Challenging the Corporate Media Blockade!

Alex Kajumulo & the Original Sound in Concert, Monday 6/29/09 Noon-1 and 8-9pm PST

Alex Kajumulo got his start making records in 1999 producing an album for "Cool James" Dandu, also known as Mtoto wa Dandu.  The Album was called "CJ Massive: African Most Wanted" and was a big hit in East Africa and in African communities around the world.  Unfortunately Cool James was later killed in a car accident but the experience inspired Alex to continue to create his own music.  The Tanzania born singer/songwriter has written over 500 songs and his first album- Never Before was a best seller all over the world.  His songs have been in the top ten on airplay lists internationally ever since, rising to number one in different places.
  
Already an international superstar from his days as a soccer champion, Alex financed, produced, and promoted his own record, skirting the corporate music industry monopoly control system by using the internet and getting airplay mostly on non-corporate collage and community radio stations.  He pioneered new venues selling his records on CD Baby and i-tunes, helping to make the founder of CD Baby a rich man.

This was probably all for the best because from what we know of censorship by giant media monopolies like Clear Channel it is questionable whether Alex could have gotten much airplay on commercial radio here in the US at that time.  That’s because Alex is not afraid to touch on subject matter that may not provide the kind of “hospitable advertising environment” that commercial media crave.  His song, Super Size People is a direct slam on junk food corporations like McDonalds and Burger King for “poisoning our children” and “making them fat”.  He doesn’t write a whole lot of love songs and instead chooses to focus on social issues like global warming, the American injustice system, discrimination, human rights, imperialism, and propaganda.  He says the world is too screwed up to be singing about “baby, baby” all the time but  insists however, that his music is not “political”.

I think this is an interesting point.  For instance, why is talking about global warming considered political?  I think it is because if you allow yourself to be victimized by a corporate media system whose purpose is to distract you and make you forget, then almost anything that is not strictly “entertainment” will therefore be perceived as “political”.  And that is an essential albeit subtle element of thought control in the United States.

Known as “the Bushman”, Alex is a unique character.  Literally born into a Stone Age tribe in “the bush” of Africa, he spent the first 13 years of his life running around naked.  He is fond of comparing this to the Garden of Eden.  He ate the apple of soccer and started playing professionally at 15 eventually becoming an international sensation.  He later coached his own teams and started a sports clothing line designing, manufacturing, and selling soccer uniforms and gear to teams and individuals around the world.  He teaches and coaches soccer and has written a book: Soccer Monster.  All this has given him the financial independence to underwrite his own music projects and tours. Since the release of Never Before, Alex has put out 5 more albums.

Alex’s music is an interesting blend that is not easily categorized.  It combines elements of funk, rap, hip-hop, reggae, R&B, as well as many other styles but is built on a “rock solid” foundation of the afro beat groove.  Alex likes to call it “people’s music” because it is world fusion.  He calls his band the “Original Sound”.

This concert was filmed on May 30th at the 4th Avenue Pub, Olympia’s premier music venue.  He set up the concert specifically to film the touring band for promotional purposes.  Alex is working on booking tours of Europe, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.  He is a superstar in Africa and will be taking his band to Africa in late December for a Global Warming/Justice for Mankind tour filling stadiums and returning to South Africa for a FIFA World Cup Tour in May of 2010.  He wants to bring some attention to the effects that climate change is having on the environment in that part of the world.  One of the stadiums in Tanzania was already sold out as of last month [May].  If you want to catch them live the band will be playing in Seattle at the Black Community Festival at Judkins Park on the 4th of July, 4-5pm.

and streaming online at www.scantv.org Mondays 12-1 & 8-9 PM PST

Pirate TV also streams several times a week on PSA

See www.pugetsoundaccess.org

 
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