Vince the Prince and I will be playing the Generation Bass party in Tilburg, Holland tonight, July 31st.
Generation Bass vs. Ghetto Bassquake in Holland
31 07 2009Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: ghetto bassquake, holland, tilburg, Tour
Categories : Gigs
Goodbye for Now, Dakar
30 07 2009
Not even 10 hours out of Dakar and I’m already missing it. What a great city. I’ll definitely be back soon, and hopefully have a better hold on my French language skills.
Dakar in a lot of ways (right now at least) is the African city of my dreams. It’s not my ancestral homeland, but it feels like home to someone in between worlds like myself. A diverse cosmopolitan population, but a strong sense of cultural pride and deep traditional legacy. You have two strong different strains of identity making, the poetic pan-Africanist philosophies of Leopold Sedar Senghor mixed with the deep tradition of their unique African Islam, a mix of East and West for me that have come together to form a peaceful, fairly forward thinking, and welcoming nation. It’s reflected in the music. At any night of the week you can go out and enjoy a live show with mbalax infused blues, reggae, or salsa, an “African” club specializing in everything from Mbalax to Zouk, Coupe Decale to Funana, or a Euro-American lounge/nightclub playing European, American, and Caribbean Club Hits.
A Dakar "Beach Party" Hip Hop Club, with a West African wrestling match interlude
If you happened to be in town last Saturday, you could have caught me at K Club, playing Dancehall, Kuduro, Juke, and Southern Rap/R&B. I have to admit the night didn’t go off without it’s glitches, and I did get a little uncomfortable by the over romanticization of the US and Jamaica, just as I get uncomfortable about the reverse in the states, but I guess that’s what traveling and being a representative (again being in the middle) is all about.
The night was fun though. Sogui made his homecoming debut, and a lot of his old friends came out. The dance floor filled and emptied throughout the night, as I think folks were testing the waters a little bit with the new, new tunes that may have been unfamiliar. Proudly, my remix of Akon’s tune Right Now (Na Na Na) was one that was met with surprise and shouts of delight (pandering to the hometown crowd) and kicked off a Coupe Decale, Kuduro section that was the highlight of the night for me.
The night didn’t go off without its glitches, and the ones that did happen were quite interesting! I didn’t realize until someone told me that when I juggle a riddim of hip hop remixes or dancehall versions, it didn’t really matter unless the folks really knew the song, cause the lyrics weren’t in French. A big Homer Simpson “Doh!” went off in my head. I don’t know I wasn’t playing my Gwada Dancehall! The electricity cut off several times during the night messing up the flow of the dance floor. And, late in the night, some local rappers almost killed the night completely when they couldn’t control the feedback they were putting into the mic. Sogui turned to me and gave one of many, “This Is Africa’s.”
The industry intrigues me in Dakar, so much so that I’m thinking about going back soon to work, perhaps in a club, and at the same time perhaps do music production workshops at Africulturban in Pikine (Dakar’s South Bronx) a community Hip Hop organization I got linked up with through Mr. Ghislain Poirier.
Akon and Hip Hop have such a huge presence, but so do Youssou N’ Dour, and other more traditional artists. Brick and Lace, who are signed to Akon’s label had flyers all over town for their show on Wednesday, and Titi played a show at local live club, Just for You on Sunday night. As always representation and identity come back when I think about place. Akon is such an interesting case of an African American, one I’ve mentioned here before. People hate his latest album, and say they don’t like him (for going too pop.) I’ve defended him often, and Eddie Stats even said I redeemed Akon for him, but just like any national idiosyncrasy, it can be at the same time a source of pride and embarrassment. I think Malik put it best by saying, “when I’m inside Senegal I get annoyed by Akon, but when I’m outside Senegal I’ll defend him to the death.” In reality what we see in Akon are all things that being African reflects/represents in us, all his contradictions are ones we share. After all, public figures are only more visible representations of ourselves.
As a final note, I think the documentary I Bring What I Love addresses some of these issues of representing a nation from Youssou N’Dour’s perspective. It’s opening this weekend in San Francisco with a special talk by the director this weekend only.
Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: africa, africa is the future, african identity, Dakar, Hip Hop, identity, islam, mbalax, modern, Senegal, this is africa, tradition, urban
Categories : Gigs, Thought
Afro Latin Soundclash Inna Berlin
29 07 2009
From the Motherland to my Mother’s land, Saturday in Berlin!!!
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Tags: Berlin, Tour
Categories : Gigs
Dancehall in Dakar
25 07 2009
I was on my way to the airport in London, about to head to Dakar, when I called Sogui who said, “bring your Serato, Malik booked us at a club this weekend.” So pleasantly surprised, I am adding a date to make this a truly world tour. Dancehall in Dakar tonight, Baobab Connected again, K Club in Almadies.
