Zion ina . . . Zion

Much too much delay, but my trip to Israel merits comment all the same. Some might be affiliated with the vast cottage industry of Taglit-Birthright, whose main goal, according to friends who have gone, is to convince you to make aliyah (right of return -- instant Israeli citizenship for all Jews worldwide). I had the fortune of attending a similar (in the sense of free) trip, that thankfully wasn't so ideologically driven. The politics are inescapable and I want to get to them, but first I need to share some of my Mesopatamian soundtrack.

Hip-hop may get the lionzion's share of the credit for having gone global, but it's (older) brother-from-another-mother has definitely gone a global too. It was not too much of a surprise, then, to find Jewish reggae that decidedly isn't black-Jew-face. Instead, they had the imprimatur of Sabbo Ronen of the Soulico Crew (check out their mix of Israeli party beats), who happened to be behind the counter of a record store I hit up in Tel Aviv -- and part of the same crew as DJ C's friend Itai, the one who hooked him up with B-more ina Jerusalem a few summers back, although I unfortunately didn't have the same opportunity given my tight schedule. Small, small beat-friendly world, it is.

Ex-Centric Sound System - Blessed Love (ft. Richi Bless)

"This one have African paws innit, this one have Nubian paws innit, this one comin at you from Israel! This one is straight from anywhere all over the world."


Eccentric, like Israelis gone a foreign? Ex-centric like Jamaica as point of reference, not that omphalos at the center of it all? Jerusalem Syndrome--Messiahs--Haile Selassie--Ethiopia--Operation Solomon?

Ex-Centric Sound System - Wildest Dub (Solomon's Dub)

"I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broadways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not." (Song of Solomon, 3:2)

LES no estilo FUNK CARIOCA

Sporadic event announcement appear to be Beat Diaspora's life support strategy as of late. Not a very thrilling one, I admit, but a good a time as any to announce that the tickets have been booked and I'll be back in Rio for round two during July and August. With another South American winter criss-crossing the fair green hills of Rio, I promise some serious eyes&ears to the ground. Hold tight, hold tight.

and if you're in the big NYC, drop by the LES for some FUNK. wednesday night, supposedly sweet little spot called Baraza. the night's called Liberation Sound and the rez DJ is a big fan of Brasil-JA connections. I told him to cop MPC's baile-dancehall mixtape and you should too (big ups to Maga Bo for spreading the Rio love worldwide). honestly, we should probably just put that on repeat and call it a night. but expect some Brasil riddims to keep the hip-hop paulista sounding fresh and dub out the harsher ends of the booty bass spectrum.


p.s. debuting "GRS-One" after several other failed iterations. clever or just as bad as what elvis did to chuck berry?