Summer Madness!!

To help you plan your summer swinging:

Thursday, June 3...Bio Ritmo and DJ Bongohead at the Iron Horse, Northampton.
I will have Rei from funky salsa machine Bio Ritmo on Clandestino on Monday 230-430pm (ET), WMUA.org. I also will have tickets to give away on the program.
Here's the Facebook event page (for those with FB):
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=119376411426648&ref=ts







Friday, June 4...The Equalites at Deja Brew, Wendell.
Valley reggae veterans.
Link: http://dejabrewpub.com/









Saturday, June 5...Naia Kete's Going Away Show with guests like Black Rebels, Kristen Ford and more at the old Dynamite Records spot in the basement of Thornes Marketplace, Northampton.
Another FB event link:
Here






Friday, June 11...Shokazoba and friends at the Elevens, Northampton.
Afrofunk jam.
Link: http://www.shokazoba.com/






Saturday, June 12...Shokazoba at the Moles Eye, Brattleboro.
Link: http://www.shokazoba.com/






Sunday, June 13...Kristen Ford Band and friends at Black Moon, Belchertown.
Benefit for Institute for the Musical Arts' Rock & Roll Girl's Camp. Featured guests include Abbie Barrett, Jen Tobey, Carrie Ferguson and others. Show some love!
Link here for the event details and here for the IMA's site.









Tuesday, June 15...Tony Allen at Middle East, Cambridge.
The afrobeat ambassador with a ten-piece band. Also with Uhuru Arika's Dancefloor Explosion.
Links: http://www.worldmusic.org/ and http://www.mideastclub.com/







Saturday, June 19...DJs Studebaker Hawk and Andujar at McCusker's "La Placita del Mercado" party, Shelburne Falls.
Welcome summer as we spin Latin, African, Caribbean and funk/soul vinyl. Bringing the heat to the hills!
Links: here is the event page for FB folks

And a few more we'll discuss later...
Monday, July 5...Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba event at the Energy Park, Greenfield.
Tuesday, July 13...Grupo Fantasma and Latin Night DJs at the Iron Horse, Northampton.
Saturday, July 24...Kaleta & Zozo Afrobeat, Shokazoba and DJ Andujar at the Elevens, Northampton.

The Cuban Invasion

Leslie Anderson, photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images.

Here's an excellent article by Morgan Campbell of the Toronto Star on the recent wave of Cuban baseball players hitting the open (US) market and how it may affect the game on the island. Note that I appreciate the writer's journalistic manner, covering the situation without the usual unecessary posturing that many US news outlets display.

Click this link:
http://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/article/766002--cuba-facing-big-league-baseball-crisis

Here's to the continued excellence of the Cuban baseball program!

"CubaGO!" A National Day of Action

www.cubago.info
www.havananewyork.com
www.myspace.com/havananewyork

Join us to welcome the Caravan to Cuba July 8th‏

Dear Friends - Traprock Center for Peace and Justice is a co-sponsor of the annual welcoming of the Pastors for Peace Caravan on it's way to Cuba. Please join us for great music, dance and poetry, delicious food, and the opportunity to learn about today's Cuba and the ongoing impact of the embargo.

On Wednesday July 8 the Pioneer Valley Cuba Solidarity Committee will be welcoming the Pastors for Peace Cuba Caravan on its way to Cuba. Pastors for Peace travels in a caravan throughout the US to collect medical, educational and construction supplies that are difficult for Cuba to obtain because of the US embargo; and then delivers this humanitarian aid to Cuba in direct defiance of the embargo and the travel ban.

The event will include a Cuban meal, speakers from the Caravan, and local performing artists. Headlining the entertainment will be Grupo Folklórico Palo Santo, performing Afro-Cuban folkloric music and dance. Molly Scott local folksong writer and singer will also perform. We'll hear some songs from the Raging Grannies and hear the poetry of Steve O'Halloran. We'll also briefly hear from past Caravanistas and local folks who are joining the Caravan this year

The Caravana Cubana event will take place at First Churches on Main Street in downtown Northampton from 6:00 - 9:00 PM

This event is free. Donations will be encouraged and very much appreciated.

For more information: Call 413-625-9708/625-9543 or

http://www.cubawesternmass.com

http://www.ifconews.org/CubaCaravan

http://www.westernmassafsc.org

Grupo Folklorico Palo Santo in front of the Caravan bus July 2008