UPR!SE

INSPIRATION INFORMATION: SKATING DURBAN SOUTH AFRICA

2012-01-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

Super inspiring video of young kid from the streets of Durban, South Africa, who's life was changed by skateboarding. Love what he says about skating to make him deal with his problems. Makes you want to stop complaining and dig deeper!

lifted from: BANGERS AND NASH

RON TENT & RICH MEDINA: Ilé Feb 3 CHOP N' QUENCH!

2012-01-20T12:10:00.000-08:00

Ilé jumps off yet again on Friday, February 3. This time around Ron Trent is joined on the decks by Philly, PA's very own Rich Medina! Medina is well known for his Afro Beat-heavy sets at his signature party Jump n' Funk in NYC.

It has been five or six years since these two have rocked a party together, so you don't want to miss it! A musical journey for the mind and body!

GET TICKETS NOW: CLICK HERE

ADELE SEBASTIAN-DESERT FAIRY PRINCESS

2012-01-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

I tend to get obsessed with certain artists or groups and end up trying to track down there records. Adele Sebastian was a flute player who played with Horace Tapscott's People's Pan African Arkestra. I have been reading "The Dark Tree", a book written about Tapscott's group and the Los Angles community art scene that grew up around it. Sebastian's one LP is a holy grail among Spiritual/Soulfull Jazz collectors. Tragically, she died at the age of twenty-six or twenty-seven years old.You can pick-up the CD at dustygroove.com for around eleven bucks. Wax is going top cost you a lot more...!All but the last track posted here for your listening pleasure.

SONIC DIASPORA + COUP D'ETAT RISING

2012-01-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

Invite the familia!

Chicago Nu Latin DJ ITZI NALLAH and Afrobeat specialist AFROQBANO of the Peoples DJs Collective team up with ITCH13 of Gramaphone Records to bring one of Chicago’s hottest African underground dance parties to it’s rightful place - the Shrine in Chicago.

The Shrine, a bumpin' African-inspired club-lounge combo in the South Loop, may be known for it’s high-caliber Hip hop nights, but its Coup d’Etat room, where SONIC DIASPORA will be Friday, January 13, is the perfect venue where Fela Kuti will proudly look on as Chicagoans desegregate the dance floor with tunes from Mali & Ghana to Nigeria & the Cape of Good Hope.

We all know Chicago is home to House Music, but have we connected with its home in Africa? Chitown, have you heard or been looking for the best in Kuduro, Kwaito, Soukous, Afrobeat, AfroLatin House, Nu Dancehall & Global Bass?

According to the Zhaoist Manifesto by way of Berlin’s Zhao, “if one traces the history of 20th Century North American pop and dance music, a crude and very abbreviated but basically sound genealogy describes a line going back to Disco, to Soul, to Funk, to Motown, to Gospel, to Blues, to Jazz, to work songs of the slaves, and indeed, to Africa.”

This isn’t your normal world music party.

Sonic Diaspora DJs & hosts Tifflove & the Wolfpack promise to groove you to high-energy classic & urban music of Africa and the Diaspora and indeed to invoke the magic of the original drum and the boom of a bangin’ sound system for your booty-shaking enlightenment.

This party will also be the Chicago release for our guy Brotha Onaci's OkayAfrica.com Sonic Diaspora Mixtape- have a listen! He'll be guesting with us in upcoming months.

//http://www.okayafrica.com/2011/11/29/africa-in-your-earbuds-7-brotha-onaci/

Save the night. Every 2nd Friday.

//SONIC Diaspora @ Coup d'Etat (next to The Shrine)
2109 S. Wabash, Chicago IL
No Cover, 21+, Space is Accessible
Red Line at Cermak/Chinatown
$6 Drink Specials
Mention SONIC DIASPORA at the door

//JEWELRY BY:
Roots of Life Designs

//PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
theCrapper.net

//SPONSORED BY:
www.Haveplentymusic.com (NAMIBIA)
www.ThisIsAfrica.me (EUROPE, AFRICA)
www.Gozamos.com (CHICAGO)
www.facebook.com/PeoplesDJs (CHICAGO)

Ilé + 718 Sessions = RON TRENT x DANNY KRIVIT!

2012-01-03T14:31:00.000-08:00

Ilé goes even DEEPER this month with very special guest DANNY KRIVIT! Danny has been a fixture on the New York scene for decades, manning the decks at legendary parties like 'Body and Soul' and his '718 Sessions'. But his unparalleled DJing skills are only part of the story. He is also well-known for his masterful edits.

He makes a rare Chicago appearance alongside Ron Trent for a special edition of Ilé!

Dancing shoes required!!!!

TICKETS ON SALE NOW CLICK HERE

ZULU BIDI AND BATSUMI: NEXT STOP SOWETO 3

2011-12-26T20:08:00.000-08:00

Zulu Bidi was a member of the South African jazz group Batsumi, who recorded an incredible album in 1974. Here is a piece of a cool BBC documentary about ZB.

BATSUMI (1974)

Dusty Groove's take:

One of the most compelling albums we've heard from the African scene of the 70s – a rare set from a Soweto group, and one that's got a heavy dose of spiritual jazz in the mix! The album almost feels more like the kind of set you'd hear by a Paris group, extrapolating African sounds in the post-colonial era – or an American group, inspired by roots from the homeland – and the group sports some especially great work on tenor, played by Themba Koyana, a player we've never heard before! Rhythms are great, with lots of percussion, and some nice funky undercurrents at times – and other instrumentation includes organ, which often works well with the echo-ey production. The album does have some occasional vocals, but the main focus is instrumental, which is very jazzy too.

Itumeleng is on the 1974 self-titled LP recently re-issued in a very limited 500 copies worldwide. Massive props to Matsuli for dropping this!!!! It's sold out now.

But you can also find the track on the astonishing "Next Stop Soweto 3" compilation. This volume focuses on jazz and it's massive. Deep spiritual jazz, township grooves, funky fusions, modern modals... It's available on Strut

The video here is edited and shortened by about four minutes, missing the classical inspired intro.

PROMO VIDEO FOR NEXT STOP SOWETO 3

CUMBIA THE SOUNDWAY!

2011-12-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

Soundway Records delves deep into the great history Colombian cumbia and porro – beautifully putting together an expansive set that traces the evolution of the sounds throughout 3 decades – and keeping it coming feverishly and furiously well paced the whole way through! They do a terrific job of making this set reverent of the history – it was very well researched by Will "Quantic" Holland – with one half featuring earlier Columbian cumbia and one half of the evolving sounds and instrumentation that came into play over the years. The sound is beautiful, even on the earliest recordings, and it's heated, intensely rhythmic all the way. Holland and Soundway's Miles Cleret here deliver as exciting and informative a set of benchmark cumbia as we could have hoped for – and it includes nice set of notes and photos.

WE WILL HAVE A RELEASE PARTY IN Coupd'état IN JANUARY - STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS....

VOL 1 & 2 ON CD OR VINYL!!!

BUY IT WHERE WE LIFTER IT! DUSTYGROOVE

BLITZ THE AMBASSADOR: REPRESENT(S) AFRICA!

2011-12-23T09:26:00.000-08:00

REPRESENT AFRICA! goes harder in January!!!! BLITZ the Ambassador will guest host as well as perform at the monthly talent showcase for rising African artists in Chicago! The Ghana-born, Brooklyn based Hip Hop artist is making big waves with his conscious lyrics and globe-hopping sounds.

Guest performers are backed backed by house band BoSA and can earn a spot opening for a national act at The Shrine!

Artists wishing to perform at a future REPRESENT AFRICA! should send a youtube clip and/or MP3 to: representafrica@gmail.com

REPRESENT AFRICA! Thursday, January 19, 21012. (Doors open 8pm)

CHECK OUT HIS COMPLETE NEW ALBUM BELOW!!!!

NEW VIDEO FROM NATIVE SUN!!!!

DJ JEREMY SOLE - THE BIG (CHICAGO) PAYBACK

2011-11-29T14:39:00.000-08:00

Chicago's very own JEREMY SOLE makes his hometown return on Friday, December 16.
(With resident - The Voodoo Killer DJ NewLife and very special guest DJ Jesse De La Peña)

Sole is a beast on the ones and twos. He is a fixture on the influential KCRW radio in Los Angeles and DJs and hosts long-running parties like Afro Funké and The Lift. He is also a prolific producer/re-mixer and bandleader (Musaics)

Here's what some heavyweights have to say about Mr. Sole's DJing prowess;

"If I was a DJ full time, I would most likely spin like Jeremy Sole. His mind and soul hears exactly what I hear. He makes Sunset Blvd feel groovy, and that's hard to do in my book." - Raphael Saadiq

"Jeremy Sole is a man of good taste & tasteful mixing. Los Angeles is lucky to have him ...he's a goldmine of music." - Quantic

"Jeremy Sole is not only a world class DJ, but a world class citizen of the world. One of the nicest ugly dudes I've ever worked with haha. AND, his beard is great for storing snacks and small tools on those long hot nights in the DJ booth. Jokes aside though, one of my favorite dudes in the game hands down, and a fucking phenomenal talent." - Rich Medina

"Jeremy is a great DJ, presenter, producer and knower-of-music ...an extremely cool dude. I cannot stop listening to his remix of 'I Put A Spell On You' ...it's irresistible." - Henry Rollins

"Jeremy can get your grandma out of her rocking chair & doing the wop, the smurf & the bus stop! Jeremy's in my top 2 for good Global dancefloor DJs out there." - Nickodemus

“One of the only successful AND good DJs in LA (those are usually mutually exclusive)." - Peanut Butter Wolf

"Jeremy Sole is one of the consummate tastemakers in the U.S. and a bad ass DJ to boot! I'm honored to have to played alongside him and I'm proud to call him a friend." - DJ Day

“Jeremy constantly shatters World Music boundaries and catapults his audience on a sublime international journey." - DJ Nu-Mark

LISTEN TO AN INTERVIEW + MIX FROM JEREMY SOLE!

Afro Funké
TheLIFT
KCRW
Jeremy Sole's Musaics
Jeremy Sole on FACEBOOK
TWITTER

Ilé - WINTER BLESSINGS - w/ DJ Ron Trent ~ FRI DEC 2

2011-11-29T13:19:00.000-08:00

Ron Trent returns with another edition of Ilé on Friday, December 2!!! This is the party strictly for the dancers. Follow the drums from the past and into the future....!

