This Wednesday, with the all-volunteer help of Spectacle Theater’s Akiva, Cassie D, and Zoe S, and WFMU’s Mike A, Bill B, and Dave E, we were able to continue our strange and occasionally bumpy journey down the path of live radio built from video clips & staged before an audience.
It’s an uncanny performance mode, talking to a roomful of bodies seated before Spectacle’s screen but knowing that many many more are listening at home, and attempting to create a path that works for both. Feels ‘experimental’ in the word’s basic sense: something for which the process and its possible outcomes aren’t yet established.
For the first of these radio-Spectacle nights, I screened Khaled & Cheb Mami rai comedy 100% Arabica, then in December it was Nass El Ghiwane documentary Transes.
And this Wednesday, on the first day of Black Mystery Month, I teamed up with Lamin Fofana, Chief Boima, and Old Money to host AFRO-SPECTACLE, two hours of live radio constructed entirely from DVDs & VCDs purchased in African-run stores in New York City, followed by a screening of Nollywood-NYC film God’s Own Country.
Are here are two selections from the evening: a jam Lamin & I have been into forever, a perfect song basically, based on an international collaboration between Sékouba Bambino & Kandia Kouyaté.(Lamin’s Brooklyn-purchased video version had much higher quality that this youtubery, alas.)
And my contribution to AFRO-SPECTACLE, a Don Cornelius homage in the form of David Bowie performing ‘Fame’ on Soul Train.
We are kicking off (B)Lack History Month in style:
On Wednesday February 1st, at 7pm, DJ Rupture and Lamin Fofana will host a special 2-hour live radio show from south Williambsburg’s Spectacle Theater, with Chief Boima (new jams on the way!), Old Money, and a our favorite African video shopowner.
Following the live WFMU broadcast — built primarily from African music videos purchased in the cornerstores of NYC — we will screen God’s Own Country by director Femi Agbayewa. GOC presents the story of a young Nigeria lawyer who immigrates to NYC to discover that life in America is not like he hoped… As Boima explains, “It’s firmly in the Nollywood tradition. The story line is a New York story, and I think it’s the perfect context for the non-Nollywood initiated to get introduced to the industry. . . it is also referencing the tradition of the American hood gangster flick like Belly. Almost an amalgamation of the two.”
Palm wine and kola nuts are included with the $5 admission. Space is limited, so come early!
This month Sweat Lodge is falling a week later than usual on Friday 12/16. Our good friends over at Turrbotax asked us for a date swap and we were happy to oblige! This month our guest is Jubilee, a long time friend of Dutty Artz. I’ve been wanting to get her to play Sweat Lodge but what with her hectic touring schedule and all was never able to make it happen… Till now! She’ll be supported by your handsome residents Matt Shadetek (me), Chief Boima, Lamin Fofana and Taliesin. It should be a lively affair.
˙∆ INFOS ∆˙
DUTTY ARTZ SWEAT LODGE
DJs:
Jubilee
Matt Shadetek
Chief Boima
Lamin Fofana
Taliesin
Friday Dec. 16th 10PM-4AM
$$ FREE $$ ADMISSION
at The Cove, 108 N. 6th St, Brooklyn NY. Take the L train to Bedford or G to Lorimer and walk.
Check this short video shot at Sweat Lodge by Atropolis and 2Melo and edited by Erik Marika Rich.
Next Friday September 9th we’re back at the Cove for another Dutty Artz family reunion. I’d just like to say thanks so much to everyone who came and partied and played at the last one, especially Uproot Andy and 2Melo, I really enjoyed it and I think it was maybe our best attended party yet. For the next one we’ve got Chicago’s own DJ NewLife who has been running one of Chicago’s best tropical/whateverbass parties flying in to drop some bombs for us AND DA’s own Taliesin is back in the states after a crazy world traveling year spent in Brazil, Jamaica and South Africa (and many places in between). Chief Boima is also back in the building after his own travels in Africa, if you were there for the last one he was dropping some crazy music from Liberia that really caught my attention and I’m eagerly waiting to hear what he’ll play this time. Lamin Fofana is also re-joining us and I’m equally excited to hear what he’ll pull out with the new DJ setup he’s using, hopefully including some of the new crazy techno-ish stuff he’s been producing. As usual I will be there DJing, selling hats, shirts and CDs and of course getting drunk and yelling over my friends DJ sets.
INFO:
Dutty Artz Sweat Lodge
The Cove 108 N. 6th St, Brooklyn (L to Bedford Subway Stop)
Last year we dropped Chief Boima’s epic bay-centric refix ep “African By the Bay.” If you never got it- DL it for FREE here. On that release he took some of his favorite African riddims and laced already fire jams with them- my favorite was his 40-water sampling delight “Shake Them Dreads”- and while I was bummed we didn’t get a Boima once over on D-Lo or Sleepy D- I still can’t help but pull from this release nearly everytime I play out. Since then- Boima has been producing killer tracks for Los Rakas, running rampant with his group Banana Clipz, all while moving to New York, starting the legendary Made In Africa party with Lamin Fofana AND hitting the books. “African In New York” brings more next level production from B- sorting details now, but looks like we’ll be lacing y’all with vinyl and digital on this one. If you don’t already know- he just kicked off a new mix series for Okay Africa. It’s a great intro for the breadth of Boima’s DEEEP knowledge from the continent and ability to go transatlantic like it was nothing.
