Please join VTech and Mochilla for the American premiere of the forthcoming Mochilla/Sonido de Valle production, Tradition in Transition A Postcard From Cali. Shot in Cali and Buenaventura in Columbia. Based around the music of Quantic and his Combo Barbaro from their forthcoming Tradition in Transition album on Tru Thoughts Records featuring the talents of Will Quantic, Alfredito Linares, Freddy Colorado, Arthur Verocai, Joao Comanche Gomes and Malcolm Catto.
Photo By Azul Amaral(Azul213)
Here’s a short musical exam that requires no studying, No. 2 pencil or scantron. All you have to do is listen to this rendition of John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”. For your behalf, the rising creme of the crop has already been rounded up so that you may enjoy of the first part of ArtDontSleep’s AM Sessions. Your quite welcome!
Brian Martinez
+ Benjamin Tierney
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On Saturday, March 7, Mochilla will officially celebrate their new headquarters. On top of that, a limited supply of Timeless Composer/Arranger Series Part III of IV tickets will be on sale for $22.50 as well as limited edition Mochilla goodies. So come, be merry, buy a ticket and welcome Mochilla into their new home. You’ll be glad you did!
Right up ArtDontSleep’s musical alley. Legendary master drummer Tony Allen, who was the directorial force of Fela Kuti’s Africa 70 band, got together with Chicago’s Hypnotic Brass Ensemble to kick “Afro Beat Disco,” a song featuring Natty. On the other side of the world, BBC Radio 1’s Giles Peterson did a whole session with these cats and is storing it in the vaults until next Thursday’s session, which is when the whole session can be heard for another week. Until then you can listen to that song and all his other selections at BBC Radio 1.
Tony Allen at Red Bull Music Academy
-Porschia
Suite For Ma Dukes composer Miguel Atwood-Ferguson gesticulates magic to an esemble dressed in white. Photo by Azul Amaral for Mochilla.
House Shoes, Amp Fidler, Diana Moreira, Talib Kweli, Illla J and Ma Dukes bask within the musical love light Photo by Azul Amaral for Mochilla.
To live infinitely in music is one thing, but to simultaneously transform and jump in puddles of different genres is a dream. James Yancey, AKA Jay Dee, J Dilla, Dilla Dawg, Dil Withers and whatever other monikers he carries weight with, was there with his family, friends and fans. You could see it in the heads knocking and swaying to orchestral beats! You could hear it the green room, beneath where the 40 piece orchestra was stomping time as they celebrated. You could feel him in the rhythm section and in the heartbeats thudding in eyes watching something Timeless!
“A Suite For Ma Dukes” was an LA rarity with the energy in the house sun beaming love everywhere! It was even evident in the new dry towels that had to be brought on stage for Miguel Atwood-Ferguson to wipe his brow; which never seemed to be dry in the beginning because of the way he was pushing and pulling an orchestra suited in all white! Even Ma Dukes spoke on the beauty emanating and its endless musical possibilities. The audience’s excitement continued to elevate throughout the night like somebody turning the dial to up the volume. When Carlos Nino announced that J Dilla was a trained cellist, Atwood-Ferguson took the with Dilla’s original instrument in hand and when special guest began appear, the attendants began to glow even more so. February 22, 2009 was stunning. It was a conjuring celebration; a ritual in the most visible setting!
To further permeate the tribute, House Shoes and J. Rocc kicked turntables, Bilal, Amp Fidler, Dwele, De La Soul’s Posdnous, Flora Purim and Airto Moreira’s daughter Diana Moreira and Talib Kweli gripped mics and enthralled emotions just as string instrumentalist rocked while they plucked strings, which of course pulled tears and kept us all counting on the next note and the next note felt nothing like its precedent. The night was precedent! With “Fall in Love,” “Find A Way,” “Runnin,” “Stakes is High,” “Reminisce,” “The Official” and a little Erik Satie, A Suite For Ma Dukes was beyond imaginable expectations!
It was though we were in the heavens. It was an experience to pray for and emotions were sold out! No matter what any mouth exaggerates, the greatest of all time was there and forever remains standing. Turn it up!
-Porschia
A belief in progression, continuation and that James Yancey a.k.a J Dilla transcends Hip Hop, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Carlos Nino have personally gathered 40 instrumentalist for a A Suite For Ma Dukes, the second edition of the Timeless Composer/Arranger Series. In celebration, in tribute and in love the night is set to exhaust expectations that it will simply be orchestral covers of the boom bap master’s music. On the contrary, February 22nd will be an expansion of what his spirit and legacy continues to offer as well as the music that had been offered to him.
With the feeling of a natural occurrence, his musical vernacular introduces anewed originals while at the same time reaching back to present a forgotten sound; be it vocal, riff or tone. The Suite for Ma Dukes is one in the same. It’s one that is enraptured with the love of putting beats to instrumentation. However, it is more than that. It’s a combination of reaching within his music to compose what else was already there as well as Atwood-Ferguson composing inspiration from inspiration. That alone electrifies the tribute’s beauty.
In a reverential and rhythmic way, without drums, Hip Hop will be given the contemporary chamber music treatment come Sunday. In homage and light, this evening will be an endless soul filling ovation, which is an exact representation of Timeless’ essence. So come experience a rare journey and be elevated within a night that has been building for more than a year. *
*See Carlos Nino and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Present: Find A Way. Posted on Feb. 7, 2008
-Porschia
Wurlitzer: Miguel Atwood-Ferguson
Rhodes: Brandon Livingston
Percussion: Nikki Campbell
Drums: Gene Coye
Listen to Carlos Nino and Miguel Atwood Ferguson’s orchestral version of Slum Village’s “Fall In Love.”
