Bhangra, Global Hip-Hop Special with DJ Rekha, Dave Sharma and Chee Malabar
December 31, 2005 | Leave a Comment
DJ Rekha and Dave Sharma on Nomadic Sounds
Listen to the show!
Nomadic Sounds is back on the air today at 11 am with it’s Bhangra/South Asian hip-hop special. Hosts Benny Herson (Nomadic Wax) and Marinieves Alba (IHX/WBAI) will be hosting. The show will feature some live performances, rare recordings and killer Bhangra/Hip-Hop mash-ups!
TUNE INTO WBAI 99.5 FM – FRIDAY JANUARY 27TH AT 11 AM
Or stream it live at: WBAI.ORG
or Podcast it at nomadicsounds.org
Guest Biographies:
DJ Rekha is a producer, activist and founder of Basement Bhangra and Bollywood Disco. Named one of the most influential South Asians in the United States by Newsweek magazine, DJ Rekha is a cultural instigator that has put Bhangra music on the map in North America. She serves on the boards of www.breakthrough.tv and www.popandpolitics.com.
She did the sound design for Sara Jones’ Bridge and Tunnel one-woman show and for the NPR documentary, Feet in Two Worlds. She is also the music supervisor for the upcoming documentary, Project Kashmir (executive producer: Ross Kauffman, Born into Brothels). Her production company, Sangament produces live concerts and provides
music consulting services.
Chee Malabar is 1/2 of hip hop outfit Himalayan Project. Brimming with sociopolitical commentary and personal narratives that range from satirical to inflammatory, Chee Malabar and Rainman dropped “Wince At The Sun” in 2003 to heavy underground critical acclaim. Chee is currently finishing up his
debut solo effort, “O’Blique Brown” For more information please visit www.himalayanproject.com
Over the last few years Dave Sharma has established himself as one of the most versatile performers in New York City. As the product of 2 cultures and traditions, Sharma fuses classical Indian tabla, drum n’ bass DJ culture, Punjabi Bhangra, and western music traditions, developing a sound and approach to modern music that keeps him in demand as a musician, DJ, and educator. Whether it’s playing myriad instruments onstage in broadway’s “Bombay Dreams,” DJing drum n’ bass and Punjabi grime at monthlies Avaaz and Tablatronic, playing Qawwalis with Salman from Junoon, DJing in Toronto alongside State of Bengal, touring Brazil with Basement Bhangra’s DJ Rekha or sharing the stage with reggaeton superstar Don Omar at Madison Square Garden (and that’s just 2005!), Sharma creates an energy that spans halfway around the globe.
Big Thanks to Marineves Alba, Leanne Stahnke and Dred Scott Keys!
Nomadic Sounds – Dec 6th – Chosan, LF and Chee Malabar!
December 30, 2005 | Leave a Comment
Nomadic Sounds – Dec 3rd with Chosan, LF and Chee Malabar!
Listen to the radio show below from WBAI’s Nomadic Sounds show.
Chosan was born in the country of Sierra Leone, West Africa. He and his mom later moved to Canada and then to London. It was in London Chosan got involved with the whole culture of hip-hop. His first break came when a freestyle CD recorded in a friends bedroom, made its way to a DJ at KISS FM London. Impressed by his raw talent, Chosan was asked to perform live on air where he captured the hearts of the capital. After doing numerous talent shows and performances, Chosan convinced an established artist at the time, to give him 5 hours of his 12 hour recording session. With his first track recorded Chosan entered a local radio’s talent search competition. As fate would have it Chosan eventually went on to win first prize. The grand prize included 1000 copies of the wining song pressed up and one recording session. With a distribution deal that fell through, Chosan rapidly used his street smarts, and used it as an opportunity to single handily distribute the records across the UK. This was to be the start of Chosan’s entrepreneurial enterprises. Chosan also managed to get into many high profile publications, and created a street team of people from his neighbourhood. Chosan also managed to secure warm up spots for international artists such as Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss & Styles P (D Block) and Dead Prez. After being dissatisfied with the representation of Hip-Hop and R&B in the UK Chosan decided to pack his bags and move to the Bronx New York. Not long after dealing with the general issues of living in the big apple disaster was to strike again this time on a personal note. He was hit by a truck whilst crossing the road on Gun Hill in the Bronx and miraculously escaped with no cuts and injuries but had to attend a years worth of physical therapy after 2 months in Jacobi hospital in the Bronx. With a new appreciation for life, he recorded his debut “The Beautiful Side Of Misery” vol 1, with money received from the accident and started Silverstreetz Entertainments. Out of passion, struggle, determination and a love for hip-hop music Chosan still stands.
