Monthly Archives: June 2012

Iranian alternative rock bands moving out from Iran: Yellow Dogs and 127 in NY!!!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi!

Two things happened recently which made me write today’s post: first of all last Saturday at the “Celebrate Brooklyn” music festival I happen to meet the Iranian trombone player Salmak Khaledi who’s a member of the Iranian band 127, which is one of the first Iranian rock bands that toured the USA. (Their music is a mixture of rock, jazz and Iranian melodies.) We talked about our bands and about being a musician here and in present Iran.

And three days ago I got an email from a music colleague and friend Lukas Liget asking me whether I have heard of the Iranian band Yellow Dogs. First I thought that I didn’t know them but then I remembered that they were one of the Iranian band featured in the Iranian movie No One Knows About Persian Cats which DooBeeDoo featured some time ago.

Because Iran seems to be so far away from NY, people here think that there’s no no pop music, no indie rock, no club music…no techno, hip hop…even no Jazz. Not at all, there’s been a thriving underground music scene in Tehran for more than ten years!

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Concert review: Afrocubism Celebrates Brooklyn!

Date: June 9, 2012
Venue: Prospect Park /Bandshell (Brooklyn, NY)

Review by Augusta Palmer

Though the weather forecast threatened a downpour, the skies miraculously cleared just as the opening act, Alsarah and the Nubatones, took the stage at Prospect Park last Saturday for the second show in the 2012 Celebrate Brooklyn Season. Alsarah is a Sudanese-born singer, songwriter, and ethnomusicologist with a gorgeous, velvet- toned voice. Alsarah and the Nubatones played a selection of Nubian “songs of return” from the 1970s as well as original material and traditional music from central Sudan. The band, which also includes Karine Fleurima on vocals, Haig Manoukian on oud, Rami El Aasser on percussion, and Mawuena Kodjovi on bass, got the crowd moving with their beautiful vocal duets, lyrical oud, and infectious beat.

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Short Film: Leo Rabkin’s “nugatory divagations” transforming ordinary materials into something different.

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

A couple of days ago Augusta Palmer mailed a new video of hers which she wants to share with the DooBeeDoo readers around the world.

Hey Sohrab,

I just made this short piece inspired by the work of a great 92 year-old artist, Leo Rabkin.
Share it far & wide if you like it. I want to get the word out that Leo (who made the great boxes in the film), has a show at Luise Ross Gallery. I don’t know whether you’ll like it, but the music is by a good friend, Greg Karnilaw…

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Congrats…Grammys Restore Best Latin Jazz Album Award!!!!…Occupy Grammys?

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Last year this award was not presented in 2012 due to a an overhaul of Grammy categories. Latin Jazz recordings were shifted to either the Best Jazz Instrumental Album or Best Jazz Vocal Album categories. Because of strong protests and a lawsuit made by Latin jazz musicians led by Bobby Sanabria the Recording Academy announced a couple of days ago to bring this category back for next year’s Grammy Awards.

Once again: DooBeeDoo congratulates Bobby Sanabria for his fight and efforts in the victory for the reinstatement of the Best Latin Jazz Album Grammy Award!

 

Music listings – 6/11 through 6/17

1. VISION FESTIVAL 17

Date: Monday, June 11, 2012 through Sunday, June 17, 2012
Main venue: The Roulette (Brooklyn, NY)

The Vision Festival, which was initiated by dancer and choreographer Patricia Nicholson Parker in 1996, has established itself as one of the world’s top festival of experimental music, free jazz/avant-garde jazz, art, film and dance. It is run under the tutelage of Arts For Art, Inc. (AFA).

Inspired by the 1984 and ’88 Sound Unity Festivals, it was a direct out growth of the  Improvisers Collective 1994 and ’95. Every year this festival is held  in New York City  in June. Members of the board of directors include following people.

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