Weekly Round Up

For guide to venues, see below

Monday
Le Bateau Ivre: Jazz Night with Addis Acoustic Project, with Olaf (sax), Henok (bass guitar), Nati (drums) and Joerg (guitar). Hot venue in Kazanchis (see below), from 8:30 pm.

Tuesday
Fahrenheit: Express Band: lively and good range of music. Free.
Harlem Jazz: K'Alyn and 4 Star Top singer, from Washington DC, still delighting packed houses of fans with his excellent covers on old and groovy soul, r'n'b, reinterpreted habesha hits, reggae, etc. A great entertainer - after 2 years the music is tighter and faster than ever. Bibisa (guitar), Dawit (keyboard), Tamara (drums), Kofi (percussion) and Joe (bass).
Musik'a: Jazz Night with Addis Acoustic Project, with Olaf (sax), Henok (bass guitar), Nati (drums) and Joerg (guitar).

Wednesday
Office Bar, Sheraton: Right On group from US play live jazz, oldies, rock'n'roll and other music under the stars. From 8-11 pm.
Panda: Zemen Band, playing a hot mix of Amharic, zouk, rock, reggae, Arabic and Afro-funk 10:30pm-2am, DJ until late.

Thursday
Club Alize: Addis Acoustic Renaissance brought together by Girum Mezmur, some fantastic performers playing excellent jazz to a packed house, from 9pm-1am.
Fahrenheit: Zion Band reggae. Free.
Harlem Jazz: Reggae band - live.
Office Bar, Sheraton: Right On group from US play live jazz, oldies, rock'n'roll and other music under the stars. From 8-11 pm.
Panda: DJ and lounge.
Club Platinum, DJ.

Friday
@mosphere/Divine Lounge: salsa night from 10pm.
Club Alize: Jazz quintet. Top sounds by star musicians such as Fasil Wuhib (guitar), Jorg (guitar) and Jorda (sax) in an enjoyable and relaxed evening. From 9pm. Free.
Club Platinum, DJ.

Saturday
Club Alize: Disco night, with old school reggae, r'n'b, etc. from 9pm-4am.
Club Platinum, DJ and good crowd. Starts late.
Fahrenheit Lounge: DJ, starts late.
Harlem Jazz: reggae band - the great Sydney Solomon and band with non-stop hits.

Sunday
Fahrenheit Lounge: Zion Band reggae. Free.
Panda: live band (the Mehari Brothers are on tour abroad). From 10 pm.

Venue Guide

A la Vautre friendly bar/restaurant in Kazanchis, party night every 2 weeks, Thursday (starting 13 Dec) with DJ Ermi. To get there turn to East at Total petrol Kazanchis, on your left in front of Enderase Hotel, or call Guy 0911-011044 or Ermis 0911-218642/672966.

@mosphere Lounge, in the Sheger Building (2nd floor, former Divine Lounge), Namibia Road, near to Kaldi's near Bole Medhanealem.

Bailamos, lively bar and lounge with dance floors, upstairs above Novis (on opposite side of Bole Road from turning to Bole Rwanda).

Black Rose, the place where people meet, lounge bar in Bole Road, above Boston Spa. Crowded and chatty, good decor, 7 nights a week from 6pm-2am, variety of world music. Call 011-6639884.

Chill in Addis, lounge and bar in Bole Rwanda (1st left, above Sze-Chuan Chinese restaurant, with VIP floor and friendly atmosphere.

Club Alize, airy and relaxed jazz club in a small road off Bole Road to the right as you approach airport roundabout. Excellent design and nice crowd, great for parties. Happy hour 9-11pm. Call 011-6639884.

Club Boudoir, the hottest gentleman's club in Addis, recently opened. Past Piazza, near to AiRos Hotel and near Italian Institute of Culture, on road to Semien Hotel. Closed Monday.

Club Illusion, used to be the hottest dance club, now re-opening soon - watch this space!! Near Ambassador cinema, below Sheraton. Call 0911-862911.

Club Platinum, the smartest club in town (expensive entry), beyond Gaslight, custom-built nightclub with dance cages, balconies. Big, big crowd late on Saturday night and nice vibe, for programme see www.platinumaddis.com or call 011-6632828/5. In "Chechinia", under Yoly Hotel (Atlas Hotel area, northwards a little way towards Classic Hotel). Thu-Sat, Starts 11pm.

Club Ritmo, used to have great band performing, and singers usually include the talents of Michael Belayneh. Top floor of ABC Trading building in Olympia (road from Dembel towards Bambis).

Coffee House, excellent jazz, but currently under renovation for a few months, near to Sidist Kilo (go into a small road slightly north of the road to French embassy when you reach the first service station.

Fahrenheit smart lounge, beautiful decor, opposite Bole Medhanealem church near the Kaldi's roundabout. Happy hour (30% discount) every night from 6pm-9pm, motto "dress to impress". Free. Tel 0911-213737 or 011 6638768.

Gaslight, smart club at the side of the Sheraton Hotel, fine live jazz on the first Wednesday of every month, other nights disco for smart and beautiful people. No sneakers.

Harlem Jazz, active and hot when good musicians play, a large bar at the bottom of Bole Road on the way to the airport, with excellent singers on 3 or 4 nights from 10 pm. Free.

Le Bateau Ivre, laid back but hot, a tapas bar in Kazanchis (before you climb past Fendika and car spares to the hilltop, its set back in a corner on the right at the junction where the Sunday market closes the road). Scores high on decor and laid-back atmosphere.

Le Tam Tam in the basement of Global Hotel, Debrezeit Road. The DJs spin top African sounds (zouk, kizomba, highlife, etc.), dancers on Tuesday and Thursday. Tel 0911-204424.

Musik'a is recently-opened, with live jazz on Tuesdays. On "EU road" (Cape Verde St?), downhill towards Bole Road, across from Atlas Hotel.

Office Bar, The Sheraton Hotel's Office Bar is a top gathering place for business and other contacts. Nice band on Wednesday and Thursdays.

Panda, a cool venue above Kaldi's near Bole Medhanealem.

Piano Bar/La Gazelle, evergreen habesha club with hot dance choreography and good at discovering new talent. Bole Road, next to Novis.

Rodeo Addis, a comfortable restaurant and bar in a spacious compound, off down a side road on the left as you follow Bole Road to the airport, turning is signposted and nearly opposite Shoa Supermarket. Tel 011-5510694, 0911-212103/246320.