Eli Efi (LF) is a hip hop artist that blends banging beats, politics, and a global perspective. LF is a well-known hip hop pioneer in Brasil hailing from São Paulo. In 1988, he founded the politically charged rap group DMN and went on to record five albums receiving praise from the hip hop community and music industry alike. The group was nominated for best video and best rap group at the MTV Brazil Video Music Awards, best rap song of the year at the Hutus Hip Hop Awards Festival, and won best music video at the São Paulo Shorts Film Festival. In 2004, he left DMN and now continues his musical career alongside DJ Laylo. Laylo hails from the South Bronx by way of the Dominican Republic. Together, they bring hip hop back to a place where MCs rocked alongside DJs to move the crowd but with an international flavor with LF rhyming in Portuguese and Laylo always finding a way to blend some Samba or Salsa into the brew. They have performed throughout the United States, Brasil, Mexico, Colombia, and Chile and have shared the stage with U.S. Based artists such as Styles P, Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, Jean Grae, Jeru da Damaja, Immortal Technique, Ras Kass, Lord Finesse, CL Smooth, Welfare Poets, Hurricane G, David Banner, among many others.
Toubab Krewe – Live in the Studio with Benny Beats
December 30, 2005 | Leave a Comment
Listen to the radio show here!
Listed to the show!!
TOUBAB KREWE BACK AT WBAI – 99.5 FM – TODAY!!
Nomadic Sounds radio is thrilled to welcome back the kings of Malian influenced “Afro-cowboy-ninja-surf” music: Toubab Krewe!
Listen to them play a rare acoustic set live on: Nomadic Sounds – WBAI 99.5 FM or www.wbai.org Friday – December 30th – 11 am sharp!
Also – listen to the WHOLE show to win a pair of tickets to see them live at The Blue Note on New Years eve.
If you miss the show – never fear – as always, we keep our website fresh with the latest Podcasts here.
Big up to our co-producer Leanne Stahnke
Engineer – Dred Scott Keyes
Co-Host – Kadijah Fofannah Pollock
And guests Toubab Krewe.
Special Thanks to Keur u N’Deye for the amazing food!
More about Toubab Krewe here:
Wielding their unique, Malian influenced “Afro-cowboy-ninja-surf” music, Toubab Krewe has been making waves throughout the country since their formation less than a year ago, attracting enthusiastic crowds to their live shows at major venues that have included the Bonnaroo Music Festival, SOBs in NYC, The Tribeca Rock Club in NYC The Black Repertory Theater in Providence, RI, the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC, the Northeast Kingdom Music Festival in Vermont and the All Good Music Festival in West Virginia.
Their energetic live shows and recently released self-titled debut album have earned the band praise from such noteworthy publications as the New York Times, Global Rhythm and Afropop Worldwide.New York Times…
” The six-beat grooves sneaked up on listeners but
then they took hold; midway through one song, two, then four, then
dozens of dancers were suddenly bobbing to the music”
Jon Pareles, Chief Music Critic NYT
“This adventurous quintet out of Asheville, North Carolina has set
a new standard for fusions of Rock and Roll and West African
music…”
Banning Eyre, Afropop Worldwide.
“…These guys have put in their time and done the field work and the
result is a funky, hard hitting disc that expertly fuses elements of
rock and funk with Mali’s ‘desert blues’.”
Tom Pryor, Managing Editor Global Rhythm Magazine
