Universal Rhythm

Rocky Dawuni LIVE at The Waterfront Theatre in Marina del Rey!

African Reggae Star

Rocky Dawuni

LIVE
at The Waterfront Theatre!

(Only Summer SoCal Appearance!)

+
DJ Ron Miller

Celebrating the release of his NEW “Hymns for the Rebel Soul” Album
available on ITunes!

Reggae on the Waterfront
4211 Admiralty Way
Marina Del Rey, CA
310.448.9550 / 8:30pm / $10 / free parking
www.thewfr.com
www.rockydawuni…

Video Link : video.nytimes.c…

Children Carry Guns for a U.S. Ally, Somalia
Ed Ou/Reportage by Getty Images, for The New York Times

LINK
www.nytimes.com…

Mohamed Adan Ugas, left, a 12-year-old, and Ahmed Hassan, 15, work for the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia.
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
Published: June 13, 2010

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Awil Salah Osman prowls the streets of this shattered city, looking like so many other boys, with ripped-up clothes, thin limbs and eyes eager for attention and affection.
Related

But Awil is different in two notable ways: he is shouldering a fully automatic, fully loaded Kalashnikov assault rifle; and he is working for a military that is substantially armed and financed by the United States.

“You!” he shouts at a driver trying to sneak past his checkpoint, his cherubic face turning violently angry.

“You know what I’m doing here!” He shakes his gun menacingly. “Stop your car!”

The driver halts immediately. In Somalia, lives are lost quickly, and few want to take their chances with a moody 12-year-old.

It is well known that Somalia’s radical Islamist insurgents are plucking children off soccer fields and turning them into fighters. But Awil is not a rebel. He is working for Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government, a critical piece of the American counterterrorism strategy in the Horn of Africa.

According to Somali human rights groups and United Nations officials, the Somali government, which relies on assistance from the West to survive, is fielding hundreds of children or more on the front lines, some as young as 9.

Child soldiers are deployed across the globe, but according to the United Nations, the Somali government is among the “most persistent violators” of sending children into war, finding itself on a list with notorious rebel groups like the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Somali government officials concede that they have not done the proper vetting. Officials also revealed that the United States government was helping pay their soldiers, an arrangement American officials confirmed, raising the possibility that the wages for some of these child combatants may have come from American taxpayers.

United Nations officials say they have offered the Somali government specific plans to demobilize the children. But Somalia’s leaders, struggling for years to withstand the insurgents’ advances, have been paralyzed by bitter infighting and are so far unresponsive.

Several American officials also said that they were concerned about the use of child soldiers and that they were pushing their Somali counterparts to be more careful. But when asked how the American government could guarantee that American money was not being used to arm children, one of the officials said, “I don’t have a good answer for that.”

According to Unicef, only two countries have not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits the use of soldiers younger than 15: the United States and Somalia. The United States did ratify a later agreement, known as an optional protocol to the convention, aimed at preventing the recruitment and use of child soldiers.

Many human rights groups find this unacceptable, and President Obama himself, when this issue was raised during his campaign, did not disagree.

“It is embarrassing to find ourselves in the company of Somalia, a lawless land,” he said.

All across this lawless land, smooth, hairless faces peek out from behind enormous guns. In blown-out buildings, children chamber bullets twice the size of their fingers. In neighborhoods by the sea, they run checkpoints and face down four-by-four trucks, though they can barely see over the hood.

Somali government officials admit that in the rush to build a standing army, they did not discriminate.

“I’ll be honest,” said a Somali government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the delicacy of the subject, “we were trying to find anyone who could carry a gun.”

Awil struggles to carry his. It weighs about 10 pounds. The strap digs into his bony shoulders, and he is constantly shifting it from one side to the other with a grimace.

Sometimes he gets a helping hand from his comrade Ahmed Hassan, who is 15. Ahmed said he was sent to Uganda more than two years ago for army training, when he was 12, though his claim could not be independently verified. American military advisers have been helping oversee the training of Somali government soldiers in Uganda.

“One of the things I learned,” Ahmed explained eagerly, “is how to kill with a knife.”

Children do not have many options in Somalia. After the government collapsed in 1991, an entire generation was let loose on the streets. Most children have never sat in a classroom or played in a park. Their bones have been stunted by conflict-induced famines, their psyches damaged by all the killings they have witnessed.

“What do I enjoy?” Awil asked. “I enjoy the gun.”

Like many other children here, the war has left him hard beyond his years. He loves cigarettes and is addicted to qat, a bitter leaf that, for the few hours he chews it each day, makes grim reality fade away.

