Baloji takes hip-hop attitude to Congo

Congolese rapper Baloji. Photograph: Baloji

Baloji, the brilliant and innovative Congolese-born Belgian rapper and video producer, spoke to Addis Rumble about his recent performances in Kinshasa, recording with Konono No 1, the distinct visual side of his work and how to escape the 'African artist' label.

What is your tactic when integrating Congolese sounds with rap and hip-hop?

I've been listening to hip-hop since 1995-1996. It's the music I grew up with. It was through listening to hip-hop that I learned about Curtis Mayfield and Fela Kuti and also Mulatu Astatke. Now Congolese music is really diverse but I'm trying to bring a hip-hop attitude to it.

A lot of traditional Congolese music is based on improvisation and in Ethiopia we have the same tradition through the Azmari singers. How do you see the relationship between this tradition of improvisation and then hip-hop?

I think that it is connected, most music is. It is only when people give it names, that we see the differences. For me the music of Konono is close to Animal Collective. This doesn't sound obvious in a commercial way but musically the way it's based on trance and vibrations is the same. This is also true for rap and for the griot culture.

What was your experience collaborating with Konono in the recording of your new album, Kinshasa Succursale (released on Crammed in March)?

I learned a lot of things. I learned that some musicians don't give a fuck about the metronome. They just play. In Europe we try to make sure the rhythm is the same until the end of the song. They don't care and they don't think too much about the music. In Europe people think so much about what it means, how it's build up, the themes, the melodies, the harmonies. I think it's because of the Mozart tradition. It's not because Konono don't have harmonies or themes. It's just that it doesn't have a prescription. It's free.

Karibu ya Bintou on Vimeo

How was it for you to perform in Congo?

I just played there again two weeks ago and it was really great. I played in a venue called 'the Zoo.' I was really happy with this concert because the Kinshasa audience is really difficult. They are so proud of who they are and what they are doing. It's a bit like Cuba. They have their musical identity and nothing can change it.

Do you adjust your performance to your audiences?

No. A couple of years ago I did but now it is more like 'take it or leave it.' My inspiration is from Congo but also from Europe and I don't want to adjust or find excuses for not living there. My music is different because I am an outsider living in Europe. Congo is a country where there is no real music industry. Many people have been listening to the same music for the past 25 years. For musicians like Jupiter or Konono it's really difficult to get an audience in Kinshasa. Congolese are not really progressive. They are quite conservative. It's the culture and the way people listen to music.

The visual side of your work is very distinct and also quite similar to the work of old Congolese photographers like Jean Depara. Why did you choose this visual appearance?

Actually, the visuals are the reason people picked up my work. But I'm not sure they get the message. What I like about this period of time in the 50s is that you had a lot of Congolese trying to look European and they called themselves 'the evolved'. They dressed up and tried to look like the Belgian kings. There is something really interesting in that attitude. I like the fact that they care about elegance. For me the main idea behind these visuals is pretending to be 'evolved'. But it's all fake because your colour is going to bring you down anyway. But people don't really get it. Now the hairstyle is becoming stylish and I see a lot of people copying the whole thing. It's not just about having an African backdrop behind you. It's deeper than that.

So what is the real thing then?

The fascination and frustration among many African intellectuals at that time trying to look European, trying to copy the way the Europeans did politics or social life. That to me is very interesting. I'm really fascinated by it and not just because they wore some high-fashion clothes.

So for you it's much more than just visuals?

Yes, it's about playing with perceptions and giving codes new meanings. For example the song Independance Cha-Cha (from Kinshasa Succursale) is about something different than the original version. It's basically the first commercial song made in Congo in 1959. It's really a silly and hypocritical song and it's nice to play with these codes. Because the perception of people is that it's a dance song, it's cha-cha, but in the end it's just empty.

Le Jour d'apres / Siku ya baadaye (Independence cha-cha) on Vimeo

You were struggling a lot to secure the release of Kinshasa Succursale. Now that you have a platform and support, what ideas do you want to realise?

I have a new album in the can. I have an EP that I hope to put out soon with a lot of collaborations with African artists. I'm working on a film that I hope to shoot next year. And I have this crazy band (the Katuba Orchestra) that has followed me in the past two years on this amazing journey in realizing this album that nobody wanted.

Finally, does it bother you being perceived now mainly as an African artist, not just an artist?

I'm an artist first, not an African artist. This is really difficult. You have to do something else, something non-African to not always being perceived as an African artist and always being put in the same box.

