10 songs that bring back memories of my travels: Cerys Matthews’ playlist

The musician and radio presenter is transported to a porch in Mississippi, a dance floor in Santiago de Cuba and a bar stool on the Wild Atlantic Way

“Go to Addis!” Three words from author and poet Lemn Sissay made me book a flight and finally head to Ethiopia – a land of music, history, food and nature. The trip was too short, though we did meet Mulatu Astatke, father of Ethio-jazz, on his home turf, visited a coffee plantation and drank the best coffee in the world, saw several hippos and fell in love with the marabou storks, as tall as me and as characterful as our older generations. We tried tej (honey wine) at the Fendika Cultural Centre in Addis Ababa, saw the young generation play and dance to ancient songs , then watched a DJ session by Melaku, surrounded by his record collection. Also check out Hailu Mergia and Homesickness by Tsegué Maryam Guèbronwells.

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