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What is it about the Yorubas?Whether you live in North America,Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Trinidad or the UK.
Creatively the Yoruba spirit if you like touches everywhere. Or Am I in a massive state of projection and insecurity!!!I hear them in the Guaguanco from Matanzas. The Surdos of Olodum. The Batas of Batacumbele. I could hear them in the wail of Coltrane and the wit of Bird.You know I am and always have been a major jazz head. The jazz in the Yoruba language is also the language I hear in jazz.
How comes no one else can?Every Thursdsay,Friday, Saturday night I and my crew would traverse London hitting the funkiest clubs of the 80’s: Studio 21’s,The WAG, Crackers, Spats, Maze in Soho, Global Village - now I’m really going back!
These were the places where the ’CATS’ would go and not just hang out and listen to the new imports from the US,but ’shake a leg’ hard!Exchanging moves,competing to see who the baddest CAT for the night was!It was ritual baby believe!!!I watched many a Coltrane, Miles, Dizzy, Bird, The Prez get down hard to the sounds of Ozone,Earth Wind and Fire, Funkadelic, Maze, The Whatnauts, Fatback band ,Breakwater, Side Effect, The LA Boppers.These places were for the initiated dudes!!This is where my musical education was embodied,consolidated.I could always hear AFRICA in everything. I could feel her presence in the grooves,in the melodies. The harmonies took me somewhere else. Bach, Beethoven,Debussey,Rameau.For now,I’m feeling that irresistible pull towards the drummers, the founders of the groove.
Ayinla Kollinton and his troupe,Fela Anikulapo Kuti and his substantial groove machine, Giovanni Hidalgo and his masterful hands. THe spirit of Miguel ’Anga’ Diaz,what power!!
Tata Guines the godfather, Alhaji Peri Fatayi Isola the seducer on Sakara.We are searching for that vibration that resonates with our souls. Like the Buddhists who try to summon the power, the voices that seek liberating abandon,without the aid of chemical substances, through the mind and body bro!!!Prepare to look,listen ,feel a little more than before.Where are we at peeps?
