EVENT: Femi Kuti and The Positive Force @ 9:30 Club

Femi Kuti and The Positive Force are blessing the DMV with a show at the 9:30 club on Saturday April 23rd. Having the father of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti, as your father only makes sense for Femi to take the reigns and continue to spread the power and heat of Afrobeat music. The group weaves in telling tales of political corruption, love for life, people, and one’s country, with African drums and horns. Take a listen for yourself here and here are the event details:

Sat, 4/23

Femi Kuti and the Positive Force

Late Show! 10:00 PM Doors

$30

Tickets: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/31377

Femi and The Positive Force are not to be missed, so mark your calendars now!

-Selamawit

EVENT: Afrobeat Thursdays–4/29

When: April 29th, 2010
Where: Bossa Lounge
Why: Because you need to get down and dirty… I know you do.
Damage: $5.00

About Slimkat78:

Slimkat78 has been blessing hip hop heads with material for years. The DMV based producer has most recently been noted for his work on the Diamond District Album “In the Ruff” and on Yu’s latest Album “Before Taxes”

About The Cornel West Theory:

The Cornel West theory is a Washington, D.C. based hip-hop band. With the blessing of Dr. Cornel West, the Princeton University professor and renowned author, the band takes its name from his prolific writings and philosophies that have shaped contemporary thought throughout the world.

Inspired by the rich musical history of the nation’s capital and the struggles of poor people worldwide, the band was created in 2004 as a response to social oppression everywhere. They are here to deliver music that holds a mirror up to the world, with a core focus on political, cultural and spiritual commentary.

The band’s purpose is to speak the truth to the masses, while communicating to young and old alike. They create soulful music that entertains, informs, educates and provokes awareness and activism. Their sound, filled with drums, bass, piano, and electronic sounds, contains elements of all great music – from home grown Go-Go to jazz to rock to hip-hop.

Their music is rooted in hip-hop, but that single genre does not define the range and variety of the musicians in the group.

Check out the printed story on the Lunchbox Theory Productions team here and also make sure you go visit their site for posts on global culture and music here.

I’ll be there on Thursday, will you?

Selamawit

AFROBEAT FRIDAYS

Fela Kuti.

I had no idea who he was or just how significant a person could be in music. Especially in the creation of a new music genre that is just so, simply put, fucking fresh.

In the late 1950s, Kuti left  his native Nigeria to go study medicine in London. Instead, he ended up studying music at Trinity College of Music. During those years, he formed a band, got married and had 3 children. Over the next few decades, Fela Kuti would bounce back and forth between Nigeria, London and U.S. while working with his band and spreading the sound of Afrobeat.

Fela started not just a band, but a movement. Afro-beat is a hypnotizing concoction of West African drums, American jazz, funk, soul, and rock serving as backdrop to politics-tinged, history-mapping and love-inducing lyrics.

Surely Afrobeat has been around in the District, but it was never a prevailing or obvious sound to expect from the DMV area..not until Lunchbox Theory Productions took reign and introduced the area to this great sound.

This newly-formed production team, co-managed by Christine and Allison. Two twenty-somethingers, one hailing from The Bay and the latter from Maryland, but having lived in the District for years, they shared a common vision of introducing a plethora of different sounds, events and causes to the area.

They introduced themselves to the area for Inauguration back in January when they had The People’s Party at Selam restaurant and bar (1524 U Street, Washington , DC 20009). After some planning and organizing, the team had their first Afro-beat party in March 2009, with DJ Underdog spinning ONLY records, (no ipods/computers!), no dress-code, $1 cover, face-painting, drummers, live art, and drink specials from 10-12am.

From March up till this past August, this last-Friday-of-every-month event has developed a very strong following and managed to receive positive press and grow its attendance enough so, in sucha short number of months that there’s almost always a line outside to get in…and you definitely want to be inside for the entire duration of the party.

Selam restaurant and bar has pretty simple two-room layout. Intimate.It gets hot but in a good way. The way a party should when you are having a great time, whilst dancing to beautiful music, mingling with a friendly-chill crowd and sipping from the decently-priced drinks in your hands.

Here are the last 3 mixtapes that Lunchbox Theory Productions has come out with:

CLICK HERE FOR THE MIXTAPE: Africa Plays On pt. I

CLICK HERE FOR THE MIXTAPE: Africa Plays On pt. II

CLICK HERE FOR MIXTAPE: Africa Plays On pt. III

Lastly, a few past flyers for your viewing pleasure:

Stay tuned for news on the next Afrobeat Fridays events and please do check out Lunchbox Theory Productions website.

-Selamawit