He was abandoned by parents who fled to Yemen, he said, and joined a militia when he was about 7. He now lives with other government soldiers in a dive of a house littered with cigarette boxes and smelly clothes. Awil does not know exactly how old he is. His commander says he is around 12, but birth certificates are rare.

Awil gobbles down greasy rice with unwashed hands because he does not know where his next meal is coming from. He is paid about $1.50 a day, but only every now and then, like most soldiers. His bed is a fly-covered mattress that he shares with two other child soldiers, Ali Deeq, 10, and Abdulaziz, 13.

“He should be in school,” said Awil’s commander, Abdisalam Abdillahi. “But there is no school.”

Ali Sheikh Yassin, vice-chairman of Elman Peace and Human Rights Center in Mogadishu, said that about 20 percent of government troops (thought to number 5,000 to 10,000) were children and that about 80 percent of the rebels were. The leading insurgent group, which has drawn increasingly close to Al Qaeda, is called the Shabab, which means youth in Arabic.

“These kids can be so easily brainwashed,” Mr. Ali said. “They don’t even have to be paid.”

One of the myriad dangers Awil faces is constant gunfire between his squad and another group of government soldiers from a different clan. The Somali government is racked by divisions from the prime minister’s office down to the street.

“I’ve lost hope,” said Sheik Yusuf Mohamed Siad, a defense minister who abruptly quit in the past week, like several other ministers. “All this international training, it’s just training soldiers for the Shabab,” he added, saying defections had increased.

“Go ask the president what he’s accomplished in the past year,” Sheik Yusuf said, laughing. “Absolutely nothing.”

Advisers to President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed say they have fine-tuned their plans for a coming offensive, making it more of a gradual military operation to slowly take the city back from the insurgents.

Awil is eager for action. His commanders say he has already proven himself fighting against the Shabab, who used to bully him in the market.

“That made me want to join the T.F.G.,” he said. “With them, I feel like I am amongst my brothers.”

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: June 18, 2010

An article on Monday about the Somali government’s use of child soldiers referred incompletely to the American position on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its provisions against the recruitment and use of child soldiers. While the United States and Somalia are the only countries not to have ratified the convention, the United States did ratify a later agreement, known as an optional protocol to the convention, aimed at preventing the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
A version of this article appeared in print on June 14, 2010, on page A1 of the New York edition.

Kress Saturday Nights

Promoting for all four levels on Saturdays.  party in the basement with hip hop & dancehall, the 3rd floor with house/electro and the roof exclusive vip.

more live shows, special events, guest djs and your favorite performers. This is the beginning of a New Era in your Hollywood club experience!!!!

RSVP to get on the following discounted list for Free i Entertainment:
Ladies Free Before 11p
Men $10 Before 11p

Email jason@freeientertainment.com to get on following lists.
Parking garage on Cherokee or Parking lot on Wilcox…

Location: Kress Restaurant
Street: 6608 Hollywood Blvd.
City/Town: Hollywood, CA

www.FreeiEntertainment.com

Saturday June 26th Soulnic Free Event in Griffith Park

taste of chicago and extra mild sauce present

SOULNIC

feat.

DERRICK WIZE | DRACK MUSE | ASKI | DJ LIFE

free event Griffith Park
see flier for details…

CLASSIQUE

A special one off event celebrating the deep and jazzy vibes of the classique San Francisco club scene.

With special DJ selectors:
Said  (Fatsouls Records / We & The Music)
Andrew Jervis  (Ubiquity Records / Friday Night Session)

Paul Craven  (On The One / Le Jazz Hot NYC)

Capitol A  (2000 Black / Galaxy Group)
Project One - San Francisco

251 Rhode Island Street @ 16th

9PM - 2AM / 21+ With ID

$5 Before 11PM With RSVP / $10 @ The Door

Info:  www.fatsoulsrec…
www.p1sf.com

MORE Fridays was a party in Los Angeles that took place at Gabah on Melrose every Friday night from February 11, 2000 to Friday April 11, 2003. Visit the archived MORE Fridays website.*

On Friday June 25, 2010 Tony Watson, Scott K and Loslito will get together for “one MORE” at the old stomping grounds, Gabah. If you have not heard, Gabah is scheduled to be demolished to the ground this summer where a strip mall will go up.

We will go from 9pm-3am. There will be no pre-sale for this event. $10 at the door, 21/Over with ID. Early arrival is suggested.

