Umoja Hi-Fi Soundsystem: Recent Episodes
Umoja Soundstation
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Established in 1992, and comprised of seven DJs including Tomas, Daz, Culture D, King CoknI, Jun, Monalisa, and Aaron Paar, Umoja Hi-Fi Soundsystem spins an eclectic range of music rooted in sound system culture. Active in clubs, radio and live shows, Umoja DJs play the best soul, jazz, reggae, house, hip-hop and classics.
Umoja Hi-Fi presents Day of Umoja 2021! An annual celebration on the first day of Kwanza. All 6 DJs from the Umoja DJ collective spinning eclectic sets of reggae, soul, funk, jazz, hip-hop, Afrobeat, rocksteady and more Check the set lists below for full artist and song titles. Follow us everywhere @umojahifi
Sets lists:
Monalisa:
Otis Gayle - I’ll Be Around
Johnny Osborne - We Need Love
Delroy Wilson - Same Old Song
Annetta Jackson - Meditation
Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Message From A Black Man
Fatback Band - Wicky Wacky
Boris Gardiner - Melting Pot
Chosen Few - Funky Buttercup
Toots & The Maytals - Funky Funky
Peter Tosh - Buck In Hamm Palace
Badder Than Evil - Hot Wheels
Tony Allen - Black Voices
Jun:
Dillinger - Cocaine
Desmond Dekkar - 007- Shanty Town
Monyaka - Go Deh Yaka
Kwanzaa posse - Wicked Funk
Lord Domino & the Ska Boys - Simply Funky
Manu Dibango - New Bell
Earth Wind & Fire - Runnin’ Re-Edit
William DeVaughn - Be Thankful For What You’ve Got
Bob Marley - Reggae on Broadway
James Brown - There Was A Time
Miles Davis - Black & Satin
Aaron Paar:
Ernest Ranglin - In The Rain
Funkadelic - Can You Get To That
The Isley Brothers - Brother, Brother
Marvin Gaye - Symphony (Salaam Remi Remix)
Reflections - She’s My Summer Breeze
Allen Toussaint - Goin’ Down
Grassella Oliphant - Get Out Of My Life Woman
Labelle - Moon Shadow
Isaac Hayes - Breakthrough
Art & Ron - Can’t Stop Talkin’
Kitchener - The Road
Cornell Campbell - Duke Of Earl
The Impressions - Gypsy Woman
Daz:
The Soul Jazz Orchestra -Mamaya
Fela Kuti - Water Get No Enemy
Pete Rock - Pete's Jazz
Towa Tei - Technova
The 45 King - Spread Love Beats
J-Live - A Charmed Life
Dam-Funk - Mirrors
Outkast - Happy Valentines Day
Tomas:
Bounty Killer - Smoke The Herb (Brooklyn Jackers Remix)
Lady Lee vs Nubian Crackers - Situation (Symphonic Matt Nelkin Mix)
Cutty Ranks & General Levy - Watch Me Now (Blend Mishkin Rmx)
Funkdoobiest - We A Doobiest (Titan Sound Rmx)
Stylo G - Call Mi A Yardie (Blend Mishkin Rmx)
Rayvon vs Don T - No Guns, No Murder (Outstanding Matt Nelkin Mix)
Super Cat - Dem No Worry We (Hip Hop Ragga Mix)
Fu Shinkins - La Schmoove
Gangstarr - The Illest Brother
UTFO - Roxanne, Roxanne
Hortense Ellis - People Make The World Go Round
Derrick Harriott - Let Me Down Easy
Keith & Tex - Hypnotizing Eyes
Donny Hathaway - Someday We'll All Be Free
Culture D:
Konshens - Dem Nuh Know
Joy White - Dread Out Deh
Delroy Wilson - Cool Operator
Billy Boyo & Little John - What U Want to Be A Disc Jockey
Cocoa Tea & Heavy D - Walls Come Tumbling Down
Jennifer Lara - Mr DJ
Sonya Spence - Talk Love
Coffee - Harder They Come
Lutan Fyah - Rub A Dub
Galaxie P - Ole Stalawa
Tonto Irie - Me A Di Cooker
Bounty Killer/ Spragga Benz - Remember to Pray
Umoja HiFI's Aaron Paar (Worldship Records, Teflon Dons) pays tribute to DJ Al Jackson, of the LA-based Soul Children, presenting his recorded works as Aljax3. This set originally appeared on Paar's Stomping Grounds radio show (2nd & 4th Mondays 8-10 PM on dublab.com). Al Jackson's show Explorations is also archived on dublab.com Al Jackson: peace be with you brother, thank you for your life and music!