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London jazz festival 2012: big bands blow the away the competition

Big talent … Kenny Wheeler at London jazz festival 2012. Photograph: Redferns via Getty Images

Featuring more than 250 gigs, the London jazz festival 2012 brought musical thrills to packed halls, foyers and free stages at the Southbank and Barbican. And the LJF buzz spreading out to the city's small clubs and pubs confirmed that this eclectic event continues to provide a fillip to jazz at all levels.

At the grassroots end, I saw a lively post-bop set – but one open enough to include Fats Waller's Jitterbug Waltz – led by the young London saxophonist/composer George Crowley at the Oxford Arms in Kentish Town last week. The band included former Loose Tubes trumpeter Chris Batchelor, Empirical bassist Tom Farmer, and London-based American drummer Jeff Williams, and it was a typical LJF scenario in that I was on the way home from a gig that could hardly have been more different – harpist Iro Haarla, saxophonist Trygve Seim and vocalist Norma Winstone at St James's Church in Piccadilly.

New music from around Europe was a key theme this year, as seen in the Take Five Europe project from LJF producers Serious. The initiative – for a bespoke band formed from workshop encounters between 10 young European performer/composers – showed just how much important background work on jazz-nurturing goes on all year round. Take Five Europe explored free improv, Scottish folk music (from saxophonist/bagpiper Fraser Fifield), the art of making a bulky baritone-sax sound vivacious (as demonstrated by Celine Bonacina) and a lot more from its French, Dutch, Norwegian, British and Polish lineup.

There was a time when jazz big-bands were proclaimed to be dead. But there were plenty of large ensembles at this year's LJF to blow that theory away. Performances by Guy Barker's mammoth Jazz Voice band, Manchester's Beats and Pieces, the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, the Australian Art Orchestra, and the BBC Concert Orchestra with reeds player Shabaka Hutchings, confirmed the enduring significance of big-ensemble jazz. These outfits packed with conservatoire students also made vital contributions this year, as the Trinity Laban jazz students did on their lively Gil Evans tribute under the direction of Polar Bear's Mark Lockheart, and as the dynamically funky pianist Neil Cowley found with the sound of the Guildhall's Big Strings group swelling around him. The Royal Academy of Music's big band also showed the class of the emerging jazz generation last Saturday in its sophisticated interpretations of Kenny Wheeler's lesser-known works.

Other exciting and original big bands included Sid Peacock's Surge – a midlands outfit influenced by Belfast's Brian Irvine and by Django Bates – which played a structurally adventurous music of real independence, even if a noisy Friday night Barbican free stage obscured its subtleties, and the improvised solos might have been better integrated. The next afternoon in the same location, jazz, reggae and dubstep drummer/composer Tommy Evans, also showed why he won a Basca British Composer award last year, with a genre-bending mix of tightly organised ensemble-playing, free-spirited jazz improv – notably for his sax players and tempestuous Leeds bassist Dave Kane – and imaginative use of three singers.

Imaginative use of singers was also a characteristic of the festival, in saxophonist John Surman's choral piece Lifelines, commissioned by the 2012 Huddersfield contemporary music festival for him, pianist Howard Moody and the Bolsterstone Male Voice Choir. It was probably Surman's purest expression of his love of English choral music, and how the hip jazz gracefulness of his soprano and baritone sax lines could productively blend with massed voices – even if a line like "pop your nose in a jug of this", from a traditional west country drinking song, might be unlikely to make it on to one of Surman's recordings for the rather more astringent ECM label, unless maybe sung in Latin.

Pianists also provided plenty of enduring memories from the festival. Tigran Hamasyan and the Cuban Aruan Ortiz – the latter in the group he co-leads with London bassist Michael Janisch – were vivid presences on the BBC's Jazz Lineup recording at the Southbank's Clore Ballroom on the first weekend. Neil Cowley brought the house down for a rock and funk-inclined audience at the Barbican, but if he isn't a Keith Jarrett or Brad Mehldau, his chord-thundering pop-jazz gives his listeners the uplifting sense of witnessing musicians having the time of their lives, and he has a knack for catchy tunes, too. At the other end of the scale, former Wynton Marsalis pianist Marcus Roberts (who played a three-day residency at Kings Place, some of it with the Guildhall School's students) sounded almost flawless, and his torrential eloquence was dazzling, even if he did make Thelonious Monk's flinty pieces sound more graceful than some fans might consider necessary.

Last but not least, a joke recounted by Jazzwise magazine's Jon Newey, in a speech to mark the 10th birthday of the magazine's venture The Write Stuff – a mentoring scheme for would-be jazz journalists. "What's the difference between a jazz journalist and a pizza?" Newey asked. The answer? "A pizza can feed a family of four."