We look forward to seeing you.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Gabah is located at
4658 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90028
One block West of Normandie

9pm-3am, 21/Over with ID
Full Bar and Outdoor Patio

FOR MORE INFO www.morefridays…

Ian Friday feat Chris Rob
Found Myself (Incl. Osunlade, Wookie & Ezel Mixes)  [Promo]
Tea Party Music TPM-010 - release date: Oct/01/2010

Quality:
#     Track               Price
01     Yoruba Soul Vocal (6:09) [unreleased]     House         $3.99$3.99$4.74     [add to wishlist] [add to
02     Yoruba Soul Instr (6:09) [unreleased]     House         $3.99$3.99$4.74     [add to wishlist] [add to
03     Lovestar Vox (7:16) [unreleased]     House         $3.99$3.99$4.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]
04     Lovestar Instr (7:16) [unreleased]     House         $3.99$3.99$4.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]
05     Ezel Remix (Vox) (8:51) [unreleased]     House         $3.99$3.99$4.74     [add to wishlist] [add to
06     Ezel Remx (Instr) (8:51) [unreleased]     House         $3.99$3.99$4.74     [add to wishlist] [add to

INCLUDED BONUSES: CD Insert
Long awaited release featuring the soulful vocals of Chris Rob remixed by some of the best in the business.

Yoruba Soul Remix by Osunlade
Lovestar Remix by Wookie
Ezel Remix
vocal by Chris Rob
mastered by R.E.M. Sound
original mix by Ian Friday
CaribSoul (ASCAP)
Oh So Funky Music (BMI)

LINK

www.traxsource….

Peven Everett
Burning Hot (Incl. Timmy Regisford Remix)  [Promo]
Tribe Records TRIBE011 - release date: Jun/07/2010

Quality:
#     Track               Price
01     Peven Everett Original Vocal Mix (4:44)     House         $3.99$3.99$4.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
02     Timmy Regisford Remix (6:14)     House         $3.99$3.99$4.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
03     Peven Everett Future Pop Rework (4:22)     House         $3.99$3.99$4.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
Buy all mixes        $7.98$7.98$10.23     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
INCLUDED BONUSES:
This year’s No.1 WMC anthem finally gets its full digital release!

Chicago’s multi talented, singer, songwriter, producer and dedicated musician, Peven Everett, unleashes the first single ‘Burning Hot’ taken from his exciting new artist album on Tribe Records titled ‘Beyond The Universe’. On completion of Peven’s album, New York House legend and former Motown A&R Timmy Regisford was one of the first to hear it and excitedly insisted that he be involved in the project. The result is a selection of fantastic collaborative remixes from Timmy.

‘Burning Hot’ sees Peven’s delicious vocal glide over a hot house groove laced with sweeping strings, bumping bass and infectious beats – deemed to blow the pants off WMC dance floors and beyond! When added to the stunning ‘2010 Mix’ and ‘Future Pop Rework’ mixes by Peven Everett, this is a definite must have for the dj and the listener alike.

Here’s what the heads have been saying for the last few months..

DJ Spinna (Wonderwax, NYC) - This one is already a huge record for me. It could be the vocal record of the year if it isn’t already
Danny Krivit (718 Sessions, NYC) - This is hot!
Greg Gauthier (Dance Culture, Paris) - Perfection!
Jellybean Benitez (Aint Nothin But A House Party, NYC) - Pure heat!
Jojo Flores (Gotsoul, Canada) - Peven does it again! This is another (burning hot) one!
Franck Roger (5 Beats, Paris) - Already a classic!
Manoo (5 Beats, Lyon) - This is AMAZING!
Master Kev (Underground Collective, USA) - The song of WMC!!
Yass (Defected) - Hot!!! I love the chords and melody! Perfect for WMC!
Black Coffee (Soulistic Music, South Africa) - On my.. Classic!!!!
Marques Wyatt (Deep, LA) - Hot record!!!!
Tony Humpries (Tony Records, NJ) - Wicked song and remix!
Tyrone Francis (blak-n-yello, NYC) - Great Song, been banging for a while!
Mr V (Sole Channel, NYC) Dopeness.. Full Support!
Ian Friday (Tea Party Music, NYC) - A monster Jam
Rocco (Buzzin Fly, Lyon) - Damn Hot!!!

Writing & Production:-

All instruments & vocals written, produced, performed and arranged by Peven Everett for Studio Confessions Ent.

All tracks mastered by Toni Economides @ The Garden, London.
Track 2 remixed by Timmy Regisford at Shelter, NYC
Track 3 remixed by Peven Everett
Executive producers. Dean Zepherin and Matt Langrish Smith
P&C 2010 Tribe Records

LINK

www.traxsource….