A mix for the first day of Kwanza (Umoja or Unity) to celebrate the origins and sound of my DJ collective Umoja HiFi Soundsystem.
This 1-hour mix features sublime selections from Latin and downtempo to broken beat, and other eclectic rhythms.
Day of Umoja Tracklist
Brownout – Con El Cuete (Second Sky and Thomas Blondet Remix)
Ondatropica – Tiene Sabor, Tiene Sazón (iZem remix)
Joe Bataan – Ernestine
Robert Glasper Experiment – Afro Blue featuring Erykah Badu (9th Wonder's Blue Light Basement Remix)
Om Unit – Lightgrids
Arp 101 – Warriors Galactic
Pomrad – Bofhaun
Tatham,Mensah,Lord & Ranks – Teacup feat Eric Lau
Mr. Scruff – Music Takes Me Up Featuring Alice Russell
Willie Colón – Ché Ché Cole (Sake1 Leftism Edit)
Ambient Jazz Ensemble – Jazz Face (Kirk Degiorgio Remix)
Chip Wickham – Snake Eyes (Ishmael Ensemble Remix)
Kid Sublime feat. Nicky Guilland – Something About Your Love
Yellowtail – Juju
Mim Suleiman – Bibi Na Mpu (Maurice Fulton Dub)
Nomumbah – Milziq Sleepwalke – Brotherhood (Marc Mac Dirty Jazz Mix)
Atjazz feat Sarah Jane Morris – Fantasy (Domu remix)
4hero – Sink or Swim
Peshay – Vanguard
It's Umoja Hi-Fi's Nice Up Radio show #46 with DJ Tomas in the mix. New music from Buju Banton, Anthony B, Jah9, Romain Virgo, Nattali Rize, Christopher Ellis and more. New riddims, and strictly 2020 reggae vibes! Listen to the show live Sundays 3-5PM PST or catch the weekly re-posts at www.soundcloud.com/umojahifi
Welcome to the Umoja Hi-Fi podcast. Umoja Hi-Fi is a seven person DJ collective formed in Los Angeles in 1992 and we are active to this very day! Subscribers to this podcast may be used to the various DJ mixes we’ve been dropping on this channel, and those are going to continue, but today we’ve got something special - we'll talk to DJ Tomas's long time friend and colleague Star Eyes, a.k.a. Vivian Host, an accomplished DJ, producer, music journalist, radio host and podcaster in her own right.
DJ Tomas met Vivian in LA in the early '90s around the same time that Umoja Hi-Fi formed. Tomas booked Star Eyes for one of her first gigs at, an after-hours event at Nova Express cafe, he wrote and edited with her at URB and XLR8R magazines, and watched her career flourish at Red Music Music in New York.
Speaking of Red Bull, Vivian's New York party crew Trouble & Bass won the 2013 Red Bull Culture Clash event -- a true underdog upset, besting Max Glazer's Federation Sound, Que Bajo and hip-hop producer Just Blaze. Since then, she's only continued to rise.
Dubbed "Brooklyn's Queen of Heavy Bass," hear how Vivian discovered reggae sound system culture, became a pioneering US drum & bass DJ, and forged a successful music journalism career along the way.
We present a very special vinyl 45s mix from Umoja Hi-Fi co-founder DJ Daz. This versatile DJ was born in London and raised in Los Angeles where he got deep into music from a young age.
In his London youth he attended Dingwalls sessions (where Gilles Peterson, Patrick Forge, Paul Murphy and others played) and after relocating found his way to LA’s Delicious Vinyl Records, home to the Pharcyde, Masta Ace and Brand New Heavies, among others. Later he became a resident at influential LA rare-groove/acid jazz club Brass.
He co-founded Umoja Hi-Fi with DJ Tomas in 1992 and has been an active club DJ in the hip-hop, rare groove, soul, funk, house and reggae scenes. His long running Chocolate Bar night saw dozens of artists and celebrities pass though its doors. Daz agreed to dig in his 45 box for this special guest of rare and cool funk 45s. Enjoy the groove!
