longdayzjourney's Podcast

Baladosa is a word that sprang into my mind when I was considering what to name the show. There was no long deliberation. It just sounded right to me. I liked the way it flowed. At first I thought that "Baladosa" was a completely made-up word, but being the Virgo that I am, I thought I'd Google the word, just to make sure it wasn't something offensive or completely off-the-wall in another language. It turns out that "La Baladosa" is a place located in Andorra, a principality nestled in the Pyrenees (look it up when you get some time). My vivid imagination then led me to picture an African who finds himself high up in the mountains of this European principality. What are his thoughts? How will he adjust? How does his presence and his culture impact this mountain enclave? How do the two cultures blend? Musically, I imagined what you are about to hear. I hope you enjoy.

Update: Sometimes you accomplish things that are so unexpected in their final result that you don't think you could ever duplicate it. This particular episode is one of those accomplishments. I've decided to republish it without the introductory commentaries I included previously. This is one of my favorite episodes and I wanted to give it the opportunity to be heard, in the event that people may have navigated away from the page before the first track played.

Some of these tracks that I mixed, I was hearing for the first time. I did some major experimentation by syncing tracks almost immediately, letting them play their entire lengths, then looping in and out of segments continuously for two or three tracks straight. They were mixed, mashed and massaged. What resulted was an interesting, and I think, beautiful Afro ethereal journey. I hope you enjoy listening to it, as I did mixing it. It is a universal drumbeat.

Give me the money that has been spent in war and I will clothe every man, woman, and child in an attire of which kings and queens will be proud. I will build a schoolhouse in every valley over the whole earth. I will crown every hillside with a place of worship consecrated to peace. ~Charles Sumner

I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war?" ~Eve Merriam

Men are at war with each other because each man is at war with himself. ~Francis Meehan

I was being introspective when I was mixing the show. The above quotes say it all. Don't let the powers that be lie you into another war.

A legend has left us.

I couldn't help myself. Babies come when they are ready. I had this in my head to do, and had to mix and post, although I just posted one a couple of days ago. I hope you enjoy the ride.

Wow. What can I say? The 70s were a powerful time for music, especially--in my opinion--soul music. People had something to say about Vietnam, the struggle for Civil Rights, police brutality, Human Rights, and a host of other issues that make the music that gets massed produced today seem trivial in comparison. Sure, there were bump-and-grind kinds of soul--great songs for sure. But there was also a class of artists that delved deeper into the soul cosmos. These artists were groundbreakers and way ahead of their time. You still hear much of their music sampled today. Take a listen. You'll hear what I'm talking about.

If you don't like soulful drumming, this show is not for you. This episode starts out with tracks that combine sweet, soulful melodies with drum beats from some distant ancestral home, and then transitions to more up-tempo beats. I love most musical instruments, but nothing speaks to my soul like the drums. It makes sense. The first sound that I heard when I arrived on earth was the sound of my mother's heart beat. I hope you enjoy the show as much as I do. Peace be the journey.

Out of consideration for my Spanish-speaking friends and audience, I thought that a podcast featuring the same deep, chilled, and sexy sounds--all in Spanish--was due. The Latin culture is extremely diverse. This includes the music, the language and the people. As every country in Latin America has its own identity, the music is a reflection of the various traditions and cultures throughout Mexico, Central America, South America, the Caribbean and--yes--let's not leave out Spain. Just as an aside, there are also the Canary Islands off the coast of North Africa. So, por favor, relaje y disfrute. Feliz escuchando.

Why did I name this episode "Urban Love Story?" Well, the episode title was a result of the images that were conjured in my mind, as I listened to the tracks--nothing scientific. A story is being told not just in the lyrics but by the tempo, as the tracks ebb and flow like the passion of lovers--the conversation, the back-and-forth, the sexual tension, the clash of bodies, the climax, the release, and the after glow--like on the dance floor (smile). Maybe I just have an overactive imagination. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

Peace.

I promised someone that I would dedicate this show to her.
Celi, this is for you.


Brazil is a beautiful country with equally beautiful people. There is a constant rhythm in the air. It's in the language, in the walk of the people, and in their daily interactions with one another. Brazil is also a complex society. Being the country with the largest black population outside of Africa, the cultural influence from Africa is as undeniable as it is irresistible. I wanted to make an attempt to tell that story--the story of Africans blending with the various cultures and races, in what is now known as Brazil, to produce the rich and exquisite social tapestry that it is today. It is a story of longing, of joy, and of pain--emotions that the Brazilians express so beautifully. Enjoy the show.

The true global village is what connects us in mind and spirit, and there's no better medium than music to create this link. Like most art forms, music speaks to our hearts in ways that mundane ways of communication cannot. And yes, it also speaks to our bodies. The Village Gathering has the drums at its foundation. This is what called the villagers together. There they participated in the singing and dancing, singing as one voice, moving as one body. Imagine the power in that.

