Dexter Story and his East Africa-inspired band Wondem perform opening set at the Echoplex in support of Ayalew Mesfin’s Los Angeles debut on February 13. Mesfin’s band will be the acclaimed group Debo Band from Boston.
1822 W. Sunset Blvd
The Echoplex is located below The Echo, enter through the alley at 1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA, 90026
8pm
https://www.ticketfly.com/event/1625818-return-ayalew-mesfin-debo-los-angeles/
Dexter Story performs guitar, bass and organ with Todd Simon’s Ethio Cali at the Blue Whale on Thursday, April 28, 2016.
Springtime is here and Ethio Cali has curated an eveing of NEW OFFERINGS featuring new compositions and arrangements to be premiered at one of our favorite LA venues, the Blue Whale.
We will also take a moment to pay tribute to Prince and Getatchew Mekurya, the pioneer of Ethiopian-Jazz tenor saxophone, who have recently passed away.
Featuring:
Todd Simon – trumpet/flügelhorn
Randal Fisher – tenor saxophone/flute
Tylana Renga – violin
Dexter Story – guitar/organ
Patrick Bailey -bass/guitar
Kibrom Birhane – piano
Alan Lightner – steel drums
Te’Amir Sweeney – drums
Steve Haney & Kahlil Cummings – percussion
Special guest DJ MZA providing selections throughout the night
Ethio Cali Presents New Offerings
Blue Whale
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka
Little Tokyo
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Doors: 8pm
Cover: $15
Featured on KCRW’s Music Blog “Artist You Should Know” on September 22 with the video premiere for “Eastern Prayer” directed by DJ multi-hyphenate Anthony Valadez. This is in support of the upcoming album release “Wondem” on Soundway Records. Click here.
Dexter Story is a unique figure in music today — He has played in different musical circles, booked for the legendary Temple Bar, worked as a product manager for Def Jam, and has now finally decided to work on his own songs and hit the record button.
His solo record is entitled, Wondem and is a collection of 12 songs that are inspired by the LA band Ethiocali, in which he plays the drums along side Kamasi Washington. Ethiocali performs the connecting sounds between Africa, California and everything else in between.
Dexter asked me to direct this video and the minute I hit play, I had all these ideas in my head in terms of a personal journey. “Eastern Prayer” just resonated with me — The chants, the steel drums and everything in between channeled Jamie XX and Fela Kuti in my head.
We shot this video in a couple of days around DTLA, LAX, Venice and Vasquez Rocks. I wanted to challenge myself and storytell through a camera instead of my turntables.
I hope people like it!
http://blogs.kcrw.com/musicnews/2015/09/dexter-story-artist-you-should-know/
Playing with Ethio Cali at Joon Lee’s Blue Whale jazz nightclub & gallery on Thursday, August 20. Ethio Cali returns to its favorite venue in Los Angeles for 2 sets of spirited African music.The Blue Whale is Los Angeles’ premiere jazz concert venue and gallery in Little Tokyo, Downtown Los Angeles.
Ethio Cali is a Los Angeles-based Ethio-Jazz ensemble, led by trumpeter, arranger, and composer Todd Simon. The ensemble’s sublime sound is inspired by the golden age of Ethiopian music of the 1960’s and 70’s, filtered through a lens that is uniquely Los Angeles. Acknowledging the diverse musical foundations of Ethio-Jazz, the ensemble also draws inspiration from the rhythmic and melodic textures of Sudan, Somalia, Ghana, and Colombia..
Ethio Cali features:
Todd Simon – Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Music Director
Kamasi Washington – Tenor Saxophone
Randal Fisher – Tenor Saxophone
Mark de Clive-Lowe – Keys
Alan Lightner – Steel Pan, Percussion
Damon Aaron – Guitar
Pat Bailey – Bass, Guitar
Steve Haney – Percussion
Te’Amir Yohannes Sweeney – Drums, Percussion
Dexter Story – Multiple Instruments, Arrangements
Ethio Cali Live
Thursday, August 20, 2015
8pm
$15
The Blue Whale
Weller Court
123 Astronaut E S Onizuka Street, #301
Los Angeles, CA 900122
Playing multiple instruments with Ethio Cali on their opening set supporting Brooklyn Afrobeat collective Zongo Junction on Friday, July 31. Generating a well-deserved buzz in NYC’s exploding afrobeat scene, Zongo Junction electrifies dance floors wherever they perform. The Village Voice describes their live show as “Sheer energy with the force of a tractor-trailer that roars with power and noise.” With five horns, and a six-piece rhythm section, audiences can’t help but move no matter where the band is playing.