Ximeno Records was co-founded by Danny Holloway and Aaron Paar in 2011 and releases limited-run vinyl 45s, focusing mainly on rare, funky vintage reggae and soul cuts. Aimed with DJs and selectors in mind, Ximeno has released though cover versions of tracks like “Let It Whip”, “I Want Your Love,” and “Rock With U” by artists including Derrick Harriot, Grace Jackson, Blood Sisters, Skatalites and Tappa Zukie. Check their Discogs page for more selections (https://www.discogs.com/label/482668-Ximeno-Records). Holloway and Paar first experimented with a 200-pressing 45, when it sold out quickly, and records number two and three also sold out, they knew they were on to something. Says Paar, “A lot of the ideas came from from Danny Holloway’s personal (record) collection; we would discuss and I would recommended the tracks I thought would work for DJs — things that people could play in the clubs right away.
We’ve released a lot of reggae boogie or disco covers, and funkier tracks like “Melting Pot” by Underground Vegetables. Danny and I just combined our knowledge to give DJs something in our bag and make it more accessible.” Now enjoy this mix by Paar, who rep’s Umoja Hi-Fi and Worldship Records in addition to Ximeno.
This mix is an Umoja Hi-Fi exclusive of the first 10 Ximeno singles.
Umoja SoundStation 3-5PM PST on Nice Up Radio with hosts from Umoja Hi-Fi DJ Tomas SF, Culture D and King CoknI O'Dire. Listen on niceupradio.com or download the app from Apple App Store or Google Play. #reggae #roots #classic-dancehall #one-drop #nice-up-radio #umojahifi Catch the re-broadcast every week on soundcloud.com/umojahifi Find Umoja on all your socials @umojafifi (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube)
DJ Tomas SF presents Rocksteady to Rub-A-Dub Mix
1. Melodians – Swing and Dine
2. The Cables – Baby Why
3. Hemsley Morris – Little Things
4. Derrick Morgan – Want More
5. Derick Harriot – Have You Seen Her
6. The Heptones – Party Time
7. Johnny Osbourne – Rub-A-Dub Party
8. Hopeton Lewis – Rockashocka
9. Bob Marley & The Wailers – Nice Time
10. Slim Smith – Rougher Yet
11. Lone Ranger – Love Bump
12. Lloy Robinson – Can't Stand It
12. Alton Ellis – I'm Just A Guy
13. Sugar Minott – Vanity
14. Jimmy London – I'm You Puppet
15. Zap Pow – This Is Reggae
16. Anthony Johnson, Little John, Don Carlos – Roll River Jordan
17. Jr. Reid – Concrete Castle King (Dub)
18. Dennis Brown – I Can't Stand It
19. Sister Nancy – Transport Connection
20. Delton Screechie – Get Up Stand Up
21. Ranking Devon – All Nation Have To Bow
22. Brigadier Jerry – Jamaica Jamaica
23. Johnny Osbourne – Water Pumping
24. Nicodemus – Bubble Nicodemus
DJ Tomas – Umoja Hi-Fi Sound Station
"I’m A Rootsman, Part 1: Deep Roots Mix"
A 73 minute selection of deeper roots reggae music from the 1970s and ‘80s. This selection focuses on slower, dubbier tracks with conscious themes and lyrics. I was trying to invoke the spirit of reggae radio in the ‘80s – be it pirate radio in the UK, college radio in the US or Dread at the Controls broadcasts in Jamaica. Another inspiration was DJ Andrew’s foundation/roots underground parties in Los Angeles in the mid-90s. A UK native and carpenter, Andrew would hold late night affairs in small after-hours bars on Fairfax Ave, focusing on strictly roots and culture selections. Honest Jons’ Dave Phelps would bring his 45s and Daz and Cokni would rope in. I & I hope you enjoy this set. More soon. Giving I-ses unto Jah I-tinually. Word sound is power.
