As the father of Ethio-jazz, Mulatu Astatke pioneered a style that not only combined jazz with traditional Ethiopian tunings but also with soul and Latin rhythms—influenced by his time in the UK and US—and the rebel sounds of Afro-funk burning up in West Africa. Political turmoil at home left Astatke without an audience for many years. In the 1990s, however, a new generation of crate-diggers rediscovered his distinctive alchemy of jazz fusion, leading to collaborations with international artists directly inspired by his innovative cross-cultural vision.