FREE EVENT
The full 10 piece Ethiofunk supertrip legislating the groove.

Award winning ensemble, Black Jesus Experience (BlX) is a twelve piece band playing an irresistibly danceable alloy of traditional Ethiopian song and 21st Century groove. Black Jesus Experience’s music reflects the multicultural vibrancy of the band’s hometown, Melbourne, Australia.

Singer Enushu began entertaining her local community as a child in Addis Ababa, migrating to Australia bringing hauntingly beautiful compositions inspired by her remarkable life story and the unique vocal traditions of Ethiopia. Enushu is joined on vocals by poetic giant and lyrical miracle Mr Monk, Zimbabwe born and Outback bred.

When not touring BJX run a weekly session at cultural hub The Horn creating new songs live on stage featuring guest, a practice that lies in the improvising traditions of that feed BJX including Hip Hop, Jazz, Azmari and Funk.

BJX’s fourth album ‘Migration’ won ‘The Age-Music Victoria Best Global Album 2014’ award. Their most recent album, ‘To Know Without Knowing’ was The Guardian Jazz Album of the Month, with 4 Star reviews from The Times, Blues + Soul, NPR Radio and more. More recently they latest double album release saw them shoot to the top of the World Music Charts in Europe and to great acclaim locally.

2022 saw the band release the eagerly anticipated double vinyl album, ‘Good Evening Black Buddha’ to global acclaim.

Performance highlights for BJX include touring “the Motherland” Ethiopia four times, performing with Ethiojazz legend Mulatu Astatke in Africa (most notably at the United Nations in Addis Ababa commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and The African Union), in Europe and Australia (The Age Best National Tour 2013), and at Glastonbury and other great international festivals.

The rhymes and chimes of Black Jesus Experience deliver the power and beauty of Africa through the vocal prism of Hip-Hop and freedom of Funk.

**** “Beautifully layered and organic, trippy and hypnotic. This is the good stuff, don’t waste a drop of it”
Blues And Soul Magazine

“Ancient to modern sensibility. Rammed with more rhythm-stretching melody than its groove ought to have room for.”
The Guardian – John Fordham

**** “Volcanic.. fusillades of brass and percussion.. spiraling rhythms.. starkly hypnotic.“
The Times – Clive Davis

https://www.multiculturalfestival.com.au/festival-program/friday/section-a-civic-square