****

We come together and collectively celebrate love, passion and dance through music. Afrobeat is the center, but we rebel in diversified rhythms and melodies - no genres necessary!

Winters Blessings as we refresh for the New Year!
ILÉ brings you another installment of music and praise.

Your offering is your energy!! Get involved!!

Hosted by: Boogie, Gus, Kristen, Sean & Christopher
Sound design by: Mark Bell

Dig the new promo video for this month's offering...

REGGAE SUNDAYS From JA The Mighty Diamonds!!! LIVE! SUN DEC 18 THE SHRINE Free!!!!!!

2011-11-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

Straight from Jamaica! THE MIGHTY DIAMONDS Live in concert. Classic Reggae for FREE!!!!
Yup, NO COVER For ROOTS LEGENDS DJs Craig / Andju / Special / Tropical Storm + dancehall+reggae+dubstep+soul+++

RIGHT TIME: LIVE AT THE SHRINE!
THE MIGHTY DIAMONDS!!!

THE FIRST ALBUM

GHETTO ROOTS!

45 STYLE!!!

7Os Diamonds

Recent shot: The Mighty Diamonds!

Killer tracks. Killer art for Single...

FREE! LIVE! REGGAE SUNDAYS!!!!

WINDY CITY CRATES: GHANA TO CHICAGO = DAN BOADI

2011-11-22T15:46:00.000-08:00

THE ORIGINAL LP!

Dan Boadi rose to prominence mid-70's, topping the national charts in his native Ghana with the Abrabo LP, which apparently "sold like apples". Dan decided to try his luck in the United States, arriving in Chicago in 1978. With little fanfare, he released Money is the Root of Evil in a limited run of 500 copies. The LP's two cuts, "Money is the Root of Evil" and "Play That Funky Music" launched the propulsive Afro-Beat of Nigeria's FELA KUTI into the majestic, psychedelic abandon of the American dance floor. At least that was the intention. What should have become a venerable Loft/Warehouse monster passed unnoticed.

Re-issue from early 2000's

"Money is The Root Of All Evil" popped up on the African Disco compilation, and has been re-released a couple times.

THIS IS MONSTER AFROBEAT DISCO FUNK RECORDED RIGHT HERE IN CHI-TILLA!!!!!!

Have a listen:

ASA LIVE IN PARIS

2011-11-20T09:25:00.000-08:00

Sent over by a friend. Turned her on to Asa, and now she returns the favor by hipping us to this amazing live performance in Paris. And it's a FULL HOUR! As she said, "Press play, turn it up and go about your morning routine. So, so good." Agreed!!!

BOBBITO @ COUP D'ETAT - FRI OCT 18

2011-11-16T09:23:00.000-08:00

The one and only Cucumber Slice, Cool Bob Love er, BOBBITO takes over the decks this Friday. A NYC icon, the man is a legend in the game. His long running radio show with Stretch Armstrong is enough to put him in the Hip Hop hall of fame, but that is only a bit of his bio. DJ, singer, producer, semi-pro basketball player, writer, editor, photographer, sneaker designer, you name it - Bob does it. But Bobbito on the decks, is what he does best. Get ready to take a trip....
Man has deeeeeeeeeeep crates. Can't hardly wait.

Friday, Nov 18, 9pm. With The Voodoo Killer DJ NewLife

BUMPIN' IN BENIN + BURKINA FASO (EL REGO X BAMBARA MYSTIC SOUL)

2011-11-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

Monumental Afro Soul from El Rego Et Ses Commandos – El Rego's best recordings from the late 60s to early 70s – a beautifully done compilation put together by Daptone and Frank Gossner, the deep digging West African music expert behind Voodoo Funk! Theophile Do-Rego is a legend in his native Benin, essentially credited as the godfather of Benin funk – but to date, he hasn't been celebrated around the world nearly as famously as the superstars of African music hailing from Nigeria and Ghana. That's something that can change really quickly if enough people pick up this truly great compilation of pioneering recordings. Singer El Rego and his excellent, diversely capable band – sax and flute by Baboni Oudou, sax by Michel Diogo, guitar by Oscar De Souza, trumpet by Emmanuel Ganssounou, guitar by Roger Coffi, tumba by Marcelin Kpohonon, additional vocals by Christian Agueh, and bass by band leader Paul Hounnou – take a tighter approach to funky soul. Just a couple tracks on this set roll past the 4 minute mark – which gives it a tighter soul sound, along with some Benin blues and some riveting JB-indebted vocal affections.

Had this glued to the turntable last night! BUY IT. simply amazing. Hats off (again) to Voodoo Frank and Daptone. Buy it on wax!!!

Raw sound, indeed – and possibly one of the most hard-hitting compilations so far from the Analog Africa label! There's a quality here that's mighty fresh, and which shows us that there's still plenty of African nuggets to find, if you know where to dig! Much of the music has a dark, moody quality that's really striking – still the grooves you'd expect, but an exotic undercurrent that's almost like Ethiopian music – although very much it's own vibe too! The mix is really wonderful, and makes these tracks from Burkina Faso a rich musical discovery – one that's very thoughtfully put together by the Analog Africa label, with their usual strong attention to sound and detailed notes – not to mention a very handsome package.

Viva Samy + Analog Africa! Another DOPE comp. Buy it on wax!!!!

Lifted from Dusty Groove.
DAPTONE
VOODOO FUNK
ANALOG AFRICA

SONIC DIASPORA: FRI NOV 11 (In Coup d'état)

2011-11-07T12:04:00.000-08:00

Sonic Diaspora is a high energy dance party that takes place every 2nd Friday of the month. An intriguing mix of Resident DJs will welcome guest selectas worldwide each month as they play the best music of Africa and the Diaspora, including Afrobeat, Afro & Latin House, High Life, Reggae, Nu Dancehall, Transnational Dubstep, Cumbias, Soukous, Kuduro, Kwaito, Global Bass and more.

::: With DJs Itch 13, David Nallah + Afroqbano

HOSTED by
::: Tifflove and the Wolfpack

JEWELRY by
::: Roots of Life Designs

PHOTOGRAPHY by
::: theCrapper

SPONSORED by
::: Gozamos.com, Peoples Djs Collective

PERCUSSION by
::: YOU!

No cover, 21+, space is accessible. Much love to our hosts & street team. Connect if you'd like to join & get involved!

Contact us, get updates and download free mixtapes at:
http://sonicdiaspora.blogspot.com/

Check out the Peoples
http://facebook.com/peoplesdjs

Check out Coup d'Etat
http://www.theshrinechicago.com/

Let your feet beat a healing rhythm into the earth.

Let your feet beat a strengthening rhythm for those who struggle the hardest.

Let your feet beat a life-giving rhythm for all peoples, regardless of race or national boundary, regardless of whether we’re human or whether we’re the trees, the air, the fish, the birds--

We come out of hiding, we come back from the dead, and we dance, and our dance is a prayer, and our songs and our rhythms and our breath give life"

- Dee Smith

RON TRENT - Ilé - Drums of Passion / Afrobeat! (11.4.11)

2011-11-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

Ron Trent's newest vision kicks off Friday, November 4. The party, called Ilé, is dedicated to "Drums of Passion + Afro Beat", but anyone who knows Mr. Trent's work knows his musical pallet knows no bounds... dancing spirits rejoice!

CHECK OUT THE PROMO VIDEO BELOW:

EVERY FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH!

NOUVEAU AFRO - LES FRERES SMITH

2011-10-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

A massive Afro Funk combo from the contemporary Paris scene – stepping out here on a wicked debut LP! Paris has certainly been home to some great Afro-styled groups over the years – and Les Freres Smith can definitely count themselves among the best – as they play here with a rock-solid set of rhythms that really take us back to 70s Lagos, but also inflect things with a nice dose of Ethiopian influences as well! The horns are especially great – and the Smith Brothers play some killer tenor, alto, and baritone that really stands out from other groups of this nature – blowing with a hell of a lot of feeling, and hitting these wild raspy notes that really deepen the sound of the whole set. There's only a bit of vocals – on two of the tunes – and Tony Allen guests on one track too.

NEED A TASTE?

OUI OUI!

Lifted from Dustygroove

SAMPA VIA CHICAGO - SAO PAULO UNDERGROUND

2011-10-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

The third and best album yet from Sao Paulo Underground – formed by Chicago scene veteran and sonic adventurer Rob Mazurek – with a sound that's informed by the rhythms and creatively boundless possibilities of Tropicalia era Brazil and well beyond, along with the cosmic spirit of other Mazurek projects such as the Exploding Star Orchestra. This is hypnotic, attention seizing work that pushes boundaries and challenges tradition while still respecting it – it's never less than fully engrossing and pulls you right in, but it also skirts convention on just about every level. Mazurek's on coronet and electronics that fracture and fuzz out the atmosphere, creating some really dynamic interplay with instrumentation. Mauricio Takara is on cavaquinho, drums and percussion, Guilherme Granado on keys, loops, samples and percussion and Richard Ribeiro on drums. A pair of excellent tracks feature fellow modern greats with roots in the Chicago underground – vibes player Jason Adasiewicz and drummer John Herndon on "Just Lovin'" and "Six Six Eight" – the latter also featuring bass player Matthew Lux.

Cop it where we lifted it DUSTYGROOVE

Felabration 3 @ The Shrine with DJ Ron Trent

2011-09-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

The Shrine is once again hosting FELABRATION! The party, a celebration of the life and music of Fela Kuti, will feature Chicago's very own Ron Trent on the decks.

RSVP now via www.THESHRINECHICAGO.com

FELA SOUL= FELA + DE LA SOUL

2011-09-22T15:37:00.001-07:00

Gummy Soul artist "Amerigo Gazaway" combined Fela Kuti and De La Soul in a 30+ minute, hodgepodge of afrobeat rhythms and classic hip-hop. The American (Nashville, Tenn) producer uses samples from Fela‘s vast catalog and combined them with eight acapellas that span over a fifteen years of De La Soul classics.

