I’m in the near south with family and friends observing yet another fucked up and annoying holiday – this one associated with the genocide of indigenous Americans. While unpacking my bags after the journey, and thinking about stuffing and delicious chocolate and pecan pies, I turned on a new mix from a trio of young, Afrocentric DJs – Crowdkrushers, from the south of Germany – a town called Tübingen. The mix was commissioned by Akwaaba Music to celebrate the netlabel’s second anniversary. It’s been two years already! Although I have lost count of the releases, Akwaaba remains consistent and continues to exposed us to some amazing music. So enjoy this mix, containing a healthy dose of fine Akwaaba Music.

A word from Crowdcrushers – “So this is our exclusive mix for Akwaaba Music. It‘s not so much all new and exclusive bangers but rather our impression of African music and its big influences on other musical territories (with one or two stylistic exceptions in the mix). We also kinda tried to give an idea of what we do in our club sets, not paying too much attention to tempo or style while keeping it funky and a wee bit humorous… Featuring Akwaaba artists Appietus, Ruff‘n‘Smooth, Kedjevara, Onyenze, Killamu, Dred Man-Gi and Arc Djebe. Hope you enjoy!”

Krush on Akwaaba by Akwaaba Music

I first heard this tune at a party in the Bronx, Summer 2005 or maybe ’06– I don’t remember exactly. Big up all Ghanaian massive in the Bronx. I can recall a friend telling me at the time that “You May Kiss Your Bride” was a smash in Accra, on the radio, in bars and clubs, at football marches, and of course at weddings.  This clip also appears on a VCD compilation titled Ghana Vs Nigeria: Super Hits Videos –purchased in a street market in Freetown in December ’09. By the way, if you dig this track don’t sleep on Akwaaba Music’s Move It Chaleh — more recent hiplife goodness among other things (like Monou Sidibe’s incredible “Mali Mousso.”)

Chief Boima will be joining DJ Rupture, on what appears to be the 2nd anniversary of Mudd Up with DJ Rupture on WFMU this Monday, July 6th at 7PM. Chief Boima, an interesting, emerging voice in African diasporic music is based in San Francisco, California, where he organizes a weekly party Descendants United, and a monthly party The Highlife. He also produce music under his name, as well as in the groups Banana Clipz, Beaten By Them, and Chief y Chango. He will be discussing production influences and playing the sounds he’s currently into, everything from Ivorian Coupe Decale and Senegalese Hiphop and Mbalax to Nigerian Club, Angolan Kuduro, South African Kwaito, and the Sierra Leonean sounds he’s been specifically digging. Yeah, it’s a lot, so tune in!

Wayne killed it last night at Que Bajo?! – Reggaeton book release afterparty, and introduced me to a bunch of people – one filmmaker Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi just made a film (look up 4 di preview) about the Ghanian hiplife group V.I.P. (Vision in Progress) titled Home Grown: HipLife In Ghana and it has already been screened from New York to Los Angeles.