Konono No.1 win Grammy, tour Europe
The award for "Best Pop Collaboration" went to 'Imagine' by Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Konono No.1, Seal, Jeff Beck & Oumou SangareAfter being nominated for a Grammy with the "Live at Couleur Café" album (2007), Konono No.1 have just won an award with this track excerpted from Herbie Hancock's latest album, "The Imagine Project", on which the jazz luminary invited artists from various parts of the world to collaborate. See the video here.
The other contenders in the "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals" (category 8) included tracks featuring Eminem, Elton John & Leon Russel, Lady Gaga & Beyoncé, Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg.
Totally surreal, isn't it ?....
Konono No.1 are now embarking upon a European tour which starts on Feb.23 in Prague and ends on March 25 in Bergen (NO), after visiting Germany, France, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands. See the dates here.
Konono will then be working on the "Congotronics vs Rockers" live project, the superband also featuring Deerhoof, Kasai Allstars, Juana Molina, Wildbirds & Peacedrums and Skeletons, which will perform at major festivals and venues around Europe and Japan in May, June & July 2011.
HOQUETS find a home at Crammed Discs
From the wood shop to the record store, Crammed welcomes Hoquets to the label !From their workshop in Brussels, Belgium, we are proud to introduce you to HOQUETS. Strongly influenced by our Congotronics groups and their instruments made out of recuperated materials, the members of HOQUETS use a similar attitude: this trio exclusively play with instruments that they invent & construct out of wooden boards, broken strings, tin cans, etc. They play music which is at times strange, overflowing with energy, and like no other: inspired by indie pop, punk, funk & their use of unusual instruments, this music is both without precedent & strangely familiar at the same time.
Their debut album is scheduled to be released early this April.
Special Holiday offer to launch 30 years of Crammed Discs
Buy one cd album & get one cd album for free. And that is just the beginning !The end of the year is a great moment to share your favorite music with friends & family.
To make this easier, we at Crammed Discs are happy to share with you this special offer:
Buy one cd album & get one cd album for free.
If that is not enough, here is an added bonus:
As we begin to celebrate our 30th year in 2011, we would like to give a present to you:
If you buy two albums * (+ one album for free!), we will give you a surprise disc,
one of our golden moments from the Crammed Discs catalogue.
This offer ends January 31st.
So here's to you and yours: Happy Holidays !
The Crammed Family
Band of Gypsies: Live in Brussels 12/12!
Sometimes we document history, sometimes we make history.
Taraf de Haïdouks, the wildest of all Balkan Gypsy bands, celebrate their 20th anniversary by getting together once again with mighty, funky Macedonian brass band Koçani Orkestar for a new "Band Of Gypsies" show: an irresistibly festive extravaganza which will see the two bands play TOGETHER and combine music from all over the Balkans and Turkey.
Just like the Taraf's original "Band of Gypsies" (which was recorded exactly 10 years ago in Bucharest and became their milestone album), this very special show will be recorded, filmed and released on CD in the Spring of 2011. This concert will be the premiere of a new series of BAND OF GYPSIES show around the world.
DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS HISTORIC EVENT!
12/12 BRUSSELS - ANCIENNE BELGIQUE 8pm
Tradi-Mods vs Rockers: Tickling Ears & Taking Names
A fervent buzz has erupted around the release of "Tradi-Mods vs Rockers: Alternative Takes on Congotronics"First there were rumors, and then these turned out to be true!
"Tradi-Mods vs Rockers: Alternative Takes on Congotronics" is cauzing a "Buzz'n'Rumble" in many urban and digital jungles. We are pleased to report that "Hoy Supe Que Viajas” from Juana Molina Vs. Kasai Allstars will be featured as the daily download: Today’s Top Tune on the radio station KCRW's site this coming Monday the 29th of November.
In addition the 2xCD will be featured as the "Album of the Month" in the top British music magazine "MOJO".
BBB Back in EUROPE !
That's right, they're BBBack ! With concerts and a new video !
They are also finalizing an amazing music video for "Move It", the trademark track from their last album Blue Eyed Black Boy.
SECOUSSE African Dance Music Anthems - LAUNCH PARTIES!
Join us at the launch parties at Club Secousse wherever you are in Europe (click to see the dates)05/11/2010 GB London Notting Hill Arts Club - featuring JUSA DEMENTOR
11/11/2010 FR Paris Le Divan du Monde
19/11/2010 DE Cologne Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld
22/11/2010 FR Paris La Bellevilloise
Cibelle's massive installation for Melissa Shoes
Cibelle has been asked by Melissa, the well-known Brazilian shoe brand, to collaborate on a special limited edition shoe called Sapato Azul ("Blue Shoe"), after Cibelle's song from her last album "Las Venus Resort Palace Hotel".Cibelle has shot a wild video and prepared a huge installation for the Melissa art gallery in São Paulo, to be launched on October 19th in São Paulo!
The installation will give life to some of the imaginary "Products For A Better Life" created by Cibelle's doppelganger Sonja Khalecallon, in the parallel universe of the Las Venus Resort Palace Hotel…
(as scifi novelist Bruce Sterling recently wrote on the WIRED blog: "When you’re a diva like Cibelle, and you’ve got a scifi nutcase apocalyptic diva as your avatar, man, that sure fertilizes your eccentricity. It’s like Bowie doing Ziggy Stardust.").
Here's a shot from the video (to be viewed here soon):
"BENDA BILILI", the feature film about STAFF BENDA BILILI, out in cinemas now!
In France and several European countries!
After the amazing success encountered at the Cannes Film Festival, the film "BENDA BILILI", by Renaud Barret & Florent de la Tullaye, is officially released in France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and soon in Belgium and Greece.
So far, the media's response is fantastic!
UK and Germany will release the film in Spring 2011, when Staff Benda Bilili will be back on tour in Europe.
Staff Benda Bilili are catching a bit of rest with their families back in Kinshasa, and are getting ready for an extensive tour of Japan starting September 25th!
More news on these exciting events soon!
Pitchfork announces: MEGAFAUN does LOMAX at DUKE
Americana-folk warriors MEGAFAUN, have been chosen to curate, perform, and record songs/interpretations of Alan Lomax's classic recordings "Songs of the South" at Duke University this September.Invited guests feature Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten and jazz big band Fight the Big Bull, more details are posted here on Pitchfork.
MEGAFAUN are currently supporting their new mini-album Heretofore.
They wrap up their European tour with three dates in the Netherlands and two in England: Concert details here !
Their appearance at Green Man (including a duet with Tallest Man On Earth, which can be seen here ) is rumoured to have been one of the highlights of the festival.