Redman, MF DOOM and Gorillaz also made the cut. For more head over to Gummy Soul

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://gummysoul.bandcamp.com/album/fela-soul"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Fela Soul by Amerigo Gazaway&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

ASA TAKES FLIGHT

2011-09-12T09:34:00.000-07:00

Asa, is a Paris-based Nigerian singer-songwriter. Her newest album 'Beautiful Imperfection" was released earlier this year, and is as sweet mix of retro soul, reggae, 60s girl group sounds and more. Genre hopping and genre defying. 'Why Cant We Be' and 'Be My Man' are endless summer grooves, while 'Fire on the Mountain' fuses a Trenchtown bounce, with deep conscious lyrics. Stay tuned, cos' we expect big things from this young artist.

Azonto Dance Fever Hitting Ghanians Around The World

2011-09-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

Azonto Dance is a form of dance that originated from the southern parts of Ghana in the early parts of the 2000s. The dance mainly involves moving of all the joints in your body in a rhythmic fashion without taking any or very little steps. Just like most African dances bending your knees and hip movements are rudiments to learning it.
The dance has evolved with the fast pace dance culture of modern West Africa. A closer observation of the various performers also reveal break dance moves being incorporated to it and the skinny jeans/tight shirts movement being adapted to it also.

UK AFRO BEATS FESTIVAL 2011 HIGHLIGHTS

2011-09-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

Check out the video report from the 2011 Afrobeats Festival which recently took place in London.

AFRODISIAC IS BACK!

2011-09-06T21:23:00.000-07:00

Another scorcher! AFRODISIAC returns Saturday, September 10 with Top Donn on the ones and twos and your host Aurelien PV. The longest running African party in Chicago! The weather is a bit cool.... perfect for dance floor heat!

EVERY SECOND SATURDAY. Check the promo video:

VIDEO: Kanye West Surprise Performance With D’Banj @ The Koko Koncert In London (HQ)

2011-09-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

Nigeria's own BET award winner "D'banj" is the newest artist signed to Kanye's GOOD Music record label. D'banj is considered one of the biggest Artists in Africa with so many hit songs produced by Don Jazzy. Don Jazzy is also considered one of the biggest producers in Africa. He recently produced the song titled "Lift off" on the "Watch The Throne" album featuring Jay-Z and Kanye West.

Kanye West Surprise Performance With D’Banj

D'Banj talks business with UK's own Tim Westwood

Some of D'banj's biggest videos are listed below;

D'Banj - Fall In Love

Mr Endowed Remix - D'Banj ft. Snoop Dogg

D'Banj BET Special - Welcome to America (Part 1 of 2)

D'Banj BET Special - Welcome to America (Part 2)

For more information on Dbanj: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D'banj

HYPNOTIC BRASS RECAP

2011-09-01T09:54:00.001-07:00

August 25th was an amazing night at The Shrine! Hypnotic Brass Ensemble made their hometown return and absolutely tore up the stage. Five years of relentless playing and touring have made these guys bulletproof! Mad skillz on the mic, too. Don't sleep if they come to your town.

BULLETPROOF BRASS LIVE!!!!!!!!

BRASS GOIN' IN

Proud papa. Mr Phil Cohran and friends

Hypnotic Brass back in Chi-tilla ya'll!

Calm before the storm

Doin' work...

Say blow by blow backwards!

Fi-ya!!!!

Jazz Crunk...

Juke!

Let's take it to the stage, sucka!

SIJI: DANCING TIME

2011-08-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

The second born of twelve children to Nigerian émigrés in London, Siji spent much of his early childhood in Lagos and London before coming to the US to further pursue his musical ambitions. His own cultural heritage combined with the political and social movements of the age, exposed young Siji to the insurgent, politicized music of the Afrobeat legends Fela Kuti, King Sunny Ade, Tony Allen as well as the soulful grooves of Marvin Gaye, Al Green, and Otis Redding. His parents, in particular, his father, loved music, but like most children of hardworking immigrants, Siji was urged by them to pursue a career in the professional fields of medicine or law. But the lure of the music was too strong. In the nineties, when London was bursting at the seams with new music and groups like Loose Ends, Soul II Soul, and D-Influence dominated the scene, Siji’s attention was captured and he began to follow his passion for making and recording his own music.

After completing a Masters degree in Engineering Product Design, the self-taught piano, percussion and acoustic bass player released an EP, "Facets" followed by the single "My Lover's Embrace" on his own label IVY Records in 1996. These releases garnered much respect and admiration on the influential London underground music scene, gave Siji credibility as an artist, and eventually led to a lucrative worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. His youth and inexperience made him open himself up to all possibilities in his music, but it also lead him to sign a deal that he would find limiting to his creativity.

With the publishing deal under his belt, Siji relocated to New York and performed in renowned venues—SOB’s, Bam Café and Joe's Pub. He has worked with a number of producers, but it is his collaboration with Osunlade, who produced music for Musiq Soulchild, Eric Benet, and classic R&B vocalist Patti Labelle, that fostered in Siji a love of production. He has contributed songwriting and production talent to projects for Salif Keita, Cesaria Evora, Vinia Mojica and Wunmi. Along with those skills, Siji brought with him the immediate feedback and positive energy of the live performance into the studio, creating songs that would eventually make up his debut album God-Given (BBE Records, 2004).

The album gives the listener the inspired reminiscences of the soul greats as well as traditional, Yoruba instruments, rhythms, and intricate drum patterns. Siji’s distinct vocals are an organic complement to the sound. His self-titled newest work, ‘Adesiji’, was mostly recorded in Baltimore, a city Siji suggests is “trapped in time.” The songs he wrote and recorded there too are soulful, but capture the mood of a seasoned artist. Siji’s recent collaboration with New York based producer/DJ Alix Alvarez, yielded the crowd pleasing, dance floor hit, ‘Irinajo.’ Sung in its entirety in his native tongue Yoruba, ‘Irinajo’ (“Journey”), is about the eventful journey of life. The album also features collaborations with DJ/Producer’s King Britt and Rich Medina.

Siji’s father opened up his debut album, (‘Oriki’). For Siji, it is “like a stamp of approval.” Although Siji does not consider himself an activist, he does sing about love, freedom, and self-empowerment. In this way, his music does inspire us to act—to observe, to love, to sing, and most of all to dance.

LOVE THIS TRACK! DANCIN' TIME FOR DANCERS!!!!

TRUSPOT: NU AFRICAN HI FI ON LINE

2011-08-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

DJ Bonsu hipped us to this site. Listen to the newest African jamz, watch videos, get news and info on your favorite artists. Tons and tons of music on the site. With a search-able database, you can spend all day here! Available for your smart phone as well. Check it out! TRUSPOT

RAIL BAND BACK ON WAX x 2!

2011-08-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

The great and rare Buffet Hotel De La Gare from the Rail Band – amazing Mali music from a most pivotal and groundbreaking time in the group's early history – and some its best! At this point, the group was essentially the house band at the Buffet Hotel De La Gare – blending traditional Mandingo melodies and instrumentation with boundary free jazz and funk. Truly amazing work!

A pivotal piece of Mali music history – the first LP by The Rail Band – the Orchestre Rail-Band de Bamako album from 1970! This legendary material comes from their early days from their time at the Station Hotel of Bamako and were sponsored by Mali's Ministry Of Information – modernizing traditional Mali music and combining it with cross cultural soul, Latin percussion and more – paving the way for Afro Soul and funk to come.

Lifted from DUSTYGROOVE buy it there!

HYPNOTIC BRASS: BULLETPROOF BRASS! LIVE: THUR AUG 25

2011-08-09T18:35:00.000-07:00

Can't hardly wait! Going to be a mind blowing show. The Chicago Return of Hypnotic Brass. Let's hope that the eldest member of the family, Phil Cohran, takes the stage with his sons. You can draw a straight line from Sun Ra and members Earth Wind and Fire, alongside Cohran, to the Hypnotic Brass both literally and biologically, as well as spiritually. They are completing work on a new album with Flea and Tony Allen among others. They have been touring and recording all over the world since leaving Chicago nearly five years ago.

BUY TICKETS NOW: CLICK HERE

Bulletproof Brass in the NYC subway...

Check out Phil Cohran in 1968 - with electric kalimba that EWF picked up on

BLACK GODDESS / DEUSA NEGRA: SOUNDTRACK RE-ISSUE! Ola Balogun

2011-08-08T22:22:00.000-07:00

You may remember that the title cut from this soundtrack LP was included on Tough Jazz One! DJ 'Cosmic' Clark Quente. That cut alone merits the purchase. Deep deep afro spiritual jazz. Have had the "Black Goddess" soundtrack for a number of years, though it's from Brasil, so it's called "A Deusa Negra". (See below) Scarcely turns up, though you can pick one up on Mercado Livre right now.

Or spend less. Soundway just re-issued it! BUY IT.

The Re-issue

Soundway Records are proud to present the original soundtrack to Ola Balogun’s legendary movie ‘Black Goddess’ from 1978. The film was written and directed by Balogun (recognized as one of Nigeria’s most renowned directors) but shot and cast in Brazil.

The soundtrack, Soundway’s deepest venture into experimental afro-jazz, was composed and produced by one of Nigeria’s most successful and original musicians Remi Kabaka (who has played with Steve Winwood, Paul Simon, Paul McCartney and Ginger Baker amongst others).

The record was originally issued in both Nigeria and Brazil, but recorded in Lagos, using four of the Nigerian music scene’s most innovative players: Remi Kabaka himself, alongside Biddy Wright, saxophonist Dele Okonkwo and Mono Mono frontman Joni Haastrup.

The resulting soundtrack created by these prestigious musicians is a truly unique and experimental afro-jazz recording that has been out of print for many years, until now.

“One of the finest moments in Nigeria’s experimental Afro-jazz scene – at least until Soundway unearth a better one.” Time Out

Original Brazilian pressing, 1978.

Original film poster

BUY LP/CD/MP3 @ SOUNDWAY RECORDS

JEREMY BREWINGTON I DODO POP-UP CHEF FEATURED IN TIMEOUT

2011-08-02T21:52:00.000-07:00

Jeremy Brewington

Photo: Kendall Karmanian

The Artisan | Jeremy Brewington

A pop-up artist brings Brazilian and South African foods to Chicago.

