Thursday, December 10, 2009

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Back from Itiopia encore


Had a wonderful time. Thanks to everyone!

Friday, February 27, 2009

Never been a fan of Radiohead...

...but I likes this.Thanks to J Kelly Nestruck's blog.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

"I was pain in the ass, maybe"

I'm writing about reggae in Ethiopia at the moment. Here are a few choice examples:

Thursday, February 12, 2009

I've got sunshine...


...on a cloudy day. Seeing as all I'm doing these days is sitting in front of a computer, I tend to try and find bright spots any way I can!

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Down with daggering...

Well, looks like it's not just NeYo that has a prob with "Rampin' Shop". I wonder if the ban on all things daggering related will apply to tunes like 2008 smash "Lollipop"?

p.s. Woulda embedded the vid, but the horrible font titles they've introduced on embedded youtube videos really bother me. I'm not a design expert or anything, but it's really awful--especially on blogs where people have taken the time to make their layouts look good. Boo!

UPDATE: dancehall.mobi just posted the official word from the Jamaica broadcasting commission.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Abby Lakew, awahdishallo!

I've loved these tunes ever since I heard 'em blasting from some bus driver's horrible soundsystem. She's pretty cute too.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

But most importanly of all...

I appear in the Mirror with two of my favourite people--people who happen to be experts on tobogganing! If you take a look at this, take specific note of the lovely hat I am sporting. It was made by mother-of-experts, crochet-all-star and generally fabulous Maggie!

Bus a style...

The above clip is part one of a rough version of the film I'll be discussing on Saturday as part of Le Festival International du Film Ethnographique du Québec. "Temporary Sanity: The Skerritt Bwoy Story" is being shown on Saturday as part of a group of films starting at 4:45pm. Here's the location info:

Centre d'essai, Centre étudiant / Pavillon J.-A.-DeSève
Université de Montréal
2332 boul. Édouard-Montpetit, 6e étage
(Métro Édouard-Montpetit ou autobus 51)

It's good timing, actually, since I just wrote a piece about Passa Passa, a big dance in Kingston and my piece focused on dancing as much as anything.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

I'm talking about dancehall this weekend at what looks like an amazing film festival

I was pretty honoured to be asked to come and talk. I'll post more about the film I'm discussing later...

Monday, January 26, 2009

Mavado nah play...


I've been thinking about the weird, born-to-be-on-a-soundtrack-to-a-flick-with-lots-of-guns-and-dudes-wearing-dark-sunglasses nature of some dancehall tunes over the past while. In the Pitchfork end of the year wrap up, I called this type o' thing "cinematic dancehall". Wayne Marshall, of wayneandwax fame, posted a bunch of dancehall meets action movie youtubes a minute ago, but I think this one (thanks to Seen) takes the cake (for the moment). Also, just reviewed Mavado's new record earlier today, so the Gully God's been on my mind.

Only he can get away with this...

Was listening to this a little loud last night and had my downstairs neighbours banging on the floor. It was worth it. C. Hamilton is the Fader cover boy this month...

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Again, I'm behind the times...

But I am absolutely taken by the stuff they're calling "funky house". So flippin' wicked. And cool dance moves...big step up from the Rolex Sweep. Way to go British folks! Keep it up!

Saturday, January 03, 2009

Viva 2009!

As I was lolligagging through my blogs, I found Wayne had posted DJ Earworm's mashup of the top 25 or 2008. The strange sweet melancholy of the resulting track seems to me quite emblematic of the past year. 2008 was a bit of a mixed bag for this girl (always is), but I'm excited about the new year (always am). Anyhow, I'm off to indulge in one of my favourite things--copious amounts of spicy wat and injera. A great way to kick off any year (or month, or week...).