Global Hip-Hop to be featured at CMJ

The College Music Journal Marathon (CMJ) is New York’s largest music, film and media conference and will host hundreds of live performances, films, lectures and networking events. This year’s CMJ INTERNATIONAL HIP-HOP THROW-DOWN will unite the talents of a creative and diverse group of lyricists and DJs from Africa, Korea, Canada, and Europe at club DROM, located at 85 Ave A in New York’s East Village on Thursday October 23rd 2008. The event will begin at 8 PM and will last until 3 AM and will feature live international hip-hop music and DJs spinning music.

The show feature a handful of rising stars including Blitz the Ambassador (Ghana), Drunken Tiger (Korea), King Reign (Canada), Empire Isis (Canada), Chachi (Cape Verde) and Too Many Fish (France). DJs Boo and Soulscape from Korea will be on the turntables. V.J Kwon from Korea will set the tone and visuals for the night. There will also be an all French Hip Hop showcase at Hiro Ballroom on Friday, October 24th featuring La Caution, Mangu and Wax Tailor.

Check out Blitz on MySpace.

Palestinian underground in London, October 4

After their recent live shows in Australia and in Tokyo and the support set with Massive Attack in France (Nuits de Fourvière festival), Checkpoint 303 has been invited to perform an audio-visual electro-acoustic set @ Scala in London, Sat. Oct 4th, 2008. The line-up of this event organized by SOAS students’ union & SOAS Palestine Society:

Checkpoint 303 (live electronics/visuals/oud, Palestine/Tunisia/France)
Ramallah Underground (trip-hop/hip-hop + visuals by Ruanne, Palestine)
Visionary Underground (live D’n'B, UK)
DJ U-Cef + DJ Bashir

Doors open @ 8 pm, CP-303 Live sets start @ 9 pm // so be there early! For details, visit the Scala.

Before that, Checkpoint 303 will be the guests of “Les visiteurs du jour” a daily program on Radio France Internationale (RFI Paris Studios / 44 million listeners worldwide). The radio magazine is dedicated to news about the trends and challenges of the world’s societies with in-depth analysis and conversations with the world press and “audio snapshots” of key players in the world’s social mix. The program starts at 11h40. The Checkpoint 303 interview is scheduled for this thursday (2nd Oct. 2008) live from Paris (and by phone from Jerusalem) at 12h10 (World: 11h10 UT // Africa: 3h10 UT ). Check RFI for frequencies.

Kasaï Allstars and Konono N° 1 refused entry visas in Europe

Despite having toured the world already several times, the Congolese bands Kasaï Allstars and Konono N° 1 have been refused visas by several European countries, so disrupting a number of major festivals and bringing their agent to the brink of bankruptcy. The group first had problem renewing their passports in Congo, and were then sent on a labyrinthine chase for visas and paperwork from the French, Belgian and UK embassies (where they were to play). At the end of the day, these proved unsuccessful and the tours have been cancelled - over 25 dates in all.

Africa to salute James Brown this summer

This promises to be a pretty hot ticket. Pee Wee Ellis, former saxophonist of James Brown, has brought together some excellent artists for a tribute to the legendary James Brown. Among them are Fred Wesley and Tony Allen (drummer of Fela Kuti), the Nigerian-London singer Wunmi (who DJed in 2004 at Couleur Café in Brussels), The Family Stone-singer Fred Ross, the Senegalese artist Cheikh Lô and the still very young but already celebrated South-African jazz singer Simphiwe Dana.

They will be playing under the banner, “Still Black, Still proud” (a reference to the James Brown track “Say it Loud”). They recently got a three-star review in the UK’s Independent. Look out for them in your local press.

Checkpoint 303 to appear in Berlin

Checkpoint 303 - the Palestinian/Tunisian/French outfit that bills itself as “free tunes from occupied territories” - will perform a DJ set at the legendary Tacheles alternative art-house in the center of Berlin on Thursday 7th of February, 2008. The gig will take place at the opening of a photography exhibition organized in collaboration between Tacheles Kunsthaus and the Conflict Zone Art Asylum network. The show starts @ 7 pm (Free entry).

Baloji brings African rap to Paris

Although it was only released in Belgium, one of our favourite albums in 2007 was “Hotel Impala” by Baloji. This Belgian rapper of Congolese origin has created an album that spans Hip-Hop, 70s soul, Afro Beat and chanson - quite a programme. The breakout single was “Congo”, a 7-minute masterpiece.

Baloji will be bringing his show to the Cafe de la Danse in Paris (5 Passage Louis Philippe, 75011) on February 15 before travelling around France later.

Click through for the full dates in France and Switzerland and the full version of “Congo”.

Wyclef-Jean, Jimmy Rosemond and Akon “give back” to Haiti

On December 15, 2007, a trio of music heavyweights, Wyclef-Jean, Jimmy Rosemond and Akon will travel to Haiti for a charitable endeavor spearheaded by Mr. Rosemond and Wyclef Jean. Yele Fest will tour local schools and the notorious child prison in Port-au-Prince to shed light on the current plight in Haiti of increasing poverty, weakened education, medical care, nutrition and housing. Yele Fest was organized to bring musical artists to Haiti to help promote tourism and convey the message that the country is safe and the doors are open for people to experience the music and art of Haitian culture.

Lord Ekomy N’Dong brings African rap to Paris

One of the most impressive Hip-Hop producers outside the US happens to be one of the least known. Lord Ekomy N’dong is an innovative producer from Gabon that offers one of the savviest combinations of African sounds and a massive contemporary Hip-Hop vibe. His first album, “L’Afrikain”, played on a loop in our office two years ago. He is now back with a new one, “On détient la harpe sacrée, Tome II” (We hold the sacred harp, volume II) and a first major show in Paris at the Elysée Montmartre on December 21 with Maât Seignieur Lion. This is conscious Hip-Hop with a funky and rootsy twist. Highly recommended. For details and music, check Movaizhaleine.

Les Nubians live in New York

The French Hip-Hop duo Les Nubians will be appearing in New York before the New Year. The sisters play a neat style that has been summed up as “Afropean hip-hop with R&B”, singing in French and English. ‘Princesses Nubiennes’ (Higher Octave/Virgin) was the most successful French-language album in more than a decade of Billboard charts. Since then, they have traveled the world, soaking up the sounds of reggae, afro-beat, pop and electronica while collaborating with a host of respected musicians.

Lion’s Den, 214 Sullivan between Bleecker & W. 3rd, NYC

Fri. Dec. 28th
8:30pm Doors

Taraf de Haidouks live on French radio

Romania’s Taraf de Haidouks will be making a special appearance on the France Inter radio show “Le Pont des Artistes” on Saturday Nov 24. What’s the big deal? The release of a new album, called “Maskarada”. Over the years, countless musicians have taken their inspiration from Central European gypsy music. So now this Balkan big band are turning the tables and covering the music of Bartok, Khachaturian, Manuel de Falla, Kosma, Ketelbey, Albeniz and Liszt. Click through for links