just for fun...

Petra's Album of the Week: Rocky Rivera

"Guerilla wit a U and you already know"

This week I discovered
Rocky Rivera, an MC from San Francisco, and I'm hooked. Her album Rocky Rivera covers vast territory, with beats for giggin on the dance floor, slappin in the car, chillin on the stoop, or makin love. She lyrically navigates this soundscape with masterful skill, deftly changing her flow to fit each beat.

This album is a classic. Complex flow, hard beats. Nothing extra, no frills. She approaches every track, rhythm and message with a rare mix of flexible strength and humble confidence. Her lyrics are on point: funny, real, empowering, sexy, catchy, inspiring, hard and subtle. Can't say all that about any women rappers these days.... wait, I can't say that about ANY rappers these days.
For real tho, when's the next album coming out?

Check out the video for "Girl Like Me" featuring Dun Dun:

TOQUE!

This Thursday June 9

DJ Petra is on the wheels of steel all night, laying down a soul-lifting & booty-shakin mix of music from across the Afro-Latin diaspora..

Come celebrate summer
and bless our dance floor with your feet!

@ Bembe

81 South 6th @ Berry st.

Brooklyn, NY

www.bembe.us

FREE 10pm - 4am

Dance As It Was In The Beginning

I remember what dance was like in the beginning...

It requested I reach for the cookie jar on my tip-toes, then hide quickly in my mermaid shell of folded legs. Those same legs transformed into butterfly wings when they flapped.

It appeared when I was alone in my basement, at the age of 5. I had mastered my dad’s surround-sound stereo system. I would imagine I was in front of a large crowd, dancing for millions to my favorite song. Other times my improvised undulations were meant for one or two people, an intimate engagement, black-box style.

It revealed itself when my family was celebrating -and we celebrated together a lot. My auntie rode my uncle like a donkey once. The Soca song playing was titled "Whoa Donkey," wildly appropriate for my auntie's dance interpretation. What were we celebrating? Each other, I think.

In the beginning,

dance existed with my family, through my body, and in my imagination.

In the beginning,

it never existed in studios,

or on stages with lights and speakers.

I was never trained to dance.

Instead, it was an experience that surrounded me. My encircling relatives shared with me how to move my hips to the rhythm. I was enraptured, determined to somehow absorb the movements, repeating them constantly, feeling my body understand a special way of moving.

As a shy child,

it was something I was never shy about.

I was that kid at the wedding reception

never shy on the dance floor.

Flash forward a few years later, and I find myself in NYC pursuing a career as a professional dancer. I made the commitment three years ago that I would create a life with dance -create a life with art.

How’s it going?

Too early to tell...

I’ve found myself in a place where dance is met with ambition and aspirations.

Dance has become my life’s work.

Dance has become work.

Insert^

exhilarating (and sweaty) dance party*

*A therapeutic and physically-embodied source of rejuvenating enthusiasm TO dance, thus connecting me with the energy and rhythms of other bodies, allowing dance to become a rhythmically improvised and communal experience, as I knew it to be earlier in life.

Encircling bodies moving to rhythms...it takes me back to the beginning...before dance became work.

In this city, I have found sources for great dance parties where I can move freely for myself. The professional layer drops away and what's left underneath is an abandonment in tandem with the rhythm.

There are many professional dancers in this one place. New York City is the Mecca of the artistic world, and with so many aspiring and established dancers pursuing their artistic career, I wonder if there a place that exists for these dancers where dance is not work?

If so, where?

If not, why?

