Blog (2008-2018)

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vbcThis Saturday March 16th, DJ Rupture & Talacha will join L.A.’s contagiously fun latin roots dance band Very Be Careful for a welcome-the-spring-with-a-sweat-sacrifice party at Brooklyn’s Littlefield! VBC specialize in fast accordion jams throwing in vallenato, cumbia, and more. For this special set, Rupture will be play mostly NYC cumbia poblana, joined by Oaxacan malandrín Talacha on the mic, sonidero style. For a taste of what Rupture & Talacha will bring, you can pick up their mix CD with Sonido Martines available only Tacos Zaragoza in the East Village (ask for it!), or check the excerpt below.

Saturday March 16: DJ Rupture & Very Be Careful @ Littlefield, Brooklyn.

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This Saturday I’ll be djing between acts at The Apollo Theater’s Africa Now! Concert. Today, I had an interesting conversation with the Apollo’s director about the different African crowds in New York (last year they had Tiken Jah Fakoly to an enthusiastic crowd of Francophone African Harlemites), got a tour of the building, rubbed the tree of hope, and stood on the stage where every American black performer of significance in the last 100 years has stood. Besides the fact of my inclusion in the symbolic welcoming of a new generation of Africans into the folds of Black American history, touching the log (while the Apollo stagehand watched me unamused) is really all I needed.

Click through for all the info:

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Funeral of Hugo Chavez

photo by Oscar Bambo Castillo

The following is a dispatch from Venezuela by Dutty Artz crew member Mariana aka Mpeach. She is in Caracas this month, and gave us a first hand account of Chavez’ passing, as well as her feelings on the future of her beloved homeland.

“No mourning, No Celebration”
(Frase taken from el Libertario)

I am an artist, musician and designer based out of Brooklyn and I am currently in Caracas, Venezuela for a month-long visit. I moved to NY after graduating from college, but travel back and forth as much as I can. This is because my artistic work, musical work, and family (who for the most part still lives in Venezuela) are deeply rooted in my country and culture. On Tuesday afternoon I was taking a nap in my home in Caracas, because I had woken up really early for a radio interview, and had gone to bed really late because I had a triple birthday party the night before. Daniela, a friend, opened the door yelling “Chavez died, wake up!”

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This evening our very own Jace Clayton will be moderating a panel for the Mic Check: Hip Hop in North Africa and The Middle East event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Many of the Dutty Artz crew will be in attendance out of interest (we’ve been exchanging quite a few emails around the subject of youth culture and North Africa), and in support of our guy.

If you would like to dive in a little further before the panel tonight, or if you can’t make it, check out the post I did over at Africa is a Country, and share your thoughts!

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Pope-Lee-Perry

Simone from the Palm Wine blog recently launched a crowd funding campaign to bring Lee “Scratch” Perry to his Italian hometown and help exorcise its imperial demons. Simone takes a second to tell us about his exciting project:

Apart from my Palm Wine project, I am part of Invernomuto art group together with Simone Trabucchi (owner of the record label Hundebiss). We founded Invernomuto in 2003 and since then we have been working as a duo. We make works without a set format, with an emphasis on the collapse and subsequent mixture of different languages. Our research ranges from the production of single-channel videos and installations to the staging of events and site-specific projects.

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We’re re-launching our newsletter! Updates will be going out monthly, so to stay informed on the latest and greatest from Dutty Artz, sign up below:

Check out our latest update here.

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This Friday Wayne Marshall aka DJ Wanye & Wax and I will be holding it down at Bembe in South Williamsburg Brooklyn. It’s my great pleasure to be able to play with Wayne in New York after he brought me up to Boston for so many years. Brooklyn Shanti will be holding down the toasting duties.

It’s also my birthday at midnight  so get your marathon shoes out, and get there early!

Sonic preview for your enjoyment:

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Yacoub creates the White man in defiance of the Divine using the marvels of ancient technology. From a performance of Amiri Baraka's 'A Black Mass'
[Yacoub creates the White man in defiance of the Divine using the marvels of ancient technology. From a performance of Amiri Baraka’s A Black Mass]

Bredren & sistren, I’m pleased to announce the Afrabian is joining our little dutty family. He kicks off things in fine style with a plutonium-grade essay on Lack History Month, ‘scuse me I mean Black History Month, I mean – as Invisible Man taught us – history is a boomerang; keep a steel helmet handy. Wither historiography as Sun Ra & Ousmane Sembene beautifully rebuke the eaters of time. OK, on to Wendell’s thought-provoking call for Black Mystery – Jace Rupture
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In this guest post, DA friend Jez Smadja shares with us thoughts & context on Passinho, a hypnotic new dance style that is contouring the complicated culture of the Rio’s baile funk scene, suggesting alternatives to the cartel-ization of funk, sidestepping standard dancefloor machismo, and (hopefully) challenging the gentrification of Rio, one of the most expensive and most touristed cities of Latin America. Enjoy!

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Today, at 6pm New York time, we’re launching a new web series/podcast called the DuttyCast. Big things are in store for this one, a mix of media to present thought provoking discussions, performances, and just plain old online shenanigans. Whatever happens it it’ll be worth tuning in just to see what goes down live! Because after all, this is the revolution…

Follow us on Twitter! or at hashtag #duttycast to comment and participate!

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On I Like To Move Matt Shadetek enlists Jamaican talent Kid Kurupt and Chan Dizzy with Brooklyn’s own 77Klash to transform Reel 2 Real’s ‘I Like To Move It’ into a stripped down and pounding smugglers anthem. Chan Dizzy, known for his dancehall hits ‘Strange Face’ and ‘Hello Bad Mind’ showcases his talent as a rapper while Dancehall veteran Kid Kurrupt sets the tune off with a blast of energy with long time Shadetek collaborator 77Klash chanting the chorus. I Like To Move is an explosive combination of dancehall, hiphop and dance music. Kaboom.

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Dj Ripley has been slaying dancefloors since 1996, developing her adventurous, loving and ferocious take on global street bass sounds. New York, London, Mexico City, Sydney, Chicago, Helsinki, Kingston, Toronto, Budapest, San Francisco, Belgrade, Austin, Berlin, Copenhagen, and many more cities have hosted her in clubs, warehouses, art galleries, squats, festivals, street parties, museums, boats and basements. She spends more time on the dancefloor than the studio because that’s where you learn what music does. She is also a professor of communication & media studies, public speaker, writer, organizer and activist.