By Heather Shouse

If a want ad for an aspiring chef were honest, it would read, “Cook needed. Low pay, long hours, brutal conditions. Fame highly unlikely.” Now let’s say it read, “Cook needed. Decent pay, you set the hours, you create the conditions. Adoration commensurate with execution.” In that case, that’s an ad for a chef at a pop-up restaurant, and the job is already Jeremy Brewington’s.

“Pop-ups are the perfect combination of my experiences,” Brewington says. “From catering and private cheffing, I know how to make things happen in a place that’s not mine, and from travel and research I can be creative.” That’s precisely why Dodo’s Kim Dalton tapped him to bring pop-ups to her brunch spot. During Dodo’s Damen Avenue days, Brewington was brought in to launch dinner, but after that iteration of Dodo closed in 2007, the Minneapolis native took a job as the private chef for the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at the Illinois Institute of Technology (yes, IIT has frats). “I didn’t know much about fraternities when I started, but now I feel like family,” Brewington says. “I can’t imagine any chef disliking this job. Good pay, good hours and complete freedom in summer to pursue other projects.”

That includes pop-ups, which Brewington launched in early June at the new Dodo on Fulton Market with “Quincho & Botequim,” where he served Argentinian and Brazilian snacks (salt cod fritters; empanadas) alongside Quinones and Brana beer. He spent the following two weeks researching his latest incarnation, Potjiekos Café, named for a type of cast-iron pot common in South Africa. “There are Dutch, British, Indian, you-name-it influences [in South African food], and there’s really no representation in Chicago,” he says. Grilled meats (known as braai), jerkylike beef strips (biltong), spicy babotie custard casserole, umfino greens braised with ground peanuts and fresh ginger…as word of these dishes spread, the Wednesday-through-Saturday pop-up grew so popular that even a busted A/C—which gave Dodo Kalahari-like conditions—couldn’t keep diners, particularly South African ones, away. And so Potjiekos has been extended through August 13th. After that, Brewington’s frat-chef gig starts. But he’s confident this won’t be the end of his pop-up career. “This is the perfect idea for a restless person,” he says. “Yes, it’s a flash in the pan, but that’s the point: Execute good food for a very precise moment, and then you move on.”

Dodo, 954 W Fulton Mkt (312-226-5300).

FROM TIMEOUT

PSYCHEDELIC PERNAMBUCO

2011-08-01T07:42:00.001-07:00

70s psychedelia from the northeastern state of Pernambuco, Brazil – incredible stuff that combines rawly percussive tropical sounds with a world of psychedelic creativity and possibilities – one of the best compilations ever put together by Mr Bongo! Lula Cortes was a pivotal figure in the scene and he's pretty well represented here, including his influential recordings with Ze Remalho. Even more exciting, though, is the stuff we've never been fortunate enough to hear before now – and there's a pretty good deal of it! The fusion of global psyche and folk sounds into a distinctly Brazilian sound is nothing short of amazing – regional and traditional percussion underneath sitars, lutes, keyboards and more. It features songs by the great Lula Cortes & Ze Ramalho, Geraldo Azevedo & Alceu Valenca, Marconi Notaro, Flaviola E O Bando Do Sol and The Gentleman.

Lifted from Dustygroove Buy it there on LP or CD!

STONEFACE & LIFE EVERLASTING (on 45!)

2011-08-01T07:35:00.001-07:00

Rare Afro psych funk from Nigeria – the one-and-only single ever cut by Stoneface & Life Everlasting as a group, even though the members are largely made up of Nigerian scene veterans – an incredible 45! "Love Is Free" is totally killer. It's got some raw electric guitar and funky percussion, blending Afro Funk and global psychedelia in a way that's really not a whole lot like anything we've heard before. The electric guitar helps kick this one into the stratosphere, and the gritty vocals are great, too. "Agawalam Mba" on the flip might be even more amazing, with this rumbing funky bottom end that serves an insistent guitar groove – but the growly lead and group shout backup vocals drive it just as heavily. Amazing stuff – one of the greatest records yet reintroduced via Academy & Voodoo Funk – even if it is just a 45! (Limited to 1000 copies. Bound to disappear quickly, too. . . don't sleep on this one!)

Lifted from DUSTYGROOVE

MYSTERON INVASION!

2011-07-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

Soul Jazz brilliantly bridges pioneering Jamaican digital dancehall to contemporary and future funk practitioners schooled in the style – the epic Invasion Of The Killer Mysteron Sounds compiled by The Bug and Stuart Baker! Mysteron Killer Sounds comes with a loose, comic book theme – "Alien Sound Lord Abductors" come to capture souls while the "Digital Defenders" have arrived to protect them – and it's fitting! The material here cherishes the hertiage of Jamaican and other points tropical dance music with sweaty, feverish rhythms – be they first wave Jamaican dancehall revolutionaries or next phase innovators. Fantastic material on Soul Jazz – work that will stand the test of time! Vol 1 is compiled by Kevin Martin (The Bug) and is heavy with modern innovators like Diplo, Harmonic 313, The Bug himself and many more.

Soul Jazz brilliantly bridges pioneering Jamaican digital dancehall to contemporary and future funk practitioners schooled in the style – the epic Invasion Of The Killer Mysteron Sounds compiled by The Bug and Stuart Baker! Mysteron Killer Sounds comes with a loose, comic book theme – "Alien Sound Lord Abductors" come to capture souls while the "Digital Defenders" have arrived to protect them – and it's fitting! The material here cherishes the hertiage of Jamaican and other points tropical dance music with sweaty, feverish rhythms – be they first wave Jamaican dancehall revolutionaries or next phase innovators. Fantastic material on Soul Jazz – work that will stand the test of time! Volume 2 is compiled by Stuart Baker of Soul Jazz Records – a set that includes masters like King Tubby, Prince Jazzbo and Sly Dunbar as well as newer, top shelf innovators.

LIFTED FROM DUSTYGROOVE GO BUY THE VINYL OR CD!

BABY CHAM @ THE SHRINE! (SAT JULY 30)

2011-07-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 30 The Shrine hosts dancehall giant Baby Cham! Before Cham hits the stage, a who's who of Chicago DJs will be bringing fire to the dance floor. Get your tickets now as they will not last! BUY NOW The show celebrates the return of UPR!SE.

K FRIMPONG ON WAX - ROUND 2 (BLUE)

2011-07-07T11:50:00.000-07:00

The great K Frimpong & His Cubano Fiestas self-titled set from 1976 – trailblazing work that helped cement Frimpong's legend! The singer is backed on it by the group Vis-a-Vis, as he would be on the equally great and similarly titled album from the following year, appearing as his Cubano Fiestas. The opening track, "Kyenkyen Bi Adi M'Awu" is positively revelatory, and pretty much the starting point for Frimpong discovery and fandom for many of us. Just for that, the full album can be considered something of a lost treasure, so it's wonderful to be able to say that it's just as great from beginning-to-end! Soul shaking lead and chorus vocals, funky drums and keyboards, feverish rhythms, guitar, percussion, sax and some flute.

Lifted from & available at Dustygroove on CD

BACK IN BLACK! (The Return of Banda Black Rio)

2011-07-07T09:48:00.001-07:00

A brilliant new vision for the legendary Banda Black Rio – the pioneering samba, soul and funk combo that broke so much ground in the 70s and remain vital to this day – led here by William Magalhaes, in a mode that celebrates decades of the best Brazilian music, while fearlessly moving it forward! William's father Oberdan Magalhaes was a driving force behind the original Banda Black Rio, and we couldn't really imagine a more appropriate new vision for the group than his son's. William wrote or co-wrote each track and he sings, plays keys and synth, guitar, bass, drums and more. The expansive group brings a depth of percussion, horns, strings and vocals – delivering timeless and dexterous jazzy Brazilian funk and dancefloor soul. The guest list includes classic and contemporary greats like Seu Jorge, Elza Soares, Marcio Local and others.

Lifted from & available at Dustygroove
On LP or CD

DODO GOES TO AFRICA IN JULY

2011-06-29T22:34:00.000-07:00

“Potjiekos Café”, a celebration of the unique cuisine of Africa. The “potjieko”, an old fashioned South African three legged cast iron pot, is an apt metaphor for Africa’s true “melting pot” cuisine. Chef Jeremy Brewington is back with an exciting menu that highlights the fascinating confluence of cultures in different the different regions of Africa: indigenous, European and South Asian.

Brewington’s menu will follow a small-plate format to encourage diners to share and sample. The first week will feature dishes typical of South Africa including babotie casserole, droewors sausages, chakalaka white beans, grilled meats from the “braai”, South Africa’s ubiquitous outdoor barbeque, and klappertert coconut pie.

Of course, Dodo will feature some delicious wines from South Africa’s Stellenbosch and Paarl regions in addition to our regular list of super classic cocktails.

Finally, D.J. Clark Quente will provide a feast for your ears with an exciting soundtrack selected from the vast musical treasures of Africa.

DODO - 954 W FULTON - RESERVATIONS: 312.226.5300

HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE

2011-06-26T22:25:00.000-07:00

THE HOMECOMING!!!!

Fresh off a tour with the Gorillaz and what looks like a new record with with Tony Allen, Flea and more, so stay tuned. Massive!

CHOCQUIBTOWN @ THE SHRINE! THURSDAY, JULY 7

2011-06-26T22:07:00.000-07:00

Chocquibtown are coming to The Shrine! The Hip Hop/Afro/Salsa/ Roots crew from Colombia will bring the fuego! With DJs David Chavez and Leo Suarez.

ON SALE NOW! CLICK HERE TO BUY

THE NEW SHINE T SHIRT ARRIVES

2011-06-17T03:49:00.000-07:00

Dope new shirt designed by Clark "Quente" Nelson. In MENS sizes M-4X, WOMENS 'baby doll' SM-L. With red lettering (shown) and grey.

On sale now at the venue and online very soon, so check back!

Mad props to Bradley Murray for the super fly promo video and our model Miss Cristina (The girl is even sweeter than she looks!)

