Learning about listening in a dj Residency

The first series of DJ Residency was held at the SO((U))L HQ on Saturday April 27, 2024. The motivation behind the Dj residency was to create an event which allowed djs and music lovers to explore the idea and practice of creating interesting listening experiences. I have always been interested in understanding more about how …

Telling my story

Revisiting some of my early ideas has been crucial to directing how i move forward with my work especially after an unexpected life event. I am grateful i was able to capture my thoughts, observations and ideas in this way and i had them to look back at.  In my writing you get a snap …

Why is it important To talk about Afrobeats?

Afrobeats is the sound of Africa today. Internet sources locate the root of the sound in Nigeria, Ghana and the United Kingdom in the early 2000s. Artistes such as P-Square, Tiwa Savage, Wizkid, Stonebwoy, Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Tems, Mr.Eazi and Davido have become the face of the music internationally. The conversation about Afrobeats is …

flashbacks

Sometimes i have flashbacks. Right in the middle of doing something there comes a memory. With the memory comes a feeling of regret. I just want to reach back in time and change my actions. If i didn't do what i did i wouldn't be here. It feels like i caused the loss of so …

Reflections on Art Radio

I am taking some time today to reflect on the Art Radio project. I am thinking about the format that i have chosen to start with and some directions for the future. Each week i select some artist from my library. I organize the music as a playlist which repeats throughout the week. I listen all …

Learning from art

When I started the memory project in 2019, it was from a curiosity about how popular music made us remember or forget events. I wanted to understand how individual memory works different from collective memory and I was hoping to find some music or sound related solutions to memory related illnesses. Now it has become …

New cycles

Give thanks for another cycle in the circle of life. Some things feel new and some things feel the same way. I am looking forward to learning more about life but it is difficult to be surrounded by so much violence and death. It affects our ability to experience the beauty of life. We know …

Introducing Art Radio

Art Radio is my latest project. It is a platform for sharing music and sound art. You can also listen to Sounds of life releases on ART RADIO. ART RADIO was launched in 2021 at the SO((U))L HQ in Stony Hill, St.Andrew Jamaica as a local broadcast for residents in and around the SO((U))L HQ. …

Zaga Dat ! The future of African Music

A few weeks ago I was asked to make a presentation at a meeting of the African Caribbean Students Association at the University of the West Indies, Mona on Afrobeat/s and Dancehall. I welcomed the opportunity to explore some issues and ideas around the popularity of Afrobeat/s and I wanted to discuss the connections between …

Piecing, Recycling and Recreating

In 2020 I started to work on the Time Machine Project, I wanted to design something that would be like a memory box, a physical device that people would find useful for remembering important national events.

This is personal-Creative Work, Art and the Artist

I keep thinking about where to start. Where do I start to tell the story of the last 3 years. It is such a long story.

A leap year and other stories

This is the first “album project” by dj afifa. It is a compilation of 5 nu-music tracks which are presented as “short stories”.

Music is a Conversation Vol 12

I will always be a Vbyz Kartel fan. It is a position which has gotten me some “dislikes” but what does it mean to be a fan anyway?

Music is a Conversation Vol 11

It is exhausting to live in a country where you cannot dream....well dreaming means becoming bigger and better. "It is difficult to live in a place that limits your imagination. This living can take the life out of you. It takes so much more to live a life with meaning". To continue dreaming ........... Here …

Music is a Conversation Vol 1

Music is a conversation is a 30 minute selection of songs designed to stimulate conversations and make memories.

Recycle your old electronics

Donate your old computers and other electronics to the Time machine project. Email djafifa@gmail.com to find out about drop off points and times.

Understanding Parliaments and Parliamentary Democracies

Parliamentary democracies in all former colonies of the British Empire use the Westminster system of government. The Westminster system was first developed in England

Watching People Die

All year, everyday, I have been watching people die. Die from coronaDie from gunshotDie from heartbreak....poor health, lack of health care, health complications, comorbidities and so called "old age" All year people have been gone too soon.Sun is shining but life is filled with so much doom All year I have been watching people die. …

Red Light- a very short film about life

Red light is a very short film about life. It is based on true events and raises fundamental questions about human relations now and in the future.

Now Playing-Mr.Universe

Mr.Universe is the name of the exhibition now playing in the Sound Gallery at http://www.djafifa.com

Talking about poetry and the “Taste of Hibiscus”.

