Category Archives: NY Musicians

Ejigayehu “Gigi” Shibabaw – Ethiopian soul at its very finest!

Ejigayehu “Gigi” Shibabaw, or Gigi as she is popularly known, is one of the most successful contemporary Ethiopian singers worldwide. Coming from an ancient tradition of song originating in the Ethiopian Church, she has brought the music of Ethiopia to wider appreciation and developed it in combination with a wide variety of styles.

More about Gigi

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Dafnis Prieto – possessing awesome virtuosity and astonishing versatility!

Dafnis Prieto Drummer / Composer

His arrival in the U.S. has been compared by to that of an asteroid hitting New York. Indeed, within a short period of time Dafnis Prieto’s revolutionary drumming techniques had a powerful impact on both the Latin and jazz music scene, locally and internationally. Having studied at the school of Fine Arts in Santa Clara as a youngster and later at the National School of Music in Havana, Prieto obtained a thorough classical education while broadening his knowledge of Afro-Cuban music, jazz and world music outside of the academy.
He first toured Europe with pianists Carlos Maza and Ramon Valle and the groundbreaking group “Columna B.” A resident of New York since only 1999, he has already played in bands led by Henry Threadgill, Steve Coleman, Eddie Palmieri, Chico and Arturo O’Farrill, Dave Samuels & The Caribbean Jazz Project, Jane Bunnett, D.D. Jackson, Edward Simon, Michel Camilo, Chucho Valdez, Claudia Acuña, Roy Hargrove, Don Byron, and Andrew Hill, among others.

As a composer , he has created music for dance, film, chamber ensembles, and most notably for his own bands, ranging from duets to his “Small Big Band” and including the distinctively different groups featured on his three acclaimed recordings as a leader, “About The Monks,” Dafnis Prieto “Absolute Quintet” and Dafnis Prieto Sextet “Taking the Soul for a Walk”. He has received new works commissions, grants, and fellowships from Chamber Music America, Jazz at Lincoln Center, East Carolina University, and Meet the Composer. Various awards include “Up & Coming Musician of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2006, a Grammy Award Nomination for ”Absolute Quintet” as Best Latin Jazz Album, and a Latin Grammy Nomination for “Best New Artist” in 2007. He also composed the Title track for the Grammy Winner Album “Song for Chico” by Arturo O’Farril and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra in 2008.

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TriBeCaStan (Folklorkestra) – they took folk melodies from around the world and improvised on them!

John Kruth & Jeff Greene (photo by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi)

TriBeCastan's John Kruth & Jeff Greene (photo by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi)

Rock Paper Scissors, Inc. and the oligarchy of TriBeCaStan hosted a reception for APAP presenters and booking agents and DBDBD were invited. The TriBeCaStani cultural attaché made available his personal 5 Star Cave for the event and served a lavish spread of complimentary food and drink. This was one of those once in a lifetime events where the locale, vibe, and company are just right. Displaying the indigenous cultural splendor of TriBeCaStan was the TriBeCaStani Folklorkestra.

When: January 8, 2010/ 5:30 – 7:30+

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TriBekastan’s John & Jeff live @ WBAI – 99.5 FM this morning at 7 AM!

TRIBIKESTAN (photo by Doron Gild)

TRIBIKESTAN (photo by Doron Gild)

Early this morning when mostly all people were sleeping TriBecastan’s John & Jeff joined the Nuyorican Sufi Conga thumpin’ DJ,film maker, teacher Ibrahim Gonzalez on New Year’s Day WBAI – 99.5 FM this morning at 7 AM!
They talked live, played a couple “strange” instruments and preview TriBecastan’s soon-to-be released second album 5 Star Cave. Featuring guest performances by Al Kooper, Steve Turre, Badal Roy, Charlie Burnham, DeanBowman & Samantha Parton.

Listen to the show here.

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