Orchestra Ethiopia was an Ethiopian concert band formed in 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by Egyptian-born American composer and ethnomusicologist Halim El-Dabh. Comprising up to 30 musicians from ethnic groups including the Amhara, Tigrayans, Oromo, Welayta, and Gimira, the group was the first ensemble of its type in Ethiopia. Following El-Dabh's departure in 1964, subsequent directors included John G. Coe and Tesfaye Lemma, with Peace Corps volunteer Charles Sutton serving as administrator and performer from 1968 to 1970. In 1969, the ensemble toured 20 cities in the United States under the name The Blue Nile Group, appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show. The group released two studio albums, Orchestra Ethiopia: Blue Nile Group in 1969 on Tempo Records and Orchestra Ethiopia in 1973 or 1974 on Blue Nile Records. Disbanding in 1975 due to the Derg revolution, the group's archival recordings were released in 2007 as volume 23 of Buda Musique's Éthiopiques series, and former members reunited to record the studio album Zoro Gettem in 2007.
