Favela on Blast - New Trailer...

Favela On Blast New Trailer from Leandro HBL on Vimeo.

So a new trailer finally surfaces; could this mean that, after a triumphant round at the film festivals, this hugely anticipated documentary about the music of the slums of Rio could at long last see a release? It's about time, the film, made by superstar DJ Wesley 'Diplo' Pentz and filmmaker Leandro HBL, was finished two years ago and has attained mythic status.
Here's hoping for a UK showing sometime soon please!

Check out lots more trailers and clips and behind the scenes tidbits here at the Vimeo page

Also loving the track they have used for this new trailer, I need it!

Leja Leja Leja!

M.I.A. ~ Born Free

More new M.I.A. material has finally surfaced, ahead of her new album in June. At first listen I was taken aback by the massive change in direction and didn't quite know what to think, but I guess that's what she was aiming for and how could I really expect anything less? Then I saw it with the video and I am currently blown away. This is some seriously amazing shit right here!
The message is quite frankly mind blowing and I am still in shock. And people think Lady Gaga is 'provocative'...!

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

It's a shame it'll never get shown on TV...

Apparently it's already been banned but it still seems to be available... I can see the Daily Mail headlines already...

Omar Souleyman

CHOON!

I have been listening to his album Folk and Pop Sounds of Syria: Dabke 2020 alot lately and need more!

Low-fi Syrian techno-pop is a bit tasty really!

Check out the amazing label Sublime Frequencies to buy his albums as well as a myriad of other amazing compilations of folk, pop, rock'n'roll and whatever else from all over Asia.

He is touring the UK very soon and I am gonna buy myself a ticket as I reckon it would be absolutely mental!

Here's his press release, give it a read and I challenge you not to be at least intrigued!

Omar Souleyman is a musical legend from Syria. For the past 15 years, he and his group have emerged as a staple of folk-pop throughout the country, having issued more than five-hundred studio and live-recorded cassette albums which are easily spotted in the shops of any Syrian city.

Hailing from the rural Northeastern city of Ras Al Ain, Souleyman began his musical career in 1994 with a small group of local collaborators that have been with him from the start. The group tirelessly performs concerts throughout Syria and has accepted invitations to perform abroad in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Lebanon.

The myriad musical traditions of the region are evident in their music, which reflect the sounds of Syia, Iraq, Turkey and the sizable Kurdish population. The moods swing from coarse and urgent to dirgy and contemplative in the rugged anthems that comprise Souleyman's repertoire. Expect the ultimate party music. Omar's superb and varied vocal stylings feature over high-octane Syrian "Dabke" (the regional folkloric dance music) and a host of other styles. Frantic Arabic keyboard solos provided by the incredible Rizan Sa'id intertwine with reeds, stringed instruments and percussion. Mahmoud Harbi, a long-time collaborator and the man responsible for much of the poetry sung by Souleyman accompanies Omar for an unforgettable onstage collaboration as they perform the Ataba, a traditional form of folk poetry, where Omar's unaccompanied freestyle "mawal" singing stands in a league of its own.

Sublime Frequencies & QuJunktions are honored to present the Western debut of Omar Souleyman and his group with this UK/European concert tour. This is a rare opportunity to glimpse into Syrian street-level folk-pop - a phenomenon seldom heard in the West in this form, and rarely, if ever, included on the import agenda of worldwide academic musical committees. Experience the genuine sounds of Syria and the Middle East without the condescending polish and shine of much exported "world beat".

Taken from his website, Click here for tour dates!