Universal Rhythm

LEARNT FROM LEGENDS! Jahni’s heritage is impressive - Every branch of his family tree forks onto a legendary name! His Grammy nominated mother Judy Mowatt toured the world with Bob Marley as one of the I-Threes and now successfully records in the Gospel field. His father Allan ‘Skill’ Cole rose to fame, first as a star of Brazilian soccer then to manager and compose with the legend, Bob Marley. Even his step father is the legend - Freddie McGregor and even his siblings all are successful in their entertainment field. Legends blood runs thick in Jahni’s veins and is evident in his creative flow. He moved to America for a his college education with glowing praise for his soccer prowess but after injury he switched his interests to what he knew best, a musical career. Foolish choices hit him with many challenging set backs but he channeled this adversity into creative good. During his ‘bleak period’ he was inspired to write. Prolific as a songsmith he has teamed with many in the industry to help hone their craft. Jahni’s has learnt from legends and is mastering his craft.

For More Info go to:

www.myspace.com…

AZIZ FAYE
TRADITIONAL SABAR Drumming & Dancing - SENEGAL  

Aziz Faye, the Artistic Director and featured performer of Khaleye Nguewel Thi Keur Gui, comes from a long line of master Sabar drummers and dancers. He is nguewel, which means he was born into drumming. They say nguewel children are nursed from the drum. He grew up in a village called Medina, the nguewel suburb of Dakar, learning from his father, grandfather, and his uncles, the secret of the drum. After mastering Sabar, Aziz went on to master Djembe drumming as well. From a young age he stood out as one of the most talented of his generation. As a young boy he was a premiere performer in Le Ballet Sing Sing Rhythm, both dancing and drumming, and has performed with the National Ballet of Senegal. Aziz has also played (drumming, singing, and/or dancing) for many world renowned mbalax bands such as Yousou N’Dour, Fallou Diene, Baba Mal, Ismiel Lo and Mbaye Dieye Faye, as well as European artist Peter Gabriel. In 1999 Aziz was commissioned to play for Ike Quartay in his fight against Oscar de la Hoya. He is truly an artists artist.

Besides being exquisitely beautiful and exciting to watch, Sabar, it’s music, dance, and song, is used as a vehicle to communicate the oral tradition of the Wolof. Legends, myths, fables, riddles, and proverbs have been transmitted from generation to generation by nguewels through Sabar.

Sabar and the nguewel people are an integral part of the Wolof ritual and social life. The ballets depict scenes from daily life such as childbirth celebrations, harvest festivals, marriage celebrations, healing ceremonies, ritual combat, possession dances, traditional dance and drum parties and rites for the king. Khaleye Nguewel Thi Keur Gui attempts to share the wealth and beauty of the nguewel culture and bring appreciation and understanding of this tradition to its audiences. They feature an exciting collage of traditional Senegalese dance and drum forms including Djembe and Sabar. The ballet also features the music and song form of Kora, a 21 stringed harp-like instrument. The ballets reflect Senegal’s rich and varied cultures. Its members come direct from the homeland and have all performed with Le Ballet Nacional du Senegal, the country’s leading traditional dance and drum group, as well as other renowned traditional troops such as Le Ballet Sing Song Rhythm, Ballet Raka Djou, and Ballet Doudou N’diaye Rose. Khaleye Nguewel Thi Keur Gui is an explosion of colorful costumes, high energy dancing, song, and spine-tingling rhythms that come strait from the heart of Africa.

WEST AFRICAN DANCE  & DRUMMING CLASSES

Instructor

AZIZ FAYE - Dakar, Senegal

Day:Sunday’s

Time: 1:00 - 2:30 pm

Level: GEN
 
DANCE ARTS ACADEMY
731 South La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: (323) 932-6230

http://www.danceartsacademy.com/ethnic/west-african.html

MC RAI’s NEW ALBUM COMING SOON
For More Info Visit: WWW.MCRAI.COM
myspace.com/mcr…