AWILO LONGOMBA LIVE AT THE SHRINE

2011-06-07T13:02:00.001-07:00

To celebrate the kick-off of Afrodisiac, The Shrine welcomes Congolese superstar Awilo Longomba. He will be performing live on Saturday, July 9th. Following the show, DJ Top Donn will spin the finest in Couper Decaller, Makossa, Ndombolo, Kwaito, Hip Life, Zouk & much more... Doors open for the concert at 8pm. Dance until 3am!

Get your ticket now: CLICK HERE

NEW SEUN KUTI VIDEO

2011-06-07T09:56:00.000-07:00

First single off of Seun's new Brian Eno produced album, From Africa With Fury: Rise, which drops June, 21. Backed by his father's band, the mighty Africa 80!

R.I.P. GIL SCOTT-HERON

2011-05-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

The cruel irony of life is that many times our strongest voices are consumed and silenced by the very same ills they rally against. Gil Scott Heron spent his entire career giving voice to the struggles and experience of Black Americans. He fell prey to the same vices he talked of in The Bottle and Home Is Where The Hatred is. Sadder, is he seemed to have begun to outrun his demons in recent years, recording his first album (I'm New Here) in sixteen years. His influence on what has become known as modern Hip Hop cannot be under-estimated. KRS-One, Public Enemy, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Blackalicious, Lupe Fiasco... all have taken pages from Heron's book. Sad day. Let's hope more people will pick up on his message. We need more Hip Hop artists and less rappers these days.

"the message is here: inside the man / bubbling brain cells and heart-soul cells /
ax-cell-er-ating faster until understood / and used and passed on and used and
passed on and used and..."

-Gil Scott-Heron

EARTH, WIND AND FIRE: CALIFORNIA JAM 1974

2011-05-27T00:47:00.000-07:00

At the old Ontario Motor Speedway, April 1974
300,000 + fans attended this huge rock festival, produced by ABC

RE-ISSUE ROUND UP

2011-05-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

Bunch of re-issues dropped recently, covering some less traversed territories. Senegalese singer Idrissa Diop's pre-France career is examined in 'Diamonoye Tiopite L'Epoque De L'Evolution'. The set reveals the Cuban Descarga influence on the 70s Senegal scene.

Dig The 60s/70s psychedelic sounds found on the Roots of Chicha compilations? Then you are on the right track with 'El Sonido De Tupac Amaru'. Trippy production abounds, with echoes + delay, fuzzy guitars and groovy organs.

Originally released in 1977, L'Orchestre Kanaga De Mopti from Mali has a similar combination of vibes as the 'El Sonido' comp, mixing traditional Malian instrumentation and rhythms with some space-y production techniques, along with electric guitar and organ.

Akeeb Kareem's 'Blackman' was self-produced in Lagos, Nigeria in 1974. Soundway type of grooves here. Think Afro Psych Funk and you're getting warmer...

Nice to see some new labels getting in on the re-issue action too!

ALL AVAILABLE ON WAX TOO! @ DUSTYGROOVE

CAbP (LIVE) + AfroFusion w/ DJ Dee Money: 5.21.11

2011-05-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

UPR!SE RETURNS PARTY PEOPLE! The Shrine signature quarterly hits harder with an extra edition Saturday, May 21.

People get ready! A riot is goin' down next Saturday night as The Shrine welcomes Chicago Afrobeat Project back to the stage. The ten piece afrobeat/soul/jazz/hip hop monster continues its spring/summer rampage with the second of three shows. Fela to the funk indeed, CAbP bring massive heat to the stage with fiery solos all around and a packed stage including dancers and even live painting... The party goes all night with AfroFusion kicking out the jamz after the show. DJ Dee Money spins naija jams, reggae, afrobeat, hip hop and more until 3am. Dancin' time for dancers!

Doors 8pm/Show starts 9 sharp/Dance 'til 3am!

30 YEARS WITHOUT BOB

2011-05-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

Today, March 11, marks the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Bob Marley. The Reggae star would have been sixty-six years old. Marley's music transcends the Reggae genre and crosses cultural and linguistic barriers.

A documentary about Bob Marley will be previewed today at the Cannes Film Festival, marking the 30th anniversary of the legendary Reggae artist's death.

"Marley," directed by Oscar-winner Kevin McDonald, will feature his family's private archives of music, photographs and film, BBC 6 Music reports.

Listen to an interview with the director below:

Nigeria 70 Vol 3 – Sweet Times

2011-05-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

Sweet Times, indeed – Strut Records returns for another truly great volume in their Nigeria 70 series – this one covering the highlife, juju and Afro Funk music of Lagos in the 1970s – stellar material that has never been issued outside of Nigeria before now! There's a pretty diverse cross section of the sounds coming from the region at the time – from upbeat funky Afro Soul to psyche-infused guitar and percussion jams, jazzier instrumentation and impassioned vocals – most crucially, fusions of jazz, funk, soul, juju and highlife. Wonderful, wonderful material that stands proudly with the other great entries in the series.

Huge fan of this series. Volume One fetches some dough on vinyl these days.... Not givin' up my copy though! Nice to see the folks from Strut are back up and running and once again bringing the goods to the headz!

Lifted from DUSTYGROOVE Buy it there!

KY-MANI MARLEY + SISTER NANCY + AKASHA: FRI MAY 6 @ THE SHRINE

2011-05-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Shrine is the only place to be on Friday, May 6th. Ky-Mani Marley joins Sister Nancy ('Bam Bam') and local favorites Akasha for a hot night of the finest in Reggae soundz and more...!

Aqui Los Bravos – The Best Of Michi Sarmiento Y Su Combo Bravo 1967 to 1977

2011-04-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

Colombian dancefloor stormers from Michi Sarmiento Y Su Combo Bravo – stellar guaguancos, descargas and cumbias from the late 60s and the heart of the 70s – compiled with the utmost love by Roberto Gyemant, Quantic and Miles Cleret! Soundway's forays into Colombian music to date – the Cartagena and Colombia compilations have been impeccable – and this more focused set, devoted to the work of Sarmiento & combo is just as wonderful. There's a rawness and an intensity to the performances that generates intense heat throughout. Amazing stuff released outside of South America for the first time! 16 tracks on 2LPs

SOUNDWAY

LIFTED FROM DUSTYGROOVE

RECORDS WE WANT...

2011-04-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

Leave it to Joe Breezy to send over pictures of African records we covet, but will probably never find. Really no idea what these sound like, but the art is waaaay groovy.

MULATU IN SAO PAULO

2011-04-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Ethio-Jazz master performing live in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

AC CLUBE

2011-04-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

Two new tracks from AC Clube, aka me and a friend. First up is Brazil Mouth, which welds a Candeia beat to baile funk. Staying in the same groove, Fogo bumps in the valley of the cheap beats.

Brazil Mouth_AC Clube by Clark Quente

Fogo_AC Clube by Clark Quente

FELA SPEAKS

2011-04-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

Rare student interview with Fela.

BIG YOUTH - SCREAMING TARGET

2011-04-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

Crucial roots with irie footage from 1970s Jamaica. From Big Youth's classic '73 LP, Screaming Target. Thanks + blessings!

Chicago Afrobeat Project + DJ ?uestlove

2011-04-04T11:36:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 23rd The Shrine will be throwing down! Chicago Afrobeat Project begins its spring/summer residency with the first of three shows. To sweeten the deal, DJ ?uestlove will rock the 1s and 2s after the show. Doors open at 8pm and the show starts at 9pm. Want more?! How 'bout ten bucks before 11pm. Yes, yes ya'll. Shrine style!

TAJ MAHAL LIVE IN PARIS, 1970

2011-04-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

Amazing black and white live footage of Taj Mahal performing live in Paris, France in 1970. With the Jesse Ed Davis on guitar.

Cult Cargo – Salsa Boricua De Chicago

2011-03-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

"Third coast salsa from the late 70s – wonderful recordings from the orquestras of Carlos Ruiz and his Ebirac label – great stuff made by singers and players in Chicago's Puerto Rican community of the period, and they sound incredible all these years later! Chicago salsa, unlike more nationally popular styles, was rooted in the city's rich Puerto Rican community, with material adapted from traditionals and done with less pan-Caribbean derived sounds than the Cuban-rooted salseros of NYC and Miami. As fondly remembered as the players of the Chicago salsa scene are by the older Puerto Rican community who remember, records by Orquestas La Justicia, La Solucion, Juventad Tipica '78, Tipica Leal '79 and others are terribly hard to find. Not only has Numero managed to compile a terrific batch of songs, the sound is impeccable, too!"

Chicago's Numero Group prove once again why they one the premier reissue labels in the world with this volume. They continue to unearth entire chunks of forgotten musical history, shedding new light on long forgotten scenes and artists. Extensive liner notes and photos accompany the grooves giving the listener an incredible snapshot of the time as well as connecting them with the present with interviews from the artists.

Lifted from Dusty Groove
Viva! Numero Group

RIP MELVIN SPARKS

2011-03-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

Lots of bad news of late it seems. Sorry for the understatement. Certainly most folks are sending prayers and strength to the people of Japan. Understandably, it may have passed under many people's radars, but Melvin Sparks passed away from complications due to diabetes.

The 'Texas Twister' was one hell of a jazz guitar player and appeared on many of the seminal jazz funk/soul jazz albums from the 60s and 70s. He also recorded as a bandleader from the 70s through the aughties. He was seventy-one.

ORLANDO JULIUS LP DROPS!

2011-02-15T15:07:00.000-08:00

Orlando Julius has been a well known name on the West African music scene all through the 1960s and 70s. His early work was recorded in the Philips studios under the strict supervision of their house producers who were putting an emphasis on a pleasant and swinging sound that was jugging along in a pleasant way, bridging big band highlife music with American soul.

In 1972 and 1973, Orlando Julius and his band The Afrosounders visited the legendary ARC Lagos studio of Ginger Baker and what OJ and the gang put to tape there was an entirely different beast: They recorded and album packed with unadulterated, funky Afrobeat of the heaviest caliber.

