Tuesday 24 February 2009

FamilleBou Bess / Bomb Squad



A little news piece on FamilleBou Bess from today's La Opinion newspaper.
There needs to be more African voices heard in this place, too much talking about them and never hearing first hand.  That's the thing that gets me, as I mentioned in the previous post.

I did feel a bit weird that they asked if we could take the photo-shoot on the beach...a bit corny I thought, but as the concept around interview was the sea and how it connects Africa and the Canary Islands, I let it slide.   

During interview FBB talked about their respective journeys to Tenerife, no easy feat, six days in an open-top, over-crowded boat suffering from a  lack of  food and water.  
This isn't something for adults never mind teenagers.

 
The Ear Conditioning program for this week features a mix from The Bomb Squad, with a little help from The Loop Orchestra to close matters.  The Shocklee Brothers are seriously into their dubstep.

Update:  The Bomb Squad have just informed me of another mix they've uploaded for us to soak in, here.

Ear Conditioning  is 'earable here: 
Radio Norte 89.4FM      Tuesday 20h30 GMT  (Catchment area -  North Tenerife)
Sunhole www.sunhole.net  Tuesday 22h00 GMT  (Streamed repeatedly during the week)


Tuesday 17 February 2009

Those damn Africans again!


The Canarian President, the short ass that is Paulino Rivero recently got my missus in a state when he said that 'the sad state of the hospitals and other social services here was due to the influx of immigrants' (read Africans).

We have had to wait seven hours in the hospital for results of a blood test, and it's the fault of my man Beyal yeah?

Go fuck yerself Paulino, there are only two hospitals on the island of Tenerife, just two, and they are within sight of each other.  Man, your political party have been controlling the Canary Islands for ages, and what you done besides fill the pockets of your associates? 

We've met people in the hospital that have to come from some of the other islands to get treatment.

Is that Ibrahima's fault? Don't think so mate.

How come we never see politicians canvassing at hospitals during election time?

Because they would get an serious earful and a rightful kickin´, but then the people forget when it comes to the vote.

Politicians and commentators have this habit of talking about the immigrants, but you never ever hear immigrants talking first had about their experiences.

With Famille Bou Bess, a group featuring three rappers from Senegal, with production from Ventor of Species/Dr. Luna and myself we aim to change that, in what little way that we can. More on FBB as it happens.

At least twenty-two Africans looking to make a better life for themselves and families lost their lives a couple days ago when a boat carrying them from Senegal capsized a few metres from a Lanzarote beach.


Meanwhile Europeans/Canarians continue to consume fish from West African waters like it's their god-given right. The European Union have recently ignored recommendations from their own scientists regarding fish stocks and approved higher quotas, when their scientists said there should be a reduction. This is directly affecting our brothers in Senegal and Mali, and contributing to people looking to get into Europe.


Yankee you got the power
When you want to enter country, you don't no need no visa
When you wanted some oil, you send the power
Anything you want, anything you do
You de policeman, the prosecutor, you the lawyer and judge and jury, jury.
Akoya Afrobeat 'B.F.B.F. (Panama)'


I was just catching up to see what the field-negro had to say, and his latest post was about the deep state of financial shit that the USA is in...that shit is knee deep and rapidly heading for their mouths of people around the globe. Racing to my mind came a conversation I had with somebody who is close to some of those that were residents at Guantanamo, courtesy of the US administration. The theory about the US being drawn into conflict in Afghanistan was raised. The idea being that a war in Afghanistan would be a financial drain. I was told that things went beyond their wildest expectations, although they didn't think that they would lay out (kill) so many innocent people....hhmmmm, something to think about.

Now sports...Last week when writing about Dub1, I mentioned Sheriff Lindo in the same sentence, which naturally led me to dig out the album. I now see that Lindo has a myspace page up and running. Cop the album Ten Dubs that Shook the World if you can.

People here in Tenerife are constantly asking me about ADF, so I dug out the DJ Scud remix of Witness...and hopefully some of those askers will be listening.

At Womad a few months back, the two guitarists from Antibalas gave me music from other afrobeat projects they have going on. Akoya Afrobeat is one, yeah, check those lyrics above, and Chico Mann is the other, a Casio-keyboard/drum machine led afrobeat thing. Yep, you read it right, Casio tone afrobeat!

