Links:
King Britt
Saturn Never Sleeps
Mamabolo
sarahlinhares.com
Toronto Nujazz Festival 2011
United Soul
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King Britt - DJ Set - King Britt

King by name, King by nature; King Britt is a truly pioneering musician who is widely recognized a member of the royal elite of the Dance Music world. Based in Philadelphia, King Britt has been breaking the traditional boundaries and forging a unique path as a producer, musician, DJ, label boss and media revolutionary for over 20 years.

Taking influence from a wide spectrum of musical genres, as well as a number of seminal producers such as Trevor Horn, Quincy Jones and Arif Marden, King has always found a way to escape the strictures of any single category of music by working across genres such deep house, hip-hop, broken beat, nu-jazz, funk and afro-tech. Releasing his first record (E-Culture – ‘Tribal Confusion’) through Strictly Rhythm in 1990, King went onto tour worldwide with Digable Planets – the Grammy award winning hip-hop fusion band – whilst continuing to develop his love of Dance Music culture and laying the foundations for his prodigal solo career.

In 1994, alongside Josh Wink he launched Ovum Recordings and also formed Sylk130 – a collective of Philadelphia’s finest musical talent including Lady Alma, Alison Crockette and Ursula Rucker. He produced Sylk130′s first album (‘When The Funk Hits The Fan’) and licensed it to Sony through his own Ovum label. ‘When The Funk Hits The Fan’ went onto sell over 500,000 copies and essentially provided the blueprint for the Philly Neo-Soul resurgence. King also produced Sylk130 second album (‘Re-Members Only’) – which featured the likes of Alison Moyet (Yazoo), Martin Fry (ABC), Grover Washington Jr., De La Soul and Kathy Sledge – and also the ‘Lets Make A Record’ LP for Sister Gertrude Morgan.

In addition to these achievements, King is one of the world’s most respected remixers. He has added his unique touch to hugely diverse range of artists such from Miles Davis, The O’Jays and Curtis Mayfield through to Macy Gray, Solange, Femi Kuti and Everything But The Girl. King Britt’s remix of ‘Contemplation’ (Josh One) was nominated for the Dancestar Remix Of The Year Award and maintains its killer status upon the most discerning dance floors. King has also scored and underscored music for films, TV series and commercials (Miami Vice, Rolex, Mini, and True Blood) while in 2007 he became the first DJ to be awarded The Pew Fellowship – one of the most prestigious grants for creative arts in U.S. King is also a Creative Cultural Ambassador for his hometown of Philadelphia.

As a DJ, King Britt is hugely versatile – a chameleon behind the decks. Taking inspirations from the likes of David Mancuso, Frankie Knuckles, David Morales and Francois K, King plays right across a broad range of genres, using his experience and creativity to fit the demands of any dance floor. He has toured extensively across and throughout Europe, the U.S. and the Far East as well as rocking premier night spots throughout the world.

Most recently King Britt has just released Yesterday’s Machine by Saturn Never Sleeps, a collaboration with science fiction singer Rucyl Mill. The Saturn Never Sleeps project which incorporates, primarily, a unique live show fusing audio and visuals into a thought provoking world of sight and sound, and is also an independent record label. King has also recently produced the new Bedouin Soundclash LP, a track for the new King Sunny Ade album and a number of remixes for the likes of Preservation Hall Jazz Ensemble feat. Mos Def, Glitch Mobb, Jay Haze and Dilouya.



Mamabolo - MAMABOLO | Free Music, Tour Dates, Photos, Videos

Mamabolo is a seven piece Toronto based band created by lead singer Barbara Mamabolo. The band is comprised from members of The Main Thing (Kevin Cato, Aubrey McGee, Barbara), Z’howndz (Shelton Deverell, Benjamin Boles, Rob Stefaniuk) and Rusty and Bootsauce (waterman John Lalley). Mamabolo fuses soul and R&B music with modern synth-heavy pop and injects it with a perceptive and refined wit.

Music lover Ben LV has called Barbara “A soul diva that infuses the spirit of both Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill. She has powerfully smooth vocals that hit you like cool sun-drenched rays. The music has this jazzed-up rock-vibe, infusing elements of 70′s soul with swirly R&B rhythms.”

They have just released an amazing new album of dirty soul which is now available.



Sarah Linhares - sarahlinhares.com

Portuguese-Irish Montrealer Sarah Linhares has a passion for expressing herself through music and dance, whether she's writing, recording, mixing vocals in her 'closet' studio or taking her place on stage, she always brings it. Although Linhares is just getting started, she's no stranger to some international attention. In 2006 she released Pura Vida on PTR after an extensive artist residency in Venezuela and was eventually selected to the 2007 Red Bull Music Academy. At RBMA she worked in the studio with Om'mas Keith from SA-RAand was encouraged to keep singing by Ethiopian Jazz master Mulatu Astatke. The entire experience initiated the creative and conceptual inspiration for MFTF. In 2009 she released her first solo EP on PTR (garnering renowned academic Richard Florida as a fan), and was featured on the Cosmopolyphonic label compilation with up-and-coming Japanese beat maestro mfp in 2010.

Currently, Sarah is preparing to release Messages From The Future, her debut solo full-length ‘Future Soul’ album, in October 2011. MFTF brings you a blend of Sarah’s fresh soulful vocals and gospel-inspired harmonies with dirty electronic beats, heavy synthesizers, thick bass-lines, and 8-bit cosmic dust. The record features collaborations with several talented producers and musicians including Moonstarr, Kenlo Craqnuques, Sikh Knowledge, Think Twice, Aklimatize, Camplaix, celebrated pianist David Ryshpan, super bassist Mark Haynes, drummer Anthony Pageot and vocalists Wayne Tennant and IamBlackGirl.



GROOVE INSTITUTE United Soul - connecting your soul to the music!

GROOVE INSTITUTE are DJ members YOGI, MARK & ANAND, an organization that has been promoting and supporting soulful dance music since 1998. From their travels over the past 20+ years, they have accumulated and acquired an understanding of music that they wish to share with everyone. Their depth and knowledge of music has helped them get booked with the likes of Tony Allen, Louie Vega, Osunlade, Blaze, Tortured Soul, Bradock, Mark Farina, Jazzanova & Ron Trent, ... to name a few.

In 1995, they had their own radio show at the University of Toronto called the Groove Institute Mix Show. The show's name was subsequently used by the DJ collective to signal their mission: to educate and entertain people with the music that they loved. The collective had paid their dues travelling around the U.S. digging deep through the crates for rare old gems and immersing themselves in the underground warehouse scene of the late 80s/early 90s. They learned their lessons well and began putting their knowledge to work by establishing their premier night Solid Garage in 1998. In their quest for the perfect beat, the Groove Institute cover a wide selection of music, dropping Soul, Jazz, Latin, Afro, Disco, Garage, Techno and House into the pot for a constantly evolving musical flavor and richness .... the true garage vibe!