Updates

RADIO this Saturday Aug 2, 11 p.m. - 2 a.m. Saturday Night Rockers. Featuring new singles and albums from Buju Banton, Burning Spear, Winston Francis, Junior Reid, Jah Mason, Bugle and more. Email requests. Tune In!

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Voltage Music is the label co-founded in 2001 by DJ Tomas (a.k.a. Double Identity and Dub I.D.) and XLR8R founder Andrew Smith (a.k.a. Professor Smith and Jackie’s Army) . To date the label has released ten singles on vinyl including five 10” singles and five 12” singles.

We’ve featured dub-influenced electronic music from Double Identity, Professor Smith, Deep Alpha and Douglas Pagan as well as remixes by Jack Dangers, Domu, Kode 9, Polar, Titonton Duvante and DJ Abstract.

The label has taken a long hiatus for restructuring but will return in 2008 with a label compilation titled Dub For The Dancefloor and new single by Toronto dub artist Earlyworm with some special dubstep remixes cooked up. Look for digital distribution through INgrooves soon.

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UMOJA HI-FI SOUNDSYSTEM 15-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Coming Saturday October 25, 2008 to Surya Dub (Club Six), 60 Sixth Street, San Francisco CA

The Umoja Hi-Fi DJ crew reunites to celebrate their 15th year as a unified DJ crew and sound system posse.

Umoja Hi-Fi was cofounded by Darren Blackburn (DJ Daz) and DJ Tomas in 1993, and was soon joined by inducted members Damon Arnone (Culture D), Jun Antazo (DJ Jun) and Otis Williams (Cokni O’ Dire). Seven years later its final member was added: Steve Gamboa (Stevie G).

At breakout club nights like Umoja Jazz & Ragga Lounge, B-Side and later Chocolate Bar, Umoja DJs established a blueprint for the LA club sound, one that included a unity of sounds from dancehall and hip-hop, through jazz, rare groove and house: hence the name Umoja, a Swahili word for unity.

The various members remain active in the music community in cities as far away as San Francisco (Tomas) and Dallas (Cokni O’ Dire), while Daz and Jun remain in LA and continue to rock all the key parties including the aforementioned Chocolate Bar, The Room, Firecracker and Re-Boot.

Now Umoja Sound reunites for the first time in three years for one night only. This is only the second appearance in SF for the full crew (minus Bali, Indonesia-based Stevie G). Please stay tuned for more information and give-aways to be announced.

BBC's Reggae: Story of Jamaican Music

Watch the excellent 2-hour BBC documentary, Reggae: The Story of Jamaican Music, featuring superb archival and and contemporary interviews.

Although there are some gaps, notably sound system culture, and reggae's modern off-shoots, this doc is another contribution to explaining and honoring the legacy that is Jamaican music.

PART ONE

PART TWO

PART THREE

PART FOUR

REGGAE: THE STORY OF JAMAICAN MUSIC 4 OF 4
Uploaded by Top-Notch112

Jamaica: Nuff Problems

Thanks to Frank 151 for this repost on environmental problems associated with bauxite mining in Jamaica.

In the Tuff Gong chapter of Frank151, we investigated Jamaica’s ongoing environmental crises that is being caused by bauxite mining on the island. Bauxite is a key ingredient used in manufacturing aluminum, and Jamaica happens to have some of the largest reserves in the world. The process of mining and processing bauxite can also be extremely toxic.

While mining this resource should be economically beneficial to the people of Jamaica, politics and the business interests of international mining corporations have prevented much of the profits generated from reaching the people. In fact, the mining seems to have done more harm than good for your average Jamaican.

Now, from the Jamaican Bauxite Environmental Organization comes Jamaica, Nuff Problems Man, a new documentary shedding more light on the harmful practices of the bauxite mining industry. We implore you to take notice. The problem of bauxite mining in Jamaica highlights the dangerous effects of what happens when greed overshadows the basic needs of human beings.

(Part 1)


(Part 2)


(Part 3)

An FE News Blast

(Jah Cure's new album will drop soon)

For the latest on Jah Cure's new album, Jamaica's supercop Renato Adams and the closing of venerable UK record store Dub Vendor's flagship outlet, read the new Pon Di Wire column at XLR8R.com. The link is also updated in the ForwardEver Scroll section in the left column of this blog.

Special announcement for all politically minded, voting-inspired hip-hop heads: VoteHipHop.com is about to jump-off. The website will open on August 1, with a major contest aimed at America's young voters aged 18-30.

Are you passionate about the issues facing America's youth?

Do you know a hip-hop head that wants to express their views on the election or national issues in the form of graf, a DJ mix, song, video or other hip-hop element?

Tell 'em to VoteHipHop, and visit www.votehiphop.com on August 1.

UK Dub Flex

Check the forthcoming UK dub DVD documentary Musically Mad, out soon.

SF Folks: Got bass?

King Jammy$, Redman Productions, Bobby Digital, Steely & Clevie Witty's, Techniques, Mr. Doo...

Those were the producers and labels doing all the ill Casio-driven 1980s dancehall music with artists like Daddy Lizard, Wayne Smith, Admiral Bailey, Cocoa Tea, Pompidoo, Clement Irie and others.

I'll be playing a special '80s Casio-dancehall set for Kid Kameleon's b-day this Sunday July 6 at the Transfer Bar, 198 Church Street/Market in San Francisco. It's free!

Do hope you can join us. Set times listed below...

8:15-9:00 - Kid K
9:00-9:45 - Maneesh
9:45-10:30 - Tomas
10:30-11:15 - Tones
11:15-12:00 - Subtek
12:00-12:45 - Ripley
12:45--close - Kid K