Producers Arthur Baker and John Robie break down how they made Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force’s “Looking for the Perfect Beat (1983).” There are four other videos out (at the time of this posting) in this RBMA series Beat:Repeat NYC, and more artists to be featured soon. [Red Bull Music] …
Author: Tracy Jones
In Japan you can’t walk into a cafe without either hearing Bossa Nova or Jazz. It’s like a permanent auditory fixture in just about any shopping center or restaurant. Professor E. Taylor Atkins talks about how Jazz came to Japan. By Patrick Jarenwattananon [NPR] “Over the years a racialized component emerges in such language—basically a kind of model minority discourse that presumes that Asians have no soul and have no business trying to be artists, especially in proximity to Blackness, which is, …
Supernatural is a unique documentary film that truly shows the power of music. It’s where the rubber meets the road. Director Rosylyn Rhee chronicles students from Japan learning how to sing gospel music. In Japanese culture, expressing raw emotion is considered rude in the company of others. Suppressed thoughts and feelings are buried under a mountain of societal contracts that forbid people from asserting themselves, talking in a direct manner or voicing their opinions. In a homogenous conservative country like Japan, everyone is equal, the same, …
Yo he stupid. “Chicken Chow Mein Mang.” Kool Keith got that lotion and George Clinton got mad pussies in a tree. When in doubt, “Chicken Chow Mein Mang.” …
About the film: Sign Painters celebrates the hand-painted sign industry, an American tradition. This documentary explores a fascinating insight into a a highly specialized underground trade, emphasizing an appreciation for a balance between art and commerce. [via Sign Painters] …
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