|
Podcasts | Community | Create a Podcast |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jay Rags of Soul Fiesta Globala soul fiesta experience! |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
SoFi Global #6
November 27, 2011 05:41 PM PST
This podcast has been archived to the Soul Fiesta Globa mobile app on Android or Apple. Deep, soulful, and diverse. I be "Jay Rags"---the pacemaker
November 16, 2011 04:40 PM PST
Live set from poet/deejay "Jay Rags" from Baltimore's annual Collective Minds Festival(DJ Oji on the mic). Full podcast can be heard on the awesome Handzonradio podcast on itunes. Flashback Studio Sessions #28 (ahhhhhh, the vocals)
October 25, 2011 08:27 PM PDT
Been thinking about my girlfriend, Erykah Badu, lately(lol). Thought I'd put this flashback up on the podcast. Download this soulful house mix before it's gone
October 13, 2011 04:27 PM PDT
Jay Rags live at Latin Palace(circa 2007) (part A) "What makes me move"......jay rags
October 13, 2011 04:12 PM PDT
Quote at the end of my 2007 interview with Red Bull On The Move. SoFi Global #4 Jay Rags presents "josh milan tribute"
September 25, 2011 07:31 PM PDT
I am pleased to present to you my tribute to a brotha’ that I’ve come to know through music, dj’ing, and my promotion of the Soul Fiesta Global party. His name is Josh Milan, formerly of Blaze, and one of the most recognizable voices and talents in House music. This tribute was inspired by a story I’ve often told a few friends of mine. Back in 2003 I went to my first Winter Music Conference(WMC) in South Beach Miami. The first party I wanted to go to was already in progress when my flight arrived at night. I got to the hotel and just had time to drop off my luggage and clean up a little. I immediately caught a taxi to the Opium Garden. Live on stage was my favorite dj, Louie Vega, the entire Elements of Life band, and Josh Milan. When they performed Brand New Day I just looked around at all the diverse races and ethnicities listening to the soulful sounds that I grew up with. That was when my view of House music became a deeper more global view of house music. So to this day when I hear Josh Milan’s vocals I think back to my first WMC. PLAYLIST:
June 03, 2011 09:45 PM PDT
On my mini-vacation I thought I'd take a break from house music and kick out another mix of eclectic tunes whose elements often find themselves in my House music mixes. Sometimes I need to just play the tunes that inspire me. Please allow me to share this vibe with you. It contains Afrobeat, salsa, house, disco, & a couple of newer funk joints. PLAYLIST:
|
About Jay RagsOut of the urban setting of Baltimore comes one of the most unique talents to ever come out of the shadows of just being a dancer. In his childhood John M. Johnson Jr. aka Jay Rags was exposed to club life and disco music through his parents/elders taking him to the kiddy discos of Baltimore’s famous Odell’s nightclub. He also got a taste for music from all the records lying around from his mom’s 70’s house parties; from Diana Ross to old Richard Pryor comedy albums. During the early to mid-80’s Jay Rags began to get immersed, like so many other young people at the time, into the new hip-hop and House sounds beginning to take over nightlife and radio. Thus begun a journey into releasing his talents through break dancing at Baltimore’s Rhythm Skate, dancing at Odell’s, and writing rhymes & lyrics. Jay Rags’ love of music and dancing carried on all the way through the early 2000’s when he noticed local dj’s, singers, and producers were getting so much praise internationally, but the local Baltimore House scene was almost completely absent except for one college radio show keeping it alive. This was the beginning of his promotional talents as he created and designed Blackbookscafe.com in the Fall of 2002. It was a website dedicated to showcasing happenings in the Baltimore/DC House Music and Poetry scenes. The name Blackbookscafe.com came from his desire to open a Coffee shop/Internet Café and had already acquired the domain name. The website listed parties and open-mic events in the region, featured interviews from local producers/dj’s/singers, and online House mixes. This was a time before the myspace and facebook era so the website’s local popularity grew fast. Folks would go there see pics from parties and more. In March 2003 John “Jay Rags” Johnson decided to fill a void that his friends expressed was missing in the scene, and thus began the