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Prem: City leave it late, Chelsea beat Spurs

Chelsea and Manchester City produced stirring comebacks on Saturday as the top three all secured victories in the Premier League. Elsewhere, Liverpool ended their Merseyside drought on a day when West Ham, Fulham and Swansea all won.

PA PhotosEdin Dzeko celebrates his dramatic late winner at West Brom

• Brewin: Chelsea deny AVB

Manchester City are yet to lose this season and they struck deep into injury-time - with ten men - to beat West Brom 2-1 at the Hawthorns. Roberto Mancini had to make do without the injured David Silva, and City's task was made even more difficult when James Milner was sent off midway through the first half.

However, after Shane Long had given the Baggies a second-half lead, Edin Dzeko stepped off the bench to net a match-winning brace for the champions.

Juan Mata struck twice in three second-half minutes as Chelsea came from behind to beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 at White Hart Lane.

Gary Cahill gave the Blues the lead in the first period, seizing on William Gallas' poor defensive header to fire a first-time volley into the roof of the net, but Gallas made amends shortly after half-time, steering in from close range at the far post having collected Jan Vertonghen's hooked centre.

Jermain Defoe then turned the game on its head, diverting Aaron Lennon's mishit shot beyond Petr Cech and into the back of the net. That was the cue for Mata to swing the momentum back towards his side, first with a 20-yard drive following another poorly-directed clearance from Gallas and then with a fine finish after a brilliant defence-splitting pass from Eden Hazard.

Mata also made Chelsea's fourth, robbing Kyle Walker before squaring for substitute Daniel Sturridge.

Manchester United remain four points off the pace after they overcame a stubborn Stoke side 4-2 at Old Trafford. Stoke had only been beaten by Chelsea prior to their trip to the Theatre of Dreams, but were undone by two goals from Wayne Rooney as well as efforts from Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck after a Rooney own goal had given the visitors the lead.

Rooney was yet to score in the league this season at the start of play, and he actually notched one against his own team as Stoke took an 11th-minute lead. The England forward quickly made amends, though, as he found the United equaliser 15 minutes later, heading home Van Persie's cross. Van Persie then ensured United took a lead into half-time, smashing home in unerring fashion from Antonio Valencia's assist.

United flew out of the blocks after the interval, netting immediately through Welbeck's diving header, but Stoke continued to fight, reducing the deficit when Kightly advanced unchallenged to make it 3-2. Rooney quickly restored the two-goal cushion as United remained second in the table.

Liverpool ended their wait for a first home league win under Brendan Rodgers, beating Reading 1-0 at Anfield. The Reds last triumphed on home soil in league competition on May 8 against Chelsea, but Raheem Sterling's strike finally gave their fans something to sing about.

Rodgers went into the game without fresh injury absentees Fabio Borini and Pepe Reina, but his side coped well with those setbacks as they moved up to 11th in the table. The opener saw Sterling become the club's second youngest scorer behind Michael Owen as he ran onto Luis Suarez's flick, taking a touch before drilling into the far corner.

Southampton stay dangerously poised above the drop zone after they lost 4-1 to West Ham at Upton Park. The result leaves Saints on four points in 17th place in the table after a Mark Noble brace in addition to goals from Kevin Nolan and Modibo Maiga.

After a dour first half, West Ham exploded from moment the second began, netting the opener when Noble's dangerous free-kick found its way past Artur Boruc under pressure from James Collins, and then adding a second a minute later when Nolan tapped in at the far post.

Adam Lallana gave the Saints hope with 25 minutes remaining, but Noble converted from the spot to kill the game off 18 minutes from time before Maiga added the extras.

Paul Lambert is a manager firmly under pressure after Aston Villa were beaten 1-0 by Fulham at Craven Cottage. Villa are only two points clear of the bottom three after winning one of their opening eight games, with Chris Baird doing the damage for Fulham with an 84th-minute equaliser.

In the other 3pm kick-off, Swansea claimed a 2-1 win over Wigan to move into the top half of the table. Pablo Hernandez and Michu did the job for Swansea in the second half, although Emmerson Boyce's cheeky back-heeled effort made for a tight finish.

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Rodgers defends wayward Luis Suarez

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers was full of praise for Luis Suarez despite the striker's failure to convert one of his myriad chances against Reading.

• Blog: Huff and puff not enough

Suarez, 25, provided the assist for Raheem Sterling's winning goal in the 1-0 victory at Anfield but was guilty of missing several opportunities, with nine of his ten attempts on goal not even hitting the target.

