Archive for September 19, 2010

IAN FRIDAY 18.09.10

September 19, 2010
“TAMBORIFIC”
Honestly, this Tambor contained too much to write about in such a short space with little time. To say the night was an unexpected success would do the soul disservice. In order to give the curious a quick glance into the Tambor experience with Tea Party Music’s own Ian Friday, a comprehensive run down of that night’s exhaustive playlist has been created for your enjoyment. Without further a due this is but a small sample of what Ian blessed the tribe of Tambor with on that unforgettable night of music and soul.

Mr. Tea Party opened with his stellar crowd pleaser, Anto Vitale’s fiery, “Theorema Del Faya” (The Tea Party Vocal). Next up, Radiohead’s, “Everything In It’s Right Place” (Afefe Iku’s Mix) with lush synthesizers slowly built to a startling crescendo. Then came Peven Everett’s scorcher, “Burning Hot” that sent flames up and down the dance floor. Talk about burning the disco out, the track was on fire! Black Coffee’s heartfelt, “Superman” came to the rescue with soothing vocals by Bucie that cooled off the heated dancers with peaceful rains. After the downpour the dance floor was left flooded in sex oils by sexy siren Jill Scott’s, “Crown Royal” a white label demo provided by Shelter’s famed Quentin Harris and Timmy Regisford. Then Ian pulled out the old school radio sing-a-long of Rufus & Chaka Kahn’s, “Do you Love What You See.” The party people classic, “Off The Wall” by icon Michael Jackson followed suit for more dance and disco nostalgia. From the shores of North America to the coasts of South Africa, Culoe De Song featuring Thandiswa, “Gwebindlala” rang loud and free with deep tribal influences. South African’s current house reign continued with Black Coffee’s insane, “Crazy” by Manchester Englander, Charles Webster Slightly Deeper Mix. Ian’s own rework of Byron Moore’s classic, “Life Starts Today” (Tea Party Vocal Mix) jumpstarted the party as if the party needed more juice. Next the crowd lost it with Ian’s self-produced “Found Myself” (Yoruba Soul Mix). Immediately thereafter, house legend Kenny Bobien’s falsetto reigned from the heavens singing a soul stirring, “Don’t Be Afraid” (Libation Mix) another Ian Friday rework. Yet, the voice of another angel resounded gracefully this time from the late Jimmy Abney with “More of You” (Ian Friday’s Tea Party Vocal). Then the crowd was swept into its own “Heaven” (Marlon D & Groove Assassin Mix) with Detroit’s soul crooner Kem leading the way. Dance classics consumed the night with 1989’s “People Hold On” by Coldcut with British soul diva Lisa Stansfield. The Jackson’s, “This Place Hotel” made the room cry, “joy” while a downtempo jazzy number of Ultra Nate’s, “Twisted”(Re: jazz Mix) made dancers plie and triple spin around in circles. That wasn’t all, Manoo’s, “Kodjo” with its crashing cymbals and four-count thumps made the tribesters leap for joy in spiritual dance circles of breakers and fancy footers. The night’s closer and surprise, Elton John’s, “The Beenies and the Jets” knocked the socks off the music lovers scattered about the room. Needless to say, the venue’s once pristine dance floor resembled a worn torn aftermath culminated from Ian Friday’s catastrophic rampage.

WOW! What more was left to say? The diversified label owner and songwriter that seemed to have crafted half of deep house music’s lengthy catalog rocked Tambor into the next stratosphere. Needless, to say Tambor would never be the same from that night forth. What a Tamborific time!

 

Photography by Carlos J. Bell

HOUSE IN THE PARK 6 05.09.10

September 6, 2010

House In The Park had become a musical destination for those around the globe to partake. People traveled near and far to attend; some as far away as California, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, The Carolinas and Florida. Seattle, Chicago, DC, and Detroit were all in the house. One infamous social networking site even posted a couple flew all the way from Paris, France.

The weather for the day was perfect. Temperatures for the Labor Day weekend were forecast in the mid to upper 80’s. After a torrid summer the milder temperatures were highly welcomed like cold brews after mowing grass. A gentle breeze blew in the air that signaled the transition from summer to autumn. Soon to be brown leaves perched high in trees swayed from side to side in musical rhythm.

Generally the park’s lush greenery was barren but by 12:30 pm the site was populated with tents and tables as far as the eye could see. “WOW, these people are serious.”

The scene resembled something straight from the pages of magazines of popular music festivals that occur in Austin TX, Manchester TN, or Chicago IL. Nothing like this had ever existed in the city for a HOUSE MUSIC event. Folks this was for HOUSE MUSIC, not hip-hop, rock, folk or a pooh-pooh platter of all the above but for HOUSE MUSIC. To say this was unprecedented would be an understatement. Not to mention it was only twelve thirty in the afternoon and the event began at noon. These campers had to have been in the park since eight or nine that morning. Not to mention the people that slept in the park overnight. How amazing.

