Fendika

Friday was the club gig we had al been looking forward to.  We were programmed to play at Melaku’s Fendika, together with Ethio-Colour.  By the time we were ready to go on stage, the small club was packed with people, inside and outside.

I had been visiting the club practically every day since my arrival in Addis.  There is something magical that made us want to go back again and again.  Maybe it was the delicious haraké served in tiny glasses or the fantastic music played incessantly by Asrat and the reisdent Masinko players.  It could have been Mihret’s charismatic bursts of singing, or even Melaku and his troupe’s hypnotic dancing... It could have even been the place itself, a small low tent like space with small stools and tables all over, all bathed in a low red light which makes you exit Addis’ urban wannabe feel into a time forgotten space where all that matters is drink, dance and song.

Fendika is truly a perfect mix of all that makes a great club, and we were honoured to play there on Friday.  People swarmed into the place for the night’s events and it turned out to be a long night of hot music, thanks to Kidus’ vinyl warmup, Ethio-Colour’s amazing show of music, dance and fantastic guest singers, and of course our set which for the first time included Asrat on percussion, Mihret’s singing and Fekerte’s energetic dancing.

The festivities ended with a jam session between us, the musicians of Ethio-Colour and a couple of talented drummers and singers who joined in from the crowd.  It was another memorable night in Addis.