Tomorrow night, Afrique Sessions continues at Sutra. I’ll be playing again, with a special invited guest performing from Paris, Maimouna Coulibaly. Maimouna wrote, directed, starred in, and choreographed the play I was a part of a couple years ago in San Francisco. She’s back in the states to perform her latest play, and teach dance workshops for a few months again in the Bay Area.

Make sure not to miss this one night New York appearance!

I have to say I am very excited that it is time for me to put this up:

Banana Clipz Preview Mega-Mini Mix

I’ve been waiting to do this style of mix for years. The influence from all those Dancehall mixes I absorbed as a youth have been smashed into this 8 minute laser extravaganza. I know that I am probably just as guilty of this as the next person, but I beg you: after downloading this mix, pleeease do not listen on your laptop. Wait until you can experience these tunes on proper speakers with some sort of bass. This music is meant for that.

I met Gavin, aka Oro 11 in early 2008 and we started working on sketches of beats at his house by Lake Merritt. In three years time we have visited up and down the California coast playing gigs, making friends, and collaborating with some great artists, several of who are appearing on this project. This project is in some way the result of all those fun times (and late nights.)

Now that I’m in New York, and these tracks are finally being released unto the world, my nostalgia for the time I spent in the Bay makes them all the more meaningful. I hope you enjoy this preview as much as I enjoyed making it. The final product will be here soon!

This weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I will be playing a supporting role in Hééé Mariamou, a play/dance performance written by, directed, and starring Maimouna Coulibaly, Malian dancer/actor from Paris.  It will be at the Dance Mission Theater on the corner of 24th and Mission in San Francisco.  There will be lot’s Coupe Decale, Kuduro, Dancehall, Zouk, dancing, singing, and more French Urban sounds, as well as music by Malian legends such as Salif Keita, Oumou Sangare.  The dancing is amazing, and the energy is really live.  She also deals with many issues of African immigrant identity and growing up with a diverse cultural background, ideas that are shared with threads in my own thoughts/work.

Check the video trailer from my previous post, and an excerpt from this article that appeared in yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle.

“My little sister, she’s 20 years old now,” Coulibaly says, “and I know that she’s not really sure of what she is exactly (African, French or Afro-French).”

Through “Mariamou,” Coulibaly says she’s hoping to shed some light on the conflicts she and others face. Her performance mixes a play with African urban dance forms, like N’Dombolo (Congo), and other styles of dance, including modern ballet and street jazz.

The piece is Coulibaly’s way of taking the best of both worlds after years of trying to make everybody happy.

“Now,” she says. “I choose to take only the positive things in each culture.”

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!:

I’ll be a guest DJ at Tormenta Tropical this Friday June 12th in LA at Three Clubs, and Saturday June 13th at the Elbo Room in San Franicsco.  I’ll be playing alongside LA based production duo Nguzunguzu, and resident selectas, Bersa Discos label owners, Oro 11 and Disco Shawn.

I’ve been preparing a pretty fun set for both nights focused on Cumbia roots in Colombia, and Panamanian Tipico mixed with Dancehall and Reggaeton of today.  Come check out this fun night if you’re around the West Coast!

I’ve been asked to contribute to the blog Ghetto Bassquake. Hosted by DJ Vamanos out of London town. It is an mp3 blog that hosts free music so go check it out and get your download on. It is an honor to be asked, and I’ll link to it here whenever something shows up by me there.

Click here for a post on Panama and the Carnaval music they have that is fusing with Dancehall. I really feel the music there, it’s a place of hybrid cultures that I can really relate to. Check out the video clips and free music to download.