Press Release: It’s Carnival in Recife. It’s Mardi Gras in New Orleans. And watch out: That just may be the Devil spinning through the drunken, dancing crowd, trying to get friendly with the saint in disguise, with the diamond in the rough. The rolling drums and quicksilver accordion licks, the earthy vibe and thoughtful reflections mingle on Matuto’s latest refinement of their Appalachia-gone-Afro-Brazilian sound, The Devil and The Diamond (Motema Music; release: May 14, 2013).
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The African Folk Soul of Bongos Ikwue: Beloved Nigerian Singer-Songwriter’s First U.S. Release
The 1970’s were an extremely fertile era for music. In America, progressive soul and funk broke new ground while London spawned the punk rock scene and Kingston, Jamaica gave the world roots reggae. In Nigeria, an extraordinarily diverse and dynamic cultural scene yielded not only Fela’s Afrobeat and juju’s peak with Sunny Ade and Ebenezer Obey but also myriad rock and funk groups such as BLO and The Funkees. One of the most popular singers on the Nigeria scene at that time was Bongos Ikwue, whose personalized style of African folk and American soul music made him completely unique
Reinvent your style with Afrique-Chic!
With a new year starts a new season for spring styles. It’s time to clean house and prepare for a new you. Make a resolution to start by renovating your style with Afrique-Chic fashions.
Call (and Response) of the Heart: Puerto Rico’s Plena Libre Finds New Thrills and New Hope in Afro-Caribbean Roots on Corazón
Plena Libre, the venerable, high-energy ensemble that help put Puerto Rican roots musicon the international musical map, stays true at heart to the island’s unique plena and bomba pulse, all while flirting unabashedly and engagingly with music from across the Caribbean and Latin world. Dancing with genres from smiling merengue and Cuban songo to Latin jazz and rock, Plena Libre takes a no-holds-barred approach to tradition on Corazón (release: February 26, 2013), keeping the rhythmic core of Puerto Rican music and adding layers of complex, good-spirited brass, strings, and hard-hitting hand percussion.
Sadie Kitchen & Lounge a Hollywood scene standout
Sultry. Sexy. Sophisticated. These are the words that come to mind when describing one of L.A.’s newest and most notable eateries: Sadie. Tucked comfortably in the heart of Hollywood, Sadie is poised to give the region’s entrenched eateries a run for their money with elevated, market-fresh New American cuisine conceived by Mark Gold, Sadie’s esteemed Consulting Chef, hailing from Eva Restaurant.
Membership Has its Privileges in the Kobe & Cabernet Club
When it comes to food-and-wine pairings, American Kobe (Wagyu) beef matched with an intensely flavored Cabernet Sauvignon is nothing short of impeccable. The combination of a full bodied Cabernet with deep, concentrated flavor in combination with a fine-cut grade of this succulent, buttery beef is an exquisite epicurean experience like none other.