Category Archives: Musicians

Musician in NY: Tomas Doncker – his love and support for Ethiopian music and culture

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Last night I went to see my buddy’s show who introduced me after his show to the guitarist and “Global Soul Artist” producer Tomás Doncker.
Chatting with him I found out that he lived in Tokyo for a while working with the Japanese jazz musician Masabumi Kikuchi, that he loves Ethiopian music like I do, and that he collaborated with producer and musician Bill Laswell on his new CD. I have been knowing Bill Laswell for three decades. I met him for the first time in Osaka (Japan) in the mid seventies when he played with Toshinori Kondo (trumpet), Peter Kowald (bass), Hano Koji on drums. At that time I couldn’t imagine that Bill would become as a producer and musician an icon of dub and world music. His Ethiopian wife Gigi (read post below) whom I’m a fan of is also appearing on Doncker’s CD.

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American-Iranian sax player feature: Hafez Modirzadeh – creating a different kind of Jazz

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Being myself an Iranian I’ve been always looking for Iranian or American-Iranian musicians living and playing here in the States. Iranian musicians who either don’t play the LA type of “Iranian Pop music” nor Persian classical music, but a kind of music which is contemporary and original. One of them I found out is the Iranian-American composer, saxophonist, theorist and educator Hafez Modirzadeh who lives and teaches  in LA. Unfortunately since coming to New York I haven’t have the chance to meet him. In fact I missed two of his New York concerts in the last two years due to my own music commitments.

The first time I heard of Modirzadeh was about ten years ago, when I still lived in Tokyo. A Japanese jazz journalist surprised me with a cassette of Modirzadeh’s music which sounded “oriental jazzy,” very cool and original.  I was impressed by what I heard. At that time I didn’t understand what he was playing. Today I know: he played “chromodal” which is a a cross-cultural musical concept and music style, developed from his own American jazz and Iranian dastgah heritages.

But I liked his music and the tone of his tenor sax. Last spring with the release of my CD SoSaLa Nu World Trash I used this occasion to mail Modirzadeh and introduce myself. He responded to my mail shortly writing:

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Seven Decades of Jimi Hendrix (A fictional account of the 70th birthday of Jimi Hendrix – had he lived to see it).

Text by Dawoud Kringle

Madison Square Garden, on the cold, rainy night of November 27th, 2012, Thousands filled every inch of the venue, and hundreds more stood outside and in Time Square, gathered around the enormous video screens and speakers that, after months of haggling with Mayor Bloomberg, were permitted to be set up. Major networks, live internet streaming throughout the world, and the unprecedented use of 3D hologram imaging simulcast live in Paris, London, Tokyo, Moscow, Dubai, and the Mayan ruins in Chichin Itzu, Mexicio carried the event. Millions waited with anticipation for what promised to be a defining musical moment.

On that night, the world celebrated the 70th birthday of one of the greatest musicians of our age, Jimi Hendrix.

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iPhone interview: M.A.K.U. SoundSystem Colombia’s nu voice!

Interview by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

This year, the energy will reach new heights with the newest voice on the world stage, M.A.K.U.SoundSystem (featured at NY’s globalFEST 2011). They are one of my favorite bands of this year. Their driving rhythms are grounded in Afro- Colombian traditions and their gaitas come from Colombia’s indigenous heritage (like their name), as they present their music with the freedom of young Colombians hailing from urban Queens.

I interviewed them backstage for the second time after their show at the Encounter NYC Colombian Music Festival at Le Poisson Rouge, November 10, 2012. (First interview here.)

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Recommended Event: Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance

Tickets for the Friday and Saturday performances by the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra of Falafel, Freilach, & Frijoles: From Mambo to Borscht will be at the box office of Symphony Space. The box office opens at 1pm on both days. Symphony Space is located at 95th Street and Broadway in Manhattan.

If you would like to attend please go to the box office and request a ticket. There will be assigned seating and everyone must have a ticket.

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