The soundtrack to the video above is a shortened version of "Aseni", recorded directly from my original vintage vinyl copy. Only a short edit of one out of six long and epic killer tunes which are all included on this record

For the first time, Orlando and the his band were able to really let loose and showcase their full power with an unfiltered impact. They laid down six epic tracks that from a Funk or Afrobeat perspective definitely count as Orlando's strongest work but it seemed that Philips were not too happy with this result. They completely botched the distribution of this record and while Orlando's earlier and later work has all been re-issued over the past years, sometimes multiple times and from various international labels, this, his best record has remained under the radar and virtually unknown to the worldwide community of African music lovers. This was until I was sitting in my friend Damian Iwuagwu's house in Lagos back in January of 2010, drinking a cold Star beer and enjoying the evening when he casually handed me this LP and asked "what about this one, I got this the other day and I don't think I've ever seen it before".

Now this record is re-released with its original artwork and extensive liner notes written by Orlando Julius himself, including loads of great vintage photographs.

from VOODOO FUNK

HOOK-UP SPOTS: AFRO FUSION AT THE SHRINE

2011-02-12T09:14:00.000-08:00

FROM TIME OUT CHICAGO

The night starts out innocently enough—a smattering of couples and numerous posses, equally split between guys and gals, hang out while soulful, throwback hip-hop bumps from the house system. But when Nigerian DJ Dee Money settles into the booth around 11pm, the Shrine’s jam-packed Coup D’Etat Lounge erupts into a raging Afro-reggae party. There are no wallflowers to be found among this decidedly straight, African-American crowd; one glance in the right direction and you could find yourself coupled off for a grind straight out of a Lil Weezy video. Don’t be fooled, though: Getting down is one thing, but a man’s got to work a lot harder than that to get the digits, let alone the girl. Turn up the charm or these ladies will be on to the next one faster than you can say Jay-Z. 2109 S Wabash Ave (312-753-5700). Third Saturday of the month. $20. —Joshua P. Ferguson

NEXT AFRO FUSION IS SAT. FEB 19 (W/ Guest DJ Diesel)

SEE THE WHOLE ARTICLE in TIMEOUT.

NU SKOOL AFRO BEAT

2011-02-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

This compilation (Tramp) focuses on the contemporary international Afro Beat scene. The spirit of Fela is heard and felt, but combined with newer sounds for modern generation. On CD and vinyl!

Titles include "Crache La Douleur" by Fanga, "One Way" by Afromotive, "Every Woman Is A Good Woman" by Jojo Quo & Challengers, "Donkey" by Kokolo Afrobeat Orchestra, "Theme For Isaac Kirya" by The Boogoos, "PDP" by Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble, "Radio Kabul" by Express Brass Band, "Africa My Dear" by Afrodita and more.

THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS ARE FROM CHICAGO

2011-02-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

Caught a cool Biography the other night on TV. Hadn't thought about the Harlem Globetrotters in years... I can remember going to see them as a kid at The Forum in L.A. about a bazillion years ago. I remember just plain freaking out! They were so funny, f*cking with the refs and the Washington Generals. Of course I watched the Globetrotters cartoons Saturday mornings too! They have been a cultural phenomenon for for more than eight decades and continue to play today.

The Globetrotters were actually founded on the southside of Chicago at the end of the 1920s by Abe Saperstein. The team was initially a 'serious team' which barnstormed all over the U.S., exposing tons of folks to basketball, which was then a distant third to Baseball and Football. They literally played in thousands of games. For a lot of rural America, it was their first encounter with African Americans.

By the 1940s, the team was nationally known, and in 1948 and 1949 they defeated the then NBA champions, Minnesota Lakers, in front of sold out crowds at Chicago stadium. Shortly thereafter, the NBA owners wisely decided to admit Black players into the league.

The evolved over the years and included unforgettable stars like Curly Neal, Meadowlark Lemon, Reese "Goose" Tatum, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton AND Wilt Chamberlain. The guys were hilarious, but they could ball, too! Still can! Chicago baseball hall of famers Fergie Jenkins and Lou Brock even played a couple games with the Globetrotters.

You can probably still catch the documentary on cable.

WILT
GET A TURKISH PRESSING ON EBAY FOR $100
AIR WILT
GET YA' PROGRAMS
TRIPLE THREAT
GLOBETROTTER SCIENTIST

Take the next generation of kids to see the Globetrotters;

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS SITE/TICKETS

BAD BRAINS: RIGHT BRIGADE

2011-02-10T10:13:00.000-08:00

Photo: Shepard Farley/Glen E Friedman Collaboration

Bad Brains are one of my favorite punk/hardcore groups of all time. If you don’t have their self titled debut, “Rock For Light”, “I Agaist I”, or “Quickness”, they are all essential. I first heard Bad Brains at the beginning of 1984 when my friend lent me the brilliantly curated and titled Alternative Tentacles compilation “Let Then Eat Jellybeans”(A Reagan dessert favorite update to the Marie Antoinette slogan “Let them eat cake”). The Bad Brains song “Pay to Cum” from their first album was on the comp along with songs by Black Flag, The Dead Kennedys, The Circle Jerks, Flipper, etc.. I then went out to find full length records by all those bands. I soon discovered Minor Threat as well, and learned that Bad Brains had influenced their vocalist Ian MacKaye and Black flag vocalist Henry Rollins who were from Washington DC where Bad Brains had started as well. The Bad Brains were also a huge influence for the Beastie Boys. This collaboration ties into almost all of the bands I mentioned because they were almost all iconically shot at various times by photographer Glen E. Friedman. Glen shot a lot of great photos of Bad Brains and a few different shots were spliced together as the reference for this poster illustration. If you don’t know Glen’s work, and you should… go to burningflags.com. This poster is signed by Glen, me, and all the original members of Bad Brains. Keep that PMA.
-Shepard Farley

From their second album, Rock For Light. Classic hardcore DC trailblazers. Kooky video with Chinese acrobats...

RICH MEDINA @ THE SHRINE: FRIDAY 2.11.11

2011-02-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

Rich Medina will bring Afro Heat to The Shrine this Friday night! Want more?! How about FREE before 11:30pm w/ RSVP

MASTER OF THE MIX

MJFELA.COM

F*CKING WITH THE ALTIMETER: DIRTBOMBS DETROIT TECHNO CITY

2011-02-09T19:18:00.000-08:00

Detroit garage rockers show some improbable yet understandable influences on their newest disc Party Store; Old school Detroit techno. Niice. Wait what? Thought you said anything BUT that, but in a weird and completely logical way, it make perfect sense. Funkadelic plays Kraftwerk, which is pretty much techno. Is Detroit. Outta' space canoe race to the party store, scuzbots!!!

NOW DIG THIS:

IN THE RED

THE MUSIC THAT MADE SCREAMADELICA

2011-02-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

Here’s the Andrew Weatherall show that was on 6 Music on the weekend working through the music that inspired the Primal Scream album ‘Screamadelica’. It’s still a great album – play ‘Higher Than The Sun’ loud and it’s still got it.

LISTEN: Andy Weatherall

We also posted a piece a while back which was Weatherall’s tour diary from the Screadelica tour that originally ran in The Face in September ’91. Click here if you fancy reading it.

FROM TESTPRESSING

Chico Dub hipped me to this over on the facebooks...

K FRIMPONG RE-ISSUED ON WAX!

2011-02-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

Very funky + very psychedelic Ghanian highife master K Frimpong had a couple of the hottest cuts on the Ghana Soundz complilations. His picture even graces the cover of volume 2. So the headz should be rejoicing that someone finally got around to re-issuing an entire LP. The album, from 1977, has Frimpong backed by his Cubano Fiestas, which is the same as his Vis-a-Vis group. Ill brew of highlife, funk and soul with space-y psych touches via some seriously cosmic electric keys. Totally essential. Save yourself a few hundred bucks, too. Of course the original would be nice too though....

February 2: Iemanjá Day

2011-02-01T21:43:00.000-08:00

February 2nd is Iemanjá Day in Brazil. She is the Queen or Goddess of the Ocean, the patron deity of the fishermen and the survivors of shipwrecks, the feminine principle of creation and the spirit of moonlight.

Below is a clip from the excellent documentary Saravah, which was filmed by Pierre Barouh in 1969. The documentary features Baden Powell, Maria Bethania, Pixinginha and Paulinho Da Viola. Baden Powell plays the the song 'Canto de Iemanjá' from his classic Afro Sambas LP with Vinicius De Moraes.

You can watch it on netflix.

BK-ONE: Rádio do Canibal

2011-02-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

Warm weather concepts from a cold, cold city... 'specially since it's dumping the white stuff all over the States at the moment... Rádio do Canibal dropped in 2009 (Rhymesayers), but it's still in heavy rotation 'round here. Brother Ali's DJ, BK-One joins forces with Twin Cities beatmaker Benzilla to create a wicked Hip Hop record which rocks a ton of beats from vintage Brazilian joints. Cut Chemist has done the same on his last two records, though mostly on the instro' tip. (Next post perhaps?) But the trainspotting beats is only part of the equation here. The rappers are all top shelf featuring appearances by Scarface, Slug (Atmosphere), Black Thought (The Roots), Brother Ali, Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan), Murs (Living Legends), Phonte (Little Brother), Haiku D' Etat (Aceyalone, Myka 9 & Abstract Rude), Blueprint, P.O.S. (Doomtree), The Grouch (Living Legends), I Self Devine, Toki Wright, Aby Wolf and The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.

Head over to youtube to check the other cuts featuring the rappers. Meantime here is Hypnotic Brass Ensemble with a slightly shorter version of 'Tema Do Canibal' from the album. Sweet promo video with great images of Brazil's legendary performers. Boom bap on samba beat!

Available on LP/CD/i tunes

Rogerio Duarte and the Tropicalia Movement

2011-01-27T13:54:00.000-08:00

Recent exhibition of Rogerio Duarte’s work at the Narrows Gallery

Rogerio Duarte is a Brazilian graphic designer, musician, poet and philosopher. He is also considered to be one of the founding fathers and the main intellectual force behind the Tropicalia movement in the late 1960s. During this period he designed album covers for many of the great names of Brazilian popular music, such as Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, João Gilberto and Jorge Ben. His covers are among my all time favorites, not to mention the records themselves!

Lifted from GRAIN EDIT

Angola Soundtrack – The Unique Sound Of Luanda 1965 to 1976

2011-01-27T13:17:00.000-08:00

Analog Africa comes through with another batch of rare tunes. This time the focus is on Angola in the 60s and 70s! As with all their comps, the liner notes are as deep and stellar as the music. "Distorted Semba" and Psychedelic Merengue?! Hell yes!!!!!

