Imperial Tiger Orchestra

Imperial Tiger Orchestra is a Swiss group of modern popular Ethiopian music. Its name hints at the Imperial bodyguard band of the Halie Selassie era and Monty Python’s “Tiger in Africa” sketch. It was formed after a jam organized by Genevan trumpet player Raphaël Anker. The band has released three albums and played in Europe, Southern Africa and Ethiopia. It also worked with renowned Ethiopian musicians, like Endress Hassen or the singer Hamelmal Abate.

Biography
Imperial Tiger Orchestra first started by unravelling the yarn of the Ethiopian Golden Age of music (1969 – 1975). They were inspired by original albums that the band found while shopping for rare musical ornaments on a first visit to Addis Ababa in 2009, Imperial Tiger Orchestra released a first record in 2010, the aptly-named Addis Ababa, which explored Ethiopian music from the 70s – when traditional Ethiopian brass bands began feeding off American essence. The second release, Mercato, veered towards a more pop-inspired repertoire from the 80s, and the latest release celebrates Ethiopian culture, from the unique vibration of the azmari repertoire to the hypnotic race of the major tribes. Imperial Tiger Orchestra has toured Europe for 3 years. The band has also taken its acid riffs to the African continent, touring South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe back in 2010. Having been invited to Addis Ababa by the producer of the Ethiopiques series, Francis Falceto, the Tigers met many of the local musicians who work to change traditional Ethiopian music. Based in and around Geneva, Switzerland, Imperial Tiger Orchestra has also worked with musicians and dancers from the Ethiopian diaspora.

Discography

 * Addis Ababa, (2010)
 * Lale Lale/Yefikir Woha Timu, (2010)
 * Mercato, (2011)
 * Wax, (2013)