Mulatu Astatke + Emel Mathlouthi + Alsarah & the Nubatones + DJ Sirak

In the mid-’60s, Astatke began bending the rules of American jazz to fit the traditional music of his native Ethiopia and ended up launching an entire genre known as Ethio-jazz—a profoundly deep and funky style that hasn’t lost a shred of its cool over its 50-year run. The revered composer and multi-instrumentalist has collaborated with Duke Ellington and been sampled by Kanye West, and you certainly shouldn't miss him when he hits SummerStage for the first time.