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Socaholix specializes in calypso and soca music

Felicia Kelly
Jun 15, 2018

Northrop's Music on the Plaza concert series continues Wed, Jun 20, with Socaholix. Here’s a profile of the band from publicist Felicia Kelly:

Comprised of musicians from  Africa and the Caribbean, Socaholix burst on the Minneapolis scene with the fury of a tropical hurricane in 2010. As the only live band in the Twin Cities area that plays calypso and soca music (a hybrid genre that blends soul and calypso music), they have carved out a special niche playing for community events from Elk River to the Minnesota State Fair.

Lead by Prince Jabba of Westmoreland, Jamaica, his vocal range and dynamics allow him to not only sing soca but to navigate the rhythms of roots reggae and dance hall tunes. The intense and undulating drum and bass rhythms are locked down by drummer Lance Pollonais of Trinidad and Onesmo Kibira of Tanzania, while Tony Paul peppers the holes with percussive accents. Charles “Chilly” Petrus of St. Croix bubbles on the keys while the soukous melodies of Siama Matuzigidi’s magical  guitar dance over the pulsating sounds of the Caribbean. The ensemble seamlessly weaves the various musical influences of Africa and the Caribbean into a compelling and delightful tapestry.

In 2013, TPT, Channel 2 featured two original Socaholix songs on the series MN Originals. They include the Socaholix song "Jump! Jump! Jump!" and Wave Something! In January 2018, the Socaholix graced the Verizon Live Super Bowl stage to an audience from all over the world.

The band has recently completed the recording of a five-song EP, which will be released in July.

Sawyer’s Dream guitarist: Music bridges the age gap

Erik Newman
Jun 07, 2018
Northrop's Music on the Plaza concert series kicked off Wednesday, Jun 6. The second band to perform as part of the series is Sawyer's Dream, starting at noon on Jun 13. We asked guitarist Erik Newman, a University of Minnesota graduate, to tell us about the band. Here's his reply:
 
Sawyer’s Dream is a rare band. It’s a 7-piece band that contains members who are in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. It happened that way organically, over time. Members came and went and the ones who stuck chose to because they liked the talent and the collective vibe.

As the senior member, at age 56, I feel pretty lucky to be accepted by the younger band members. I’m sure for Buster and Ryan, in their 20s, it might be a bit weird being in a band with a musical dinosaur. But I think they appreciate the knowledge that myself and Sky (also on the older side) can share. Having been in successful bands in the past, we know the work ethic and attention to detail that it takes to be successful and can show them the ropes. They however, have to put up with our weird musical references. “Who the heck are the Go Gos, Bostonand Spanky and Our Gang?” they wonder.
 
For me, it’s nice to be around young positive energy and the bright-eyed aspirations of young musicians. It keeps things fresh and fun! And our three female singers--Monique, Tina and Adrianne--are simply amazing. When the harmonies gel, it’s a real honor to be in their presence.With a talented backing band mixed in, the whole thing becomes magical!
 
All in all, Sawyer’s Dream is a strange rag-tag bunch. Different ages, different walks of life, but we share mutual respect and a common goal to be a great band. Everybody is pretty cool with each other and I think it’s symbolic of where I hope the outside world can get to--a big melting pot of people learning cooperation, developing a spirit of kindness and creating something better.
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In-Depth

Siama Matuzungidi of Siama's Congo Roots: discover what makes you happy

Dallas Johnson
May 29, 2018

Northrop's Music on the Plaza weekly noontime concert series kicks off Wed, Jun 6, featuring Siama's Congo Roots. Ahead of that first concert, we invited band member Dallas Johnson to blog about Siama Matuzungidi and his music:

In the TPT episode of Lowertown Line featuring Siama’s life and music, Siama shared his philosophy, “It’s not just singing. But if two notes, four notes can make somebody happy that is the thing I really want in my life.”

Siama grew up in rural western Democratic Repbulic Congo and remembers his childhood fondly--vividly imagining zombies animating the jungle during the night and growing up an integral part of a community that was so intertwined that decisions were made by first seeking everyone's wisdom and support. In the evenings, his family would gather on a handwoven mat to tell stories and sing together among the chirping crickets, under a canopy of stars.

This is the experience Siama conjures whenever he takes to the stage. Siama and his band invites everyone to participate by singing (in Kikongo, Lingala and Swahili), dancing and letting imaginations soar to faraway places.

Given the media’s negative portrayal of DRC it may seem incongruous that Siama and I named our new kids’ CD “The Land of Yangalele” (which means “happiness” in Kikongo) but a nation isn’t a government. A nation is its people. Siama’s mother always shared with her kids this Bakongo wisdom, “The most important thing in life is something I can’t give you. You need to discover what makes you happy because that is your gift for the world.”

Alonzo King LINES Ballet Slideshow

May 14, 2018

Learn more about Alonzo King LINES Ballet and their performance of Biophony with this slideshow that Northrop created for the dance company’s matinee performance May 2.

AKLB Matinee Final

Spotlight highlights on Alonzo King LINES Ballet

Apr 27, 2018
  • Alonzo King is the son of civil rights activist Slater King and Valencia King Nelson, a pioneer in black genealogy. His uncles, attorney C.B. King and Preston King, also are known for their civil rights work. His cousin Oona Tamsyn King was elected to Parliament in 1997 (the second black woman to achieve this status), and was selected as one of 100 Great Black Britons that year. Alonzo King says he’d “like to see politicians dancing. I’d like to see the world practicing art. Because the introspection from true art practice can’t lie.”
  • After high school, King turned down several scholarships to attend Fisk University, a black institution in Tennessee. He was tired of being the only black in all-white schools, he said.
  • After moving to San Francisco in 1982, King created his own company, Alonzo King LINES Ballet. He also developed his own choreographic style by combining the clean lines of classical ballet with non-Western spirituality and movement traditions and the use of structured improvisation.
  • In 2006, Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet formed a partnership with Dominican University of California to create the first joint Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance on the West Coast. This is the only BFA offered in the U.S. that is led by an active master choreographer.
  • The first piece on the May 1 program at Northrop premiered in November 2015. The Propelled Heart, pays tribute to the power of song. Grammy Award-winning singer Lisa Fischer, who was a former back-up artist for Aretha Franklin. On stage, 12 dancers channel Fischer’s inspiration and explore the kinetics of the human voice and the communicative potential of the body as an instrument.
  • The second piece in Northrop’s performance, Biophony, also premiered in 2015 (in April). It studies the sounds in various biomes and expands on those through dance. Called "riveting" by the San Francisco Chronicle, Biophony was created in partnership with natural soundscape artist Bernie Krause and composer Richard Blackford. Alonzo King and Bernie Krause discussed their collaborative process with KQED's Scott Shafer.
  • For almost 50 years, Krause traveled across the globe to gather sounds of the earth and its creatures. From the rainforests of Borneo to a waterhole in Kenya, from the Alaskan tundra to a meadow high in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Krause’s recordings carry imprints of habitats in peril. Krause explained that while recording chimpanzees at Gombe, Jane Goodall’s Tanzanian research site, he and a colleague came upon a low-lying bush filled with a swarm of African bees, which he describes as one of the most important organisms in a healthy ecosystem. Jane Goodall spoke at Northrop March 23 in a program titled “Tomorrow and Beyond: An Evening with Jane Goodall.”
  • Movement 7 of Biophony is titled A Gift of Bees. The University of Minnesota Bee Squad will be at Northrop for the May 1 performance to discuss beekeeping and offer limited honey tastings.

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