R.I.P. MODERN SOUND (COPACABANA)

2011-01-27T11:30:00.000-08:00

THE STORE: INSIDE
COOL SHOT WITH MEIRELLES POSTER AND CAETANO PAINTING
PEDRO SR.
A SHOW

As the big, bad modern world marches on, more and more things change. Nothing wrong with the that, but some change is just a bummer. The record store has become nearly obsolete, with most folks buying all their music online. Ironically, vinyl outlasted the CD, but gone are the days of perusing the racks for tough-to-find gems, or hearing a track and rushing to the counter to ask the uber-snotty sales clerk, "what is this?" Remember when you actually had to go outside to buy music? Maybe you don't...

Modern Sound was an institution in Copacabana + Rio de Janeiro for 45 years. I remember buying records at a flea market years ago that had the Modern Sound sticker on it. Years later I moved to Rio and went to the store. They had long since stopped selling records (they would later return to wax...), but the store was a revelation! It was a giant clean white space, which oddly enough, did not play music. The sales staff was ridiculously knowledgeable and friendly. You could find the most obscure titles in any genre. Personally, I was buying all the Brazilian re-issues I couldn't track down on vinyl. Later on, when they started selling vinyl again, I pulled some amazing titles out of there on a regular basis.

Even cooler, was the store had Bistro Allegro, which hosted live music nearly every night of the week. The food was great, too! Simple Brazilian bar food, cold draft beer, cocktails, coffee... I saw countless shows there. I remember seeing J.T. Meirelles on the schedule and nearly falling over. I caught his sets every week for months! A few shows I can remember off hand are Leny Andrade, Osmar Milito, Dom Salvador, Claudette Soares and Marcos Valle. Countless contemporary artists as well. There was always an album release show going on. Great crowd, young and old. All music lovers. Simply put, one of my favorite places of all time to 'bate papo' - chat - and hear great music.

My fiend cried when I told her it closed December 31, 2010. Lots of folks had a similar reaction, including me. Getting misty as I type. I spoke with the owner, Pedro Sr., and asked him if there were any plans to re-open a scaled back version. He was uncertain. Well, we can only hope. I know it won't be the same, but at least the tradition would continue.

So in the meantime, hats of to Pedro Sr., Pedro Jr. and the whole Modern Sound family. 45 years of bringing the finest music to Rio and the world! THANK YOU! OBRIGADO!

RIO DE JANERO CIRCA 1936

2011-01-27T10:06:00.000-08:00

'The marvelous city' or 'city of splendor 'in 1936. Video is a bit dated, but that's the charm. Rio de Janeiro has changed a lot in the past seventy seven years. Still beautiful as ever, and undergoing quite a lot of changes with the World Cup and Olympics on the way. Was just there for holidays and it isn't the travel bargain it was a few years ago, but still as magic as ever. Everyone should go at least once. Caution! You may not want to come back. Miss the old home town... Ah saudades....!!!!

LAGOS JAZZ ROUND-UP

2011-01-27T09:35:00.000-08:00

If you were lucky enough to be in Lagos of late, you may have caught the Jazz Festival. Nice interview with singer Somi, who talks the creative possibilities of jazz music.

HOW SOON IS NOW: BRAZIL ON 60 MINUTES

2010-12-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

You may have your political opinions, but there is no doubt the nation of Brazil is on the big come up! Samba, soccer, beaches and world economic domination?! (Brazil is poised to jump England and France as the world's fifth largest economy.) As a former seven year resident of Rio de Janeiro, I really hope they can rise to the occasion and finally bring education to the masses as well as narrow the enormous gap between the rich and poor.

SWOON ‘WALKI’ PRINT FOR HAITI

2010-12-15T11:19:00.000-08:00

Swoon, has teamed with Upper Playground, to release the limited edition Walki print - 100% of the proceeds from the print will go towards support of The Konbit Shelter Project. Konbit Shelter is a rebuilding initiative, which uses dome-style structures and the super-adobe technique of earth bag architecture to create sustainable, inexpensive and dependable housing for the people of Haiti.

The general public don’t always have the time and resources to do incredible things like this on our own, so we it’s important to support those who take it upon themselves to do what we can not – which is the idea behind the sale of Swoon’s Walki print. The print is made of a three-layer screenprint on handmade Indian jute paper measuring 13″ x 21″ and is limited at an edition of 300 – all proceeds from the sale will go towards support of the Konbit Shelter Project.

SOFRITO: TROPICAL DISCOTHEQUES

2010-12-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

We're always keeping up with the cool cats at Sofrito to expose us to some of the hottest and heaviest Afro-Latin rhythms. Recently, we've been featuring their massive super singles, "Benin City Grooves" and "Soweto Disco EP" on our Chi-town DJ sets. Due out in 2011 is "Sofrito: Tropical Discotheques" release on Strut. Since we haven't been able to give it a spin yet we're taking the information directly from them. Keep an eye and ear out for this. It should be essential listening.

Strut present the debut compilation by one of the UK’s leading Afro, Caribbean and Latin music party collectives, SOFRITO. Comprising DJs Hugo Mendez and Frankie Francis alongside The Mighty Crime Minister, Sofrito has consistently combined the serious vinyl hunter’s ear for amazing records with a stylish, accessible approach, rocking dancefloors worldwide since their inception in 2007. From their legendary Tropical Warehouse parties in East London to the clubs and bars of Brooklyn, from beach parties in Greece to festivals and clubs across Europe including WOMAD and the Big Chill, Sofrito has now become a worldwide proposition. The club has also attracted a string of A-list guests for live performances including Manu Dibango, Poets Of Rhythm, Souljazz Orchestra and Quantic.

The club’s graphics by artist Lewis Heriz have become an important a part of its identity, with each event accompanied by unique hand-drawn poster art, each now a collector’s piece in its own right. And, running alongside their events, their Sofrito Specials 12” imprint has made available exclusive edits of impossible-to-find rarities. Their ‘African Soul Power’ edit was picked by Gilles Peterson as one of his re-works of 2008.

For their debut compilation, Sofrito get the party started with 15 dynamite tropical grooves old and new ranging from cumbia, Congolese guitar, calypso and highlife. Highlights include an exclusive cumbia by Quantic, ‘Cumbia Mochilla’, a new edit of a rare Victor Uwaifo disco cut and firing Carnival jams from old-timers Roaring Lion and Mighty Shadow.

DEODATO LIVE IN RIO (HARDCUORE FUNK!)

2010-12-13T11:34:00.000-08:00

Legendary Brazilian musician/composer/arranger performing live at Casa Oi, in Rio de Janeiro. Deodato is a sample staple in Hip Hop, with beats lifted by Black Sheep, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, Biggie and Snoop, just to name a few. His career has spanned six decades, from bossa nova, to the monster jazz funk grooves he produced in the '70s. Visuals at the show provided by Breno "Hardcuore" Pineschi.

DEODATO!

TUNEZ FOR THE HOLIDAZE

2010-12-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

'Tis that time of the season, when your eardrums are pummeled by the sometimes strained sounds of (more than) well worn Yule Tide classics. Why not rescue your friends and family from the same old, same old with cool Christmas jamz?! Here's a couple cookers to get your party stated on the good foot!

On In The Christmas Groove, Santa's got a brand new bag! Original Christmas grooves from the '60s and '70s all around from an array of obscure Soul and R&B acts.

Next up, it's time to go Latin and get the Fiesta crankin'! Willie Colon, Hecor LaVoe and company bring hot salsa to make your Navidad Feliz. Christmas, Fania style! Si Si!!!!

Stay tuned for some funky Hanukkah cuts... Diggin' deeper

TRACE GOES TO BRASIL!

2010-12-07T11:21:00.000-08:00

Trace magazine's latest (and final) issue is dedicated to Brazil! One of our favorite mags goes in on one of our favorite countries. It's win-win! The issue focuses on Rio de Janeiro and Salvador. Just in time to whet your appetite for carnival! On news stands now. Sad to see it go, though....

AFRODESIA - PRESENTING THE AFRO-SOULTET

2010-12-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

Our friends at Ubiquity Records have dug deep again into lost crates and unearthed this extremely rare Afro Soul/Jazz record that we've been giving many spins lately. Due out soon, the record reminds us of a mixture of the Afro-Latin Blues Quintet + 1 and Martin Denny at his best.

Jack Millman, aka Johnny Kitchen, had a hand in many interesting, obscure and highly collectible records from the 1960s and 1970s. Producing, composing, recording, editing, releasing, licensing – you name it, Millman did it. The records he touched had an eclectic range from psychedelic rock to Latin jazz, and several include editing techniques that can only be described as an early incarnation of sampling in music. The Victims of Chance, Blues Train, The Crazy People, The Trio of Tyme, The Pros, The Tarots, Jeremiah, and even (Frank Zappa protege) Larry "Wild Man" Fisher were some of the acts connected to Millman. Based in Los Angeles he was called-upon by multiple people to make tax shelter records, and provided musical content for the Condor, Mira, Mirawood and Crestview labels amongst many others.

After seeing them play at the Living Room (which later became the Comedy Store) on Sunset Boulevard, Millman became manager of the Afro Latin Blues Quintet +1, and signed them to Randy Woods (creator/owner of the Mira, Mirwood, Crestview, Surrey labels) in the late 1960s.

Having released several albums this band would later become the Afro Soultet. The liner notes to their Afrodesia album state "This is Afrodesia! A Musical collage of many peoples. . .it comes from Africa and from Arabia, from the South Seas and from Asia." Living up to the promise of those notes Afrodesia mixes Latin Jazz, with straight jazz, worldly percussion, surf, rock, funk, oddball sound effects, a touch of lounge, and some hints of tropicalia. Millman produced and released the Afrodesia album on his own Banyon label sometime between 1968-1971 (no release date is listed on the record, and Millman cannot recall a more exact date.)

Somewhere between 500 and 1000 LPs were pressed on Banyon. The album was licensed non-exclusively to Betty Chiappetta (of Vee-Jay fame) for a period of time, but it is possible that the record only saw release as a test pressing during the license, and that no official release was made commercially available. After their short stint as the Afro Soultet, the band morphed one more time into The Afro Latin Soultet releasing records with pianist Phil Moore III at the helm.

