World Music in 2007

Happy New Year JACQUES and everyone else here !!!

Just to let you know my BBC show is proving to be quite popular but of course I'd like the tribe to grow ;)
PLEASE spread the word & treat yourselves to an Eclectic Mix

Check my blog : www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/asiannetworkmusic/

The voting for the 1st the Sunset Soundtrack of 2007 has just began so PLEASE get your votes in, if you haven’t yet click here :
www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwor...calrickshaw/

Enjoy the start of another year and do please listen in or ‘listen back’ to the show :)
Thanks for your time,

Pathaan x

The new State of Bengal is definitely a step forward into the future. Sam was kind enough to bless us with some tracks from the album last summer. Future future forward.

IK

So great to sepnd some this new year with you Jacques and at that rockin' Atlas show! whew...

It ripped me a new one for sure!

I'm also excited to see some of the names on you list - State of Bengal is always a fav, Buddah Bars are tasty and Joi - Joy!

I'm definitely on high gear myself this year...

Yesterday was the official kick-off for the annual Winter Music Conference www.wmcon.com/ , currently in its 22th year. Essentially a convention for the dance and electronic music industry, artists and deejays of electronic world beat have in recent years been well represented in this weeklong series of club events, showcases, panel discussions, and networking that turns Miami into a North American version of Ibiza.

Some memorable appearances by world beat and world fusion artists and/or artist collectives in the past have included NYC's GlobeSonic collective in 2001 and the release of their first compilation entitled Earth N Bass, Masters At Work (Kenny Gonzalez & Louie Vega) in 2002 who showcased South African electronica including a live pa by kwaito group Mafikizolo, and also the release of the MAW album with Bajan soca Denise Belfon belting out a live version of the hit song, Work!, following which, in 2003, they presented a live show by Louie Vega's Elements of Life band featuring his wife, Cape Verdean singer Anane, singer and guitarist Raul Midon, and salsa singer Domingo Quinones, and, of course, in 2004, the first Asian Underground showcase featuring Cheb i Sabbah.

This year is turning out to be a very special year for electronic world beat and world fusion artists indeed, including many members of this very tribe who are gathering in South Florida to either perform or support world fusion electronica music and artists. It is a good sign when, on the first night, one gets a convergence of three exciting young talents in worldbeat electronica, as geographically dispersed as they are musically diverse.

The event was entitled Jetlag, and how very appropriate since a few of us were exactly in that state, having crossed many a time zone to get to South Florida :) Arriving just before 9 pm, we saw DJ DRM of Bastard Jazz recordings www.bastardjazz.com/ ,in a bright red t-shirt emblazoned with the name of his record label (quite a statement in Miami clubland where black and muted colors are perpetually fashionable) behind the decks accompanied by prolific NYC-based percussionist Amon www.ertaldawg.com/ The event was being held at Rain in South Beach which boasted three separate music and dance spaces, the front room being the space of choice for the line-up which included DJ Le Spam, Nickodemus, and Jeremy Sole's Musaics.

Interestingly enough, the theme for the front room at the Jet Lag event was "eclectic nu funk." This was apparent as DJ DRM spun funk and soul that had absorbed many a world influence, notably Afro-Cuban which was replicated thru Amon's live conga drumming. At about a quarter past nine, DJ Le Spam www.spamallstars.com/ took over the decks and started off with one of his signature vintage Afro-Cuban numbers. However, in keeping with the "nu funk" theme, he proceeded to spin a set of Afro-American funk, soul, and rare groove reminiscent of his sets at club Jazid as opposed to his landmark residency at Hoy Como Ayer in Little Havana which is more classic Afro-Cuban and Afro-Cuban funk-focused.

Next up was a dj whom I sadly did not manage to identify but spun a rather long set of funktronica which at times also revealed the influences of Afrobeat and Afro-funk in the genre. He was followed by Nickodemus www.nickodemus.com/# who, like Le Spam before him, also started off his set with a vintage Afro-Cuban guaguanco number with the jazzy piano stylings, before going into more funk overlayered with Latin and Balkan sounds, Then came what must have been the most anticipated tune of the evening, his remix of Balkan Beat Box's Adir Adirim. The dancefloor erupted in pure joy and Nickodemus obliged by spinning a full set of Balkan beats. The Balkan set was followed by an Afro-Latin set that featured Boricua chants and folkloric beats in a funky groove.

True to the saying time flies when you're having fun, an hour passed and it was time for the other djs to go on. Jeremy Sole www.musaics.com/ briefly got behind the dj console and served his refreshing remix of Salif Keita's Madan replete with the outstanding sound of the kora. There were more djs to follow that nite--we stayed till a little past 3 am--who spun everything from reggae dancehall to electro, including Ursula 1000 who dropped a funk carioca mashup of Tim Deluxe's It Just Won't Do. And the track heard twice last nite? Antibalas' cover of the Boricua anthem Che Che Cole Makossa www.daptonerecords.com/pages/...01.html

More to come from the five remaining days of WMC 007!