The origins of hip hop lay in traditional African storytelling, rhythmic and melodic; when The Heart Boogey Tour 2006 hits the Queen's on June 27, Nanaimo gets a taste of some of the finest the craft has to offer.
One of Toronto's latest independent label / DIY outfits, District Six Music gives its artists unique promotional opportunities. An impressive undertaking, the Heart Boogey Tour seeks to blur the lines between hip hop, jazz, and world music with South African live hip hop outfit Tumi and the Volume, Nanaimo's Zaki Ibrahim, Nigerian-born MC Isis, and Toronto's DJ Nana.
MC Tumi Molekane joins with the Volume, David Bergman (bass), Tiago Paulo (guitar), and Paulo Chibanga (drums) in a group that's played stages with the likes of Coldplay and Massive Attack.
Here each band member brings their own unique South African influences to bear and rock, dub, and jazz influences play into a unique interpretation of hip hop.
Also on the bill is 25 year old Zaki Ibrahim who splits her time between Toronto and South Africa, but notes that her heart belongs to Nanaimo.
"I spent a few years there at Wellington high school," she says, "and my mom is living there."
"My mom is my biggest inspiration. She is my everything, I owe everything to her," Ibrahim says, loving praise and admiration flowing more freely than my pen's ink.
Fresh from North by Northeast Music conference, which she admits sort of snuck up on her, she was pleased with the result: "It was a nice room, a lot of labels came out." The showcase generated a lot of press and sit-downs with both indie and major labels.
Though music has always served as a form of expression and something to use as a tool for social change, music has recently taken over her life. After five months worth of tour plans, look for a full length debut in early 2007.
Isis, an immensely talented and skillful MC out of Toronto, is also on the bill. "Isis has lots of energy and really gets the crowd into it," Ibrahim says.
DJ and innovative promoter Nana rounds out the roster for the tour. Tuesday's show will include solo performances and collaborations of all sizes.
"It'll be a combination of a few things... Everything melds together," Ibrahim says. Each night represents a one-off, something totally unique that will never be exactly duplicated.
"It's been a really fun journey," Ibrahim says. More at www.districtsixmusic.com.
- With over a decade in the trenches of the music industry, we're reasonably sure Alexandria knows what she's talking about: [email protected].