When does dance stop being professional and become recreational? When does recreational dance become professional? How are both dance and the dancer constructed within those two words: "professional" and "recreational?"

~~~~By asking this question to different types of dancers in my life, I can compile varied thoughts and experiences as primary sources of the present professional dancer's relationship to her or his work, in the hope of deconstructing and exploring the meaning and the relationship between what it means to be a professional dancer and what it is to dance.

Samba V. Soca (free mix download)

From Mission Street to Eastern Parkway, Carnaval traditions from Brazil and the Caribbean thrive on US streets...

In honor of the upcoming memorial day celebrations in San Francisco, I recorded an hour mix of my favorite Carnaval music: back-to-back Soca and Samba hits (including some chutney and lambada)

If you can dance all the way through without stopping, you have super-human stamina, and you're ready to hit the streets in sequins!

Play or download for free below:
Samba V. Soca by Euphimie? Music

yesterday was Mothers day

able to convince one human of the wrong thing
and you are punished eternally yours in service
put together
like a horse and carriage where all your babies are taught how to regret and fear and shank
and to forgive,
everyone but themselves
walks outside the carriage praying
hail marys and whispering their stories
of sex, all trumped up and shaken
inside the babies whimpers reminds our men of moans
and makes their toes curl
hooks into the ground they cant move
and babies' intellect is blamed for stagnation of progress Meanwhile
the horse trudges on with blinders
on whose darkness
enhances the feeling
--of being surrounded
in front of me mens heads are hung and assholes clenched
As they try to move away from themselves. A low hum comes

Explosion Negra is 3 MC’s (Harry, Yommy, and Jaoson) from Choco, Columbia. Their music is a fusion of their Colombian roots- currulao, chirimia and cumbia mixed with dancehall, reggaeton and hiphop.

http://www.myspace.com/explosionnegra

Our Latin Thing (1972)

A fellow salsa lover lent me this movie and well... it's amazing. If you like salsa and/or awesome film making you have to see it. The whole movie is music, dancing and New York street scenes with very little dialog. In one review it is described as "a musical documentary of the Latin life style in New York City". It features a lot of salsa greats like Hector Lavoe and even some underground rooster fighting...
to watch the intro click here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QnC5kMgCjM

"Levente no.Yolayorkdominicanyork" [poetry]

Josefina Baez is one of the great inspirations in my life. She is a dancer, poet, theater artist, educator and the director of Ay Ombe Theater.

Here is a preview of her most recent book of poetry Levente no.Yolayorkdominicanyork:

E-40-- "Nice Guys" [video]

check out my favorite video from E-40's most recent album Revenue Retrievin' Overtime/Graveyard Shift

keepin it fresh in the bay...

Violin, Kora, Accordian Fusion

-Simply beautiful music -

Check out more of Regina Carters music here, www.reginacarter.com
Violin tunes inspired by European classical, bebop, Afro-Cuban, African folk and Southern blues music.

Lions will roar, swans will fly, angels will wrestle heaven, rains will break

I'm back from my awesome trip to Brooklyn (thanks Petra!) and realized that an inspiring dancer I just found about lives and performs there. Nora Chipaumire was born in Zimbabwe during the Chimurenga Chechipiri, or second war of liberation and portrays her life, struggles and response to the war through choreography and dance. This clip is from the movie Nora which was released in 2008. I can't find out where to watch or rent this movie but the clips are beautiful, strong and inspiring.
If anyone finds out let me know!

More about the movie
http://www.movementrevolutionafrica.com/nora/

Asa-- "Jailer" [video]

I can't get enough of this song, and the video is beautiful. "Jailer" is by one of my favorite young songwriters, Asa (pronounced Asha). Thanks to DJ C Boogie, I recently discovered her 2010 album Beautiful Imperfection.
Check her out at www.asa-official.com

Petra's Album of the Week: "El Juidero"

This week, my favorite album is
"El Juidero"
by Rita Indiana y Los Misterios

This new group is coming out of the Dominican Republic with an unprecedented fusion of merengue tipico, electronic, reggae, rock and techno. Their album covers a huge range in sounds, with a heavy dose of wild and imaginative lyrics from Rita Indiana, already an acclaimed novelist before she started making music. Each song is a journey, and the whole album is an expedition into uncharted territory. My favorites are "Como un Ladron en la Noche," "Oigo Voces," "Dulces Suenos," and "El Blue del Ping Pong."


