Posts Tagged ‘jamaica’

CONNIE & DI MAN DEM

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

 

Greetings! We’re back in the building once more!

Those that know will have seen that this Sunday’s session in Brick Lane is a strictly Reggae affair. DJ-wise, we come correct with that original bass music as standard. Confession is good for the soul though, so we admit to being a little shy on the live reggae tip – until now. Truthfully speaking, it’s not that we’re reluctant to showcase reggae acts, rather that there’s a distinct lack of fresh, reggae-tinged blood rising from the underground. Talking to the youth, the reason is simple: there aren’t enough role models visibly pushing the roots sound and as a result, aspiring artists aren’t viewing reggae music as a viable option. We’ll leave that discussion for another time, but for now, we’re introducing CONNIE & DI MAN DEM who’ll be bumping the live slot this Sunday.

Many will know Connie from her previous work with Heads High. What we didn’t tell you, is that before and during her stint with the Heads, she’s recorded and performed with some serious players in both the purist reggae scene, and its various chopped, sampled and looped step-siblings. Who here can say they’ve held down studio sessions with LEE PERRY and DAMIAN MARLEY and in the same breath relate tales of late night vocal booth excursions for ROOTS MANUVA and CONGO NATTY? Connie has dealt with all of these but be warned, she’s far more than the sum of her collaborations and along with her well seasoned band of musicians, she’s dropping some heat on the people dem. We’ll let her explain….

HH: How did the CONNIE & DI MAN DEM project come about?

CB: I had recorded some songs before for THC Muzik, a Jamaican label who the people may know from its association to Turbulence’s hit ‘Notorious’. They were also involved in the Rise Up documentary which was recently featured by the BBC. I actually featured in that as part of my previous band Rootz Underground but that’s a story for another time. Having moved to the UK since, I decided to bring the recordings to life and got a band together as a result. It wasn’t quite so simple, but that’s the edited version!

HH: What brought you to the UK?

CB: Apart from following my artistic dream, I was studying also – a Masters degree in Applied Theatre.

HH: You’ve amassed some pretty well respected connections between the UK and Jamaica. Lee Perry, Damian Marley, Roots Manuva, Congo Natty, Mad Professor…that’s quite a list! How were the studio sessions with Lee Perry?

CB: It was awesome! He is a true professional. He worked me to the bone though – we did seven or eight hour sessions with no breaks. Pretty tough on the voice. he knew exactly what he wanted, very specific. He’s famous for his eccentricities, but he wasn’t like that at all, apart from the mirror on his cap.

HH: He had a mirror on his cap?

CB: Yes. I didn’t ask any questions. But apart from that, the session was normal – just intense!

HH: Did you respect his work before you worked with him?

CB: Yeah definately. I had huge respect for Lee Perry. All that early work he did with Bob Marley, and so many other Jamaican artists, and the sound he managed to squeeze out of the Black Ark. He’s a living legend.

 

HH: Sticking with jamaican artists. Which singers or deejays work do you respect and have any of them had an influence on your sound?

CB: I like a lot of the old-school foundation artists. Toots & The Maytals, Desmond Dekker, I love the deejay thing too – the rhythm of it. I’m a dub poet too, so I’m really into the rhythmic delivery of words. Deejay-wise I love the sounds from the 80s right up to the present day. Yellowman, Shabba Ranks, Bounty Killer they all feature on my playlists! Going back to dub poetry, i’m heavily influenced by guys like Mutabaruka, Mikey Smith and Linton Kwesi Johnson. Poetry within a reggae construction is deep.

HH: Talking about Mutabaruka, my sources tell me that you were responsible for a poetry renaissance in Kingston before you left and Mutabaruka assisted you. Is that true?

CB: Yes. That’s true. Towards the end of the 90s, I had a great love for poetry, but the scene in Kingston was really lacking. Poetry events were few and far between. To combat that, I mobilised a vibration, got all my friends together and made it happen. We started it off in my apartment, when it grew we moved it to my garage and when it got too big for that we started renting spaces to host events. It was called ‘Voices: Spoken Word In Action’. Tha action part was important because it wasn’t just about empty talk, we were about using the words as an ignition to action.

HH: And Mutabaruka’s involvement?

