Well what a year that was and wasn’t – is and isn’t…COVID-19 decimated live shows for several months but things started to pick up as summer kicked in. I have been busy recording wise though. During the last 5 months I’ve worked on about 50 new tracks, collaborations and new solo material. The latest things to come out are ‘Connection’ with Kingdom Signal, on Blind Dog Records, and a project with Bernard O’neill, Simon Webster and Mouna called Chaka Chouka. I am very excited about his one that is coming out in Fall 2020. Our first release is called ‘Sharka’ and it’s on digital platforms worldwide very soon. Until then…..you can get a listen and purchase from Simon Webster
Another recent release, also being made in a special video clip, ‘Transitory Evening (Afro Travel) a project by Dr. Chrispy out of San Francisco, USA. There are about 5 different mixes on Spotify of this one
I also joined a new Riddim 1 Radio station in Jamaica which I am well excited about – see the feature in Riddim Style Magazine …and tune in here…
Plus… some collabs with my good friend Kostas Maragaritakis out of Crete. ‘Ithaki’ a poem by C.P. Cavafy set to bingi drums and dub, and ‘Humanity’ on the same riddim
I also started a podcast, something I call an atomography. ‘The Daily Chiofta’ wass recorded every morning in the ambience of my garden on my mobile phone.100 podcasts later, these stories span my life on the road, in music, as an academic, writer, child emigrating and many other insights I’ve lived through. The Chiofta is for Chioftians, there’s also a Facebook Group and its all recorded on the Anchor App. You can get all the current episodes here
And a Radio station at the studio was born. Its called Blind Dog Radio. We usually go live on Friday nights Haji & Dimi as ‘The Blues Brothers’.
I seldom, as many of you know, do TV interviews but Web TV, which has a lot more freedom is a much more welcoming platform for me. So when the folks at ΦΑΚ ΤV invited me as their first guest for their new season, I responded in the affirmative, Captain Kirk! The result’s below, and I feel its the only time I’ve done TV in Cyprus and felt totally happy about it afterwards.
Yes, that’s most of 2020 so far. As always, there’s more to come…
Haji Mike