‘The horns weave around each other suggesting a relaxed, joyful occasion….it bounds along with eyes on the dancefloor’

*** 3/5 Mojo

Their music is a re-imagining rather than a recreation. The sinuous melodies and swaying rhythms of the orifinals are pepped up, played on guitars as well as horns, and a rolling 21st century groove underpins classics…..but the cohesion and invention of the playing are the real stars’

**** 4/5 Uncut

‘It only took one minute for the Imperial Tiger Orchestra’s debut album to prove its worth to its critic…  ITO seem to have applied more of a post-rock sensibility to the jazz-funk grooves of eth likes of Mahmoud Ahmed. The results are just as fresh and exciting, the musicianship is just as accomplished and, occasionally, is delightfully off-center’

**** 4/5 Songlines

The Imperial Tiger Orchestra approach is not of homage but more of a free-jazz interpretation based upon the structures of Ethiopian jazz…these instrumental interpretations of what were vocal songs possess enough diversity to stand apart from their inspiration and capture an audience all their own. So forget any lingering purist notion and just revel in some brilliant musicians playing captivating songs in their own unique way’

**** 4/5 R2

‘These gentlemen from Switzerland have remained more loyal to their source material. But that’s not to say that Mercato is purely imitative.  This is intricate, punchy and wholly contemporary-sounding funk/jazz/rock of the highest order’

***** 5/5 Independent On Sunday

‘Plenty of musicians are finding inspiration in the hypnotic modal themes of Ethiopia – our own Heliocentrics, for instance, teamed up with the Ethio-jazz pioneer Mulate Astatke. The Swiss trumpeter and band leader Raphael Anker jumps to the head of the queue with this superbly drilled, exuberant meeting of world music, improve and greasy funk. One or two of the pieces teeter on the edge of the free-jazz maelstrom, yet the playing remains exceptionally disciplined. This is music that travels simultaneously to the head and the heart, not to mention the feet. Seasoned clubbers could easily work up a sweat on the dancefloor’

Sunday Times Culture

‘If you were going to take a bumpy ride across Tigray in an old Land Rover you couldn’t wish for a better companion…insistent grooves & breezy riffology’

The Word Magazine

‘Imperial Tiger Orchestra are an Ethiopian rock band, based in Geneva, Switzerland. They are inspired by what is known as the Golden Age of Ethiopian music, (1969-1978). Most of the tracks are their own take on traditional songs from this period and their tight musicianship, along with their ability to experiment and improvise, make them stand out to me’

Alex Kenning (producer BBC Radio1 / KCRW blog)

fRoots feature on ITO (pge1)

fRoots feature on ITO (page2)

fRoots Magazine

‘High-quality Ethiopian funk from Switzerland? These guys are the real thing, even if they’re not the actual real thing’  live review  (Boston Dome with singer Bethlehem Dagnachew,  Sept 2011)

ArtsDesk.com

‘As this rousing set showed, Anker and his band bring a fresh,
contemporary edge to old and new Ethiopian styles, while retaining the spirit of the originals’ 
live review (Boisdale London,  Jan 2012)

**** 4/5 Guardian

JAZZ FM live session
broadcast on 17th January 2012

http://www.jazzfm.com/?post_type=gigs&p=55021

BBC R3 World On 3  live session + interview
presented by Mary Ann Kennedy
broadcast on 20th January 2012

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b019765w