CB: Yes man. We worked like Bonnie & Clyde. He was the DJ and I was the hostess. He faithfully came to every event to share his vibes and his music. It was great because people were coming for poetry and we had this icon of Jamaican dub poetry selecting the music.

 

HH:Moving to the UK, you’re affiliates include Congo Natty, Banana Klan/Roots Manuva and on the digi roots side of things Dougie Wardrop and the Top-A-Top label. How did you adapt to the contrast between Jamaica’s reggae scene and the reggae/bass music scenes in Britain?

CB:I’ve always appreciated variety so I welcomed the difference to be honest. I’m the type of person that as long as the music is produced to a certain standard, I’m with it, regardless of what genre it falls into. It was wonderful jumping into the UK sound and working with it. In reality, the Jamaican and UK sounds are coming from the same place, the same thing. The only difference is the soil in which that seed is grown. I can still carry my vibration and drop it same way. The link is always there.

HH: Talking about the Connie & Di Man Dem project, how do you feel about it and how does it compare to being a solo artist or backline member to someone else’s project?

CB: The project is a work in progress. In comparison to being a solo artist, it’s not easy leading a band. Having seven different personalities, including your own to balance and organise. So far Jah has guided it and i’ve been blessed with highly talented individuals who carry that energy to the reggae music and message which i’m presenting. Right now we’ve reached a synergy and great things are happening.

HH: What do you say to the purists, such as myself whose old-school conceptions are challenged by your music and band line-up?

CB: I would say come with an open heart. If you love music, and appreciate it’s construction then you’re going to find something in it for you. We come with a certain vibration. We’re not trying to appeal to purists, there are people there to do that already. We’re taking this roots reggae thing and bringing our vibes to it. I’m bringing my culture and my light and my band, they’re multicultural and their bringing their vibes and their light. What happens on stage is we mix it up in a nice pot and serve it up!

 

HH: The lyrics in your music are pretty powerful. Is there a particular message you’re trying to convey?

CB:Life to me is unity, love, health and standing up for your beliefs. Those things are what my music is about. There’s love and romance in there, there’s politics and polytricks, its all in there. The principles of life is the principles of the music – that’s how it must be.

HH: What does the future hold for Connie & Di Man Dem?

CB: We’re hitting the studio as we speak. Working on our debut EP. I’ve also got an album which I recorded in Jamaica thats soon to be released too. We’ve been doing a lot of club gigs recently and this summer the festivals are looking good so the future is bright.

HH: Lastly, we’re looking forward to having you perform for us this Sunday, but in the meantime, can you leave us with a mini-chart of your top three all time reggae favourites?

CB: That’s a tough one but sure…..

(After much deliberation)

1. Prophecy – Fabian

2.Trailer Load a Girls – Shabba Ranks

3.Handsworth Revolution – Steel Pulse

So, it would seem all roads lead to Heads High this Sunday for a banquet of beats, bass and lyrics with meaning. Check the flyer below for details….it’s going to be nice!

 

PODCASTS #19 & #20: DARREN JUDGE…

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

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

 

Download

HH PODCAST #20: Ghetto Love Mix

 

Download

 

Mixtape: Cal Jader vs. Latin Dub Soundsystem…

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

LDs

Lewis Parker’s late 90s UK Hip Hop landmark album “Masquerades and Silhouettes” always held a special place for me back in the day. Musically it had an epic scope and was awash with cinematic soundscapes and Jedi knight references, so I’d always wondered about the mysterious identity of it’s producer The Sea, who was behind the beats on this unlikely Hip Hop odyssey. Imagine my surprise then that almost ten years after that in my guise as a Latin music promoter and DJ I would encounter the very same one like the ‘Sea’ spearheading his own project – a collective of musicians pioneering the hybrid Latin, Hip Hop, Reggae and Dance beats of ‘Latin Dub Soundsystem’ and blazing a trail on festival stages across the UK. In the intervening years he’d spent time producing a string of reggae legends in Jamaica, as a tour DJ for the Wailers, and has been at the forefront (or should I say background) of the UK Hip Hop scene orchestrating tracks and albums for the likes of heavyweights Rodney P, Skitz, Yungun, as well as producing a (much overlooked) mini album for Benjamin Zephaniah. Indeed it was working with Zephaniah that went on to seed Latin Dub Soundsystem with the track ‘Uptown’ (included on the mixtape here) incorporating some rolling Latin keys alongside it’s skanking beat and Zephaniah’s killer vocal hook.

