Up Station Mountain Club

Wanaku Releases A New Album

Minneapolis-based Wanaku, singer, guitarist and philosopher has released a new album, Bei Samoh. He was again backed by his group Sunplug'd. Click below to sample the album and to purchase downloads or CDs. 

Book a gig with Wanaku and Sunplug'd

 

 

Wanaku and Sunplugd

^{Photographs courtesy of Leakybrain (flickr)}

Lyrics of No More War:  Download NoMoreWarFin 

Odunde Attendee

Odunde, originally uploaded by fakoman.

Odunde is a 35 years old annual festival of the Yoruba goddess of the river, Oshun. It is a colorful affair, with people dressed African, a lot of street vendors from all over the African diaspora and live music. It holds in the city of Philadelphia on South Street and neighboring streets and...

Upon the King’s Death

 

Shall my country feel let down?

Yes! The King’s! When he shall drown!

In his mansion flooded with wealth

That from our nation steals good health

 

 

Like cancer compounding with might

Our socio-political plight

That’s left our nation depleted;

So, why must the King not be ejected?

 

 

Now and just now push him to drown

And let woe sweep him off the ground;

Our ground he has stolen and sold

Wanting his deeds to go untold.

 

 

Upon making the scribe beggar

He makes his might appear bigger

Giving to him and his a leeway

To duplicate highwaymen: Waylay!

 

 

Our nation victim of this ambush

Has sent many a young man to the bush

Where we see they’ve fallen like angels

Heaven’s sounds not bells sent parking to hell.

An Outstanding Performance

By Emil I Mondoa, MD

Jacob Nguni at Social House Hall, Newark Delaware, October 23, 2009

There are people who get into music for the chicks and there are others who do it for the money or for both. Then, there are the rare ones, the real musicians who enter the field for the love of music. I have known Jacob Nguni since we were kids in Sasse. He is one of the later, and I will tell you how I know.

When Jacob took up the guitar in Form 2, he instantly knew that it was what he wanted to do as his life's work and he pursued it with a ferocity that I did not see in any other of my schoolmates, who did not really know what they wanted in life. He practiced until his hands were calloused and bruised, but he kept on practicing until he achieved what sounded to me like perfection, and he still continued to practice. He could play the popular tunes of James Brown, Jimmy Cliff and others with ease, but his benchmark was much higher, the spectacular genuises of Congolese guitar. Such names as Vata Mombasa, Ricos Kinzonga are not well known, but they were the magic fingers behind the guitar pyrotechnics of Orchestres Lipua Lipua and Bella Bella. Jacob could play the most demanding guitar licks and riffs of these giants with complete accuracy.

Jacob Nguni & Roy Madu Opening at a Plush New Newark Delaware Club

Veteran Guitarist Jacob Nguni, of Rocafil Jazz fame and Nigerian born musician and movie director Roy Madu aka The Town Crier of Marinba Productions shall be presenting a live musical extravaganza at a snazzy new club in Newark Delaware on Friday 23rd of October, from 9PM till closing. The cover charge is a steal at $20.00, because similar shows tend to cost at least 3 times as much. Master guitarist, Mr Jacob Nguni, who has to be one of the hardest working musicians stated that he never does "play back" or lip synching because he only does "full contact music". "It is only by live music that you know the full measure of a musician," he said. Their acts will be backed by the tight Waza Dance Band and they shall be presenting an eclectic mix of modern African dance music, including highlife, makossa, soukous, various Nigerian styles etc. Mr. Nguni says there will be a surprise guest at the show.

Club co-owner, Jeremy Ahlijah says there is plenty of free parking and good hotels nearby for out-of-towners. The club is 2 miles from Exit 1 I-95, and it is an easy drive from Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Dover, most points in New Jersey and even New York City. The long term plan of the new club is to provide quality entertainment and an upscale social atmosphere for the community in the North East United States. 

The location of the club is:

Social House Hall,

30 Blue Hen Drive, 

Newark, DE 19713

It is a 2 mile drive from I-95