I’m so excited about May’s installment of #FUTUREROOTS. On Thursday, SOB’s will welcome A Tribe Called Red + DJ Javier Estrada – a NYC debut for both (also joining the two is Philly-based DJ Dirty South). A reminder about the series:
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#FUTUREROOTS celebrates a New World of sounds we know, rhythms being taken to dizzying new heights and varieties by a generation of DJs and musicians who have had the world at their fingertips (AKA the internet). This “re-discovery” where musicians from Latin America to DJs in the United States and Europe explore their own roots, collaborate with others halfway across the planet, and blend the sounds they know so well like Hip-Hop, Reggae, Electronic and Club music of every variety; this is a series for that New World sound as it continues to grow. Past artists: Pernett, Que Bajo!?, Los Rakas, Dre Skull, Flama, Nomadic Massive, Zuzuka Poderosa, Adeline, House of Waters, Blitz the Ambassador, Munchi, Andrea Balency, Monsieur Periné, Il Abanico, Solo Dame Indie Pop!
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This is a line-up that I’ve always envisioned #FUTUREROOTS would be about: supporting amazing artists who collaborate frequently thru the internetz – Remezcla just premiered Part I of a Video Trilogy between them called “Sopranos Azteca” – to explore, re-define, and re-distribute the rhythms and traditions of where they are from, FOR THE WORLD.
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#FUTUREROOTS and SOB’s presents:
(((NYC DEBUT)))
(((NYC DEBUT)))DJ Dirty South Joe (Mad Decent) on the 1s & 2s
DOORS 10:00 PM TILL
SOB’s | 204 VARICK ST | 1 TRAIN TO HOUSTON
$10 ADV + $15 DOORGET ADVANCE TICKETS: http://tktwb.tw/JHb8MO
#INDIGENOUSPOWER #POWWOWSTEP #MOOMBAHTON #TRIBALSTEP
In 2008, DJ’s NDN and Bear Witness founded A Tribe Called Red adding two-time Canadian DMC champ, DJ Shub to the crew in 2010. ATCR creates an never before heard sound made up of a wide variety of musical styles ranging from Hip-Hop, Dance Hall, Electronic, and their own mash-up of club and Pow Wow music, known as Pow Wow Step that is quickly gaining respect from all kinds of communities from all around the world. Electric Pow Wow is a monthly club night dedicated to showcasing Aboriginal DJ talent and Native urban culture and is aimed at creating a space for Aboriginal people. You can catch Electric Pow Wow every month on the second Saturday at Babylon nightclub in Ottawa, Canada.
!!!Their new album, ‘Electric Powwow‘ is available for FREE DOWNLOAD NOW!!!
Mexico’s most exciting new producer, Javier Estrada delivers everything from tribal to moombahton to pre-hispanic dubstep in a unique, fun-loving, high-energy and ever-tropical manner. Javier’s prolific production portfolio is a tour-de-force through the best that Latin America has to offer in this new burgeoning tropicalized electronica scene and a show of all the possibilities that exist within the ever-expanding world of tropical bass.
#TROPICALBASS #MOOMBAHTON
DIRTY SOUTH JOE (Philadelphia, PA)
Philly DJ/Producer Dirty South Joe’s been grinding for years. He spun his first show at Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club (between sets by U.K. shoegaze bands Ride and Lush) in 1990, and has balled in Philly for about 10 years. He played some of the legendary Hollertronix parties at the Ukie back in the day, is currently a Mad Decent Mondays regular and is opening for Diplo at Union Transfer this Thursday. He runs his label, Cool Records and just released “Luvstep,” his collaborative project with Philly’s Flufftronix which is out now!