Big up to all the folks who came out to support Dutty Artz and the release of my new album. If you haven’t checked out Dutty’s new line of fly merchandise, be sure to check it. For now, here are some photos from the event. Click here for more photos. And some music to listen to while browsing.
FRIDAY MAY 6TH
10PM – 4AM MADE IN AFRICA
featuring DJ SIRAK of AFRICOLOGY
MIA residente’s CHIEF BOIMA + LAMIN FOFANA CAFE NUNEZ – 240 W. 35th St. (Between 7 & 8th Ave.) NEW YORK, NY http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=219117971431923
Cover $10
Special $5 well drink till 12
Complimentary cocktails for 1st 20 ladies…
couPe decAle zouK house hipHop r&B danceHall Raï kwaiTo zouGlou kaPouka genGe maRRabenta kiZomba KuDuro pandZa soUKous nDombolo hipLife mBalaX salSa… cot damn! whatevEr uLTra afriKaNess pluS pluS!
We’re back at Gallery Bar for the second edition of Made In Africa this Thursday – the night of birthday celebrations! It’s Boima’s birthday, so do come out and show him love. Birthday boy Chief Boima and yours truly will be deck, supplying you homegrown and international heat and oil as we say farewell to Winter in America, Harmattan in West Africa, etc. and greet (slightly) warmer/dizzy/better seasons!
Made In Africa // Facebook RSVP
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Gallery Bar
120 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002
21+ // $5 Cover // $5 Well Drinks until midnight!
& now – Gaddafi’s epic meltdown, THE TRANCE REMIX:
So this Thursday, January 27th, Chief Boima and yours truly, along some good friends from Garbon, Ivory Coast, and Madgascar will kick off a new party in the southeastern part of Manhattan Island (a neighborhood commonly referred to as the Lower East Side of Manhattan borough) at Gallery Bar (art gallery by day, and lounge/party space when its dark.) We’ll be joined by very special guest, founder of Akwaaba Music and DJ, BBrave. Facebook RSVP.
Going Africa and Beyond. Though I won’t be popping champagne like my Ghanaian brothers Ruff-N-Smooth (they have all the money and the honeys!) I will be playing their music.
Chief Boima held down the dopest African night in San Francisco at Little Boabab. Now that he has relocated to NYC there’s talk of a new African music night in collaboration with Lamin Fofana…… until then, you’ll have to settle for rare guest appearances at parties like Old Money Massive’s Van Setima at Panda this Thursday in NYC.
You know that feeling, when you don’t hear much from your favorite artists for a while, but you know its not caus they fell off, but caus they’re cooking some next-level shit. That’s how it is for Boima right now- but just hold tight, CAUS THE INTERNET CAN WAIT for B. That’s how ahead our mans game is. Some people are “right on the zeitgeist,” but Boima is zeitgeist producing. Africa is the future, and you’d be stupid not to try and grab a glimpse on Thursday.
We are dropping a 12 track tropical compilation just in time for when things start to get cold in New York and hot in Rio. Ten unreleased TROPICAL tunes + anthemic FUNKY THAT WE HAD TO COSIGN and A HEAVYWEIGHT NEW MASTER OF NGUZUNGUZU’s EL BEBE AMBIENTE. We feel bad that we have not kept up our LEGENDARY New York Tropical parties- but we just do not have time to promote a crew club night in New York- but maybe again in the future, with some good partners we would get into it again- because NEW YORK TROPICAL WAS A FUCKING BLESSING. The first time I went was before I had really started working with DA and everything about it was perfect. From the German Belgian installation art that slowly dissolved as the dancefloor spread to all surfaces, to the perfect Sangria, the heavy weight dancehall soundsytem that we rented from SoundMan Grimm, a crowd that reflected the diversity of the music…. basically NYT was one of the dopest party series I’ve ever taken part in (although sadly I never got to play caus I was busy learning things in school and hanging out in Europe).
For the comp we hooked up with DA resident internet excavator Seacrest Cheadle 892 u mean computer mean2 computer did u mean competitor a force that has been so next level for so long that it is basically my only internet news source. We have been dreaming of doing projects with him/it/her/zee since before the first .com crash but he’s basically the zeitgeist embodied and besides pretty regular appearances at Korea Town Karaoke Bars and Neurogenetic labs in undisclosed locations- she is damn near impossible to locate. but somewhere in the #based ether we convinced it them 2 make a deadline… and magically, it worked.
Our promo machine is at about cotton gin status at this point… so we just moving FWD looking towards a more cohesive way to reach a larger audience. I dont open or listen to almost any of the promo email I get, and you dont either. But some of it will keep coming but really this whole thing is about relationships. I, for one, am working on my relationship to the ocean and fresh fruit juice in Brazil. I suggest you keep a dream journal while you ask these questions.
There are also tracks on this compilation from important and soon to be important musicians like Lamin Fofana, Kingdom (flipping RITA INDIANA OMFG!), Lido Pimienta, Matt Shadetek, DJ /Rupture, Chief Boima, DJ Orion, Sonora, Salem, Knight Magic, La Ola Criminal, Maga Bo.
Tracks will be sold digitally via Hulk Share and on custom GuccixDuttyArtz all-over-print USB sticks
Joyful music for an expensive, shitty city with decaying infrastructure where DUTTY ARTZ lives & loves.
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- Chief Boima’s Techno Rumba EP is out today! Download/listen/enjoy the special #RUMBA mix Boima made to celebrate the release. Hit up iTunes, Amazon or Boomkat & do your part. Tracklist after the jump -
