethiopian-sax-getatchew-mekurya-passed-away-at-age-81/|title=King of Ethiopian Sax Getatchew Mekurya Passed Away at Age 81 at Tadias Magazine|publisher=tadias.com}}</ref>
In an interview published by Ethiopian Reporter in January 2012 Getatchew says about Éthiopiques and the copyright of Francis Falceto (Buda Musique record company): "I think that is one of the reasons why Mulatu Astatke despises Frances Falceto. He does not want to see his face. Even if he was able to contribute to the recognition of our music worldwide, on the other hands he used us. He is making tons of money. I do not work with him; I work with other musicians and promoters and I think he is not happy with that fact."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fleurmach.com/2013/04/06/getatchew-mekurya-antchi-hoye/#more-7853 |title=getatchew mekuria antchi hoye |last=Tigabu |first=Tibebeselassie |date=28 January 2012 |website=fleurmach.com |publisher= |access-date=23 August 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== Getatchew's wife Ayalech died in 2015. Getatchew died in 2016 of a leg infection caused by diabetes, aged 81. He was survived by nine children and numerous grandchildren.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jazztimes.com/features/tributes-and-obituaries/getatchew-mekurya-ethiopian-saxophonist-dies-at-81/|title=Gétatchèw Mèkurya, Ethiopian Saxophonist, Dies at 81|website=JazzTimes|date=21 July 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/12/arts/music/getatchew-mekurya-ethiopian-jazz-saxophonist-dies-at-81.html|title=Getatchew Mekurya, 81, Ethiopian Saxophonist With Global Reach, Dies|first=Nate|last=Chinen| newspaper=The New York Times |date=11 April 2016}}</ref>
==Discography== * "Shellela" 45 (late 1950s)<ref name=aaj /> * ''Ethiopiques Volume 14: Negus of Ethiopian Sax'' (recorded in 1970, originally released on Philips Ethiopia in 1972) * ''Ethiopiques Volume 20: Either/Orchestra Live in Addis'' (Mekuria appears on the track "Shellella") (recorded in 2004) * ''Moa Anbessa'' (with the Ex and other guests) (2006) * ''Gétatchèw Mèkurya & The Ex + Guests [DVD, Ethiosonic/Buda Musique]'' (2007) * ''Y'Anbessaw Tezeta'' (with the Ex and Friends, 2012) * ''The Rough Guide to the Music of Ethiopia'' (2012, World Music Network)
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category|Getatchew Mekuria}} * {{youTube|2Dk4pjTbJEw|Getatchew Mekurya - Tezeta & Muziqa heywete}} * [https://www.discogs.com/artist/563985-G%C3%A9tatch%C3%A8w-M%C3%A8kurya Getatchew Mekurya] at discogs.com * [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/12/arts/music/getatchew-mekurya-ethiopian-jazz-saxophonist-dies-at-81.html Obituary] at ''The New York Times''
{{The Ex}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mekurya, Getatchew}} Category:1935 births Category:2016 deaths Category:20th-century saxophonists Category:Ethiopian musicians Category:21st-century saxophonists