@DSJoe || SOUNDCLOUD
#MOOMBAHTON #LUVSTEP
“Ser raka es la búsqueda como cualquier otra vanguardia, de un acontecer, hacia algo nuevo, hacia la evolución, pero particularmente a través de un estilo. Básicamente hablamos de un Raka, cuando hablamos de ese estilo atrevido, prendido y fresco. Consiste para nosotros, en la búsqueda de todo Raka, la absorción de todo tipo de cultura existente, sin hacer prejuicio de ninguna de ellas, buscando como resultado, la mezcla de varias de ellas dejando la particular huella del estilo Raka, obteniendo como resultado una nueva variante. También pretendemos como Rakas, la constante búsqueda de la evolución, y no el estancamiento en un sólo género, o en un nuevo solo descubrimiento. En ello no consiste el estilo Raka. Tampoco un Raka, tiene como búsqueda la violencia, tan solo puede resultar como absorción de otras culturas provenientes de la violencia, una nueva resultante, con el estilo Raka, que tiene como intención contar lo que ocurre en nuestros pueblos. Ya que otra de las misiones Rakas consiste en traere a ti, mi oyente, el sentimiento y la cultura de nuestros pueblos. Como último, un Raka solo responde por su propio estilo, y nunca por una política. La política, como mencionamos, es ajena a un Raka. Un Raka no pertenece a un partido político, aunque pueda estar de acuerdo con las medidas y disposiciónes, o algunas actitudes de estilo Raka de algún partido político de turno. El estilo de un Raka es ser Libre. Yo si soy Raka!”
-Boris Sobieraj (A Los Rakas Fan) | November 2011
“The purpose of the tour is to promote this album, travel to these places, and meet these people, speak with them, learn from them, let them know that, ‘Yeah, we’re a band in New York, but we see you, we’re watching, we see what’s happening,’” Leo Mintek said. “On the new record, we went deep into different types of Latin music, so you’ll hear cumbia, corridos, bachata. We really believe music has no borders.” – Rock On A Mission
OUTERNATIONAL is in Chicago this weekend (SEE FULL SCHEDULE), after headlining The Abbey Pub (3420 West Grace St.) last night and playing a series of tributes (Woody Guthrie with Tom Morello tonight @ Metro) and Anti-Nato Summit protests (World Can’t Wait, Iraq Veterans Against The War, Malcom X Freedom Festival).
The group, on the tail-end leg of their 2-Month ‘Todos Somos Ilegales: We Are Illegals‘ tour, which started in Brownsville, TX on April 4th and has weaved through the Border regions across the Southwest down to Tijuana with Ceci Bastida thru to California and back through Texas to open a series a shows with Calle 13, ends in New York City next week (Tour Finale is May 24th @ Dominion).
“The sound is a brilliant, aggressive, bottom-heavy hybrid that brings to mind bits of rock, rap and rock en español.” - The Chicago Tribune
Live In-Studio Radio Interview on WBEZ/Vocalo: http://bit.ly/JoEteB
Profile in the Chicago Sun-Times: http://bit.ly/M4ahWm
Profile in Spanish-language paper Hoy: http://bit.ly/JBBUXp
‘Todos Somos Ilegales Tour’ from April 4 – May 18thTheir project ‘TODOS SOMOS ILEGALES: WE ARE ALL ILLEGALS‘ is a bi-lingual cinema-in-sound concept album about the border, the USA and the system which criminalizes those who create the wealth it rests upon. With tightly-woven soundscapes referencing hard rock, hip hop, cumbia, corridos, gypsy punk, spaghetti westerns, chicha, vintage soul and even bachata, Outernational’s ‘TODOS SOMOS ILEGALES: WE ARE ALL ILLEGALS‘ is a singular album for 2012.
LISTEN TO THE ALBUM: http://outernational.bandcamp.com
VIDEO ‘THE BEGINNING IS HERE’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwEm4RYnfDI
¡¡¡lots going on, will keep it brief!!!
::NEWS::
Los Rakas prepare summer’s ‘Raka Party‘; ‘Enamorado De Ti‘ (off ‘Raka Love‘) new video on Univision!
Zuzuka Poderosa new video ‘Pyar Baile‘. South American tour with DJ Rekha. Carioca Bass Mixtape on RCRDLBL!
Outernational halfway ‘Todos Somos Ilegales: We Are All Illegals‘ – tour diary, make Mexico debut, charging to May 1st in LA. Great piece in Alternet – a convo about the tour bw @Jawnita and @MilesSolay!
Hello from SoCal leg of ‘Todos Somos Ilegales: We Are All Illegals‘!
#FUTUREROOTS presents ‘A Tribe Called Red‘ + DJ Javier Estrada @ SOB’s on Thurs, May 31! TIX.
Summerstage 2012 has been announced!