MC Rai was born in the southern Tunisian city of Gabes. As a youth, he was immersed in the folk music traditions of Chaabi, or Mizoued as it is known in Tunisia. He began performing at an early age, and when only eight years old, he began performing live on the local radio station.  In 1995, he began to turn his attention from Chaabi to Rai music, and realized that he could develop a style of Rai distinct from that of  Algeria and infuse it with the traits of his native Tunisian music.  Over the course of his career, MC Rai has garnered considerable attention in Tunisia as a result of successful, regular performances on radio and television. Currently he is considered a contemporary of a new generation of Rai singers, such as Faudel, Sawt el Atlas, and Abdu. While many of his contemporaries move to France to attract a European audience, MC Rai chose instead to move to San Francisco, to explore the possibility of bringing Rai music to the United States. MC Rai arrived in San Francisco in August of 2000, and has since then gained much attention performing at different clubs and events throughout the Bay Area. He has performed with well-known rai musician Khaled, Cheb I Sabbah, and shared the stage with artists such as Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez and Michael Franti. In 2004 MC Rai began recording his debut album, Raivolution.  The name of the album amply describes MC Rai’s intentions for Raivolution.  Rai, in arabic means opinion, as well as being a form of North African music.  Thus, Raivolution is both the revolution of Rai music and a revolutionary opinion or outlook on Rai music.  Always ambitious, MC Rai decided that his first album should be a complete modernization of the Rai musical form, combining cutting edge production, rock guitar, hip hop beats and drum and bass.  And underlying everything is his Rai style vocals and traditional Middle Eastern/North African melodic and rhythmic form.  In order to obtain such an objective, MC Rai enlisted the help of producer Jef Stott in San Francisco and producer/composer, Omar Fadel in Los Angeles. 
RAIVOLUTION was released November 18, 2005

MC RAI’s NEW ALBUM

COMING SOON

For More Info Visit:
WWW.MCRAI.COM
or
myspace.com/mcr…

www.renegadesoldiers.net
www.myspace.com/noahkingrenegadesoldiers

Francis Awe and the Nigerian Talking Drum Ensemble
THE NIGERIAN TALKING DRUM ENSEMBLE
Francis Awe, Director
Omowale Orisayomi, Assistant Director

The Nigerian Talking Drum Ensemble was founded in 1985 by Master Drummer Francis Awe, in response to the growing international interest in the Talking Drum. Since it’s inception, the Ensemble of drummers and dancers has educated and entertained audiences worldwide.

The Yoruba name for the Talking Drum is Dundun, which means “sweet sound.” It is called the Talking Drum because its sound emulates the tonal quality of the Yoruba language.

Currently based in Los Angeles, The Ensemble has performed at such landmark venues as the J. Paul Getty Museum, Disneyland, the Los Angeles Theatre Center, and the Celebration for Nelson Mandela at the Los Angeles Coliseum; as well as at major cultural festivals such as the African Marketplace, the Los Angeles Festival and the World Festival of Sacred Music.

Since 1995, the Ensemble has performed its annual “Day of Remembrance, Day of Healing,” to celebrate and commemorate the survival of African and Yoruba culture, and its unifying influence throughout the world. As Francis Awe notes on the African Heritage Network’s 1997 broadcast of “African Portraits.”: “You can still hear the root of African music in any music anywhere in the world today.”

It is the legacy of that music that inspires the Ensemble and destines it to reunify the human race regardless of color or language, through its music, song and dance.

The Nigerian Talking Drum Ensemble is available for lecture demonstrations, workshops, touring and performances. The sound of the Talking Drum and Yoruba song can be heard on the CD, “Oro Ijinle” (Deep Words), Francis Awe’s first recording on Bindu Records.

Future goals include the establishment of a permanent Cultural Center where African music and dance can be presented and archived on a continuous basis.
 

http://www.nitade.com

For the better part of 2 decades,NAJITE & OLOKUN PROPHECY [”N.O.P.”]
has kept authentic afrobeat and African jazz alive from its home base in Los Angeles.

Led by Nigerian master percussionist Najite Agindotan, this roaring ensemble
embraces the restless genius of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the harmonic innovation
of Horace Tapscott and the rhythmic soul of the African Diaspora.

Many of Southern California’s best instrumentalists have lent their talent to
N.O.P. over the years- Phil Ranelin, Nate Morgan, Bobby Bryant, Jerri Jheto-
and the current bandrepresents a cross-generational accumulation of their
spirit and wisdom.

From saxophonist Jim Thompson (currently with Bobby Womack’s band) to bass
player Brafo Agindotan (Najite’s eminently talented son) to Kpakpo Addo
(who cut his chops with the legendary Uhuru Band of Ghana), the members of
N.O.P. all share a commitment to using the joyful celebration of music to foster unity
among all peoples.The music, N.O.P.’s tool of communication, is at once mythological
and urgently realistic.

“Africa Before Invasion,” an album title track, looks to the “Kings and Queens”
of the past, when “We were self-sufficient/We didn’t have to steal from each other.”

“A O Ri E O” addresses more recent history: the wars in Congo, Biafra, Angola and Burundi.

But the music’s infectious joy stands defiant in the face of the sobering lyrics.
And it is this joyful defiance that best defines the message of N.O.P. Despite all
obstacles, the human spirit will not only persevere, it will celebrate.

The Age of Goodness is upon us and Najite & Olokun Prophecy invites us to join
them in welcoming a new day.

For more info visit www.najite.estnyboer.com