So Latin Dub Soundsystem are putting the finishing touches to their debut album which will feature some the UK’s finest Hip Hop talent alongside London based Latin MCs, Argentinian firebrand ragga Hip Hop MC Malena from Actitud Maria Marta (also featured on the mix) and the startlingly brilliant vocals of UK singer Eva Abraham. However in the meantime The Sea and I have concocted a mixtape of Latin, Tropical and global underground freshness from Salsa beats to Latin Hip Hop, Dancehall flavours, Brazilian mash ups, and a large helping of dubwise Cumbia bass alongside a glut of Latin Dub exclusives, unreleased remixes and mash ups! Nearly 40 tracks in just over and hour! Enjoy!

Sms Mix 03 – Cal Jader Vs Latin Dub Soundsystem by Stop Making Sense Festival on Mixcloud

Event: Johnny Clarke inna London Town!

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

johnny clarke blog

Roots reggae is a deep thing. Despite virtually no mainstream support, it has managed to survive and reach out to a global audience for nearly 40 years. This Friday, the mighty Johnny Clarke steps out to bless the people with his outstanding vocal talents at Dalston’s much-loved Passing Clouds.

If you were to write a list of true school roots legends, Johnny Clarke would be somewhere near the top. Born in Whitfield Town, Jamaica in January 1955, he began his career winning the 1971 Tony Mack’s talent show, subsequently linking him up with producer Clancy Eccles. Eventually Leaving Eccles to hook up with producer Rupie Edwards, Clarke scored a clutch of hits including”Irie Feelings” the 1973 single that provided the template for the producer’s own massive success with “Ire Feelings (Skanga).”

The following year, Clarke cut a number of singles for a variety of different producers. Although he was already well-known, it was only after he joined forces with producer Bunny Lee that the singer reached his full potential. Lee,  famous for introducing the “flying cymbal” sound that swiftly became his trademark, delved into the possibilities of dub and helped inaugerate the shift from Rocksteady to the slower swing of Reggae. Together, the two men would unleash a host of unforgettable singles, opening with the massive hit “None Shall Escape the Judgement.”

Over the next two years, Johnny inundated Jamaica with hit singles including “Move Out of Babylon Rastaman,” “Rock With Me Baby“, “Enter Into His Gates With Praise“, “Too Much War”, “Joyful Festival.” and a cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry,”.  The singer’s first two albums, 1974’s None Shall Escape the Judgement and the following year’s Moving Out, were both hits-heavy collections. There was little surprise when Clarke clinched the artist of the Year award in 1975 and 1976 (and then annually for another three years after that).

By 1976, the singer had come to the attention of the Virgin label’s Front Line subsidiary, to whom he now signed. The new relationship was cemented with the fabulous Authorized Version album, again produced by Bunny Lee and boasting another big hit, “Roots Natty Roots Natty Congo.” That album was masterful; Rockers Time Now was an absolute masterpiece. Lee’s house band, the Aggrovators, laid down a potent mix of roots, rock, reggae, whilst King Tubby added his raw heavy dub to the proceedings. The record remains one of the crucial releases of the roots era.

As the ’80s dawned, Clarke moved effortlessly into the age of dancehall with his Johnny Clarke meets Cornell Campbell in a New Style Collection. He left Jamaica for London town in 1983, hooking up with producer Neil “Mad Professor” Fraser and recording Yard Style, which included such crucial cuts as “Mount Zion” and “Nuclear Weapon.”. Over the rest of the decade, Clarke continued cutting excellent singles in partnership with longtime collaborator King Tubby (responsible for many of the singer’s B-sides), and more dancehall-flavored offerings with both Prince Jammy and Errol Thompson.

The reason I just dropped the paragraphs above is simple – the man’s contribution deserves to be recognised. Follow the links, listen to the music (if you don’t already know it) and know that if you miss this Friday’s session, you be missing something special.

Oh, did I mention that the Red Earth/Soothsayers crew will be in the house to lay down the backing tracks…..or that yours truly is spinning inna roots and culture style throughout the evening? You know what to do…info is below:

JohnnyClarke

Icon: Amazing Grace

Friday, August 7th, 2009

Lets face it, Grace Jones has been engaging us with her uniqueness since circa 1977.

