Ottawa’s Afro-beat secret

Opened the mail this morning and was happy to see that I’d finally received a full LP from Ottawa’s Souljazz Orchestra. Freedom No Go Die, released on Toronto imprint Do Right Music, has been turning a lot of heads thanks to some strong polyrhythmic arrangements and the combo of jazz, funk, African and Latin music expressed by this capable band. When I first heard about these guys, I was certain that whoever it was had made a mistake claiming that this band was from Canada, but it was me who was wrong, and further investigation revealed that they could indeed play. The first track on the disc, “Mr. President,” was voted an impressive ninth-place track of the year on Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide All Winners end-of-year show on BBC Radio One. Not a bad start. Keep your eyes peeled, as it probably won’t be long before this Ottawa crew makes its way to a Montreal stage near you.

Turntable gladiators return to the fray this month with the return of the MUDJ Battle at les Saints on Thursday, March 1. The event, called Unleashed V… Genesis, features a clash of the titans, with Hurricane (aka Skratch Bastid) going up against the Italian Stallion (aka Manspino) for all the cookies. No disrespect to Manspino, but the Bastid is a piece of work, and will probably come ready to brawl. Good thing this semi-charity event will be donating $2 from each head through the door to the Montreal Association for the Intellectually Handicapped, because this could get messy.

I checked out Zaki Ibrahim and Moka Only the other night at Club Soda, where Zaki was left to sing her heart out to a lukewarm audience who were hard-pressed to return the energy that she was throwing out there. Moka Only arrived on stage quite late in the game, when most of the place had emptied out, to be exact, but somehow managed to rally the remaining 50-odd people out of their seats and up to the front. He eased his way through a mostly freestyled set, looking like it was something he could do in his sleep, making the absolute best out of a strange situation.

Seven reasons I’m finally going to Colorado:
1. The Souljazz Orchestra Freedom No Go Die (Do Right)
2. J Sands & J Dilla Mrs. Sands (CDR)
3. AG “Hip Hop Quotable” (Look)
4. Various Si, Para Usted: The Funky Beats of Revolutionary Cuba (Waxing Deep)
5. Stark Reality “Comrades & Dreams” Wolf’s ST101 mix (Stones Throw)
6. TTC “Travailler” (Big Dada)
7. Mogwai “Travel Is Dangerous” (Matador)

If I only had the chance, I’D probably take it… fathead@videotron.ca