Past the several vendor tables selling every item imaginable from organic handmade soap to HITP paraphernalia was the park’s lone pavilion with dance floor. DJ Kemit already on deck warmed up the small smiling crowd of twenty dancing feet. After ten minutes of making rounds to speak with everyone camped in tents and grilling meats the dance floor was made way to as DJ Kemit dropped a soul fueled mix of “Hard Time for Lovers,” from a singer who channeled the late great Luther Vandross as though Luther was alive at the park. By that point the dance floor was so warmed with love it felt as though someone blessed the space prior to the event’s start. The pavilion radiated with a natural joy that cast out any naysayer’s negativity.

Shortly thereafter, DJ Kemit’s time expired on the 1’s and 2’s, HITP’s second DJ of the day stepped aboard to wreck havoc. Salah Ananse the singer/producer/DJ/ and all around entertainer, entertained the ever growing crowd with some hard core jams. Without notice the music stopped. Then the acappella voice of Tony Momrelle singing the anthem, “Star” arose from the ashes as a phoenix. It was as if the man was right there singing live from the DJ set-up. Moments later, drums and warm synth pads exploded behind the acappella which signaled it was time to get down. There were granddads stepping in the name of love with grandmothers all over the floor. There were the fancy footwork house dancers stomping all over the floor. And then there was a little boy no more than the age of two creating a masterpiece of artwork using various colors of chalk on the pavilion’s floor. It was only one o’ clock in the afternoon and already HITP was off to a collage of activity.

As if that were not enough, Salah played a hand crafted organic remix from one of the city’s most spirited visionaries who was a self-proclaimed android from the future. The singer, signed to one of the world’s leading hip-hop mogul’s record label walked the “tightrope” between both worlds of the underground and the mainstream. The remix so cleverly orchestrated bridged the gap between the female’s futuristic rap vocal laid over a present-day broken beat drum loop that culminated to deliver a vocal melancholy of funk.

At best there was no stopping or at least slowing down Salah who was on fire by blessing the crowd with additional unleavened self-produced productions fresh from the studio. There was the “I Need You” dub to the soulful drenched testament of love’s healing power. It took no time for the crowd to strengthen in numbers as they partook in the oratory delight.

What happened next was nonetheless miraculous. Salah esteemed the crowd with an Atjazz production titled, “Mercyless” from San Fran’s Fred Everything. The song’s hook “merciless” sung over razor slashing synths and a beat so choppy the song practically needed its own pair of chopsticks pronounced it was time to dance. A slew of shouts surged through the air to greet the arrival of people rushing or dancing to the dance floor. Soon, everyone and their momma was on the dance floor digging deep to find dance moves to accommodate the choppy beat. There were video cameras filming the choreography and cameras flashing at individuals losing their minds. Everyone was ranting and yelling as if recently tasting music for the first time. The only disappointment was the talking MC announcing the news of a lost little boy at the front information desk over the soulful “woohoo hoo hoo” of Wayne Tennant’s vocals.

Damn, what a great way to disrupt the positive flow and the musical energy with negative news. Unfortunately, no one seemed to bat an eye at the missing child announcement because five minutes later the MC was back with microphone in hand making a second announcement, then a third, followed by a fourth and so on. Where were the child’s guardians or parents at? Sadly, HITP was a perfect place to drop off an unwanted crying one year old infant by older teenage siblings, an irresponsible babysitter or just plain wayward parents. Unfortunately, by the sixth announcement no one had claimed the little toddler. In what was no surprise the city’s police threatened to call DFAX. The crowd applauded and yelled with approval. It was high time someone stepped up and claimed responsibility. Actually the legitimate threat worked because within five minutes someone claimed the child but not without another announcement; this one for a lost little girl in a pink top and blue skirt.

PLEASE, EVERYONE WITH CHILDREN; MONITOR YOUR CHILDREN BECAUSE MUSIC INTERRUPTIONS ARE BEGINNING TO UPSET THE CROWD. Thankfully the little girl was quickly found and no additional “missing children” reports were noted for the reminder of the event. Sigh.

Notable music stand outs included Culoe De Song’s, “Gwebindlala” dropped by Ramon Rawsoul. Thandiswe Mazai’s feminine afro chants over a minimal driven afro-beat drove HITP to Africa’s deep jungles. DJ Mick’s Culoe De Song Interpretation of Gladys Knight’s and the Pips retitled, “The First To Say Goodbye” secured itself as the deep house anthem of the year. What a surprise when Kai Alce, the city’s local legend dropped St. Germain’s, “Rose Rouge” a jazzy house classic from the year 2000. It was said the crowd in the pavilion went crazy; absolutely bananas. It was nothing like seen or heard previously that day. Everyone fell into a trance possessed by some hypnotic force which caused them to bend over with arms outstretched while hoots and hollers vomited from their mouths.

By 8 pm, beating drums besieged the park to announce another HITP journey had reached its destination. There was a drum circle of several individuals dressed in African attire dancing around drummers banging talking drums that beckoned individuals to sweet somber. There were the faces of little girls and adults fixated with smiles speaking the same language of dance and love. What sheer delight. Long after the digital music stopped and the electronic CD players and mixer were neatly packed away in tight coffins the organic drums continued to play. Their message spoke, “Good night to all. Peace, blessings and prosperity. God bless.”

Photography by Carlos J. Bell