Ethio Cali opening for
Zongo Junction
Also featuring Quita Peñas
Friday, July 31, 2015
9pm
$15
El Cid
4212 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA, 90029
http://www.elcidla.com/
Playing with Ethio Cali at Japanese American Culture & Community Center Presents Twilight In The Garden Little Tokyo Concert Series on July 19. Other guests artists include Miguel Atwood-Ferguson’s Quartetto Fantastico on July 5, Buyepongo on July 12 and Shafiq Husayn & Dove Society on July 26.
Japanese American Culture & Community Center Presents
Twilight In The Garden
Little Tokyo Concert Series
Featuring Ethio Cali
July 19, 2015
5-9pm
$10
James Irvine Japanese Garden
244 S. San Pedro Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Playing bass with Ethio Cali at Arts For Charity’s first Los Angeles fundraiser on Saturday, July 11 at Voila! Gallery. AFC uses the power of art to create hope for orphaned children with HIV and other illnesses in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The proceeds benefit orphaned children living with HIV.
Over the past 9 years, AFC’s efforts have been supported by our fabulous art auction benefit events in Washington, D.C., and New York City. We are now coming to Los Angeles for the first time on Saturday, July 11th, at the beautiful Voila! Gallery.
Our exciting live auction provides a unique opportunity for participants to bid on art from all over the world. Come enjoy an evening in which you can bring home beautiful artwork by both well-known and up-and-coming artists, and also make a profound difference, creating hope for the children of AFC.
We will also feature:
– Band members from EthioCali playing afro-jazz, and other talented entertainers.
– A taste of Ethiopia, brought to you by Azla Vegan.
– Sipping on an assortment of drinks.
– Mixing and mingling with our amazing family of supporters and volunteers!
There are a limited number of tickets available, so don’t delay in snagging your seat! On behalf of the children, and all of us at AFC, we extend our warmest appreciation for your generosity. We look forward to seeing you there!
ethiocali.com
Playing multiple instruments with Ethio Cali live at The Del Monte Speakeasy in Venice on Thursday, April 30.
Ethio Cali Live + Ras G
Thursday, April 30, 2015
9pm
$8
52 Windward Avenue
Venice, CA 90291
ethiocali.com
Playing guitar and keys with Ethio Cali live at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at USC on Sunday, April 19.
The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books began in 1996 with a simple goal: to bring together the people who create books with the people who love to read them. The festival was an immediate success and has evolved to include live bands, poetry readings, chef demos, cultural entertainment and artists creating their work on-site. There’s also a photography exhibit, film screenings followed by Q&A’s and discussion panels on some of today’s hottest topics. The festival attracts approximately 150,000 people each year of all ages from Southern California and even other parts of the country.
Ethio Cali Live
Sunday, April 19, 2015
3pm
Sound Stage
LA Times Festival of Books
USC Campus
Free
http://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/the-festival/info/
Co-presenting (with Radio Afrique and Azla Vegan) an evening of Ethiopian Classical Music featuring renowned pianist Girma Yifrashewa at South Pasadena’s Carriage House on Wednesday, March 25, 2015.
A rare Los Angeles solo performance by Ethiopia’s renowned pianist and composer, Girma Yifrashewa.
Born in 1967 in Addis Ababa, Girma Yifrashewa combines the ecstasy of Ethiopian harmony with the grandeur of virtuoso piano technique. Yifrashewa has trained at renowned institutions including the Yared School of Music in Ethiopia, Sofia State Conservatory in Bulgaria, the Royal Academy of Music in London, and the Hochschule fur Music Und Theater in Germany. A highly accomplished performer of classical repertoire, Yifrashewa has chosen to remain in Ethiopia, helping to forge a classical tradition for his country.
Currently, Yifrashewa works to promote Ethiopian and Classical Music through cultural commissions and tours throughout Africa, Europe and beyond.
This intimate performance hosted at The Carriage House will be Yifrashewa’s only Los Angeles appearance on this tour.
We invite you to join us for this truly special occasion.