::TRUE MUSIC::
There’s SOOOOOO much amazing music being made right now by this generation. I find it hilarious (read: tragic) that there’s such a disparity at the top level of music distribution/support of more diverse points of views, style of music, diversity in sexual orientation, gender…just the SPACE for that. Or maybe it’s swelling so that there WILL HAVE TO BE. Who know… Anyhow, I was having a conversation with a friend and the subject of ‘true music‘ came up. I like that idea. When you know it’s good…it’s true…you can feel it. We’ll see how this goes, but I thought I’d give it a try. Here I present, #TRUEMUSIC Vol. 1. Just a lil fun thing I’m doing to share all these sounds!!!!!
mango-picked by conrazón
Sene - Brooklyknight (WATCH):
“the hood don’t change, the books all burn…the jungle.”
Click and watch Sene’s “Brooklyknight” (Short)
Ana Tijoux - Sacar la Voz (WATCH VIDEO)
“Tomar de las riendas | No rendirse al opresor | Caminar erguido, sin temor | Respirar y sacar la voz.”
(FYI Ana + Los Rakas LIVE in San Francisco on May 15 – Get Tix)
With Ana in 2010 @ SXSW. #LOVE
Outernational - The Beginning Is Here (PAY YOUR OWN PRICE)
“The songs I sing, they can cast a spell | I don’t know no borders and I know them well”
Homeboy Sandman - 72 Bars for Chosenberg (STREAM THEN BUY)
“young, black and accurate”
Dizzy Wright – Smoked Out Conversations (BUY)
‘(all these rappers) got a voice for no reason, what’s a song w/o a topic?’
PS – You know it’s real when you read a heart-felt review by your mother about your rap music on your iTunes page!
Emeli Sande – Rivers (Pre-Order ‘Our Version of Events‘) – http://youtu.be/K769dq14bJs
“Brooklyn party monster Zuzuka Poderosa recently released her Carioca Bass mixtape – a thick, 40-minute bootylicious ride put together by Kush Arora. Rooted in bass-heavy baile funk, the tape bangs through global ghetto sounds, from bhangra to soca crunk. Plus, there are bunda-shaking appearances from Los Rakas, Spoek Mathambo, Sany Pitbull and many more. Carioca Bass is definitely what Poderosa calls an “interracial music baby.” What does that mean? That it’s time to learn Portuspanglish. Rumor has it there’s more to come on Poderosa’s Carioca Bass EP, which is expected sometime this spring.”
Get the Carioca Bass Mixtape:
https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F38322542 Zuzuka Poderosa-Carioca Bass Mixtape by Kush Arora by Zuzuka Poderosa
“I believe in body language. I think people should shake more asses in the world. I think the world would be a better place” – Zuzuka Poderosa in Knocksteady
South America/Brazil tourdates announced soon!
#INTERRACIALMUSICTOUR
Coming off a super productive SXSW (watch video recap), Raka Rich & Raka Dun worked on their single ‘Desorden‘ produced by Diplo and The Flexican at an Austin recording studio in between their showcases. [YOU HEAR IT FIRST] The track will be the first single on their upcoming electronic/dance release ‘Raka Party‘ – out this summer on Soy Raka LLC.
Foto by Ivan Fernandez for LA Weekly
Couple weekends back the guys rocked the Paid Dues Fest alongside Wu Tang, Odd Future and DJ Quik, where the Examiner said after their performance: “Los Rakas music is the next evolution in Latin Hip Hop as they merge contemporary music with an age old struggle for relevance as Latinos and young people in general in North America. “We’re doing this for everyone…White, Black, Asian, Everyone”.” Some video highlights floating around.
Los Rakas on set for their NY1 interview
While in New York City earlier in the month, Los Rakas shot a TV interview (en espanol) on NY1 with José Simián: “In this interview for Contraportada, the Panama-raised cousins talked about their musical origins, their endless work flow, and the capacity to move from Plena-infused future bass to romantic R&B.” – WATCH IT HERE
Los Rakas in Bed Stuy, BK
DC-based writer, Marcus Dowling wrote this piece in Brooklyn Bodega entitled, “On Los Rakas and the growing power of Latin heritage in the American mainstream” which is an interesting perspective on a very particular snapshot of cultural cohesion happening in this country. On Los Rakas’ sound, Marcus says, “it’s a sound and style that exists and excels in a space that presupposes you’re already aware that Latin culture is a dominant American social force and are interested in seeing just how far that power extends in the new world order.“ Read the full piece HERE – and feel free to leave a comment if you agree or disagree!
