Imagine how thrilled I was to learn that both Zolani Mahola and Kyla Rose Smith, from the super-group Freshly Ground, were to collaborate with New York DJ and world-beat connoisseur, Nickodemus. Famed for his Turntables On The Hudson parties and accompanying compilations in New York since 1998, Nickodemus owns and runs Wonderwheel Recordings, releasing all manner of world fusion dance and electronica.
Brought together by Nextaid, a USA based organisation doing dance music events and raising money for Southern African charities, and Good Times Events who organise Earthdance Cape town, Origin Festival, the Flamjangled Tea Party, co-produce the Nu World Sessions parties, amongst others, it took only three days of musical activity to come up with the basis for three amazing songs.
On Wednesday the 30th, Nickodemus went to visit Sakumlandela Primary School, situated in Site B, Khayelitsha where the attending kids are all part of a course run by the Earthchild Project. There he recorded some of the kids from the school singing traditional Xhosa songs. The next day was spent in the studio cutting up the recordings from the day before and layering the Xhosa samples over syncopated nu-jazz infused rhythms and beats that are the trademark of a Nickodemus track. Finally on Friday Zolani and Kyla came in to record vocals and violin parts, which they had worked on the night before, over the tracks.
Although the three songs are not finished one can imagine the results: jacking dancefloor world rhythms cut up with Xhosa singing and the infectious sounds of Zolani and Kyla on top. You can’t really go wrong with that. And while two of the tracks will feature on Nickodemus’s upcoming album, one the tracks will be sold online and all profits will go to the Earthchild Project. Probably one of the busiest three days in the studio with some of the biggest names in the game and the end result being something really positive and uplifting.
Keep checking out On The Radar for more news on the Nickodemus, Zolani Mahola and Kyla Rose Smith collaboration as well as where to buy the song made for the Earthchild Project.
www.earthchildproject.org
www.nextaid.org
www.goodtimesevents.co.za
www.nickodemus.com
www.freshlyground.com
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