Mahmoud Ahmed's story is that of a kid raised in the streets of Addis Ababa who began as a shoeshine boy before becoming one of his country's foremost stars and the person who opened Ethiopia's musical doors to the Western world.

The ten tracks of his album Live in Paris, recorded at the Theatre de la Ville, feature music at the crossroads of Afrobeat, Latin swing and oriental arabesques. However, it is Ahmed's astonishingly rich, original and powerful vocals that are the true star of the show.

He was the vocalist for the Imperial Body Guard Band until 1974. Throughout his long career, he sung for various bands including Ibex Band, the Venus Band, the Walias Band, the Idan Raichel Project, and the Roha Band.

Although Ahmed has been based in the United States of America since 2008, he has lived in Ethiopia for the vast majority of his life. There is an important Ethiopian diaspora in United States of America so Mahmoud plays extensively for them.

In a field of great performers, no other artist captures the spirit of Ethiopian song like Mahmoud Ahmed.

Discography:

* Ethiopiques Volume 6 — Almaz (Buda Musique 829792, 1973)
* Ethiopiques Volume 7 — Ere Mela Mela (Buda Musique 829802, 1975)
* Soul of Addis (Earthworks/Stern's Africa STEW35CD, 1997)
* Slow Collections (Sounds of Abyssinia SAC-022, 1998)
*Live In Paris (Long Distance 302671, 1998)
* Yitbarek (Yene Production 77414, 2003)
* Tizita Vol. 1 (The Best of...) (AIT Records AIT-10304, 2003)
* Tizita Vol. 2 (The Best of...) (AIT Records AIT-10305, 2003)
* Ethiopiques Volume 19 — Alemeye (Buda Musique 860106, 2005)
* Vol. 26-Mahmoud Ahmed & Imperial Body Guard Band (2010)


Videos:

* Ethiogroove: Mahmoud Ahmed & Either/Orchestra (EthioSonic DVD, 2007)