start of promotions in Baltimore and the beginning of the Soul Fiesta party. Which was a monthly themed soulful party centered around Afro, Latin, Classic House music. The most recognizable resident dj’s were Karizma, and then DJ Oji; with dozens of local guest dj’s, performers, and singers showcased. The party would last nearly 4 years and John “Jay Rags” Johnson quickly became known for turning empty spaces into dance places. During that same period Jay Rags also promoted open-mic events that showcased talented poets and singers in the Baltimore area. From 2003-2009 Jay Rags has independently produced events that featured nearly 200 artists, bands, dj’s, singers, poets, etc. One event, during Baltimore’s famous Artscape Festival, “Studio Sessions Live” included over 40 acts in 3 days. His own talents as a poet started to emerge also with two spoken word pieces being published; “A Tribe Called Soul Fiesta” on POJI Records and “Deep Not Deep” licensed to Italy’s Gotta Keep Faith records. In 2004 he created a movement that started from a dream, and successfully pitched it to the Baltimore/DC’s soulful House scene. It is now known as “Collective Minds”; a House music picnic and festival in Baltimore’s historic Druid Hill Park. The main goal was to showcase the local House scene in the Balto/DC area. Over the years it had many Presidents/Vice-Presidents, and with the help of its members(dozens), is now a full fledged non-profit organization and is one of the most anticipated soulful House events in the mid-Atlantic area. The emergence of Jay Rags as a dj/producer is quite a unique occurrence and different from the normal path of dj’s. At the end of the Soul Fiesta party Jay Rags owned just about all the sound/dj equipment. So to get his “House fix” he would play the music he had been buying for years. He also went on a quest to re-acquire a small House music collection that he had given away to another local dj years ago. It started out as a hobby but he noticed that he had a unique style that his friends really liked. He also inherited a collection of music from the passing of his grandfather with sounds dating way back to the 1960’s. Already knowing his tastes in music, all that was left was blending two records. With the invention of Serato Scratch his skills quickly matched his unique selections and ability to not let a dance floor stay empty when he plays. He specializes in House music for dancers, and has a love for neosoul, afrobeat, Latin, & disco sounds. During his initial year of officially coming out as a dj he was interviewed and showcased on two XM satelite radio shows(channel 80- "Red Bull On The Move" & "Deeper Shades of House"), mix featured on handzonradio.fm, and had a weekly residency at Baltimore’s Latin Palace. The following year he played all over Baltimore and Dc at The Loft/Warehouse(DC), Winter Music Conference(South Beach), Hometown Heroes(DC), Gossip’s(Balto), Rendezvous(DC), and many private parties & fashion shows given by underground House heads in Baltimore. He even produced a few tracks for a possible EP release and created a mashup called “Baba Yaga’s Revenge" that has become an underground smash in the soulful scene of the U.S. in 2008/9. Being a promoter first meant Jay Rags had already amassed a following in Baltimore/Dc, so as a dj he pulls from a pool of house heads and music lovers that remember him from Blackbookscafe.com and promoting events. In 2009 he returned to promoting and joined with Blackout Studios(Fertile Ground, etc.) for a monthly at Baltimore’s Eden’s Lounge called Soul Fiesta exp. Night @ Flow Theory Thursdays. This was a show and small after party featuring live soul/neosoul bands and House music. In 2009 Jay Rags finally debut his band “Jay Rags & The Soul Fiesta Experience” at Baltimore’s live venue 8X10. It’s house music featuring live musicians, a poet or vocalist, acapellas, and more. Look out for the soon to be launch of “Fiesta gear” with the first line being the “i Roc House” tees. Contacts: facebook.com/jayrags, myspace.com/soulfiesta, myspace.com/jayragsSF, blackbookscafe.com. For dj booking or promo collaborations contact jmjohnso45@hotmail.com Followers
Jay rags' Friends
Contact MeSubscribe to this Podcast
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playlists available in the Soul Fiesta Global app. I got a hidden piece of music for all my Liz Torres fans. Also a little piece of a MLK speech that seems appropriate for today. Enjoy.