After a couple canceled gigs, the promoters took this video last night to post on facebook to prove that a DJ from San Francisco was in town, I’m posting it to prove that I’m in town! If YOU are in town come thru!:
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Tags: Dakar, Dancehall, Senegal
Categories : Gigs
Stockholm to London
25 07 2009
Travelling from an emerging global capital to the OG one, I Stopped over in London for a couple days to meet up with Vamanos. Stockholm was a great summer city, sunlight for 21 hours a day, good parties, beautiful people. I love cities that have real summers and real winters. People suffer through the cold to go mad in the heat! The differences between Stockholm and London at least on the surface are pretty evident. It’s interesting for me to note different stages of cosmopolitanism going from Poland, to Sweden, to the UK.
One obvious difference between Stockholm and London, for me, is visible in the connectedness of the African diaspora in each city. London’s storied history with its colonies and mass amounts of people from everywhere create a more divided feel between different communities. Neighborhoods, pubs, streets, television stations can be dominated by one nationality or even ethnic group, and while it doesn’t seem like people are as explicitly segregated as in the states, culture pockets definitely exist and allow people to maintain strong connections to home. In contrast, Stockholm is a much more pan-African culture. While as everywhere, there still are groups of people who maintain their community and culture, it seems that public cultural events have a little of everyone. I think those loose ideas of culture would lead to a noticeable difference in the identity politics of 2nd and 3rd generation Londoners vs. the same group in Stockholm. In London it seems that youth in raised in the strong ethnic communities compete and push and mix vying for a bigger slice of influence in the well established, Grimey, UK Funky, 2 stepping, Drum Dub Bass culture. The identity of a Afro-Swede, and youth culture in general, seems much more fluid, yet to be defined, as the popular image of Sweden moves from pillaging horned helmet wearing Vikings to a welcoming diverse, social democratic, globally interested nation. (I went to a Viking museum and it seems that through all their traveling and conquering, the Vikings actually developed quite a taste for collecting objects and ideas from far off places and cultures.)
Club Nile (African Union Edition) for me, felt like a warm hearted embrace. I linked up with Jib Kat a Ugandan DJ/MC living in Stockholm, and the great Miss DJ, a mixed, a globetrotting Ameri-Swede who holds her own playing from Dancehall, to African, to Hip Hop. The feel of the party was great. This was the Africa I knew growing up, and in a lot of ways continue to live in. It means people of diverse backgrounds coming together to celebrate the places that they left behind, and support each other in this new place they call home. The music is as diverse as the countries of origin of the party goers. The biggest tunes are always the most classic, so it’s necessary to know your stuff. The tune with the biggest reaction that I played was perhaps Bridadier Sabari, a slowly whirling ominous reggae tune, by Ivorian Alpha Blondy. Not your most obvious choice for a club banger, but it just goes to show, that in contrast to what I see as mainstream (fancy?) club culture, there’s a rooted, cultural element to the night. In contrast, during High Life at Sodra Teatern in Stockholm, the most important way to connect with the crowd was through classic techniques that club DJ’s have perfected throughout the years. The skill of the mix, and the presentation songs are what propel their crowd to let loose their bodies on the unfamiliar rhythms and sounds. Sebastian commented on my DJing saying it was almost like a house DJ, but not. Right now I’m okay with that definition of my music. Almost like a lot of things, but not quite any of them. A little of Sweden now added to the mix.
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Tags: africa, diaspora, london, stockholm, Tour
Categories : Thought
Afro Scandanavia
15 07 2009
Met with Jib today, cool cat. Keywords for the night: Break Down Barriers. If you know ANYONE in Sweden send them our way this Saturday!!!
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Tags: African Diaspora, Club Nile, europe, stockholm
Categories : Gigs
Schmorgasborg
14 07 2009
Yesterday I went sightseeing with Anna, one of my hosts here in Stockholm, and my friend Tehran. I was standing at the bus stop and got a nod from what seemed like an established in Sweden-African man, with his presumably 2nd generation Swedish son (the Swedish version of me and my pops!) Anna was surprised, and asked if I get that a lot. I said, “you don’t know about the Black man’s head nod?”
That’s Stockholm for me right now. Repping and connecting. Many people have been assuming that I’m from here, so perhaps I don’t look as strange as I did in Poland. I get smiles from people who seem to have similar backgrounds as my own. There’s this energy here with especially African immigrants that is still so fresh and foreign to me that I can’t quite yet put my finger on. Perhaps it has something to do with Sweden not having a crazy colonial history (like UK, Netherlands, Portugal, France, although I’m sure Swedish multi-national corporations do their share of damage) and they have no huge historically oppressed minority groups (like in Australia and the US.) Perhaps that would lend the struggles of immigration to be more based on cultural differences.