Most of us will probably be able to recognise some of the many classic tracks this woman has dropped over the years but I’m not really sure that she’s been given the props she truly deserves for her contribution to all things creative.

In fact – In my honest opinion, I don’t think it would be an overstatement to class the ‘Grace Jones Movement’ as somewhat revolutionary.

I hate to state the obvious but even before we began to get excited (if we ever were) about Madonna putting cones on her tits, Grace Jones was pretty much pissing all over fashion and music conventions. Let us not be deceived by her outlandish publicity stunts; ‘rebel with a cause’, she is. According to Jean-Paul Goude (her long term lover and collaborator), she was very much “an opportunist and knew (his) vision was good for (her) career…”

Right from her initial appearances during the high-time of disco, Grace found her Jamaican footing pretty quickly in the NYC clubbing scene and soon had the likes of Mr. Warhol et al eating outta the palm of her hands.

Considering we’re talking about the late 70s, early 80s – being an ebony skinned, raw looking woman couldn’t have been an easy deal anywhere outside the Islands and Africa. But this is precisely the moment she decided to seize and thus accentuated herself into a whole new realm of cool. As a young, black female myself – growing up with issues of skin complexion, kinky hair and other afro-native features, it took me years of ‘growing up’ to eventually learn to love and embrace my own identity. I cannot even begin to understand the kinda obstacles she must have had to bulldoze through in order to create her own stylized niche… though bulldoze, she did.

With regards to breaking through cultural boundaries, Grace Jones nailed it, full stop. Being Jamaican and looking like an African; Plus being a female and looking like a male, combined, was a new concept to the mainstream. She left ‘beauty’ as we knew it to the vultures and as a result, every industry wanted a piece of her.

In Hollywood, who could forget her role as ‘Strangé’ in Eddie Murphy’s Boomerang or ‘May Day’ in James Bond? …How about the fierce, primal stone-aged-bitch she plays alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan the Destroyer? Hardcore stuff. The fashion industry which, until then (loosely speaking) only had time for the feminine, Aryan types were pretty much booking her out for shows between New York and Paris.

The music, which she began in the 70s with fresh, tropical vibes (after being signed to Island Records), indulged in the light-hearted, poppy side of disco. Her early works such as ‘Portfolio‘ or ‘Muse‘ display her underplayed range and high-pitched signature vocal style. Then, almost out of the blue, in her 80s phase – she switched her game to the funkier electronic synth-pop. This came equipped with androgyny, alter egos, mental costumes and flat-tops.

By this stage, she’d bulldozed her way into our record boxes too.

Along with churning out the hits such as ‘Pull up to the Bumper‘ or ‘Slave to the Rhythm‘, Grace Jones has always been very aware of the complete package required by the genre’s fans. From aligning herself with the right kind of producers (Nile Rodgers), to creating visually stimulating album artwork (‘Island Life‘ and too many others to list) to putting on eccentric live performances, this wonder woman always seems to go beyond the call of duty.

Her public image too made hedonism look tame – Once, at a party, it is claimed that she stripped down and declared herself the “Queen Bitch Jungle Mother of New York.” This plus other rumours of that ilk have run consistently throughout her career. In saying this, I must salute Grace Jones for being able to pull off such happenings* whilst somehow meticulously managing to stay on the ‘cool’ side of the ‘freaks of nature’ club.

… All these new-age attention-seekers need to take note.

Now at 60-odd and she’s back… This is the resurrection of Grace Jones.

A new album has been dropped – Hurricane. Check out the chocolate mannequins below:

She’s headlined Massive Attack’s ‘Meltdown‘ last year and has been touring all over since. Now on our shores for the summer season and already clocking a few UK festivals**, word on the street says its a serious affair.

As for me, I reckon it’ll be worthwhile catching this iconic figure at Brighton’s Beachdown Festival at the end of August. A decent line-up anyways, so I’m all for killing a few (big) birds with one stone…

Who’s in?

*One of which entailed slapping Russell Harty live on a TV interview.
**Secret Garden Party and Latitude Festival.

Posted in Art, Features | Comments Off