“Timeless” is an homage to the arranger/composers that have influenced hip-hop in the most literal and profound ways. Hear what happens when these two worlds come together.
Photo by Azul Amaral
February 1st was the beginning of a spectacular time to be in Los Angeles. With VTech, Mochilla and ArtDontSleep\’s Timeless Composer/Arranger Series, Part I of IV, emotions were high and electric vibrations were tickling beyond senses.
A simple blend of wide eye toddlers, hoodies, heels and slacks was enough to warrant such a lucid celebration of sound, but the fact that every person was traveling similar Ethio-Jazz wavelengths together and gave a standing ovation was a first of many historical moments for LA. Upliftment was definitly the air of the Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex; there wasn’t room for anything else. With soul netting music by Egon, Quantic and Cut Chemist, the set up was perfect! The Ethio-Jazz builder and father, Mulatu Astatke walked on the stage to a fifteen piece orchestral ensemble and drenched applause! Not only that, the orchestra was spotted with legends, like Bennie Maupin, Phil Ranelin and Azar Lawrence, but that’s a very short list of names.
Mulatu, backed by a stunning lineup, poured some favorite pieces in to waiting ears. Cuts such as ‘Yekermo sew’ and ‘Tezeta’ soaked the auditorium. The night was a beaming, rare and ethereal experience; one that made the sober high. When the celebration was over, people left with smiles radiating from their souls and knowing that for the next eight weeks, The Timeless Composer/Arranger Series will be LA’s soundtrack! From here, it only escalates!
Porschia
Beginning February 1st Vtech in association with ArtDontSleep and Mochilla are presenting a stunning four part composer/arranger concert series: Timeless.
Get ready to travel through the vibrations of orchestral ensembles and DJ’s fingerprints; a passport is not needed for this expedition! Timeless is a homage to composer/arrangers who have influenced Hip Hop. Part I of IV features multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger Mulatu Astatke; one of the most influential Ethiopian musicians who conjured a new music called Ethio-Jazz. In short, Ethio-Jazz is traditional Ethiopian music with Latin, Funk, Jazz and Conga influences and sounds. His drive to create such a pulling sound began full heartedly when he was studying in London and saw how strongly West African music, especially Ghanaian and Nigerian, was publicized and shared. The lack of notarization of Ethiopian music set him on a journey that has lasted for decades! His drive and mass influence stands next the great Fela Kuti.
After having studied at both Trinity College of Music, in London, and Boston’s Berklee College of Music and releasing two albums in the States, he returned to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with new musical knowledge and a pursuit of a new sound. However, upon his his return he met some difficulty as he introduced Ethio-Jazz to his home not only because of its newness, but primarily due to the fact that he included the bagana, a instrument used for prayer and meditation, in his arrangements. Nonetheless, he kept composing, fighting for his belief in his own sound and now for many reasons Ethio-Jazz is at the top.
Perhaps if you haven’t heard of him, but you’ve seen Jim Jarmusch’s independent film “Broken Flowers,” then you’ve already experienced Mulatu’s sound, which featured music from his earlier works and ones that are on the compilation Ethiopiques Volume 4. The film alone was written along side Mulatu’s creation sifting through Jarmusch’s speakers. Additionally, the film has surrounded Mulatu and Ethiopia with renewed buzz and light.
Timeless: The Composer/Arranger Concert Series
Video Interview with Mulatu Astatke
Also featured in Part I of IV is DJ Sets by Cut Chemist, Quantic, and Egon.
-Porschia B.
Experience a slice of Los Angeles hip hop history on DJ Dusk’s Root Down Soundclash. Three classic old school hand held battles from some of Los Angeles’ and the World’s greatest beatmakers.
Go to MOCHILLA to order an advanced copy of the film everyone has been waiting for!!!
DJ Dusk Root Down Soundclash Page
History
In 2001 Los Angeles club, The Root Down put on their first of a three part series called “Sound Clash”. It featured Madlib and Cut Chemist going head to head, beat for beat for respect in front of a packed club. Each of the tracks had never been released. Each of the three rounds saw the excitement rise. The last round unleashed a partisan celebration from the captivated crowd. It was a beautiful underground hip hop moment.
Mochilla founders, Coleman and B+, went to the first round with their Sony PC100 single chip prosumer cameras with intentions of trying out their, then, new toys. “It wasn’t until afterwards that we put both cameras on the floor, rewound the tapes and played them in sync that we realized we might have something.”
Approximately a year later, the Root Down organized the second battle. Round Two featured Will.I.AM and Thes One . Both Mochilla founders duly attended with the aforementioned cameras and caught the entire nights proceedings again. The drama and controversy of Round Two with huge aesthetic differences on display as well as the theatrics of clothes being taken off and ludicrous names made the night a talking point in Los Angeles to this day in beatmaker circles. And Will I Am wasn’t a multi-platinum artist yet!
The last battle featured OH NO and Exile in 2003. With a relatively dignified display by the youngest pairing of the three, they closed the series with good music and much respect.
Mochilla never intended to release this DVD. However, since the tragic passing of DJ Dusk they felt it was important to honor his legacy and share his gifts. This is for him, no edits, no overdubs, no interruptions just raw hip hop at its most exciting, vital and real.