Saturday Night went great! Actually it couldn’t have gone better. High Life meets Ghetto Bassquake… shoot… High Life meets The Highlife… shoot… Ghetto Basssquake meets Ghetto Bassquake… meeting Sr. Vamanos was cool and we both rocked some solid sets. It was a long day, and yes, I managed to see the sun rise at around 2:30 am, a lifelong dream fulfilled!
I think the gig in Stockholm really kind of made me feel like I’m doing the right thing. Bringing my personal mix of global cultures over here, being aware that their is a similar culture brewing in this city, perhaps somewhat in the underground. Maybe I can help push it to the forefront.
The crowd on Saturday was mostly salt with a few flecks of cinnamon and pepper (vanilla ice cream with chunks of peanut butter and chocolate?) I don’t care about who the audience is as long as they’re dancing. This crowd danced. All night. The cultural exchange was happening on so many levels, and credit is due to the hosts, Sebastian and Anna. They are doing something I really admire. I think it’s easy for us to play this music in places where the communities expect to hear it, London, NY, San Francisco. But to have a successful night at a mainstream club, in a city that is still deciding what it means to be a global capitol, is impressive.
My experience here is really putting conversations about the global music culture in perspective for me (for anyone who’s been in a Wayne and Wax e-brawl before, Birdseed was there. He cut a rug!) I played Reggaeton, and they DUG it! I played Kuduro, and Coupe Decale, and Ndombolo, and Soca, and Dancehall, and Zouk, and House, and Reggae and Mambo Violento and the Dutty Artz Remix of Best I ever Had, and they DUG IT! Sometimes in the States people let their pre-conceptions determine what their feet are going to move to. It can be a frustrating attitude to try and play to. My goal at home is to bring the music that I enjoy and represents my background to the forefront, so I can have pride in cultural aspects that often times through process of immigration and assimilation get thrown out. I can foreground aspects of culture that perhaps I’ve had to “re-learn.” For me to be able do the same for someone else, here, who may be going through what I went through whether 1st or 2nd generation, gives me the greatest satisfaction.
Later this week I’m meeting with Jib Kat, who runs a club called Club Nile. It’s a night run by Africans for that home type cultural experience. These are the types of parties I grew up going to, and they’re the type of nights I play at Little Baobab in SF. I’m excited to see how different the experience will be.
Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: assimilation, Culture, global ghettotech, High Life, immigration, night life, stockholm
Categories : Gigs, Thought
On the Road
13 07 2009
I was debating turning this into a travel log of sorts, and it seems I’ve been inconsistent with the type of stuff I put up here, but thought it would be a good idea to share my thoughts on the road while in Europe, especially when relevant to music.
I landed in Warsaw, Poland and after a long in and out of sleep flight, and arriving at what would have been 2am New York time, I found myself questioning what I was suddenly doing in Eastern Europe.
I had some interesting talks with a Polish man on the plane, who was in Brooklyn attending the year’s little people conference. I can’t imagine growing up as a little person in a communist country. Maybe it’s not that bad. What do I know? But his concerns gave me an interesting insight to Poland. He was worried about things becoming more expensive when they get the Euro, but proud of having the strongest economy in Eastern Europe. He spoke of German tourists. Everyone in Europe speaks of German tourists.
Here are some thoughts I jotted down while waiting for my connection to Sweden:
On arrival to a place that’s completely unfamiliar you can’t help but stare at the natives and wonder what the average person lives for. What defines success to them. I try to think what defines life to the average person back home. All I can come up with is the ability to buy more things. I wonder in this post communist republic, if it’s not the same. The ads on the wall, the way people dress would hint at that. It doesn’t seem that a country’s developmental success isn’t measured in how much collective work they do towards making a better global community. Maybe that’s why I’ve come here. I see in the way people look at me, that I’m an ambassador, albeit an unlikely one in my own mind, but the more these people see strangers in their own back yard, the more they will realize how connected we all are (and that more people that look like me are on the way!) What could be better for a place like Poland, one of the newly christened countries of the European Union. They must realize with membership not only comes glitz and glamour of wealth but the responsibility to do something for others with it.
Honestly I didn’t even step foot in their city, or leave the airport, but I had gotten some interesting looks in the airport, which always prompts me to ponder the state of the world. Updates from Sweden next.
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Tags: European Union, Poland, Xenophobia
Categories : Thought
Stockholm
10 07 2009
Long flight, and then I’ll be checking out the Stockholm night life. When are they gonna invent the teleport?
Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: Ghettobassquake, High Life, stockholm
Categories : Gigs
Que Bajo New York
7 07 2009
The first gig on my summer trip will be a monster. I’m excited for this Que Bajo party, that will be with a lot of friends from Colombia, to Texas to, Cali to Argentina. A New York area must!
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Tags: Dutty Artz, Gigs, new york, que bajo
Categories : Gigs
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