However, Rodgers refused to criticise his forward, insisting that there is nothing wrong with Suarez's strike rate.

"He's not perfect but he has got a great return if you look at his stats, when he was at Ajax and since he has come into here," Rodgers said.

"But there is no doubt he will want to be more clinical. But going forward we will want to get more players who take the load off him."

Rodgers praised Suarez for his determination to play, four days after appearing at altitude in Bolivia for Uruguay, and despite sustaining a dead leg in a challenge by Reading's Kaspars Gorkss on the stroke of half-time.

"He didn't want to come off," Rodgers said. "He is an incredible character. He created opportunities for himself. A terrific performance from him. He kept going, kept getting into good positions and will be disappointed he didn't score."

The Northern Irish boss also praised Sterling, who opened his account for the club at the age of 17 years, 317 days. Only Michael Owen, in 1997, has scored for Liverpool at a younger age.

"It was a wonderful finish and he is a terrific talent," Rodgers added. "He has a good head on young shoulders."

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Exercise reduces greed (Yahoo!7)

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by Crystelle Coulon

If you’re obsessed with making more money, buying more shoes or just having more of everything, then a new study from the University of Berlin is for you.

Researchers have found that the "natural high" associated with aerobic exercise (think: doing a spin class or pounding the pavement), dampened participants' need for rewards – such as money.

The team of researchers performed an experiment on two groups of volunteers: the first group were sedentary, while the others were trained endurance athletes. They asked the volunteers to perform 30 minutes of demanding exercise on a treadmill, or the same amount of time doing "placebo exercise" such as stretching.

RELATED: Being selfish makes you happy

An hour later, they played a monetary incentive game where the volunteers had to press buttons quickly to try and gain or avoid losing a Euro. The researchers found that the brain didn't respond any differently when it came to losing a Euro – but it dulled all the participants' desire to win money.

The research, which was published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, follows a recent study (published in the same journal) that found exercise dramatically alters our attitudes towards food.

The study asked 35 women to look at pictures of food – both after a morning of exercise and after a morning without exercise. They found that after a brisk workout, the women’s attention response to the images decreased.

Lead author Professor James LeCheminant, from Brigham Young University, said: "This study provides evidence that exercise not only affects energy output, but it also may affect how people respond to food cues."

So next time you're tempted by a hit on the pokies or trip to the buffet, maybe head to the gym instead.

RELATED: Why photos of animals make you a better employee

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Being selfish makes you happier (Yahoo!7)

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Next time you want to pocket your spare change instead of leaving a tip behind, don’t feel guilty.

While we’re brought up to believe that “sharing is caring” and that altruism is the shortcut to happiness, prioritizing yourself over others can make you feel so damn good.

According to new research published in the journal Psychological Science, when our own self-interest is imposed on us it helps us to avoid feelings of guilt while we relish the benefits all to ourselves. That is, we really can have our cake and eat it too, but only if we're told to do so.

In the first of two studies, psychological scientists Jonathan Berman and Deborah Small tested the theory that that removing an individuals' sense of agency would remove their feeling of responsibility for an outcome, leaving them free to enjoy self-interest without feeling selfish.

In it, they gave $3 each to 216 undergraduates. One group of participants were told to donate their money to a non-profit charity (imposed-charity condition), some were told to keep the money (imposed self-interest condition), and the remaining participants were told they could do whatever they wanted with it (choice-condition).

RELATED: Why it's important to say no

As the researchers hypothesized, those who were given the option to keep the money for themselves reported being happier than those who were told to donate their money or those who were given the freedom to choose what to do with it.

"Often people really want to act in a selfish manner," Berman says. "But they don't do so, because they know they would feel selfish if they did."

The researchers speculated, however, that it was possible that the self-interest choice group could have been happier because there was no choice at all, so they conducted a second experiment to see if choice really matters.

In the next study, all participants had to choose between two options. Once again, the participants were happiest when they could choose between two options that would benefit themselves and not others.

The study revealed that while freedom of choice was important to participants, it ultimately didn't make them happier; having no choice freed them from any guilt standing in the way of happiness.
Source: Science Daily

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Your brain on an orgasm

Volunteers masturbated inside a functional MRI machine so that researchers could deepen their understanding of the female orgasm. They found that from build-up to orgasm, your brain lights up like Sydney Harbour on December 31.
AT FIRST TOUCH

The brain’s genital sensory cortex fires up. “The clitoris, vagina and cervix each stimulate different parts of the cortex,” says behavioural neuroscientist Dr Barry Komisaruk, who led the MRI study by Rutgers University, US.