VIDEO: LIVE @ HIDMO featuring okanomodé & THE CAROUSEL

Last Friday, September 11th 2009, we had the final edition of our beloved summer concert series Live @ Hidmo. The show featured okanomodé & THE CAROUSEL which is okanomodé (a.k.a. SoulChilde) on lead vocals, Sirius & Maya Jenkins on additional vocals, Camilo Estrada on bass, D'Vonne Lewis on drums, Chad Red Light on keys, and a surprise cameo appearance from Yirim Seck! If you haven't seen okanomodé live yet, do yourself a favor and catch the next show... my brotha makes timeless music and will lift your spirit no matter where your at. Scott Macklin was there to document the evening, so check the video! And stay tuned for the next Live @ Hidmo series... we're working on one for the next season that's gonna be ridiculous!

Chili Sauce... LIVE

this was one of my favorite moments, Chili Sauce... from one of my favorite shows, 1/9/09... when Hip Hop meets Tap.
Maya Jenkins is making the beat with her feet... Aaron Walker-Loud on drums, Amos Miller on keys, Camilo Estrada on bass, Mark Oi on guitar... yours truly on vocals... and i think we finally got a band i want to tour the world with!!!
peace to Temesgen for posting this up!

* THIS FRIDAY :: GABRIEL TEODROS + MYSTIC in SEATTLE, WA!!!

in light of recent tragedies, help us take one step towards healing the space, our hearts and our community... we really need your support on this one. beautiful resistance.

January 9th, 2009

Gabriel Teodros with live band directed by Amos Miller & featuring members of Big World Breaks, Maya Jenkins, Yirim Seck & DJ WD4D
Mystic with DJ Bonds
Canary Sing
DJ Ian Head
hosted by Weezy F. Crazy

8:00PM
ALL AGES :: Bar w/ i.d.

Chop Suey
1325 E. Madison St.
Seattle, WA

$10 advance / $12 day of show
Tickets available at Ticketweb.com, Chop Suey, Hidmo Eritrean Cuisine, Sonicboom Records & Cellophane Square

GT's celebrating 28 years of life, 2 years of Hidmo, & 10 years of doing shows in the Northwest! WHAT!!!

Mystic, from Oakland California currently residing in Los Angeles, released her debut album, Cuts for Luck and Scars for Freedom, in the summer of 2001 to critical acclaim and a dedicated fan base. She has toured with Digital Underground, Slum Village, Black Eyed Peas, Phife and Jarobi (Tribe Called Quest) as well as co-headlining a MTV2 tour with India Irie, which also included Heather B, Kelis, Goapele and others called The Women of Hip Hop and Soul Tour. Fans and the unknowing alike were exited and impressed with her personal shows, either with a DJ or with a live band. Through the support of many Mystic was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Rap Song Collaboration for the song 'W' featuring Planet Asia; as well as for Best Female Hip Hop artist at the 2002 BET Awards.

In the process of working her album, JCOR, the distributing label, folded and Mystic along with Goodvibe Recordings signed a new deal to re-release the album with Dreamworks Records. With everything in gear, including a first video shot, Dreamworks was bought by Universal Music which led to Mystic asking to be released from her contract. Though that music may never be heard, Mystic has spent the past few years putting together the new album, entitled "Beautiful Resistance". Working with The Beatminerz, Eligh (of Living Legends), Zinn, Adamatic, Sample 208, and Buccweet; Mystic has once again put together an album full of love, pain, struggle, hope, fear and honesty for the next chapter. She is an urban dream with a voice that tells no lies. Having taken the time to attend school, live life and make the album she wanted; Mystic is piece by piece, show by show venturing back out and re-opening the amazing dialogue she has always had with her fans. For those who know…welcome back; for those who don't…welcome to a new day.

West Coast Performer Magazine: Show Of The Month (August ’08)

this is in the August issue of West Coast Performer... check it out! http://performermag.com/wcp.livereviews.0808.php

SHOW OF THE MONTH

Noise For The Needy Festival
Talib Kweli / Common Market / Gabriel Teodros / Grayskul
Showbox at the Market | Seattle, WA | June 15, 2008



The final night of the 2008 Noise for the Needy Festival saw a stacked bill of Seattle hip-hop, capped off with a set from Brooklyn's own Talib Kweli. Grayskul began the evening authoritatively, wielding an impressive range from quick, synth-driven tracks to others that traversed moodier, more contemplative territory. Without the props and unnecessary theatrics of some of their previous shows (snowy TV sets onstage, a rock-oriented live bassist, etc.), the group could play to their strengths, emphasizing the dynamic, complimentary styles of MCs JFK and Onry Ozzborn.

Up next was Gabriel Teodros, whose well-constructed set served to ramp up the energy level in the room considerably. He started off with a couple of relatively laidback songs and quickly invited a tap dancer onstage. This experiment, though admirable for its spontaneous feel, ended up being most effective whenever the DJ dropped out. With the busy footwork as additional accompaniment, any slight deviations from the pocket were somewhat jarring against the ironclad consistency of the turntables. Soon after, Teodros' set enjoyed a major boost from fellow Abyssinian Creole member Khingz, who seemed to feed off of the enthusiastic crowd. Teodros then rode the wave of momentum and passionately asserted his cultural identity with a cluster of songs focusing more overtly on social commentary. From there, his sense of conviction and celebratory mood carried it through to the end.

Rounding out the local contingent, Common Market's Sabzi and RA Scion were welcomed with a tremendous response. The duo came out swinging, ripping through single verses from a barrage of newer songs in the early going. Having just released the Black Patch War EP, and with the full length Tobacco Road being prepped for a September 9 release, there was plenty of fresh material to draw from. EP highlight "Trouble Is" worked particularly well in the live setting with its furiously paced double-time sections and Sabzi's startlingly convincing backup vocals. Guests included 2007 American Idol runner-up Blake Lewis and Geologic from Blue Scholars.

After a full three-course meal of hip-hop, headliner Talib Kweli faced the challenge of taking the stage after midnight on a Sunday evening. The audience proved resilient, however, and the Brooklyn-born MC was able to keep things moving even into the wee hours. His set mainly focused on the more accessible material from his latest effort, Eardrum, while occasional selections from the Reflection Eternal album, Train of Thought, provided a welcome contrast.

-Review by William Cremin; photos by Fel Pajimula