Peace.

I titled this episode The Wedding because everything came together so well. The concept, tracks, the timing--I was very pleased and appreciative of having the opportunity to express this concept of Oneness through the music. A wedding is merely the ceremony of two people joining in marriage. Each person is an individual but they are joined in spirit and in flesh. The harmonious blending of lives, the merging of two beings who become one. As you will hear, I mixed some of the tracks in ways that make two tracks sound as one. Even when compatibility was not immediately obvious, I found a way to make them play as one harmonious track. I think there's a lesson there somewhere. Enjoy the show.




Peace.

A collection of instrumental and vocal tracks--some underground and some you may already know. This is an eclectic mix--hip-hop for the penthouse. This show may appear to be a slight departure from what you may expect, but if you really think about it, it still fits my M.O. In case you didn't notice the tag on my page, this show contains some explicit lyrics, although, as you will hear, this does not dominate or detract from the quality, lyricism and artistry of the performances (at least, I hope you think so). Didn't want to shock those of you with more gentle sensibilities. Music is in the ears of the listener. Enjoy.

Peace

Playlist

1. All good - Illa J
2. The Look of Love - Dusty Springfield & Burt Bacharach
3. Find a Way - Aloe Bacc
4. Star of the story - Ta'Raach
5. Skin (feat. Madlib) - Stacy Epps
6. Seasons - DJ Unwind
7. A Place - The Strange Fruit Project
8. 1974 - Kan Kick
9. All Behind Me - John Robinson
10.That Ain't Love (feat. Jozeemo) - Little Brother
11.Dreams - Little Brother
12.Believe (feat. D'Angelo) - Q-tip
13.They Say - Common, John Legend & Kanye West
14.Thelonius (feat. Slum Village) - Common
15.Oblighetto(J Dilla Remix) - Jack McDuff
16.Coolie High - Camp Lo
17.Buck Em Down (Remix) - Black Moon
18.I Believe F. Jneiro Jarel & Rocque Wun - Rocque Wun
19.4u - Jneiro Jarel
20.Quem Quiser Encontrar O Amor - Tamba Trio

Afro-Latin rhythms that transition to your deep and soulful House.

I started out going in a certain direction with this mix and ended up doing something completely different. Sometimes while DJing you have an entire playlist in your head that seems perfect for you, but when you start playing the tracks it becomes obvious that you need to go in a direction that you had not planned to follow--kinda like life. So, what do you do in this case? You go where the music takes you. Enjoy.

Peace

Playlist

1. Yemaya (Yoruba Soul Mix)- Sin Palabras
2. Pa el Bembé - Raw Artistic Soul feat. Edisney Portales Vega
3. The Chant - Pasta Boys
4. Steel Congo - Louie Vega feat. House of Rhumba
5. All I Wanna Give U (Osunlade Remix) - Shazz & La Rachelle
6. Kissing Game - Peven Everett feat. Billie Jewel
7. No Body - Oji and Una
8. Big Mistake (Roots Dub Instrumental) - Alexander Hope
9. Big Mistake (Roots vocal Mix) - Alexander Hope
10.That Girl - Matthias 'Matty' Hellbronn
11.See Line Woman - Jerome Sydenham & Kerri Chandler
12.The Real Thing (Instrumental Mix) -Bambú
13.Find a Way (Danny Krivit Edit) - Diviniti

This is a selection of deep, and soulful house, with a little Latin flavor in some of the tracks. Not as tight, as I would have liked it. I was limited as far as equipment was concerned--all done on the laptop with Virtual Vinyl, no controller, no PFLs, mixed by counting the time stamp and watching the beat meter.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

Playlist

1. Get it right - Jazzanova (ISoul8 remix)
2. The Real World - Louie Vega & Vikter Duplaix (vocals) - (Yoruba Soul remix)
3. The Rhythm - Ron Trent presents King Dub
4. Welcome Sire - Ron Trent presents King Dub
5. Manda Island - Afefe Iku feat. Boddhi Satva
6. I Cling - Ovasoul7 (Yoruba Soul remix)
7. Dentro mi Alma - Jazztronik (Yoruba Soul remix)
8. Black Daylight - Suntzu Sounds presents 1Luv (Slope remix)
9. About Us - Mr. A.L.I. & Glenn Underground (Glenn Underground remix)
10. The Loving Memory - Mr. V
11. Expansions - Jihad Muhammad (Movement Soul Main Mix)
12. Shining Your Way - AK & Jepthe Guillaume (Shining Main Vocal)
13. Je Ka Jo (Vocal) - Jerome Sydenham & Joe Clausell
14. Free Your Mind - Pasta Boys feat. Wunmi