I’m posting this pretty sheepishly as Darren Judge did one of thess podcasts for us a full 2 MONTHS ago. He left it to me to add the jingles and I moved house/studio and am still picking up the pieces. There are still no jingles for reasons i’d better not go into, but what there is, is two HEAVY mixes put together by the man currently garnering support from the likes of Solid Steel for his CLUBB ROCK project. #19 is everything you’d expect from a British born Jamaican. Tuff Hip Hop, raw breaks and some serious Kingston town leanings. #20 sees the Judge come over all smooth & soulful….in a ghetto style. Guess you can’t be raw all the time. He promises us there are more in the pipeline but for now, wrap your ears around these.
HH PODCAST #19:
As We Enter//Nas & Damian Marley Yegelle Tezeta//Mulatu Astatke Struggla//Skitz ft Rodney P, Kardinal Offishal & Skibadee Born Inna System//Skitz ft Buggsy Kill Em With The Flow (Remix)//Skandal ft Klashnekoff & P Money Shutterbug//Big Boi EMC (What It Stands For)//EMC Twilite Speedball//Mos Def Orange Murderer//Clubb Rock Lit Up//Flying Lotus & Declaime Geek Down//J Dilla 914//Pete Rock ft Styles P & Sheek Louch My Aggin (Inst)//OhNo
This Friday 11th June, fans of real black music are going to feel nice. The OKRA project has teamed up with Adesose Wallace’s Ibile and Dalston’s Passing Clouds venue to bring the people a night of tone, taste and texture spanning Africa, the Caribbean and South America.
Representing Africa, 11-strong outfit Ibile hit the stage with a serious blend of Afrobeat, Highlife and raw West African drums. For better or worse, there has been an exponential rise in the number of Afrobeat/Afro-Funk/Highlife bands in the capital over the last few years but be warned, Ibile is the real deal. If you read the excerpt from our interview with him, you’ll know that Adesose Wallace is as authentic as they come. He’s played with Geraldo Pino, the James Brown of Afro-funk, and the inspiration for Fela Kuti to transform his Hi-Life Jazz sound into Afrobeat. Ade has also worked with Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba and a host of other African music legends and to this day, teaches West African rhythm and song to students countrywide – basically, he’s real.
Representing the Caribbean, OKRA presents Ras Happa and the Harambe Drummers throwing down a live set of pounding Jamaican roots drums and dance. Long before reggae music warmed its first amplifier and rumbled it’s first speaker cone, the island of Jamaica danced to the beat of Nyabinghi, Kumina and Revival drums. Rhythms and dances which are so powerful, they still emerge in the beats and sequenced movements of the freshest bashment dancehalls. Unfortunately, the dancehall didn’t assimilate the spirit of the culture with quite the same vigour…..that’s where we come in. To compliment proceedings Duke Etienne and Suga Kan’n keep it raw, roots and occasionally, savage with a DJ selection linking the past with the buzz of the afro-future.
Representing South America, Otto Nascarella takes a pause from the rootical, tropical funk of his Saravah Soul project to throw down a scorching selection infused with his Brazillian roots.
Continuing our Rhythm Talk which began with Gwo Ka late last year, we’re back once more to ruminate on the Rhythm. This one goes out to all Nigerians…we’re talking Fuji!
Unless you’re a Nigerian, or have a good knowledge of West African drum music, chances are you’ll have heard little about Fuji music. Alledgedly founded by one Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, the name Fuji oddly bears no relation to the Yoruba word Fuja/Faaji meaning enjoyment, instead being christened by Mr Barrister’s chance glance at an advert for Japan’s Mount Fuji. This however, is where the music’s link with the Far East ends.
Born of the union of Islamic and Yoruban cultures, Fuji Music grew out of the Yoruban Wérémusic traditionally played to call Muslims to feast and prayer during Ramadan. If you get the chance to listen to any Wéré/Ajisari/Fuji rhythms you’ll understand why I’m not entirely pleased about my early years spent at Roman Catholic Church at my parents request…the rhythms are amazing! Layers and layers of them. Underpinned with raw drums, punctuated by song and embellished with drizzles of saxophone, guitar and keyboard. Listen….
Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Kollington Ayinla are recognised as the godfathers of the Fuji movement. Ayinde Barrister finding fame as the founder of Fuji after a spell under the tutelage of Jibowu Barrister who, along with his peers in the “Ajiwere” scene, evolved a number of styles heavily influenced by the Yoruban Sakara and Apala musics. Kollington Ayinla, Barrister’s musical rival, is noted for the success he found delivering his fast-paced, dancefloor-friendly twist on the Fuji theme to the people. Check out his “Alakara Ofa Keni Keji” for rhythmic proof.
The Sakara Drum.
The main instruments in Fuji are the Gangan (medium sized Yoruba talking drum), the Sakara (Yoruba frame pictured above), the Omele Gangan (mini Gangan), the Sakara Omele (small sakara) and Bata Omele which forms the crucial backbeat. A Fuji orchestra can include a myriad of percussion; Shekere, Bells, Iyalu (large talking drum) and of course a drum kit, sometimes congas too. On the melodic front, you’ll usually find plenty of backing singers, keyboards, guitars and a touch of brass.
Fuji’s popularity continued through the 80s and 90s right up to the present day. As a supporter of the underdog, it gives me a certain pleasure to know that a style which was known for a time as ‘the poor man’s JuJu’ still has a secure place in today’s African music marketplace. That being said, those of us favoring music with more integrity and less American sensibilities might want to dig the past before delving too deep into modern day offerings.
One more recent artist who treated Fuji the right way is Adewale Ayuba. Known primarily for his JuJu creations, Ayuba’s take on the Fuji theme ‘Bonsue Fuji’ managed to successfully transcend barriers of age and class….not easy.
