Teenage Ethiopian Americans bring parents’ music to life

Young Ethio Jazz BandMusic often divides generations, but one group of Ethiopian Americans in California are challenging that norm. They’ve embraced music from their parents’ generation and are playing it in their band.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that kids hate their parents’ music, or at least do their best to ignore it.

Garage bands don’t borrow CDs from their parents so they can practice disco covers. Unless it’s in some kind of ironic hipster way.

There’s nothing ironic about the music being played in one particular suburban garage near Oakland, Calif. The Young Ethio Jazz Band are teenagers who rock out with their parents’ music.

The band played its first gig in San Francisco last winter. Now it’s slated to open for another act at Yoshi’s, a famous jazz club in San Francisco, and then it plays in the Ethiopian Heritage Festival at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Read more