My latest project "Taste of Hibiscus" features a conversation with Caribbean writer Soyini Forde about her chapbook "Taste of Hibiscus". Our conversation took place in the summer of 2009 at the SO((U))L HQ in Jamaica.

Voting in a pandemic? What is wrong with democracy?

Voting is a critical part of the democratic process. In a democracy citizens participate in the creation of the government by selecting representatives to the Legislature. Jamaica has fourteen parishes which are divided into sixty-three constituencies. Political parties and independent candidates compete to be voted as the best person to represent an area or a constituency. Successful candidates in each constituency become Members of Parliament (MPs). There are 63 Members of Parliament who sit in the House of Representatives.

Watch Spirit Desire : an experimental film project by dj afifa

Spirit desire is based on a soundtrack/soundscape called the "Mass". It is inspired by the Catholic Christian ritual the Eucharist or Holy Communion, one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The soundtrack positions Catholic Christianity alongside Haitian Vodoun to show their powerful similarity and to question what we know about Haiti and Vodoun.

A day of national mourning

How can a nation remember what keeps it hopeful despite all the pain and the unexplained? A day of national mourning is a selection of tracks featured in the Sound Gallery at djafifa.com. It is dedicated to the memory of the elderly women who lost their lives in the Eventide Home Fire and the other days of national mourning that we have forgotten.

Learning about Jamaica through music

You cannot tell a history of Jamaica without music. Following the music closely will help you to understand the soul of the island and how that conflicts with the identity of the nation. Dub music emerges in Jamaica as a genre and a practice in the late 1960s.

An “Archive of Jamaican Politics” on DTA Live Radio

Decolonizing the Archive Radio(DTA.Live) will be featuring excerpts of the Jamaica Parliament Audio database every Wednesday at 3pm (UK time). Dubbed an "Archive of Jamaican Politics", the series was launched on August 6 and will continue to air throughout the rest of the year. The series will feature Sittings of the House of Parliament in …

Jean Binta Breeze live at the Poetry Society of Jamaica

8 years ago, on Tuesday July 31, I recorded Jean Binta Breeze at the Poetry Society of Jamaica fellowship at the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts. Jean Binta Breeze is a Jamaican born British based dub poet who has made very important contributions to the development of poetry and dub poetry. Enjoy this release of the live performance by her.

What happens in the Senate?

The Jamaican Parliament is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate contains 21 Senators appointed by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. There are 13 "government" senators and 8 "opposition" Senators. The role of the Senate is to Review Bills passed by the House of Representatives. Listen …

A Sound Diary about Haiti

Haitian Sound Diary Vol 1 is my latest project. It is a one hour soundscape/documentary with material I collected while participating in the Ghetto Biennale in Port Au Prince Haiti in December 2019.

Recovery- the other side of the COVID-19

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR6fFaBZ4J8

The Jamaican Parliament Audio database

The Jamaican Parliament Audio database (JPAD) is a part of the memory project by dj afifa. The memory project investigates how music and the sound environment can affect what we remember and what we forget. The memory project explores both individual memory and national memory.

Male Teenage Pregnancy

Likkle Addi is asking us to take a look at young men and male teenage pregnancy in Jamaica.

History is about memory

SARS (SARS-COV), MERS(MERS-COV) and Corona virus (COVID-19) have a history we must revisit. Life and death in Jamaica also has a history. Will we remember this time?

Through the years-a tribute to Kenny Rogers

There used to be a Kenny Roger Roasters in Jamaica on Knutsford Boulevard in New Kingston.  Kenny Rogers Roasters  was a restaurant franchise co-founded in 1991 by country music singer Kenny Rogers. He is probably the only country music singer that i enjoyed.  Songs like "Through the years",  "Lady", "She believes in me", "You decorated …

Music for highways

In Jamaica, road expansion and the creation of highways dominate the urban landscape. At least one person dies everyday in a road accident. Starting in 2015,  new roadways have been created in the Barbican area, Constant Spring Road, Hagley Park Road and the Mandela Highway under the Major Infrastructure Development Project, (MIDP). Whenever I use …

Voice notes and sound clips

Voice notes and sound clips is a 5.55 soundscape for the music and memory project. Listen to the soundscape here Download voice notes and sound clips here  

