The HighLife

As the year comes to a close it's a good time to reflect on the happenings of the previous 12 months.  In that time a lot has happened that we can all be thankful for.  This space where we can share art, music, words, randomness, was only just a thought this time last year.  To everyone that has been a part of this endeavor from the get, i know i speak for George and I when i say, thank you!!! Really, this would not be possible without your collaboration, support, encouragement, and appreciation. So again, thank you!!!  I figured, i'd show my own appreciation by catalogging all the tracks (well, almost) that i posted in The Jumpoff this year, and creating a playlist.  It's chronologically organized, so if you want to find the actual post you can follow the song trail. Welcome to The Jumpoff!

Dispatch #1

Dispatch #2

Dispatch #3


Each and everyone is a confluence of cultures, tastes, interests, and understanding.  It is at the point where all those meet that we are able to fully express the best that is within us.  So as 2009 dawns, take time to actualize your own expression.  Whether on The Highlife or not, through art, words, or music, the world is a better place with your voice in it.  So make your voice heard in 2009.  That said, here's to expression!  Happy New Year!!! Until next time, be easy.
Afolabi

Fela Kuti & Roy Ayers - 2,000 Blacks got to be free

This is from a 1980 collaboration, Music of many colours, by these two music giants.  And it is simply a clinic in sustained groove.  Interestingly enough, its message is one of unity and collaboration.  But it's the music that brings it all together. Just press play, and let the groove wash over you.

Yes, yes, y'all! It is freakin' Friday!!!!! Thank you Jesus!  I'm in an especially fine mood today, and so i decided to do something a little different.  No A/B-Sides. Just a playlist, mixtape if you will, to get you through the weekend.  There's definitely something in it for everyone.  Welcome to The Jumpoff!

Friday Jumpoff Mixtape

Well then, to all you beautiful people out there, stay cool. Rock it till the wheels come off!  Until next time, be easy.

Afolabi

This latest installment of AfroFriday features an artist that's been playing his blend of highlife and afrobeat since the late 60s.  You can find a lot of his work on YouTube actually.  This particular track is a more recent output from the man, and its message is very clear.  Orlando Julius - Bamijo (Dance with me)

It's that time again.  What time, you ask? Time for a fresh installment of something from the 'dark' continent. Though i wonder about that, we probably get more sunshine over there than anywhere else in the world, but whatever that's irrelevant.  Now to the music.

 

Fela Kuti - Confusion (Parts 1 &2)

There are some songs that i listen to pretty much every day.  It's not a long list, and this song is part of that short-list.  That could probably be explained by the fact that this song is 25 minutes long.  The first four minutes of this are very sparse, really not musical at all. You could say it feels like a there a storm building of random instruments, but in no clear direction.  Then all of a sudden the keyboard starts building up, the military style snare cadence joins, the bass joins, then comes the downpour. Two guitars, claves, congas, horns, bass, drums, keyboard, all join together in one the best grooves you've ever heard.  Seriously, leave this on in the background of anything you're doing, work, play, chilling, partying, whatever; guaranteed someone will be moving, maybe you even.

This aptly titled song is about when things are in a state of confusion.  But more specifically it's a social statement about when a country is in a state of confusion, and how that permeates all aspects of life.  "When we talk say confusion, everything out of control. When everything out of control, we go say it be kpafuca o. Kpafuca na quench." Kpafuca stands for when something is gone/erased/etc.  Whether it be a colonial mentality that keeps like people divided; or Lagos traffic which is worse than New York but with no traffic police or signals; or even police stations with no police officers.  This all happens, it's a real world we live in.  So while you're grooving out to this think about what you can do to help bring order to not just your own little plot of land, but the world in general. Make a difference, do something.  Oh, and before i forget.  My favorite part of the song is the last 3 minutes of the song, when the keyboard is doing some of the funkiest riffing to break down a song you'll ever hear. If you have been listening to the whole song, by the time this part hits you'll know what i'm talking about.

A couple of days ago i made a post about Felabration.  In the process of creating that post, i found that there were are a lot of songs that i really wanted to highlight but couldn't.  That gave way to the birth of this little project, that i'm going to name AfroFriday.  Every Friday, i'll be posting a new Afro-centric, Afrobeat or otherwise, track on here.  Today's post will the first of the series, but stay tuned for more every week.

Fela Kuti - J'en wi t'emi (Don't gag me)

I'll kick off by highlighting a couple of lines.  "T'in ba r'oto ma so, o le p'anu mi de. J'en wi t'emi o.  O le p'anu mi de." (When i think the truth i will say it, you can't keep my mouth shut. Let me speak my piece.  You can't keep my mouth shut!) Those are the first words sung on this track, essentially boiling down to 'Don't gag me'. The next highlight, "Otito koro, omo ara'ye o fe" (The truth is bitter, the people of the world/society doesn't want it).  Truer words have never been spoken on a track.  Expression is everything, and expressing the truth is life.

Musically, this song is amazing.  The guitar riff sets the tone and pace, and it rolls through the entire track.  The bass line and percussion are also steady mainstays throughout as well.  The flavor comes with the horns.  It accentuates the base groove, and raises the tempo seamlessly.  But the best part is when the horns drop out to bring you back to base groove.  This is 13-plus minutes of get-down laid down on wax.  You add that to the that knowledge Mr. Kuti is dropping, you get an amalgamation of sound and groove that can only be described as simply, the truth.

In case you didn't know...

Today, afrobeat pioneer and music legend, Fela Kuti, would have been turning 70.  To commemorate the day i've put together a very short (trust me, i wanted to go nuts on this) playlist of some of this great man's prolific output.  So here you have it.  It's a Felabration bitches! Welcome to the Kalakuta Republic...

First edition Daily Track here.  I'll keep it simple.  The track suggestions are courtesy of some of the finer musical minds out there.  This first post is specifically dedicated to the Afrobeat.  A genre created by a Nigerian music legend, Fela Kuti, and carried on by his sons and many other talented artists out there. 

But we're not here to focus on the old, but the new.  So the first track is a Fela Kuti song performed live by his son, Seun Kuti - Gba mi l'eti kin d'olowo (slap me so i can get rich)

 

Continuing the theme these next artists also perform a Fela Kuti cover.  Rhythm Roots Allstars - JJD (Johnny Just Drop)

 

the next track is by a Boston based group, The Superpowers. which i think is one of the sweetest band names ever. They used to be known as the Boston Afrobeat Society, but have since upgraded monikers. I saw their first live show as The Superpowers at Matt Murphy's, i spent most of the show dancing on a bench because there was no space on the floor!  The Superpowers - S.L.D.R

 

That's it for the daily track. til' the next time. Be easy.

Afolabi