______________________
An Evening of Ethiopian Classical Music with
GIRMA YIFRASHEWA
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25
7pm / 2 Sets / $20
The Carriage House
1215 Garfield Ave.
South Pasadena, CA 91030
Tickets available at rafrique.com
Light fare & coffee ceremony by Azla Vegan
Presented by Radio Afrique, Dexter Story & Azla Vegan
Photo by Victor G. Jeffreys II
______________________
Born in Addis Ababa in 1967, Girma Yifrashewa’s life in music began with the Kirar, a traditional Ethiopian harp. Introduced to piano at the age of 16 at the Yared School of Music in Addis Ababa, he later studied at the Sofia State Conservatory of Music in Bulgaria. When the fall of the Communist regime in 1989 ended his scholarship, he emigrated to Italy, returning to the Sofia Conservatory in 1991 to earn a Masters in Piano under Professor Atanas Kurtev. In Bulgaria he made an impact as a solo pianist, performing the works of Schumann, Schubert, Chopin, and Debussy until his return to Ethiopia in 1995.
After returning to Ethiopia in 1995, Yifrashewa taught piano at the Yared School of Music until 2001. Following the passing of Ethiopian composer Ashenafi Kebede in 1998, Yifrashewa moved beyond his conservatory repertoire and began his career as a composer, penning the composition “The Shepherd With The Flute” – an homage to Kebede’s most famous work, “The Shepherd Flutist.”
Since then, Yifrashewa has established himself a pre-eminent composer of Ethiopia, touring Africa and Europe extensively. His first US release, Love and Peace (Unseen Worlds), was released in 2014.
Playing guitar and arranging with Ethio Cali Ensemble at Acabar Restaurant in West Hollywood on Thursday, March 19. This is the third of four in a weekly residency in March.
ETHIO CALI ACABAR RESIDENCY
THURSDAYS IN MARCH (5th, 12th, 19th, 26th)
Featuring special DJ sets by:
– CANYON CODY – MARCH 5
– ETHIO CALI DJS – MARCH 12
– CARLOS NINO – MARCH 19
– BOSS HARMONY – MARCH 26
And resident/host/music director: WISEACRE aka ERIC TUCKER
Ethio Cali is a Los Angeles-based Ethio-Jazz ensemble, led by trumpeter, arranger, and composer Todd Simon. The ensemble’s sublime sound is inspired by the golden age of Ethiopian music of the 1960’s and 70’s, filtered through a lens that is uniquely Los Angeles. Acknowledging the diverse musical foundations of Ethio-Jazz, the ensemble also draws inspiration from the rhythmic and melodic textures of Sudan, Somalia, Ghana, and Colombia.
9pm
Dinner til midnight
$10. ADVANCE TIX http://www.eventbrite.com/e/ethio-cali-acabar-residency-tickets-15833749170?aff=erelexporg
$10. AT THE DOOR
21+ w/ ID
ACABAR
1510 North Stanley Avenue (@ Sunset Blvd.)
West Hollywood
http://acabar-la.com/
https://www.facebook.com/acabarla
about ETHIO CALI:
http://ethiocali.com/
https://soundcloud.com/ethiocali
https://www.facebook.com/EthioCali
Playing guitar and arranging with Ethio Cali Ensemble at Acabar Restaurant in West Hollywood. This is the first in a weekly residency in March.
ETHIO CALI ACABAR RESIDENCY
THURSDAYS IN MARCH (5th, 12th, 19th, 26th)
Featuring special DJ sets by:
– CANYON CODY – MARCH 5
– ETHIO CALI DJS – MARCH 12
– CARLOS NINO – MARCH 19
– BOSS HARMONY – MARCH 26
And resident/host/music director: WISEACRE aka ERIC TUCKER
Ethio Cali is a Los Angeles-based Ethio-Jazz ensemble, led by trumpeter, arranger, and composer Todd Simon. The ensemble’s sublime sound is inspired by the golden age of Ethiopian music of the 1960’s and 70’s, filtered through a lens that is uniquely Los Angeles. Acknowledging the diverse musical foundations of Ethio-Jazz, the ensemble also draws inspiration from the rhythmic and melodic textures of Sudan, Somalia, Ghana, and Colombia.
9pm
Dinner til midnight
$10. ADVANCE TIX http://www.eventbrite.com/e/ethio-cali-acabar-residency-tickets-15833749170?aff=erelexporg
$15. AT THE DOOR
21+ w/ ID
ACABAR
1510 North Stanley Avenue (@ Sunset Blvd.)
West Hollywood
http://acabar-la.com/
https://www.facebook.com/acabarla
about ETHIO CALI:
http://ethiocali.com/
https://soundcloud.com/ethiocali
https://www.facebook.com/EthioCali
Performing on guitar and keys with Ethio Cali at KCRW Presents MojaMoja Brunch and Afterparty on Saturday, February 7 at Avalon/Bardot.
