Nat Geo Signs Salone Superstars Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew (FREE DL)

Sierra Leonean superstars Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew have just inked a deal with Nat Geo Music, joining other greats such as Balkan Beat Box, Bedoin Soundclash, Grupo Fantasma, and Toubab Krewe on their roster. B-DEC’s highly anticipated international debut will be released later in 2012. Check out this month’s National Geographic for a small profile on the band, and download the booty-shaking ”New Style” here as Nat Geo’s song of the week. Congrats to the Dry Eye Crew!

If you need a primer on who these guys are and what they’re about, check their feature on CNN:

Video: The Roots of The Roots – ?uesto and Black Thought Find Out Their African Ancestry

With a simple DNA test people of African descent can now trace back exactly where their ancestors came from on the continent – down to the country and even the specific ethnic group. *WILD* ?uestlove and Black Thought got cheek-swabbed and now know their real roots. Does Black Thought come from the tribe he guessed? Will they go back to Africa to meet their people? Check the video for the answer, and if you wanna know your real roots as well, go to African Ancestry and order your kit.

Video shot by Kevin Ornelas, edited by Allison Swank.

 

Flash of the Spirit: Big Freedia’s Sissy Bounce & Sierra Leone Tribal

Flash of the Spirit, a new Okayafrica series, highlights instances in which elements of traditional African culture have directly informed popular African-American art, music, and aesthetics. The series is named after the book by Robert Farris Thompson.

Check out that bounce! Dayum the folk in Big Freedia‘s “Na Who Mad” clip can shake it. It reminds us of the video for Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew‘s dance anthem “Jacky Jacky,” (below) which reminds us of the traditional Mende and Temne tribal dances that the kids in the video are referencing… which reminds us of the deep cultural ties that exist between West African and African-American culture. It kinda gives us the chills. Watch above and grab a free download of Big Freedia’s club banger “Na Who Mad”!

Tribewanted Season II Begins: Anyone for Sierra Leone?

Tribewanted, the cross-cultural eco-tourism community dedicated to local development in John Obey Beach, Sierra Leone, is launching its 2nd season – and wants you to come join them. Along the pristine coastline (where you’ll swim, snorkel, drink palm wine, and bang on drums with some master musicians) you can get involved in village construction and maintenance projects, perma-culture, water harvesting, cooking, assisting at the local school and sustainability workshops. The coolest thing: building Cal-Earth “super adobe” huts, traditional wood bungalows on the lagoon, and the 1200 watts solar tower. (Ok, the really coolest thing? Goddamn that beach is beautiful, and the secret hotsprings in the lagoon.)

Check out their website for more deets and how to book your trip now. Below check the video of Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew’s impromptu fireside performance at Tribewanted last January. Read More »

The Come Again: Grap N Clap Remix

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Pupa Bajah, who is sometimes described as Sierra Leone’s contemporary Bob Marley,  got his big start with this single. “Grap N Clap” tore through post-war Sierra Leone in 2004, launching Bajah, then just a teenager, into musical stardom and giving him the moniker the “fastest rapper in Sierra Leone.” Within a few short months Bajah went from a young ruffian in the streets of Freetown to a musical  superstar. The title, which translates from Sierra Leonean Krio into  ‘stand up and clap’, is a political call-to-arms to his fellow youths.

The above remix, which samples the hit “City Life” by  Dovy Dovy and A-Klazz (then known as the Baw-Waw Society), marks the start of the official Dry Eye Crew collabo. The rest is history.

Check out the original video below with a very young versions of Bajah, Dovy, and A-Klazz.

 

Photos: OKAYSUMMER! 2011 Party Blow Out Photo Re-Cap

We hate to rub it in, but if you missed our OKAYSUMMER! Pop-Up Party this past Saturday (8/20) you slept on possibly the funnest event of the summer (and yes, I mean FUNNEST!).  With a sizzling hot cast of music makers, including Just A Band (Kenya) – with their FIRST U.S. performance (!!), Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew (Sierra Leone), DJ Gravy (Rice N Peas, LargeUp), DJ MoMa, Sinkane – pictured above (Yeasayer), Little Shalimar (Chin Chin, Reverend Vince, Big Mono), Saarid (Throne of Blood, VHS or Beta), and Jaleel Bunton (TV on the Radio) – and dumpster diving pools, girls in swimsuits, boys in Speedos, badminton, ping pong, Sangria, photo booths, fire spinning, fashion shows, and plenty of debauchery – let’s just say some of us (ahem…) are still hung over.  Two days later.  If you were there, relive the action with our stunning photo series, thanks to Lauren Silberman and The Self-Portrait Project, below – if you weren’t able to make it, these flicks will take you there.  Big up to our fam-a-lam Okayplayer and LargeUp, and our co-party-throwers The Danger and 3rd Ward.