Tracklisting:
The Silvertones – Rejoice Jah Jah Children
Jah Lion – Columbia Colly
The Heptones – Sufferers Time
Junior Murvin – Police & Thives
Delroy Williams – Foxhole + Dub Version
The Abyssinians – Good Lord
Augustus Pablo – King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown
Prince Lincoln – Humanity + Dub Version
Patrick Andy – Every Tongue Shal Tell + Dub Version
Kojak – Penitentiary
Johnny Ringo – Tense Me Tense
Penitentiary Dub Version
Wayne Jarrett & Silver Fox – Saturday Night Jamboree (12" Mix)
The Viceroys – My Mission Is Impossible
Prince Alla – Only Love Can Conquer
Jah Woosh – Marcus Say + Dub Version
Gregory Isaacs – Mr Cop
Mikey Dread – Barber Saloon
Bunny Wailer – Boderation
Carlton Livingston – 100 Weight of Collie Weed
Frankie Jones – Don't Smoke The Seed
Johnny Osbourne – Give A Little Love
Scientist – Give A Little Dub
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Rebel Music
Horace Andy – Zion Gate
Leroy Smart – No Love + Dub Version
Johnny Clarke – (Just Call) Me African Roots
Fabian – Prophecy
PLAYLIST:
Political Fiction Half Pint
Tightrope Steel Pulse
Study People Serani
Cyaan Look Inna Wi Eye Bugle
Dem Bwoy Ah Baby Vybz Kartel
Dem Nah Look Nuh Gal (Raw) Assassin
Nuh Linga Elephant Man
Usain Bolt Nuh Linga
Line Fi Line (Raw) Busy Signal & Assassin
The Next Movement The Roots
Sunday Coming Alton Ellis
Christmas Coming Alton Ellis
Im Still In Love With You Boy Sean Paul Ft Sasha
Umbrella (Offical Reggae Remix) Rihanna & Shaggy
brown skin Richie spice
My African Queen
Youths Are So Cold Richie Spice
Cherish The Day Sade
Never Dis Di Man Sanchez
Shine Criss Shabba Ranks
Reprimand Shinehead
Respect Shabba Ranks
The Last Poets – Bird’s Word
The Art Ensemble Of Chicago – Theme De Yo Yo (Dobie Re-Edit)
Aloe Blacc – Blind World
Q-Tip – Won’t Change
Mos Def – Roses
Tom Scott & The L.A. Express – Today
Common – Inhale
Gil Scott-Heron – Lady Day and John Coltrane
The Zbigniew Namylowski Modern Jazz Quartet – Piatawka (in 5/4 time)
Oscar Brown Jr. – Afro Blue
The Ensemble Al Salaam – Circles
Andy Bey – River Man
The Cinematic Orchestra – All That You Give
(Photo credit: Big Manny) (Photo taken at Truthseekers Radio, Friday nights from 1-3 a.m. on 90.7 kpfk fm, Los Angeles, Ca. www.kpfk.org). Shout out to Santana and the whole Truthseekers crew.
Mixed and recorded live (no edits, no over-dubs, no pro-tools, recorded in one take) by dj dAz for Sounds Of Umoja productions. The music in this mix has been rolling around in my head for many months, even years, and possibly decades. The ability to understand the similarities between jazz of the past and modern hip hop has always been something to drive my art. Even in my early days as a young yout’, jazz music was always playing in my house, classic movies were always on the t.v., and whenever I’d get home from school, there would always be an energy of welcomeness and calm like you had arrived. As I grew up and started to become influenced by hip hop in the eighties and nineties it just became a natural progression to be influenced by the very hip hop artists that used samples from their pop’s record collection for their own sound. Dad listened to Oscar Peterson, I listened to A Tribe Called Quest. Dad listened to Cab Calloway, I listened to Big Daddy Kane. So, with that being said; Big Up Pop’s, Mom’s, and family. I dedicate this to everyone, but my influences for this mix comes from the movies “The Jungle Book”, and Bob Hope and Bing Crosby’s “Road To Zanzibar”, as well as the very artists who are featured in this mix. Bless Up!
dj dAz presents: Kwanzaa Series/Mellow Bump Vol. II
- 4 Hero – Conceptions
- Yesterdays New Quintet – Sunrays
- Massive Attack – Exchange
- Lil’ Kim – Queen Bitch
- Teedra Moses – Still Got Love (Instrumental)
- Ta’Raach – (White Label Promo)
- Spacek – Eve (Jay Dee Mix)
- Dwele – A.N.G.E.L. (Slum Village Mix)
- Keith Murray – The Rhyme (Slum Village Street Remix)
- Talib Kweli – Never Been In Love
- Red Astaire – Follow Me
- The Mighty Bop – Ride Away
- Jamie Cullum – Frontin’
- Esthero – Superheroes
Wow. How to explain the beauty I maintain, with the love around and for the love of sound, this mix is dedicated first and foremost to UMOJA Hi Fi… no lie, always inspiring me to challenge my left and right ear and represent this thing here… we call it life!
But there would be no life if it wasn’t for my family, so I dedicate this to them too… I got mad crew in the form of friends that have supported me since back then, so a big shout out to you!. And up next is my boo… I recorded this mix for you, I’m so, so blessed for us to be two, you keep me true… so true, Alisa I love you!!! :0)