DIPLO TO RELEASE DIRECTORIAL FILM DEBUT, “FAVELA ON BLAST
Favela on Blast, the directorial film debut from Grammy-nominated DJ and producer, Diplo, and his partner Leandro HBL, documents a vibrant and innovative musical subculture that has emerged in Brazil’s impoverished slums, known as favelas. Well beneath the radar of mainstream society for the last 20 years, they have their own language, style and heroes. Their music and culture have gone mostly unnoticed outside of South America until now. Favela on Blast captures the rarely seen stories of MC’s, DJ’s, dancers, and cultural producers through the eyes of Diplo and Brazilian filmmaker Leandro HBL, with memorable appearances from funk superstars Deize, Tigrona, Mr. Catra, and Duda Do Borell.
Favela on Blast documents the culture surrounding “Funk Carioca,” a musical rhythm that mixes the American electronic funk of the 1980′s with the most diverse influences of Brazilian music. It is one of the most interesting musical movements in the world and it comes from one of the most violent and poorest places too: the slums of Rio de Janeiro. Bombastic rhythms coming from the Miami Bass and loops and samples are united to powerful rap vocals using Brazilian slang. This music is designed to be listened to as loud as possible and with high bass pumping through the tropical nights of Rio. The heroes are the creators- the musicians. Their pace is set between colossal street parties; propped with rudimentary sound-systems, warring drug factions, and an eerily tense city where the Police and societies elite have the upper hand until it comes to their musical culture, always Brazil’s heart and nation’s identity.
Favela On Blast – Official Trailer from Mad Decent on Vimeo.
5 MINUTE STUDENT FILM ON MMA ban in Ontario
Ontario, Bringing the fight home from Carlos Duran on Vimeo.
TWO TURNTABLES AND A MICROPHONE – Coming to DVD December 1st
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Run-DMC’s Debut
Synopsis: October 30, 2002 – Legendary hip-hop DJ Jason Mizell, aka Jam Master Jay, is gunned down in his Queens studio. Security tapes of the incident mysteriously disappear, the five witnesses are uncooperative and no one is talking…until now. 2 TURNTABLES AND A MICROPHONE documents the investigation of the unsolved murder of Jam Master Jay, RUN DMC’s groundbreaking DJ and producer, deftly revealing the history of hip-hop and mainstream rap along the way. Exclusive, candid interviews with Jay-Z, Russell Simmons, RUN-DMC and more offer insight into Jam Master Jay’s life – including information that could finally help police solve the murder that shook the music world to its core.
Rock Steady The Roots of Reggae Doc trailer
MARCIA GRIFFITHS WITH KEN
BOOTHE, STRANGER COLE, HOPETON
LEWIS, LEROY SIBBLES, JUDY MOWATT,
THE TAMLINS AND MORE AT THE
GENERAL MOTORS STAGE (PLACE DES
FESTIVALS) ON TUESDAY, JULY 7, 9 P.M.,
FREE. ROCKSTEADY: THE ROOTS OF
REGGAE SCREENS AT MUSÉE D’ART
CONTEMPORAIN, SATURDAY, JULY 4
TO SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2 P.M., 4 P.M.,
7 P.M. AND 9 P.M., $12
OG Stacy Peralta on his thirty year relationship with Vans
By Duane “Sweets” Watson
STACY PERALTA, director/ skateboarder/surfer, Z-Boys
What were your favourite sneakers of all-time? Vans, without a doubt. I still wear them and will probably wear them for my whole life.
What is it with you and Vans? It’s just like heritage, it’s where I’m from it’s who I am. I was the very first skateboarder in the world to be paid by a shoe company. I was one of the very first kids to get a shoe sponsorship, but I was the first to ever be paid to wear shoes: $300 per month, which back then seemed like a lot, but now it’s nothing.
Vans were the sneakers of choice? They were the only choice. There was no such thing as a skateboard shoe back then. It didn’t exist. Now, it’s just a way to make money off people. It’s not like anyone re-invents, they just put a different logo on it, maybe put the stripes in a different direction. But it’s all the same stuff made in China. The revolution is pretty amazing in that people are dressing their feet in an artistic manner now.