Downloaded the Q-Tip/Tribe Called Quest mixtape by J. Period. Great stuff covering Q-Tip´s solo material as well as the Tribe material, obviously. Had me wondering though, where the hell is Shawn J. Period? Are they the same person? Answer to that is no, but I still wanna hear some freshness from Shawn J. Are ya out there Shawn? In the meanwhile I have to be content with what I have, which includes the Mos Def´s ´Universal Magnetic´ that Shawn produced, and a few other gems.


Ear Conditioning is broadcast every Tuesday via Radio Norte 89.4FM from 20h30 GMT and also via www.sunhole.net from 22h00 GMT

Ear Conditioning/Feb. 17 2009
  • Sheriff Lindo & The Hammer - Fatal Dub (Endless)
  • Pablove Black - Race Track (Studio 1)
  • Chico Mann - Say What (Kindred Spirits)
  • Negativeland - Christianity is Stupid
  • Mos Def - Universal Magnetic (Rawkus)
  • Q-Tip - Renaissance Remix feat. Lil' Wayne, Raekwon & Busta Rhymes (mp3)
  • State of Bengal - Skip-ij (SOB)
  • Amadou & Miriam - Ca N'est Pas Bon feat. Damon Albarn (Because)
  • Hijo de la Cumbia - El ghetto va a macer (Soot)
  • Kollington Ayinia - Omo n Gbo Temi (Honest Jons)
  • The Bug - Politicians and Paedophiles (Rephlex)
  • Asian Dub Foundation - Witness/DJ Scud Remix (Nation)
  • Flying Lotus - Roberta Flack/Mike Slott Reflunk (Warp)
  • Ekkehard Ehlers - Plays John Cassavettes Part 2 (the Agriculture)
  • King L Man - OneThirtySix (Ear Con)

Monday 9 February 2009

It´s called Freestyle, but this style is expensive


Yes yes good people.
What´s the dilly?
Well, trying to maintain man, just trying to maintain, you know it´s the standard refrain.
Seriously though, the Ear Conditioning program will now be carried by the good folks at Sunhole.net, based here in Tenerife.
As usual, the program goes out on Tuesday´s, the time, 22h00-23h00, we are in the same time zone as London, UK, if that helps. Finally Ear Conditioning will have a solid internet presence.

This week´s program starts with a short jaunt across the water to Senegal for some proper drumming courtesy of Doudou N´daiye Rose, the master drummer and his massive group.

I´ve been working over the past two weeks with Famille Bou Bess, three rappers from Senegal who survived the treacherous waters between Senegal and Tenerife. Also involved is Ventor, who people may know of through his work in Species, and also Dr. Luna, which contributes a percussion-concussion to the program with Pidele.  More on Famille Bou Bess as it happens.

Continuing on, we have new-ness from Filastine, El Hijo de la Cumbia, Dub1 and Sukh Knight.

Dub1 sent me his album last week, it´s in the family of Sherrif Lindo and the Hammer, African Head Charge. With me now? Good.

Also in the set, representing the unclassifiable we have  King Midas Sound, Kode 9 vs. LD and Martyn, who I can't get enough of at the moment, with his rerub of Shut Up and Dance's 'Epileptic'.


Did someone say "How 'bout some old school?"  
Okay, old joints from Fun´da´mental and the Trinidad Steel Drummers, which both have that carnaval spirit that is ramping up in these parts.

Ear Conditioning 10.02.2009
Doudou N´daiye Rose - Ligueyou Ndeye (Virgin France)
Dr. Luna - Pidele
Shut Up and Dance - Epileptic/Martyn´s No Strobe Remix
Kode 9 vs. LD - Bad (Hyperdub)
Dub1 - Formed against (cdr)
Robert Fisk - Arab Democracy
Sukh Knight - Knightlife
Filastine - To the Motherfucking East (Soot/Jarring Effects)
El Hijo de la Cumbia - Cumbia de los Barrios (Soot)
Afronaut & Son de Batey - Golpe (Bitasweet)
Trinidad Steel Drummers - Cissy Strutt (Mystic Brew)
Fun-da-mental - Mother India/Moody Boys Mela Remix (Nation)
King Midas Sound - One Ting/Dabrye Remix (Hyperdub)
Lewis Parker - 101 Pianos (Melankolic)
Lewis Parker - 101 Pianos Instrumental Melankolic)

Ear Conditioning
Radio Norte 89.4FM                           Sunhole www.sunhole.net
Tuesday / martes 20h30-21h30       Tuesday / Martes 22h00-23h00