Check them out at Dutty Artz.
Buy this album on iTunes


Oh, and their music videos are a.w.e.some.

This one's like a VJ set, one big mash up old video footage edited to the beat of the track:


This one's like a 1970's gangster film:


This one's like a Salvador Dali painting come to life:

CubaCaribe festival-- "from katrina to port-au-prince"

This month is the 6th annual CubaCaribe Festival.

This weekend there are dance performances at at Dance Mission Theater by Alafia Dance Ensemble, Las Que Son Son, Liberation Dance Theater, Los Lupeños de San Jose, Paco Gomes Dancers, and Tata Kaya Art.

Tonight, April 22, there's a showing of Faubourg Tremé : The Untold Story of Black New Orleans, a film by Dawn Logsdon and Lolis Eric Elle, at the Museum of African Diaspora.

ngugi wa thiong'o-- benefit for revolution books

Last night, I went to see Ngugi Wa Thiong'o speak and read selections from his autobiography, Dreams in a Time of War. Last year, I read his theoretical book on language, identity and colonization Decolonizing the Mind, it changed the way I understand my relationship to language. I was moved by his voice, both powerful and delicate, whimsical and deep. I was inspired by his stories; they transported me to another time and place, while connecting strongly to my present situation.

This was a benefit for Revolution Books a fantastic resource for literature and non-fiction that is changing the world, located on 26th street between 6th and 7th ave.

kalae all day-- "AFROMATIKNEOHIPPIEROCK​*​SOLEMUZIK" [album]

This bad young woman is bouta take the hip hop world by storm...

I met Kalae All Day at one of her all-woman cyphers, the Fem'Fetale jam sessions, down in the east village. She regularly brings together New York's best underground women MCs and singers.

Her newly released AFROMATIKNEOHIPPIEROCK​*​SOLEMUZIK is just that, with extra soul and a wide and clever variety of sounds, moods and ideas, unified with Kalae's vibrant personality. She's got more swag, honesty and love than anyone out cheer right now.

Inside all her humor and sparkle, Kalae speaks a strong feminist message. Finally! A rapper who's unapologetic about her female reality, addressing a wide range of issues (consumerism, exploitation, female solidarity, sex, family, identity...) with passion, integrity, insight and charm.

listen (free) or download ($10) AFROMATIKNEOHIPPIEROCK​*​SOLEMUZIK here

kil ripkin-- "the balancing act" [leak]

Kil Ripkin, a leader and legend in the Brooklyn underground hip hop circuit, is coming out with a new album, The Balancing Act, produced by Mikal Evans (Deep Rooted) Raticus and Eric G. Kil Ripkin, called The General and The Ghetto Correspondant, is keeping alive hip hop's tradition of keeping it real, and mixing hot beats with heated political comentary. As Chuck D said almost 20 years ago, "Hip Hop is Black America's CNN" and Kil Ripkin puts this philosiphy into practice, speaking about issues we should see adressed on TV (but don't). His beats are fierce and his lyrics are on fire.

Check out the General's newest pre-release leak "Aftermath," off his upcoming album, The Balancing Act:

yo majesty-- "futuristically speaking... never be afraid" [album]

My new favorite group is Yo Majesty.
I picked up their album "Futuristically Speaking... Never Be Afraid" at a Sound Fix record shop in Williamsburg, just because the cover caught my full attention. "The end of captain misogyny" I mean really, how could I pass that up?

And this is truly a GREAT album. Rapper Shunda K and singer Jwl B put down lyrics that are tight, hilarious, deep and infinitely complex, over crazy-hot beats by the electro group HardFeelingsUK. Finally, an album I can play that makes people move, think and feel good all at once. Yo Majesty is breaking down the traditional barrier between good lyricism and dance-able production, and the barrier between "conscious," uplifting, positive messages and funny, sexy, wild beats. and its about time! Thank you, Yo Majesty, for giving a woman dj some great dance music she's actually proud to slap at a party... Keep it coming!

world funk at the shrine-- harlem [live]

The Shrine is one of New York's best live music spots, and a few weeks ago, they had the dopest world funk show. Loud Apt, a neo-funk band with all original songs and a diverse sound, coming straight from uptown Manhattan, rocked the house with special guests Angel Rodriguez (percussionist) and Garrison Hawk (reggae vocalist).
Later, Spanglish Fly killed it, with hot mambo-soul.