Finally, I wanted to share with you a great piece that aired last week on NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ about what it takes to be an independent artist in 2012. Los Rakas were interviewed and had some very interesting things to say. Click on the photo to hear the piece by Laura Sydell.
- Raka Rich in ‘How To Succeed In The Music Business (By Trying Really, Really Hard)’
Latest Music:
Raka Dun – ‘No Tan Listo’ (DOWNLOAD)
Raka Rich – ‘Copita de Champaña’ (DOWNLOAD)
PHEW. I looked back on my SXSW 2010 and 2011 to prepare for SXSW 2012, but nothing could prepare me for the madness.
Looking back on the schedule I sent out to my industry list (laying it out below), I could not anticipate que locura the experience would be. Unlike the last 3 experiences at SX, I probably got to catchup/hang with fewer people, but all in all – this year’s SXSW was super productive and accomodations-wise super comfty (considering my first year I crashed a couch in South Congress – this is progress!)
With a view of the river and a full schedule…shit got really real. Much love to the crew who did hang tight: Maribel, Arlene, La Nono, Stefanie, Richard, Matt Sonzala, Javier, James, Eddie, Paul, Kelli Love, Kush, Olmeca, Rich Garza, Thomas, Joey Cap, Benamin, Kim, Clarence, Canyon, Ian Morales, Estella Sanchez and many more! Can’t capture it as elegantly given the madness, but here’s a snapshot:
LOS RAKAS SXSW 2012:
WED 03.14 @ Puma Social (1309 East 7th St)
WED 03.14 @ *Official Showcase @ Flamingo Cantina
THU 03.15 @ The Illmore (Presented by ILLROOTS & Scoremore)
THU 03.15 @ Peligrosa Showcase @ Chupacabra (400 E 6th Street)
FRI 03.16 @ Austin Vida & Peligrosa Day Party @ Jovita’s
SAT 03.17 @ Ineffable Music Showcase @ Venue 606
SAT 03.17 @ Art Culture Activism @ Diverse Arts (E. 11th Street)
ZUZUKA PODEROSA SXSW 2012:
WED 03.14 @ Mint Collective Day Party @ Malverde (400b W. 2nd St.)
WED 03.14 @ New Gyration Presents Pump! @ The Loft (718 Congress)
WED 03.14 @ Little Owl Recordings Showcase @ The Korg Stage
WED 03.14 @ Rusty Lazer & Chaos (“Uzi Bazooka”) @ Hotel Vegas
THU 03.15 @ Broken Teeth Day Party @ Plush (617 Red River)
THU 03.15 @ Peligrosa @ Chupacabra (“Uzi Bazooka”)
FRI 03.16 @ Austin Vida Day Party w/ Kush Arora @ Jovita’s
FRI 03.16 @ *Official Showcase @ Speakeasy Kabaret (412 Congress)
SAT 03.17 @ Art Culture Activism @ East 11th St Art Park
SAT 03.17 @ SATX w/ Ritmo Machine San Antonio @ Limelight
OUTERNATIONAL SXSW 2012:
SUN 03.10 @ 35 Denton in Denton, TX (w Maku Soundsystem)
WED 03.14 @ *Official Showcase @ Flamingo Cantina
THU 03.15 @ Fuse TV (acoustic) @ Driskoll Hotel (604 Brazos St)
FRI 03.16 @ Jail Guitar Doors Showcase w/ Tom Morello @ Swandive
SAT 03.17 @ Art Culture Activism @ Diverse Arts
SAT 03.17 @ D’Addarrio/Swinghouse Unofficial Show @ Rusty’s
SUN 03.18 @ Headhunter’s Day Show (Across from Stubb’s)
BLITZ THE AMBASSADOR SXSW 2012:
THU 03.15 @ SXSW City of Austin Day Show @ Austin City Hall
FRI 03.16 @ Spinlet All Africa Showcase @ Beso Cantina
Los Rakas SXSW wrap-up with footage of shows:
“From the moment they took the stage, it was clear why Los Rakas are building a reputation as a rap group that absolutely kills it live on stage. By the end of their set, the cozy confines of the Flamingo Cantina was shaking with the energy of the bilingual MCs, who represent Panama by way of Oakland. Decked out in Oakland Raiders caps, the duo rhymes mostly in Spanish, crisp, clean raps over heavy, dancehall infused beats. The MCs flowed lovely in Spanish over the beat from Snoop Dogg’s Ain’t Nuttin But a G Thang and had the sometimes sedate SXSW crowd screaming for more: “Get your hands up, en el aire!” – Austin 360
Chillin’ at #ArtCultureActivism
Los Rakas got work in for their upcoming summer release, Raka Party:
“So much great energy from both performers and audience. These guys had us all dancing as they spit rhymes and navigated through beats from Dr. Dre to Kreayshawn. What was even more surprising was how many people were mouthing along to the lyrics (good to know i’m not the only one who’s memorized a few verses from their version of “Gucci Gucci”).” – Club Fonograma
Zuzuka Poderosa live @ Jovita’s (ATX) – watch video
The San Antonio Current said Zuzuka Poderosa was ‘Most Likely To Steal The Show‘ at her SATX debut…this photo by Dtronik will answer the ? of whether she did or not:
Call the Firefighter!
…after we kicked it with Psycho Realm, Eric Bobo and Bitman of Ritmo Machine
and ate the best quesadilla ever to be parked next to a ‘Hardbodies’
Outernational was doing what they do, stirring up moshpits and consciousness.
“We did not come here to be discovered, cuz we ALL been found” – Miles Solay
“Everyone go outside, there’s a rock show going on!” a tipsy woman exclaimed from the inside of The Labb. Luckily for the patrons, this rock show was far more entertaining than anything that was going on indoors. The word “energetic” doesn’t quite fit, seeing as Outernational were an explosion of take-no-prisoners socially conscious latin rock, with the lead singer Miles Solay preaching to the crowd in a moment that seemed very similar to Sirus’ speech in The Warriors. Solay’s dancing was unreal, a combination of kicks and jumps that would tire out a normal human being in five minutes, but Solay kept it going for the full set. Energetic? Psh. Outernational is electrifying. – Chelsea Upton for 35 Denton
Leo & Miles of Outernational LIVE from Flamingo Cantina
Over at Beso Cantina, Blitz the Ambassador absolutely rocked a packed house – very memorable show!
“Playing at Beso Cantina to a capacity crowd comprised largely of African ex-pats Blitz, who takes his role of ambassador seriously, paid tribute to the African greats who came before him, calling out stars like Fela Kuti and Miriam Makeba as his band did credible takes on their works.He also led the audience in a simple African dance move. His rhyming was on point. He drops complex wordplay with the passion and focus of a man on a mission. In post-Internet America, the cultural mashup that has always been our nation’s experiment has the potential to grow more vibrant than ever. Blitz the Ambassador spits fire, as if he deeply believes that by spreading the wisdom of his transcontinental journey he can somehow change the world. And listening to him, in front of that amazing band, fueled by pure heart, you can’t help but get behind him.” – Austin 360
Highlights:
-santigold at faderfort with full-on #browntourage
-river sounds
-mobb deep
-the park’s jam session/bbq on sunday night
-xylophone-bass r&b avant garde band at maggie mae’s friday night at 1 AM – WHO ARE YOU!?
-3ball mty @ nacional records & friends showcase
-alabama shakes at moody theater
-meeting gary clark jr. & hearing his set from hotel room as sun set
-monsieur periné
-blitz the ambassador at beso cantina
-outernational at headhunter’s
-zuzuka at limelight (SATX)
-los rakas at puma social
-wholly cow burgers
-las cazuelas
-spin magazine day party at stubb’s
Oddlights:
-50 cent hoopla and a band that played half the time
-juanes appearance (UH WEIRD)
-doritos stage, myspace house, mesh bodysuits, naked cowboy
-band orgy
-austin airport on monday morning
I am going to do a series on this here blog where I highlight lyrics. It seems like people don’t sit down and really HEAR/FEEL lyrics anymore. Like Sean Carter says, “Do you fools listen to music or do you just skim through it?“
First up, newest client, #FUTUREROCK band, Outernational and their song ‘Ladies of The Night‘. Catalina Maria Johnson for Gozamos sums up the mission of the song: “To sing of the Juarez femicidio tragedy, Solay composed the song “Ladies of the Night”, which creates a world where the thousands of murdered women never really died, but have gone to the desert to dance.”
