A wise man once said, “The biggest crime when [Afrika] Bambaataa plays is not to dance.” Actually, King Kurmanji, the international spokesperson for the Zulu Nation and Bambaataa’s right hand man, said that a few hours before Bambaataa’s set on the Red Bull Music Academy stage on Monday afternoon in a hotel lobby when he was actually on the right hand side of Bambaataa, firmly planted in a rather comfy chair. “When you dance, you lose your stresses and your worries,” continues Kurmanji. “You wash that negativity away when you release it, breathe it and move that behind.” Heavy words that are certainly not to be taken lightly — just like the political persona that Bambaataa encompasses in his large frame, and just like the cameo-packed performance he brought to the stage. “We just don’t want any wallflowers,” coolly adds Bambaataa.
While the legendary Bambaataa, who has been in the DJ game for nearly thirty years and is heavily accredited with playing a major role in the cultivation of hip-hop, does pack a political punch, music is what ultimately drives his motivation to be involved with the community on an everyday level and jet setting across the world to bring his signature sound to thousands of consciously-minded fans (and those who just like to get down and boogie as well). Movement ’09 was treated to a crazy concoction of both elements as the afternoon sun began to plunge behind Detroit’s looming skyline — a handful of hype men and emcees (including the outspoken Kurmanji) devoured the stage while Bambaataa brought an eclectic, pure and positive set of the funkalicious sort with a fat stack of tracks, many of which carried Bambaataa’s stamp in one way or another.
ChinaShop caught up with Bambaataa and Kurmanji before their afternoon delight of a performance, and quickly chatted about the differences between youth culture of yore and present and the importance lessons all young musicians must carry with him on their own “musical journey.”
We’re looking at a major leap in age here, Bambaataa — I’m a young 20-year-old working on a beard, and you basically created a whole genre of music. What are some chunks of wisdom you would share with a young musician? Afrika Bambaataa:Basically, try to understand, innerstand and overstand the different music that is out there … you know, feel the vibrations of many of the different music — not just of this country, but of the world. You’ve got to deal with the fifth element of hip-hop — knowledge, and understanding whats going on around your planet.
When you take a look at youth culture compared to youth culture when you were coming up, what do you think we’re lacking today and where do you think we have an advantage? Afrika Bambaataa: In some areas, many people have gotten away from being progressive minded in music — especially people who are into the music culture or youth culture who say, ‘I just like house. I just like techno. I’m a hip-hop head. I just want to hear reggae all day and all night.’ What we’re trying to do is play the old with the new, the new with the old — 24/7, 365 days a year and the leap year. That way, we can appreciate the past and know where are heading in the future. King Kurmanji:The difference with the youth and pop culture now compared to back in the day when hip-hop first started is that music was our escape. Now, we’re trying to escape from the music. Back in the day, the hood mentality and the gangster mentality was all around us, so the music was a way to get away from that — peace, unity, love and having fun. Today, the music is actually oversaturated with violence, misogyny … there is not a balance to put reality in its place.
And, as you might have guessed, Bambaataa and the men and women of the Zulu Nation are true to their words. For an hour and a half, the love was brought in many forms — funk, hip hop, a sprinkling of blues and everything in between colliding on stage, “the new with the old, the old with the new.” And as the set came to a wrap, only one thing could be heard being chanted from the crowd in ultimate unison: “peace, unity, love and having fun…”