HIP HOP SAVES: BOUNCING CATS DOCUMENTARY

2010-12-01T11:22:00.000-08:00

Please see the trailer to this powerful upcoming documentary about the redemptive powers of Hip Hop and break dancing on the youth in war torn Uganda.

BOUNCING CATS film trailer from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

Read the entire story HERE

IVORY COAST SOUL

2010-11-17T14:36:00.000-08:00

"Massive music we've never heard before – a really heavy helping of grooves from the Ivory Coast – an African scene that's hardly been tapped by crate diggers and collectors! There's a really fresh feel to the grooves overall – not just the familiar Afro Funk modes, but a nice range of styles that moves between rootsy local numbers through some great crossover styles, through even a few of the African Disco modes that are better known from other scenes! The tracks here are all massively funky – scoured out over the course of a number of different crate-digging trips to the coast – and the package presents the music with great images of the original record covers, too – so that you can still retain some of the feel of the rarity of the work, even though the collection presents things in an easy to handle format. Definitely one for fans of Soundway and Analogue Africa titles..."

Straight from Dusty Groove

ENO PRAISES SEUN KUTI, TO PRODUCE ALBUM

2010-11-17T12:53:00.000-08:00

Brian Eno hails Seun Kuti, 'stunning' son of Afrobeat legend Fela

Eno, 62, will be helping in London later this year with an album from Seun Kuti, the bandleader son of Afrobeat visionary Fela Kuti, whose music is being celebrated at a new show at London's National Theatre.

Eno, one of music's great innovators, said: "I think Seun is absolutely stunning. His father was a huge inspiration for me for many, many years.

"A lot of the work I did with Talking Heads was very much affected by Fela. And Seun's band is really incredible, 18 people on stage. When I first heard Fela on stage I thought 'this is the music of the future' and I still think it's true. Decades ago, I went into a record shop and bought a copy of Fela's Afrodisiac [1971] and my life changed.It was totally thrilling. Fela was the greatest West African bandleader - just as important as James Brown was in western culture - and it was great that two of his sons separately formed bands. Anyone who has an interest in music will connect with them."

Kuti's youngest son, Seun, said: "Fans that come to my show already know some of the songs from my forthcoming album because I have been playing them for a while. We are through with recording and I will be going to London pretty soon to mix the songs.

"I have great people working on the album for me such as Godwin Moggi, Brian Eno and John Reynolds. The album will be released under the label known as Meeting Factory which is the label that released my father's songs world-wide."

LIFTED DIRECTLY FROM THE TELEGRAPH

EBO TAYLOR LIVE!

2010-10-30T00:29:00.000-07:00

Taylor on stage with Afrobeat Academy in Accra, Ghana. Hopefully coming to a stage near you in support of his his/their new album!

THE MANY FACES OF DOCTOR L

2010-10-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

Liam Farrell, or Doctor L as he is known to the world at large, is a Paris based producer/musician/composer/artist from Dublin, Ireland. He began as his career as a drummer before getting into hip hop in the early '90s and appearing alongside Daft Punk and Air on the classic Source Lab I an II compilations. He has produced a diverse array of artists such as Tony Allen, Lenine, Bum Cello and Screamin' Jay Hawkins, to name just a few. Psyco On Da Bus from 2000 and Tony Allen's Black Voices (1999) were crucial in Tony Allen 's career revival, and both were produced by L. He is also sought out as re-mixer as well, re-working the likes of Neneh Cherry, Salif Keita, Gangstar,Ice-T, David Murray & Pharoah Sanders. His music reflects the diverse artists with whom he produces and plays. A current project work pairs him with Martin Perna from Antibalas. He constantly challenges the listener with new sounds, seemingly pulling sounds from in an out of ether. Dub, Hip Hop, Down Tempo, Modal and Spiritual jazz, African/Latin rhythms all swirl together into a deep smoky medicinal melange. He has also ventured in to soundtracks as well as creating stunning visuals for his music.

A few select cuts + clips to drop the balm on your soul.

DOCTOR L ON MYSPACE

MUSIC WE LIKE: NEPHEWS OF PHELA + MULATU + OSCAR SULLEY JR

2010-10-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

A few years back, a package arrived at my house. A friend of mine had happily surprised me with a stack of records. In said stack was a 12 inch by the mysteriously titled Nephews of Phela. The needle dropped, then my jaw. The 12 inch, done by an equally mysterious west London duo (I haven't been able to dig up much, if any info...) featured re-mixes/edits of two African classics. The a-side ("Mulah 2") is a rework of Ethiopian Mulatu Astatke's "Yegelle Tezeta", while the b-side ("Uhuru Mash Up") is a rework of Ghanian Oscar Sulley's "Bukom Mashie". I am a huge fan of the work of both men, and naturally you should check the original versions if you do not know them. Both tracks here are simply massive, bringing modern dance floor thump, while still maintaining the flavor of the originals. You can track down the vinyl, but it'll cost you. Also available on i tunes I believe.

Not sure what Wylie Coyote and Roadrunner have to do with the Nephew's re-work of Mulatu, but here's a video dug up on youtube. DIG!

LAGOS JAZZ SERIES

2010-10-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

LAGOS JAZZ SERIES LINEUP - November 5th - 7th, 2010

Nov. 5th 2010 – Sofitel Moorhouse Hotel

Karen Patterson
Chinaza
Morrie Louden
Randy Weston

Nov. 6th 2010 – Federal Palace Hotel

Mike Aremu
Morrie Louden
Simone
Somi
Randy Weston

Nov. 7th 2010 – German Consulate (Sunday Jazz breakfast)

Karen Patterson
Chinaza
Simone

Nov. 7th 2010 – Muri Okunola Park

Bez
Ayetoro
Simone
Somi

from BELLA NIAJA

NEW EBO TAYLOR ALBUM DROPS!

2010-10-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

Legendary Ghanaian performer Ebo Taylor returns with a brand new album. Taylor is well known to an older generation of folks from Ghana, but has never recorded an album specifically for release abroad. His work has been featured on countless compilations in recent years, exposing an entire generation of crate diggers to his music. His roots are in Highlife in the '50s, but over the years Taylor incorporated new sounds, including Afrobeat, Afro Funk, Jazz, Soul and more into his music. For this, his first international release on the UK's Strut Records, Taylor is accompanied by the Afrobeat Academy, which feature members of the Poets of Rhythm. What a treat to hear new music from an old master!

BUY IT HERE: Dusty Groove

R.I.P. GREGORY ISSACS

2010-10-25T12:59:00.000-07:00

Cool-running, natty-dressing Gregory Issacs sadly passed away today (10/25/10) at the age of 59 after a yearlong battle with cancer. Getting his nickname from his 1978 album "Cool Runner". Gregory perfected the style known as "lovers rock", with its smooth vocal stylin' based on that of Sam Cooke and Smokey Robinson and apolitical stance in counterpoint to the more militant Rastafarian sound dominant of Jamaica of the time. His massive hit "My Only Lover" (1973) is credited as the first "lovers rock" single ever made. With his smooth tenor voice punctuated with sexual moans and groans Gregory had a decade of future hits, peaking in 1982 with "Night Nurse".

Like many reggae stars, Gregory had a bad-buy image that was bolstered by his six month sentence for unlicensed handgun possession, drug dealing and an addiction to crack cocaine which resulted in a loss of some of his teeth and an impact on his subtle voice. Isaccs said of his addiction in 2007: "Drugs are a debasing weapon. It was the greatest college ever, but the most expensive school fee ever paid – the Cocaine High School. I learnt everything, and now I've put it on the side."

Isaacs nonetheless became an inspiration to a new generation of reggae stars through his combination of lover's rock and more politically charged tunes, such as "Black Liberation Struggle." He will be sorely missed.

ANALOG AFRICA STRIKES AGAIN!

2010-10-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

Afro-Beat Airways (West African Shock Waves Ghana & Togo 1972 -79) is the latest compilation from Analog Africa. Another massive set of tunes, ranging from Afro Funk, Psychedelia, Jazzy organ grooves and more. Nice diverse set with the exhaustive liner notes too.
Available for download, on CD and double LP. Fly the funky skies!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FELA!!!!

2010-10-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

The OG Black president would have celebrated his 72nd birthday this Friday, October 15th.
The Shrine commemorated last night with an amazing show by Chicago Afrobeat Project, along with DJs Tone B. Nimble and Joe Bryl.

RARE AFRICAN RECORD COVERS

2010-10-05T10:31:00.001-07:00

Here's another batch of great African records that we're wishing to run into sometime while crate diggin'. We've listened to them on-line and were blown away. But, for all of us record geeks; there's nothing like having the real thing. Enjoy the view.

WOIMA COLLECTIVE - BACK TO THE FUTURE

2010-09-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Brass unit from Germany's Poets of Rhythm bring the Ethio-funk on this recent release entitled, Tezeta. Clearly inspired by Mulatu Astatke, the band takes its cue from the golden age of Ethiopian music. Spacey organ, reeds o' plenty, snapping drums, low end bass all create some seriously snaking grooves.

Listen to some samples: KINDRED SPIRITS

?uestlove On Fela

2010-09-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

It's no secret Fela Kuti has had an a huge impact on music, especially Hip Hop. His beats have been sampled and his attitude was the original swagga. Roots bandleader ?uestlove talks about why the man continues to be vital today.

DISC 'O' LYPSO

2010-09-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Originally released in 2003 and re-issued by the folks at Trans Air Records (San Juan, Puerto Rico), this collection of tropical disco, rare caribbean dancefloor shakers and seventies soulful grooves comes as a great addition to all those crate diggers looking for deep island dusties. Tracks include Tappa Zukie's "Freak(1)," Gerald PJ Browne's "Sexy Lady(2)" (as edited on the recent Guynamukat 12"), Casual T's "Hands Off(3)," Mucho Plus' burnin' hot "Nassau's Disco(4)," Star Beams' "Disco Stomp(5)," El Cid's "NY to Georgetown(6)," Billie Cole's "Extra Carefully(7)," and Oluko Umo's "Praise Jah(8)." Sail on, sail on!