OKAYSUMMER! photos by Lauren Silberman

 

OKAYSUMMER! photos by The Self-Portrait Project

 

NYC: The OKAYSUMMER Pop-Up Party!

Okayplayer and Okayafrica present: The OKAYSUMMER Pop-Up Party!
+ A late-summer chance to get your DRINK + DANCE + SWIM on +

Set at the brand-new, tropical-infused, paradise-like, art oasis – an ode to the Boca Raton resorts of the 1940′s – come swag out with us at The Palms this Saturday for a day and night of DJs, performances, swimming, theatrics, acts of fire, coconut cocktails, and lobster rolls.

{also: THE OFFICIAL AFTERPARTY FOR JUST A BAND’s PHENOMENAL EXHIBIT “Kudishnyao!“}

There will be the infamous dumpster pools (yes, you can swim!). There will be a massive fire performance. There will be a vintage bathing suit fashion show. There will be strip bocce and bubble gun battles. There will be synchronized swim performers. There will be liquor, dance-floors, and thoughtful hedonism. There will be MUSIC.

{also: THE OFFICIAL “WELCOME BACK DRY EYE CREW” EXTRAVAGANZA}

Can you believe this ish? We can’t.

Performances/DJ sets from: Read More »

Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew: Declaration of Boldness (via Revivalist)

Today our sister channel, jazz-inspired Revivalist, goes in-depth with our favorite Sierra Leonean pop stars, Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew – excerpt below:

Bajah and the Dry Eye Crew, a ferocious trio from Sierra Leone, who’s lyrics pack a political punch–and who’s energetic performances have involved acrobatics and other physically impressive maneuvers of that caliber–have brought their message to the U.S. in a most surprising way. Growing up during the 11 year conflict, and being eye-witnesses to the mass violence that was inflicted upon their homeland, Bajah and the Dry Eye Crew members, Bajah, Dovy Dovy, and A-Klazz still have an air of love and gratitude that they exude in their everyday lives and certainly in their music, despite living in conflict for over a decade. The Revivalist spent an afternoon at Photo Rob’s studio for a fun shoot with the guys as we picked their brains about bearing witness to war, the initial culture shock of moving to the United States, and how their music has affected change in their communities where they are hometown superstars.

Check out the full interview with the dynamic trio HERE, and also see the rest of Photo Rob’s awesome flicks!

 


VIDEO: Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew on CNN

On CNN today: Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew‘s stories of the war in Sierra Leone, their budding US career, and what one guy has to say about how good they is.

Having just arrived back from touring their homeland, DC folks can head to the Kennedy Center tonight to check them. Later this summer, they will be gracing the stage at an impressive number of UK festivals (dates after the jump). Look out this fall for their international debut album – and stay tuned for more US dates (and possibly…shhhh…their welcome back extravaganza).

Read More »

OKAYAFRICA Heads To London! Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew, FOKN BOIS, + Afrikan Boy.

Okayafrica is trekking across the pond to jolly ol’ London for an OKA Invasion!  We’ll be taking over London’s prestigious Jazz Cafe for 1 night on Thursday, July 28th, to present the UK’s 1st Okayafrica showcase featuring Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew (Sierra Leone), the FOKN BOIS (M3NSA + Wanlov The Kubolor + DJ Edu from Ghana), with special guest Afrikan Boy (Nigeria).  Shout out to our amazing partners, ARISE Magazine and Dawn Africa.  This will be a show to remember – get your tix now RIGHT HERE.

Deets:

Thursday, July 28th
JAZZ CAFE
5 Parkway, Camden Town
London, NW1
Doors 7PM