post by Nt De
Some of the ladies of Gypsy Soul and TheSoulcialista made their way to LA for GRAMMY Week and while there made some great musical discoveries.
Coming from seven degree weather I wasn't feeling too hot, but my cold was not going to keep me
away from experiencing what I could of GRAMMY's weekend and bring it back to
share with you. There were a few parties I was to attend but the need to rest
and recuperate outweighed my desire to mix and mingle. Instead I made the wise
decision to sit them out for the sake of saving some others from catching my
cold. Nevertheless, after rest and recovery the crew and I got out and did what we
do best and covered one of the hottest tickets in town.
Gypsy Soul & TheSoulcialista founder Gypsy posing in front of the Moja Moja step and repeat
The event? The 6th Annual Moja Moja Brunch and Benefit Concert
One of the best ways to get to experience
international talent and sometimes lesser known GRAMMY nominees in an intimate setting is the Moja
Moja Brunch. This event supports Oxfam America and is the premiere charity
event of the weekend.
The venue? Avalon Hollywood
The venue changes each year and
keeps supporters and talent fresh. This year’s Avalon Hollywood gave supporters
a venue as intimate and dynamic as one could hope for when attending a
fundraiser of this caliber. The historic venue was remodeled in 2002 and has a
sound system(s) with the capability to turn the most passive of music lovers into a musical
connoisseurs. The concert floor was difficult navigate with all of the tables
but it intimate is what intimate does. Or something like that.
NT with The Kin
The atmosphere? Music lovers and philanthropists filled the space of this
come as you are event. The most important thing to know and like about LA is
that Hollywood accepts you no matter what you wear. Just ask Pharrell and his
GRAMMY's night hat. Jeans and sneakers, suit and tie, cocktail dresses or jumpers, everyone was comfortable in their own skin.
Irene Diaz
The music? Some were good, others were great, and some were
painfully wonderful to listen to. The highlights from the afternoon were the TheKin, Boogaloo Assassins, Rhye, and Haitus Kaiyote.
The Kin, a group of black clad Aussies, opened the after noon of
music and philanthropy. In addition to
rocking out acappella with the rhythm section consisting of percussionist
Skakerleg playing the clipboard and keys, Isaac and Thorald Koren on guitar and
vocals opened our ears and minds to the gifts to come. Following the mellow
sounds from Irene Diaz and Kelela we were moved to pat our legs,
stomp our feet, and shake a tail feather to the spirited set of Boogaloo Assassins–and they killed
it! No one was spared from getting into the groove when faced with their
arsenal of Latin vibes composed of brass, strings, percussions, and vocals to
boot. Rhye (Milosh and Robin
Hannibal) brought us back to our seats for a captivating performance that had
the Avalon feeling like the cozy R&B,sets of yore. The “slow-burning” sounds of Milosh’s
surprising vocal range had some of us back stage momentarily fooled when his voice
belted warm alto notes. GRAMMY nominee Hiatus
Kaiyote was the perfect continuation of the feel good melodic sounds of
“multi-dimensional, polyrhythmic gangster shit” to close out the afternoon. If
you are not already familiar with any of these artists take a journey to the
links and expand your music library. It’s worth the trip.
Nt with Nai Palm of Hiatus Kaiyote
The
after party was more intimate and a good time to catch up with the artists who
performed during brunch along with a fun musical mix from GRAMMY nominees Hot 8 Brass Band and QuestLove, along with Boom Boom Boom, Nia Andrews, improvised production from Mark de Clive-Lowe, and my favorite, a samba inducing set from Seu Jorge.
If you are in town for next years GRAMMY Week we suggest you purchase a ticket to the Moja Moja Brunch and soulcialize with artists and art lovers who come together to celebrate great causes like Ox Fam and Potential Energy.
Thank you to Moja Moja for the access and hospitality!
About MojaMoja: MOJAMOJA curates experiences
that connect people through music and culture. A global community of emerging
and established creatives, brands & influencers, theMojaMoja.com is the
online destination to discover events and trends in international pop and
alternative music and culture.
Award- winning 89.9 KCRW radio host and music industry thought leader,
Garth Trinidad is the co-creator and curator behind the annual MojaMoja Brunch
and Benefit Concert during GRAMMY® weekend in Los Angeles and events for brands
around the world.
0 comments:
Post a Comment