John Oudo feat Nicole Mitchell
I Dont Need You  [Promo]
Bigspin Music London BSM12004 - release date: Jun/05/2010

Quality:
#     Track               Price
01     Main Vocal Mix (6:27)     House         $3.99$3.99$4.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
02     Main Instrumental Mix (6:27)     House         $3.99$3.99$4.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
03     Deep Percussionism Vocal Mix (5:57)     House         $3.99$3.99$4.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
04     Deep Percussionism Instrumental Mix (5:57)     House         $3.99$3.99$4.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
Buy all mixes        $7.98$7.98$10.98     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
INCLUDED BONUSES: CD Insert
John Oudo delivers number 4 from the Bigspinmusic repertoire for all the soul heads out there

All Tracks, Written, Produced & Arranged by John Oudo
Song, Lyrics & Vocal Harmonies Written Produced & Arranged by John Oudo
Lead Vocal: Nicole Mitchell
Keys & Instrumentation: John oudo
Mixdown engineer: Toni Economides
p+c Bigspin Music London 2010 copyright control

www.bigspinmusi…

Catch up with John on facebook, twitter & myspace

www.facebook.co…
www.myspace.com…
www.myspace.com…
www,twitter.com/JohnOudo

After some brief post new year R & R, the Bigspin Music camp get back to business with the next release, & the first offering of 5 scheduled releases due for 2010 on Bigspin Music.

Penned by John Oudo for good friend & Chicago songstress Nicole Mitchell, this track delivers true to Bigspin Music form, another soulful gem with all the right elements for a great House track.

The Main mix floats along with a tough groove & smooth keys that give it that classic sounding house production which will resonate well amongst all those soulful & jazz heads out there.

The deep mix, as it states, goes on a deeper house vibe & keeps a more simplistic & percussive composure which will no doubt find its way into the beach parties of Ibiza & beyond this year.
As usual, both mixes have that John Oudo subliminal energy about them, & when they hit the main room sound systems around the world they will jump out at you from the 1st bar of the intro.

100% Soulful – 100% House – 100% Real.

LINK

www.traxsource….

Anane
Plastic People (Incl. Louie Vega & Boddhi Satva Mixes)
Vega Records VR096 - release date: May/26/2010

Quality:
#     Track               Price
01     Louie Vega Roots Blues Mix (8:04)     House         $1.99$1.49$2.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
02     Louie Vega Harmonica Mix (8:03)     House         $1.99$1.49$2.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
03     Louie Vega Ska Mix (8:03)     House         $1.99$1.49$2.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
04     Louie Vega Guitar Mix (7:59)     House         $1.99$1.49$2.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
05     Louie Vega Guitar Instrumental Mix (7:59)     House         $1.99$1.49$2.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
06     Antonello Coghe & Filipe Narciso White Angel Mix (8:50)     House         $1.99$1.49$2.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
07     Antonello Coghe & Filipe Narciso Dark Angel Mix (8:48)     House         $1.99$1.49$2.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
08     Boddhi Satva Ancestral Soul Mix (8:34)     House         $1.99$1.49$2.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
09     Boddhi Satva Ancestrumental Mix (8:34)     House         $1.99$1.49$2.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
10     Boddhi Satva Ancestral Dub (7:14)     House         $1.99$1.49$2.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
11     Boddhi Satva Dubstrumental (7:14)     House         $1.99$1.49$2.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
12     Bert Bevans & DJ Bradd Remix (7:28)     House         $1.99$1.49$2.74     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
Buy all mixes        $14.99$10.99$23.99     [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist] [add to wishlist]     [add to cart] [add to cart] [add to cart]
INCLUDED BONUSES: CD Insert
Anane - Plastic People (Mixes)

ANANE “PLASTIC PEOPLE” (LOUIE VEGA MIX)
PUBLISHING INFO: LISA FISCHER (NKIRU MUSIC) ASCAP PUBLISHED BY MCA PUBLISHING, ANA MARTINS-VEGA (CRIOLA PUBLISHING) BMI, LUIS F. VEGA (NICONANE MUSIC) BMI, DUANE HARDEN (ROCEDU PUBLISHING) BMI
*PRODUCED BY: LOUIE VEGA FOR SMALL WONDERS PRODUCTIONS, INC.
CO-PRODUCED: BY ANANE
LEAD VOCALS: ANANE
MIX ENGINEER: YAS INOUE
KEYBOARD BASS: LOUIE VEGA
KEYBOARDS: JUNITO DAVILA & LOUIE VEGA
BACKGROUNDS: ANANE & LISA FISCHER
HARMONICA: WILLIAM GALISON
CROWD CHANT: ANANE, LISA FISCHER, LOUIE VEGA, NICO VEGA & WILLIAM GALISON
ELECTRIC GUITAR: RICARDO RAMOS
LIVE DRUMS: JERARD SNELL
RECORDED & MIXED AT DADDY’S WORKSHOP: NJ & BENNETT STUDIO, ENGLEWOOD, NJ
MASTERED BY: HERB POWERS FOR PM ENTERTAINMENT

LINK

www.traxsource….