Play It Again Sameer: At Festival de Casablanca
With festival officials estimating 65,000 cramming into Scène Corniche El Hank to witness hip-hop artist 50 Cent’s first Moroccan visit, I was not particularly shocked to later hear that that number was bumped to 100,000. 50 himself tweeted 200,000. I suppose from the vantage point of the stage, with the endless swarm of raised fists and ‘I Love 50 Cent’ posters, 65k could be two million without much thought. With a reported 70% of Casablancans being under the age of 30, American rappers easily usurp religious icons in a country that is commendably evolving socially, politically and musically. America has much to learn from the progressive kingship and open-minded populace of this nation. I was…
Wanderlust Flow Playlist
Here is the list with download links for each song from my most recent mixtape, ‘Wanderlust Flow.’ 1. Straight Upfront – Djosos Krost 2. Combination (Voltergeist Remix) – Jali Bakary Konteh 3. Divers (The Funky Lowlives’ Low Immersion Dub) – Boozoo Bajou 4. Focus on Sight – Thievery Corporation 5. La Boquilla (Julius Sylvest vs. Copia Doble “Bounce” Remix) – Bomba Estéreo 6. Cumbion Mountain (Cico Sonido & Toy Selecta) – Up, Bustle & Out 7. Cumbia Inferno (Toti & Andy Loop Fat Beat Remix) – La Troba Kung-Fú 8. La Inconformable (Original Mix) – The Binary Cumbia Orchestra 9. Cinammon Girl in the Sun – [dunkelbunt] (feat. Boban I Marko Markovic Orkestar) 10. Gazal…
Global Beat Fusion: Thievery’s Rastas and Austin’s Latin Soul
Years ago a friend in DC passed along a four-song EP by two Rastas best known as the bouncing hype men of Thievery Corporation. They wore white pants and black jackets with puffy fedoras while wielding canes, throwing off accessories in pure lion-dreaded fury as the show’s energy rises. They were Flavor Flav’s ravings to Chuck D’s social polarizing. Oftentimes their rants would amount to little more than pan-biblical theologizing with affirmative grunts to Jah. The EP pretty much sounded like the two Thievery guys trying to break out, the way Phil Collins (though not Peter Gabriel) broke out of Genesis, the way Robert Plant broke clean from Led Zeppelin, the way Hi-Tek produced records…
Words
Soaking Up Argan Oil in Casablanca
The first time I was in Morocco three years ago, I was repeatedly told to hit up a hammam. More commonly known as “Turkish baths,” there are many different takes on what exactly constitutes a hammam. Friends suggested finding a “real” one in Fes’s medina. A few attempts ended poorly. Every time I showed up, I was told that it was the women’s hour, to come back in 15 minutes. No, an hour. Wait, try midnight. Better yet, tomorrow. My trio of confused and slightly irritated journalists ended up taking a two-hour drive through the desert to a new super hammam on a mountainside. For roughly $40, I sat in a “whirlpool” for 15 minutes…
The God of My Friends & I
His name is Ricky. He’s eighteen, has a two-year-old daughter and is homeless. That’s the story he tells on the 6 train. I’ve seen him a few times, which is why his story comes easy. The reality is that you don’t find too many teens begging in the underground. On streets, yes, often with scraggly dogs and flipping through torn paperback books. I’m no saint: sometimes I hand over a dollar, others I ignore it. Those of you who ride the subway daily know what I mean: the asking is overwhelming and continuous. Ricky stands out in my mind for a reason, though. Last time I saw Ricky I did hand over a dollar, and…
Postures
The Fear of Inversions (Among Other Things)
Undoubtedly one of the most anxiety-inducing moments in a yoga class is when the instructor calls out an inversion. For some students, it’s the perfect time to do a number of things, all of which have nothing to do with the pose: run to the bathroom, look at the clock, go to child’s pose, play with their toes. These habits are somewhat understandable, given that our bipedal nature has inclined us towards favoring our feet, not our hands, forearms or head for such a demanding display of stability. The physical act of turning things upside down is not as interesting to me as the emotional conflicts that arise from it. In my classes last week,…
Liquid Yoga: Paddleboarding on the Hudson River
Walking north along the newly constructed park above Chelsea Piers, I peered across the Hudson River to spot something odd and rather epic. A swirl of grey clouds churned above the boisterous waters as cruise ships, sailboats and tourist traps skimmed the waves. In the midst of rush hour traffic, a man with a paddle skipped across the waters, dodging boats while navigating the rough sea. As they say, it’s all about the entrance you make. Little did I know that when Seth said he’d meet me at Manhattan Kayak Company, he would paddleboard across to do it. Launching from the shore outside of his Hoboken apartment building, even Carey, who works for the kayaker,…