The history of ganja in Jamaica

Here is the latest episode of Crocus Bag a tings on Zanj Radio. On the August 25 edition i shared my thoughts on the developments around ganja in Jamaica. Here are the songs which i selected for this reasoning. Bad card - Bob Marley Words of a farmer - Gregory Issacs Pollution - Johnny Clarke …

The Athlete’s playlist

Have you ever wondered what's in an athletes playlist? What type of music do different athletes listen to as they prepare to compete? How do athletes use music to prepare for competition? Last week, as i was warming up to compete at a local table tennis event. I was listening to Historial de Caidas by …

Interesting listening-Notes on the electromagnetic radiation

What do you consider interesting listening? Here is the latest edition of the Electromagnetic radiation on Zanj Radio. This episode features selections of ambient, nu-jazz, avant garde and experimental music from Dusted jazz vol. 2 , Trio Antimanierista,  Claudio Nunez, Sergio de Carli and others. Tune into the electromagnetic Radiation on Zanj Radio 10pm to …

Notes- What to expect from a Electromagnetic Radiation live show

Here is the latest episode of the Electromagnetic Radiation on Zanj Radio. This episode features the premier of "Flies" a nu-music track by dj zanj rracc. You can look forward to Electromagnetic Radiation live shows  in 2020. The Electromagnetic radiation is a stimulating sonic environment. The show is 2 hours and is broken down into …

Getting Ready- Notes on the electro magnetic radiation

Here are the last two episodes of  the Electro magnetic Radiation on Zanj Radio. https://www.mixcloud.com/zanjradio/electromagnetic-radiation-with-dj-afifa-june142019/ Both episodes feature music/experimental sound projects from netlabels Paparoota, Pueblo Nuevo and Bumpfoot. These last two episodes have been a part of my preparation to submit an experimental mix to the Zanj Radio International broadcast of chill mixes on July …

Exploring multimedia

  Here is a multimedia project for the Electro magnetic radiation on Zanj Radio. I created it  using the open source video editor Pitivi.  

Excerpts of Dis Poem Wordz and Agro Festival 2019

This project was released a few weeks ago on the Sounds of Life nu-music label. The project is an experiment in recording live events using easily accessible and affordable handheld devices. Excerpts of the Dis Poem Wordz and Agro Festival 2019 was recorded using a Panasonic RR-US511 digital voice recorder. Here are some of my …

Notes on the Electro magnetic Radiation and Crocus Bag a tings #11

Over the last 4 weeks I have realised how I have returned to a dream of being a political analyst and an interest in research and public policy; an interest I thought I gave up.

Soundscapes

Soundscapes is a project by dj afifa for Sounds of Life. Each soundscape features material from her favourite netlabels, original nu-music tracks and field recordings.

Revisiting the SO((U))Lherverse project

In 2012 I collaborated with Amina Doherty (SHeroxlox) on a project called SO((U))LHERVERSE, it was a series of compilations released to mark International Womens Day.  SO((U))LHERVERSE is “a fused socio-political-sonic space where womyn’s voices are fierce and free".The second compilation featured a resource guide to accompany the mixtape produced by Georgia Love. The 3rd compilation …

Music and Memory- Notes on the Electromagnetic Radiation

Here are the 3 latest episodes of the Electromagnetic Radiation on Zanj Radio. For 2019 i want to explore the relationship between music and memory. So far these are the questions i am exploring; With so much happening around us can we use music to help us process them? How do we remember important events? …

Notes on Crocus Bag a Tings

Every Sunday from 6-7 pm -5utc on Zanj Radio I share my ideas on "Crocus Bag a tings", a current affairs programme which started in May 2016. I focus on dissecting the web of complex issues shaping life in Jamaica- the "Crocus Bag a tings". Here are the last three episodes of Crocus Bag a …

Soundscapes and Film Projects

Last year i worked on two film projects; "the mass" a collaboration with photographer Sokarie Ekine and "if i had the wings of dove" a soundscape commissioned by Simone Harris for her "Tribe film Project". Here is a preview of "If i had the wings of a dove". The project was shot and edited by …

Sounds of Life- the story of a drop. Notes on the electro magnetic radiation #8

In 2018 Sounds of Life became a record label specializing in nu-music and the release of experimental mixes and sound art.