7th Annual MojaMoja Brunch & Afterparty
Hosted by KCRW DJs Aaron Byrd & Anthony Valadez
Brunch 11am-2pm
Afterparty 2pm-5pm at Bardot (Inside Avalon)
Featuring performances by…
The Internet
Nick Waterhouse (DJ Set)
Taylor McFerrin
Moses Sumney
Anderson Paak
Ethio Cali
Subsuelo
Artists donate their performances to raise awareness and funds for the MojaMoja Innovation Fund which supports initiatives and nonprofits working with underrepresented, multicultural youth pursuing education and job preparedness opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
During GRAMMY® Awards weekend key influencers, music lovers and philanthropists come together at the annual MOJAMOJA Brunch and Afterparty benefitting the MojaMoja InnovationFund. Held at the iconic AVALON in Hollywood on February 7, 2015, the event has featured musical performances by established and emerging artists from around the world.
GRAMMY® Award winning musical icon Nile Rodgers will be honored Saturday, February 7, 2015, with the 2015 Vanguard Award by the MOJAMOJA Innovation Fund at the 7th Annual MOJAMOJA Brunch & Afterparty presented by 89.9 KCRW and FIGat7th. Hosted by KCRW DJs Aaron Byrd and Anthony Valadez, performances include a guest DJ set by Nick Waterhouse and an international line-up of artists including The Internet, Taylor McFerrin, Moses Sumney, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Ethio Cali, Subsuelo, DJ Canyon Cody, and Twin Danger, featuring the GRAMMY® Award winning co-founder of Sade and saxophonist Stuart Matthewman.
Artists donate their performances to raise awareness and funds to support the MojaMoja Innovation Fund empowering under represented multi-cultural youth innovators pursuing education and job preparedness opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Financial contributions to the MojaMoja Fund at the Liberty Hill Foundation are tax deductible and have benefited such charities as Oxfam America, Potential Energy (The Darfur Stoves Project), and the Common Ground Foundation.
Also, featuring mixologist Karen Grill, manager and bartender at Sassafras in Los Angeles. Karen was named GQ Magazine’s Most Imaginative Bartender of 2013, and Southwest Airlines The Magazine named Karen one of the Best Bartenders in America in 2014, and “The Conversation Starter. She makes a mean Manhattan, but it’s her exceptional people skills that turn new customers into regulars.” Strike-up a conversation with Karen and taste one of her specialty cocktails at the MojaMoja Brunch and at Sassafras located at 1233 Vine Street, Los Angeles, CA 90038. For more info visit http://www.sassafrashollywood.com.
You can help prepare an emerging generation of innovators by making a contribution the MojaMoja Fund today and by attending the 7th Annual MojaMoja Brunch and Afterparty Saturday, February 7, 2015.
Commentary: This already happened but I thought I’d say that MojaMoja was an absolute blast this year. I am proud of Garth and Oscar on curating a vital gathering for the past 7 years. I feel lucky to have been a part of this one. The kicker was having our idol Nile Rodgers walk in during our set and mention how pleased he was to hear live music. Wow!
Playing multiple instruments with Ethio Cali at the World Stage’s 2014 Kwanzaa Music Festival on Saturday, December 27. Ethio Cali will play a variety of songs from their 2014 repertoire honoring the spirit of the World Stage.
Ethio Cali Live
The World Stage Kwanzaa Music Festival
December 27, 2014
The World Stage Performance Gallery
(Leimert Park)
4344 Degnan Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90008
Playing guitar and keys with Ethio Cali live at Fig at 7th on Friday, December 12. The band will revisit the Latin African music we performed in November at the Blue Whale.
Ethio Cali Plays Latin Africa Live (Reprise)
featuring
Todd M. Simon – Trumpet
Randal Fisher – Tenor Saxophone
Damon Aaron – Guitar
Brandon Eugen Owens – Bass Guitar
Te’Amir Sweeney – Drums
Richi Panta – Percussion
Dexter Story – Guitar, Keys
Sonny Abegaze – Curation
Friday, December 12, 2014
8pm
Figat7th
735 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles, California
#Free
Commentary: Figat7th is a wonderful place to play and I was grateful to Oscar and the curators for booking Ethio Cali. Once we started performing, I forgot we were in a mall. Please support Figat7th. They treated us well.
Dexter Story 