On a slight but nonetheless relevant tangent, those of you with open minds might like to check the following clip to witness what happens when the music described above finds its way to LDN and meets friends from South Asia, America and beyond. Richard Olatunde Baker and his Eardrum project have been successfully experimenting with cultural fusions for some time now. We were proud to have them as guests at one of last years Heads High sessions and judging by the sounds on this video, it would appear that those of us who know are in for a very special treat when their forthcoming album drops….
I’ll leave the rest to you. If you’re a scholar or a deep, deep digger, chances are this is nothing new to you. Hopefully though, those of you marginally less geeky (and I do mean marginally) will benefit from the leads and sounds presented above.
Long live the rhythm…
Many thanks to Richard Olatunde Baker for his contribution. Also, thanks to the Afro Slab blog for the pics. Make sure to click through to them for bytes & bytes of those ol’ dusty Afro selections…
Shuanise is on the brink of big things. Having first heard her word way back in March on the low-slung Jazz cut ‘Masudesante Naima’ (courtesy Eglo Records), we at Heads High have been steadily impressed with her sweet yet slanted vocal stylings. Her recently unveiled ‘Voice Of Reason’ E.P. (UpMyAlley Records) is being warmly received by those who know and judging by the strength of her catalogue thus far, we’re in store from some serious blessings in 2010.
The thing you first notice about Shuanise is how nice she is. We played a long game of voicemail Tennis before finally getting to talk and even the rays of sunshine in my mailbox told me that I was in the presence of goodness, and not that fake-it-for-the-cameras kind either. She’s the real deal….
The beginning is a good place to start. Like me, Shuanise spent her formative years North of the Thames border. Unlike me, she had managed to live in Nigeria and the deep south of the U.S. (Texas) before she even got there. Being a Pan-Africanist at heart, I couldn’t help but ask about her Nigerian roots and how they effected her introduction to music:
‘Music has always been around me in some way…I wanted to be like my Grandpa when I was younger so picking up instruments was the natural thing for me to do. My Grandpa was a businessman raising six kids In Ibadun…having music around was important to him. Music always brought out another side of my Grandpa, like he was in another world. He played the talking drums, Udu, and an old Middle Eastern Lute. He changed the way I thought about music. It was no longer just something coming out of the speakers but all around me, made with anything…I learnt a lot from just being back home and that’s where I really started to understand what music was. Things are done in a different way out there and life is different, my heritage has always had a thumb on what I make but more recently it has had an effect on what I make and do more than at any other point.’
Deep. I wanted an expansion though. What’s different about Nigeria?
‘I found Nigeria very different to the U.K. The people, hardships, politics, the lessons. Conditions and surroundings are things that motivate people to play certain music or write a certain song. If you think back to old Africans that were brought to America, it was the surroundings and the conditions that dictated the type of music they made…but no matter what condition one is in, Ibos, Hausas and Yorubas have songs for every situation. They speak through their music. In some situations you can see how much of a life-saver music can be.’
Getting back to the here and now, those vibes have been channelled into heavily Jazz infused Soul explorations. Listen to any one of Shuanise’s cuts and you feel the unmistakeable pulse of Jazz, both in her distinctive vocal delivery, and in the sonic canvas on which she paints.
‘Jazz makes me feel very welcome and at home, ‘Kind of Blue’ was the album that opened me up to discover other Jazz
artists and learn more about the way Jazz is played. It inspired me to try a lot of different structures.
Jazz has been very influential to me….It’s changed the way i think about and make music.’
Luckily, she’s in good company when it comes to experimenting with new forms and structures, Jazz or otherwise. Eglo Records has been her home for the past year or so and their exploratory musical aesthetic has given her the freedom she needs to create. Nestling in amongst the Orchestro-Jazz-Two-Step (a new genre didn’t you know) of Floating Points, the retro futurism of Funkineven 1956 and the astral-plane harmonics of the one Fatima, Shuanise has carved herself a creative niche from which to explore.
‘Eglo is family. They believe in the music they bring to peoples’ attention. They push boundaries and are not afraid to be a little different from the rest. Everyone at Eglo has something different to bring but they still work well as a unit. I like to experiment
with sounds and Eglo are open to it, they support what they like to the fullest.’
I’m a bit old-school. I think its nice when our creativity has a purpose (click here for a deeper explanation). What is it that Shuanise aims to achieve with the beauty she’s creating?
‘…[I want to] make people think about each other more, think about what we do and how it affects others, appreciate our journeys and respect each other and where we live…..’
And where can we expect that beauty to surface next? Eglo is due to drop an EP of Shuanise’s wares. If you can’t wait for that then in the meantime Portformat’s ‘Repeat Factor’ LP features two gems from the lady herself plus guest appearances from Georgia & Dudley amongst others…..heat! Of course, ‘Voice of Reason’ is out right now so click here to cop it.
Ever the team player, Shuanise also asked us to remind you that you can pick up Funkineven and Fatima’s ‘Kleer EP’ now on Eglo…..there, told you she was nice…..we are too so here’s her Masudasante Naima for free – just make sure you support if you like what you hear!
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Due to drop in October, this is bound to be top notch – so keep your ears close to the ground for this one peeps. Fill me in if you know something I don’t know. Sweet…
In the meantime, while I go and explore Jimi’s very wonderfully peculiar back catalogue, check out this promo:
… and just in case you forgot how good it was the last time Strut united two heavy duty musical forces:
Ok, I know i’m super late on this, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s sick! We’ve been feeling DC’s work at HH for a long time now but when I found this clip of him doing the Jazz thing I gained an even greater respect for the man…so much respect that I left myself a reminder on my desktop to post the vid when the Heads High Site came back online. Well, the time is now….
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