On "DEEP Soul Chants & Hollers", Mwalim DaPhunkeeProfessor takes us on a musical journey through classic house music... it was a night in the 1980's, a high school student was able to slip into the legendary Paradise Garage on a night when the maestro Larry Levan was on the turn-tables. The dance music that he played that night would forever tweak the musical imagination of young jazz musician on his way to becoming a composer and producer of soul-funk-jazz projects of his own. This was Mwalim DaPhunkeeProfessor's introduction to the garage sound that would become House Music.
Soaring, soulful vocals, lush, jazz keyboards and funky bass lines and beats permeate this album from cut to cut. Scoring serious college, Internet, and Native American radio keeping "The ABYSS", "Just Is..." and "To My NDN Relations" in rotation, it's little wonder that this album won the New England Urban Music Award for 'Best Jazz' and top nominations in the Native American Music Award for 'Best Pop'.
Songs From "DEEP Soul Chants & Hollers":
Mwalim BIO:
Mwalim *7) DaPhunkeeProfessor is a dynamic Renaissance man in the
contemporary cultural arts scene. A creator of urban music for
sophisticated tastes, his branded soul-funk-jazz sound has grooved
crowds from arenas to small lounges. A child of the crossroads, he is
the keeper of many traditions, manifesting in the forms of music,
spoken-word, literature, theater, film and television.
Drawing comparisons
to such legends as Gil Scott-Heron, Oscar Brown, Jr and Lou Rawls;
Mwalim *7) is a musician, singer, songwriter, arranger and producer, he
is the type of soul - funk - jazz artist who embodies the time-honored
tradition of the musical storyteller. A vibrant and prolific figure in
the underground soul, jazz and dance music scenes, Mwalim *7) notes, "I
never made a killing, but I've always made a living." An internationally
recognized living legend and veteran of the Black and Native American
arts scenes, Mwalim *7) is far from new to this, but remains true to
this.
Playing Carnegie Hall before he turned 14, Mwalim *7)
began his career in the 1980's, while attending Music & Art High
School. Hanging out in the fabled 251 West 30th Street music building
led to doing session work at Planet Studios and Rogue studios; later
doing session work at Jazzy Jay Recording Studios when it was located in
the Bronx. Nicknamed "The String Guy" for adding violin, viola and
cello parts to songs, he also played keyboard on a number of early
hip-hop, r&b and dance music recordings in New York City and
eventually Boston, MA.
Mwalim *7) came into his own as a
producer, arranger and remix artist, lending his talents to projects by a
myriad of major and independent labels and artists before emerging as a
solo soul and spoken-word artist in the late 1990s. Possessing one of
the smooth-funkiest vocals in jazz today, Mwalim *7) was initially to
shy to sing, and began his solo career reciting poetry and stories over
his piano playing, becoming a favorite on the east-coast spoken-word and
small club circuit. As an underground soul artist, his style and sound
was part of the foundation for the 'neo-soul' trend. A mentor to many up
and coming artists, he is considered the 'Godfather of the South Coast
Soul Movement' (referring to the Southern region of New England). After a
bad stint with a major record label, Mwalim *7) re-organized his own
independent label, Liberation Music – MGM from the imprint that he
formerly used, Midnight Groove Recordings/ Multimedia.
Winner
of the 'Best Male Jazz Artist' category at the 2010 and 2012 New England
Urban Music Awards, Mwalim *7) has opened for and/or performed with
Musiq, The Four Tops, Angie Stone, The P-Funk All-Stars, The Last Poets,
KRS –ONE, and N’Dambi. His CD, “The Liberation Sessions” (Liberation
Music – MGM) scored the club hit, DEM BIG GIRLS and earned multiple top
nominations from the Urban Music Awards as well as two Top nominations
from the 2010 Native American Music Awards (NAMMYs). After a stint at a
major label as an artist and producer, Mwalim *7) helped form Liberation
Music - MGM in 2007, launching their first release in 2008; the
critically acclaimed "Sketches of a Neighborhood" as The Bass Mint Bros.
Now a mature and accomplished artist,
Mwalim *7) continues to perform, produce, write and teach. His music
remains a favorite among the grown & sexy crowd with a growing
audience of young adults seeking the more sophisticated side of urban
entertainment. Mwalim *7) has also developed a quickly growing
NDN/Native American/ First Nations audience as his album “DEEP Soul
Chants & Hollers” and E.P. “The Soul-Funk-Jazz of Mwalim *7)” is
gaining rotation on NDN radio stations around the US and Canada; as well
as his participation and performance in the landmark production of the
Marie Clements musical “The Road Forward”. Also as the director of Black
Studies at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, he is looking to
create a Southcoast home for Afro- Native arts and culture.