NEW CURUMIN ON WAX!

The new Curumin album (his third) entitled 'Arrocha' will be released by Vinyl Land on April 18th. A limited run of 500 copies are available for pre-order now: BUY IT NOW! In the meantime, check out a cut from the record.... LISTEN

MORE AFRICAN RECORDS YOU NEED....

The African re-issues just keep coming which is good news for your wallet, unless you are a purist AND have unlimited dough to drop on obscure gems....

Soundway release the second LP from Ghanian singer Rob. 'Make It Fast, Make It Slow' is a Afro/Psych/Funk diggers dream. The title track appeared on the Ghana Soundz compilation. Afrobeats, tripped out production, oddball percussion, yup!

Segun Okeji's 'I Like Woman' follows closely in Fela's footsteps. One long track on each side. Originally released in 1978. I have an earlier re-issue that is on Soul Patrol as well. This is supposed to be limited to 500 copies. Afro heat, indeed! "Everybody say feelings!"

Academy Records and Voodoo Frank are back with another insanely rare 45. Some folks out there may be familiar with The Apostles 'Black Is Beautiful' LP. Same funky feel, though the lyrics are sung in their native language, instead of English. Dopeness!

ROB

SEGUN OKEJI

THE APOSTLES

ALL AVAILABLE AT DUSTYGROOVE

CONTEMPORARY GROOVES ON SOUNDWAY: BATIDA!

The first-ever contemporary recording on Soundway – but a set that's still got firm roots in the 70s African scene that's usually represented by the label! Batida is the brainchild of Portuguese DJ Mpula – who brings together samples from older Angolan recordings with contemporary beats and rhythms – often in a blend that's got the quick-stepping sort of pace you'd hear in favela grooves from the Brazilian scene – yet which comes across completely differently, thanks to the rich array of acoustic elements in the original recordings! There's loads of sweet guitar lines that rifle through the music – and the set also features guest contributions from contemporary MCs and producers.

Cop it on LP at Dusty Groove!

TONY ALLEN: ROCKET JUICE AND THE MOON

The legendary Tony Allen returns with a new group and album with Damon Albarn, Flea and a host of guests including Chicago's own Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.


Check the cut below with Erykah Badu. Hottness!!!!


And some sage words from Mr Allen, recorded live in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2004. "Don't Take My Kindness For Weakness", indeed!

FELA! The Musical In Chicago: KICK-OFF PARTY! CHICAGO AFROBEAT PROJECT + MORE

FELA! The Musical finally makes its Chicago premier Mar 27-April 8 at The Oriental Theater. Of course we are thrilled to be a part of the party, so we are throwing another!

Come to The Shrine Wednesday March 28th and meet cast members of the play! Chicago Afrobeat Project with special guest Ugochi perform along with Get Up With The Get Downs. The Sonic Diaspora DJs (Itch 13, Itzi Nallah & Afroqbano) will also be on hand to warm things up. the evening will also feature an art exhibit by Rahmaan Statik. Doors 9pm.

OF COURSE, YOU NEED TO SEE THE MUSICAL! THE SHRINE IS ALSO SPONSORING DISCOUNTED TICKETS: BUY HERE! ENTER 'SHRINE' (NO QUOTES) FOR A DISCOUNT!

REMEMBERING MALCOLM X: (2.21.12)

Remembering Malcolm on the day he was taken from us.
May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965

Great track from Miriam and Mbongi Makeba compiled on the amazing 'Black and Proud' compilation on Trikont Records.

BIXIGA 70! MODERN AFROBEAT FROM BRAZIL

It's no secret that Afrobeat has enjoyed a resurgence over the last ten years, with bands from all over the world taking cues from the sound Fela Kuti created in Nigeria forty+ years ago. Bixiga 70 hail from Sao Paulo, Brazil. The band, while clearly influenced bu Kuti in both sound and name, also mixes elements of jazz, funk, soul, latin and dub into its heady musical stew.





LISTEN/DOWNLOAD TO THEIR ENTIRE ALBUM: CLICK HERE

INSPIRATION INFORMATION: SKATING DURBAN SOUTH AFRICA

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!

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

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

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!

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