Addis Abeba et ses ménestrels... les Azmaris
Antoine Chaudagne
1999 - 27 min - DV Cam - Couleur - France

The film tackles with one of the strongest Ethiopian musical traditions, with poetic and provocative singers called "Azmaris".
In Addis Abeba at night, in pubs called "Azmari bets", Ethiopians let off steam with music, dancing and alcohol. This is the place of the Azmaris, including people in the dances and the verbal sparring. Azmaris are fond of language, puns and double meanings. This skill with language lets the joking Azmaris to push the irreverence quite far.
Azmaris sing in Addis what is pejoratively called "Bolel", which means "exhaust fumes" music to refer to a hybrid mix of tradition and urban culture. Actually, the competition with westernised night-clubs pushes a generation of talented young Azmaris to renew their tradition.
The Azmaris are the heirs of travelling minstrels, from which remain the repertoire, the ironic tone, and the sense of improvisation. They charm their audience through a mixture of flatteries and jeering ; a tricky game because the Azmari depends on the audience’s tips as his only wage.