Ethiopian National Defence Force Band
The Ethiopian National Defence Force Band is a military band of the Ethiopian National Defense Force. It is located in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa for ceremonial use by the state. It is composed of a marching band, a big band, a Corps of Drums, and a youth division. It has received assistance from the British Corps of Army Music, most recently between 2007-2012. The band has itself trained the Tigray and Somali marching bands.Origins
The first permanent military band in the country took the form of the Imperial Bodyguard Band of the Ethiopian Empire, being formed in 1929 under Swiss conductor Andre Nicod. It originally consisted of just over a dozen chosen slaves from Welega. Members of this band got their training originally from the Arba Lijoch fanfare band led by their Armenian bandleader Kevork Nalbandian. Notable members of the Imperial Bodyguard Band included Tilahun Gessesse and Mahmoud Ahmed. It was very famous and notable for its implementation of western style military music conventions in a first for any African nation. It came under the direct command of the Derg in the 70s and going into its current form in 1991.
