This is last-minute, I know, but if you’re free tonight, make it over to Etienne’s class at Open Flight (4205 University Way NE) for his “Dance for Haiti” fundraiser.
Friday, Jan. 29, 7:00-8:30 pm
Open Flight Studio
African dancers Etienne Cakpo (Benin), Siya Manyakanyaka-Kelley (S.Africa) and special guest artists invite you to join them for a special African dance class with live drumming. All students pay the normal $14 class fee and 100% of revenue will be donated to relief agencies assisting in Haiti. Drummers and dancers please come join us!
The Triple Door’s Musicauarium is launching its new Afrocentric series Thursday night with Kane Mathis’ band Sahel and DJ Selecta Jigsy.
This sounds like a great new series, so I hope you can get out and support this show – and subsequent Thursday-night shows. More info available at the Triple Door’s Afrocentric page.
Here are some details from an e-mail from the Triple Door: “The goal of this weekly is to foster a sense of community in the World music scene here in Seattle and to offer a weekly gathering place for those involved in or fans of World music in the region. We believe that Seattle has a thriving World community and are excited to bring the Musicquarium into the fold. The Triple Door itself has long-since been an avid supporter of African music, culminating in King Sunny (& his African Beats) joining with KEXP last June to deliver the very first live radio broadcast from our stage.”
They also plan to pair Afrocentric Musicquarium events with main-stage shows, beginning with Bassekou Kouyate show March 16.
Notes:From the Balkan Beat Box website: “BBB are TAMIR MUSKAT and ORI KAPLAN ‚ Joined with the gifted musicians/composers Itamar Ziegler, Dana Leong. Both Tamir and Ori have been active for a decade in NYC’s premier underground bands like Firewater, Gogol Bordello, Big Lazy, Shot’nez, Victoria Hanna. and DJing around the world. Joined with VJ Alma Har’el who is one of Israel’s most accomplished VJ (using pre-recorded material incorporating artists on stage) and MC, Vocalist, Percussionist Tomer Yosef, the BBB show came to life.
The idea of BBB is a natural reaction of musicians who are accomplished with not only tools and disciplines, but also DJing and extreme instrumentalism. All that topped with an intense lifetime of research into their own non-Western roots as well as other cultures. In collaborations with artists from Bulgaria, Morocco, Spain, Israel, and Turkey and through events synchronized with VJ Alma Har’el, BBB has created a magical show. A semi circus event lasting 3-4 hours, involving many disciplines with a basic core band on stage of 7-8 musicians and local artists (drawing on many multidisciplinary artists around the world). The event is synchronized and keeps the audience guessing where the next surprise will appear from.”
I haven’t seen Nomo before (and may not make it to this show, alas), but this YouTube video will give you a glimpse of their vibe. Definitely some Konono No. 1 and Afro-beat influences. The description of the video says, “Ann Arbor’s NOMO has blended the percussive afro beat sound of Fela Kuti with equal parts of Sun Ra and The Art Ensemble of Chicago to come up with something brand new and totally uncategorizable.” Sounds pretty great to me.
I first saw Ladysmith Black Mambazo at Radio City Music Hall in New York in the late 1980s with Paul Simon’s Graceland tour (which also included Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba). The following night I saw these guys at S.O.B.s, sitting about 10 feet from the stage. I still get goose bumps thinking about the waves of energy that emanated from that stage.
Notes:From the http://www.mambazo.com/ website: “Ladysmith Black Mambazo represents the traditional culture of South Africa and is regarded as the country’s cultural emissary at home and around the world. In 1993, at Nelson Mandela’s request, Ladysmith Black Mambazo accompanied the future President to the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway. Mambazo sang again at President Mandela’s inauguration in May of 1994. They are a national treasure of the new South Africa in part because they embody the traditions suppressed in the old South Africa.”
The third Honk Fest West will happen this April 9-11. If you like raucous street music, this is the event for you. I’ve been to the last two Honk Fest Wests, and they were a hoot.
This fundraiser will help defray some of the many costs these generous performers incur to bring you the best street music anywhere. Whether you’re a fan of Balkan brass, samba, New Orleans second lines, or other street-music genres, you’ll be happy you helped make this event happen.
Notes:www.HONKFESTWEST.com
The streets, cafes, and pubs of Seattle will be overflowing with the lively sound of horn players and drummers from more than a dozen street bands. The bands are converging on Seattle from five states & Canada for the third annual HONK! FEST WEST!
This year’s festival will occur across the city from Friday April 9, 2010 through Sunday April 11, 2010.
HONK! Benefit Show, January 30, 2010In order to raise funds to offset band travel expenses, we are throwing a benefit fun-raiser show on Saturday January 30, 2010. Last year’s benefit show was a lot of fun, so we have set the bar high for this year, and intend to leap well over it.
What: Honk Fest West Benefit Fun-Raiser
When: 8pm-2am, Saturday January 30, 2010
Where: Underground Events Center, 2407 1st Ave (between Battery St & Wall St), Seattle, WA ( map )
Cost: $10-20. We want you there, so however you help will be appreciated.
Who: We have a great lineup of Honk bands, both rookies and veterans
* Orkestar Zirkonium
* Reptet
* Titanium Sporkestra
* Tubaluba
* Yellow Hat Band
We are celebrating our music, our comraderie, and our determination to help bring joy, music & dancing to the streets of our cities. This event is only possible through the efforts of our shared community. If you’d like to volunteer, we can make use of any level of committment you offer. HonkFestWestVolunteers(at)gmail(dot)com
Notes:www.HONKFESTWEST.com
The streets, cafes, and pubs of Seattle will be overflowing with the lively sound of horn players and drummers from more than a dozen street bands. The bands are converging on Seattle from five states & Canada for the third annual HONK! FEST WEST!
This year’s festival will occur across the city from Friday April 9, 2010 through Sunday April 11, 2010.
Bakra Bata, a long-time pillar of the Seattle world music community, is facing a tough situation. The home of group members Chrisceda Clemmons and Michael Shantz was trashed when Seattle police descended on their house looking for Chrisceda’s nephew, Maurice Clemmons, who had called asking for refuge after shooting four police officers in Lakewood. Maurice turned out not to be in the house, but the home was rendered uninhabitable, and most of the family’s tools and musical instruments were covered in toxic residue from the tear gas the police used.
The Leschi Community Council has established a fund to help the Clemmons/Shantz family. Make sure you reference the “Clemmons Family Fund” on your check and mail it to:
Clemmons Family Fund
Leschi Community Council
P.O. Box 22391
Seattle, WA 98122-0391
Notes:[from Lance Lu, 1/16/10]
Hey everyone,
If you’re free tonight, head on down to the Solstice Café on University Way. Jeff Busch and Sambatuque will be playing, and I will be a guest performer with the band. An opportunity to hear how the shekere fits and grooves in a Brazilian context. Music from 7 – 10.
The Solstice serves coffee, pastries and light fare. It has a performance stage, and on weekends, fills up early. Hope to see you tonight.
Lance