Éthiopiques: The Story of the Golden Age

Big Ears 2026 is celebrating the richness of Ethiopian music with two films, a special concert by the Either/Orchestra and this conversation, led by author/producer Joe Boyd.

Francis Falceto, creator of the extraordinary 32-volume Ethiopiques collection – has been invited to Knoxville to tell the fascinating story of how the Golden Era of Ethiopian jazz came to be, how he discovered it, and, over the past 30 years, has ensured that Ethiopian music was heard around the world.

Francis will be joined in this discussion by Russ Gershon, leader of the Either/Orchestra, who will perform music from their latest Ethiopiques collaboration, Vol 32: Nalbandian the Ethiopian later Sunday afternoon at the Bijou Theater. Joe, Francis and Russ will explore the remarkable story of Nerses Nalbandian, an Armenian conductor, teacher and composer who was central to the Armenian-Ethiopian musical connection that ignited the ‘Golden Age’. Film clips and photos will bring to life the tales behind the music that has entranced audiences across the globe.