As you may have noticed, my musical tastes have taken a definite turn toward the traditional of late. Heads High was (and still is) all about representing the sonics of the African diaspora in all it’s different forms but as you will know, our remit tends to focus on Jazz, Reggae and the myriad of styles and genres that have sprouted from these forms.

What is becoming apparent to me is that traditional drum music from the diaspora has a massively different intention and feel any other music I listen to. Traditional music is eternal, it’s timeless. It isn’t originally composed to be sold, and in this sense can be regarded as a comparatively pure cultural expression. As I come to understand the music more and more (and it is imperative to take the time to understand the culture the music emanates from), I’m realising it speaks in ways that at one time I could not hear.

Introspective blurb aside, drum music is HEAVY on the dancefloor and paradoxically (given what I have said above) when I listen to the repetetive grooves of the Techno, House or Hip Hop I hold so dear I can hear subconscious attempts at emulating the experience of traditional drum music via the MPC, TR808 or classic Western Band structures.

Now that’s out in the open, it will come as less of a surprise that i’ve started a new session focussing on traditional drum music from Africa, South America and the Caribbean and its modern incarnations. The session is called OKRA and our first official party Upstairs at Brixton’s Ritzy went so well we’ve decided to make it a regular.

Our next party on Sat 22nd May features the Gnawa musical tradtion as demonstrated by Simo Lagnawi, one of the UK’s handful of Gnawa masters. You can read more about the Gnawa tradition here, but to get a better feel for the music/movement, it might be worth checking the clips at the end of this post. Don’t make the mistake of painting OKRA as some kind of ethnomusicologists convention though. Our guests will vary from the strictly traditional to the freshly cut, and as you’ll know if you’ve made it to any of our private affairs, our crowd are much more likely to dance and look hot than stand and talk cold. Myself and Suga Kan’n provide the rest of the evenings soundtrack digging everything from the traditional to the warm buzz of the afro future. Connie Bell blesses the mic as only she can.

So. Join the facebook group here, check the flyer below and if you’re convinced, spread the word: OKRA is here…

Oh, and for the completely random element, word has it that Janet Jackson might be in the building on the 22nd as she’s promoting her new film with Tyler Perry….an intriguing combination no?