Danakil Safari

The Norwegian quintet Danakil Safari plays music inspired by ‘ethiojazz’ – an Ethiopian style of music inspired by an American style of music with its own African roots. The name and desert themes are inspired by the extremely inhospitable ‘Danakil Depression’ - an area in northern Ethiopia where you may encounter acid lakes and volcanic activity. These are characteristics which may also describe the experience of attending a concert with Danakil Safari. Danakil Safari’s original music started to emerge through frequent gigging around the Oslo-area. The band started out playing traditional ethiojazz repertoire, but quickly developed their own spin on the style. The musicians’ other influences started to impart different energies into the music, such as different flavors of rock, gritty electronic club vibes and improvised music. Many of the tracks on the album started out as free, collective improvisations in the studio.