The Afrofunk Music Forum blog has inspired the launch of a recurring dance party in Washington, DC. The first event will be Wednesday, November 22nd at the club DC9.
The AfroFunk Forum will be a non-stop evening of African-influenced dance music, hosted by residents Chopteeth and DJ Thick. It will offer alternating live big band Afrobeat and the hypnotic grooves of global electronic music. The inaugural event will also feature a special performance by award-winning Kenyan spoken word artist Anna Mwalagho.At the AfroFunk Forum, listeners and dancers will experience something new: back-to-back live sets by the hottest Afrofunk bands and electronic musicians in the DC and Baltimore region. The focus is on the dancefloor, and the vibe is laid-back, hot, and funky.
In addition to Chopteeth and DJ Thick, future collaborations and performances will include: Togo native Serge "Massama" Dogo's stellar afropop unit, Elikeh; Malian ngoni master Cheick Hamala Diabate; drummers and beat masters from the DC-Baltimore area's deep underground African scene; afro-funky touring acts and more.
You can check out all the details at the My Space site for the Afrofunk Forum dance party.
Stay tuned for updates on these monthly events. If you are a DJ or an Afrobeat-oriented group coming to the DC area, and would be interested in performing at a future Afrofunk Forum event, let us know.
About DJ Thick: DJ Thick brings over a decade of experience in percussion and electronics to hypnosis of dancers. Having worked as a ritual drummer in the Afro-Cuban Lukumi tradition, as a percussionist with bands such as Fertile Ground, Chopteeth, Alfredo Triff, the Spam Allstars, and Satellite Lounge, and in experimental electronics (as his more meditative avatar, Io), DJ Thick returns the sound system to its roots: deep, underground dance music. For more information: www.eleguarecords.com.
About Anna Mwalagho: Anna Mwalagho started performing at the age of eight years old in her native Kenya, Africa, where she won numerous acting and poetry awards. She belongs to the Taita ethnic group. She has performed with many well recognized groups in Kenya. These include Soja Theater, Friends Theater, British Council, Cultural Awareness Exchange Program, Mbalamwezi and Heartstring Ensemble, of which she is still a member. She has worked with the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation television station and radio as an actress and also a broadcaster on issues relating to HIV and AIDS. She is also a member of Chopteeth. Anna recently released her CD, "Ukweli- The Truth," available at her website: www.annamwalagho.com.
DC9 is at 1940 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 483-5000. If you're in the DC area, definitely check out this exciting new event on Wednesday, November 22nd, starting at 8PM. And please help spread the word!
No comments:
Post a Comment