LADIES OF THE NIGHT / OUTERNATIONAL
One way or another
I’m going to find you
I’m trying to
Beneath the surface
Where the well is deep and wide
Maybe they gather under moonlit skies
I know I’ve seen them on the other side
In that place where no one goes
The bottom of the desert, where the scorpions roam
Where did they go, are they still alive?
Have they been burnt by the fire outside?
Everybody’s been looking, wondering who took them
You can’t find your ladies of the night
Free women walking side by side
There’s a revival tonight
These women and their little girls
Messengers of a whole new world
The darkness needs a harlot
A Mata Hari market, but
The sisters untethered
Shackles busted in the fight
Heads held high in the Southwestern sky
Spirit strong in flight, what was wrong is made right
They were never ladies of the night
Free women walking side by side
There’s a revival tonight
These women and their little girls
Messengers of a whole new world
Free women walking side by side
There’s a revival tonight
These women and their little girls
Messengers of a whole new world
TOUR DATES:
March 9 – Hot Springs, AK
I may have gotten a bit carried away, but I am keeping it 100:
“if you’re trying to say you want to remix/change culture, that is your actual mission and purpose, then support the shit remixing NOTIONS in our communities. this video features: black/brown love, Panamanian folk art (beautiful hand-made molas!), nature (sealions!), anti-materialisticness (esponja bob!), regional pride (shot in SF and beautifully, no less!), celebrating life, music, people…and above all, IS GOOD. | …we can’t do this without you. #BALANCE #SUPPORT #SHARE …thanks for premiering it, MTV Tres ♥”
RAKA LOVE IS OUT NOW. Free download.
Los Rakas will be at SXSW – performing their official showcase on Wednesday, March 14th @ Flamingo Cantina. Details right here.
PHEW!
Today I had a date with brand new music from LOS RAKAS who, always the perfectionists, turned in their brand new EP, the Valentine’s Day-themed or Love-themed – RAKA LOVE – in the very nick of time! In a haze of caffeine and a very long to-do list, I hit play and the reinforcement set in.
LOS RAKAS enchant my ears and constantly challenge my thoughts on the role of art and the artists. This morning they kept me warm with twinkle and live harp all within the first 20 seconds of hitting play.
‘Tis a love affair: the surreal yet real range of influences (there’s a Cyndi Lauper sample, ya’ll), the roots, or in this case, drawing deep from their corazon to craft beautiful songs about their layered loves; from a stranger, to an obsession, to a real Rakataka, to their mother, to the music, to shit, even Selena!
They continue to challenge the big wall of ignorance of those gatekeepers who insist good, experimental and challenging music with Spanish lyrics is not worth even a listen (…unle$$…) and those, there’s heavy overlap, who continue to intentionally portray women as sexual trophies who lack complexity or deserve respect at mass permeation levels; anyone see the Grammy‘s this weekend?
But today is a celebration of a Raka Love. “Raka comes from the word Rakataka. They used that word to refer to people from the hood in Panama, but in a negative way. We took the word and decided to make it positive. But a Raka can go to college, and be a business man, you know,” Raka Dun once said. Raka Love is a way of life; love all out regardless of what they say.
The 9-song EP features original songs like the harpalicious lead track and my personal favorite, ‘Magia‘ (Translation: Magic) and past favorites including their collaboration with Goapele ‘Play (Los Rakas Remix)‘. The video for first single, ‘Copita De Champaña‘ premiered on MTV Tr3s this morning (on TV + Web) – so look out for it on-air!
From Los Rakas’ interview with MTV Tr3s about the video:
“Everybody nowadays is very materialistic. We wanted to show the humble side of things, and how it’s the thought that counts… You see people giving expensive things they can’t afford…a Spongebob watch only costs $2.99 and it looks fly.”
#RakaLove is tonight in San Francisco LIVE with a full band at 330 Ritch. Can’t wait to see the footage of what is sure to be a magical night.
