Azla combines music with vegan Ethiopian cuisine

Almost Addis Ababa · Azla Vegan offers a variety of traditional recipes and allows L.A. residents to explore Ethiopian culture. They have recently partnered with hip-hop artist Ras G of Brainfeeder records.Photo courtesy of Azla Vegan
Almost Addis Ababa · Azla Vegan offers a variety of traditional recipes and allows L.A. residents to explore Ethiopian culture. They have recently partnered with hip-hop artist Ras G of Brainfeeder records.Photo courtesy of Azla Vegan

Located in the Mercado de Paloma, the Azla Vegan Ethiopian restaurant stands out in the renowned South L.A. food center by engaging the neighborhood in Ethiopian culture through customary recipes and handcrafted beats. Among the persevering entrepreneurs and cultural pioneers in the marketplace, owner Azla and daughter and co-owner Nesanet adhere to a health-conscious lifestyle through their vegan options and adhere to showcasing their culture through entertainment mediums such as music.

L.A.-based hip-hop producer Ras G, who is signed with Brainfeeder records, helped the family-owned restaurant earlier this month to immerse their customers with their African roots by creating the first out of a special series of mixtapes “that highlight the tradition, culture and diaspora of Ethiopia,” according to L.A. Taco. Azla Sounds Volume 1, available in limited edition cassette and digital album format, consists of 13 flavorful tracks that give customers insight into authentic Ethiopian sounds, but with a jazzy, inner-city twist to adapt to its South Central setting.

Read more at: Daily Trojan (USC)