Umoja Hi-Fi Soundsystem

Umoja Hi-Fi presents Day of Umoja 2021! An annual celebration on the first day of Kwanza. All 6 DJs from the Umoja DJ collective spinning eclectic sets of reggae, soul, funk, jazz, hip-hop, Afrobeat, rocksteady and more Check the set lists below for full artist and song titles. Follow us everywhere @umojahifi

Sets lists:

Monalisa:

Otis Gayle - I’ll Be Around

Johnny Osborne - We Need Love

Delroy Wilson - Same Old Song

Annetta Jackson - Meditation

Byron Lee & The Dragonaires - Message From A Black Man

Fatback Band - Wicky Wacky 

Boris Gardiner - Melting Pot

Chosen Few - Funky Buttercup

Toots & The Maytals - Funky Funky

Peter Tosh - Buck In Hamm Palace

Badder Than Evil - Hot Wheels

Tony Allen - Black Voices

Jun:

Dillinger - Cocaine

Desmond Dekkar - 007- Shanty Town

Monyaka - Go Deh Yaka

Kwanzaa posse - Wicked Funk

Lord Domino & the Ska Boys - Simply Funky

Manu Dibango - New Bell

Earth Wind & Fire - Runnin’ Re-Edit

William DeVaughn - Be Thankful For What You’ve Got

Bob Marley - Reggae on Broadway

James Brown - There Was A Time

Miles Davis - Black & Satin

Aaron Paar:

Ernest Ranglin - In The Rain

Funkadelic - Can You Get To That

The Isley Brothers - Brother, Brother

Marvin Gaye - Symphony (Salaam Remi Remix)

Reflections - She’s My Summer Breeze

Allen Toussaint - Goin’ Down

Grassella Oliphant - Get Out Of My Life Woman

Labelle - Moon Shadow 

Isaac Hayes - Breakthrough

Art & Ron - Can’t Stop Talkin’

Kitchener - The Road

Cornell Campbell - Duke Of Earl

The Impressions - Gypsy Woman

Daz:

The Soul Jazz Orchestra -Mamaya

Fela Kuti - Water Get No Enemy

Pete Rock - Pete's Jazz

Towa Tei - Technova

The 45 King - Spread Love Beats

J-Live - A Charmed Life

Dam-Funk - Mirrors

Outkast - Happy Valentines Day

Tomas:

Bounty Killer - Smoke The Herb (Brooklyn Jackers Remix)

Lady Lee vs Nubian Crackers - Situation (Symphonic Matt Nelkin Mix)

Cutty Ranks & General Levy  - Watch Me Now (Blend Mishkin Rmx)

Funkdoobiest  - We A Doobiest (Titan Sound Rmx)

Stylo G - Call Mi A Yardie (Blend Mishkin Rmx)

Rayvon vs Don T - No Guns, No Murder (Outstanding Matt Nelkin Mix)

Super Cat - Dem No Worry We (Hip Hop Ragga Mix)

Fu Shinkins - La Schmoove

Gangstarr - The Illest Brother

UTFO - Roxanne, Roxanne

Hortense Ellis - People Make The World Go Round

Derrick Harriott - Let Me Down Easy

Keith & Tex - Hypnotizing Eyes

Donny Hathaway - Someday We'll All Be Free

Culture D:

Konshens - Dem Nuh Know

Joy White - Dread Out Deh

Delroy Wilson - Cool Operator

Billy Boyo & Little John - What U Want to Be A Disc Jockey

Cocoa Tea & Heavy D - Walls Come Tumbling Down

Jennifer Lara -  Mr DJ

Sonya Spence - Talk Love

Coffee -  Harder They Come

Lutan Fyah - Rub A Dub

Galaxie P - Ole Stalawa

Tonto Irie - Me A Di Cooker

Bounty Killer/ Spragga Benz - Remember to Pray

Umoja HiFI's Aaron Paar (Worldship Records, Teflon Dons) pays tribute to DJ Al Jackson, of the LA-based Soul Children, presenting his recorded works as Aljax3. This set originally appeared on Paar's Stomping Grounds radio show (2nd & 4th Mondays 8-10 PM on dublab.com). Al Jackson's show Explorations is also archived on dublab.com Al Jackson: peace be with you brother, thank you for your life and music!

A mix for the first day of Kwanza (Umoja or Unity) to celebrate the origins and sound of my DJ collective Umoja HiFi Soundsystem.

This 1-hour mix features sublime selections from Latin and downtempo to broken beat, and other eclectic rhythms.

Day of Umoja Tracklist

Brownout – Con El Cuete (Second Sky and Thomas Blondet Remix) Ondatropica – Tiene Sabor, Tiene Sazón (iZem remix) Joe Bataan – Ernestine Robert Glasper Experiment – Afro Blue featuring Erykah Badu (9th Wonder's Blue Light Basement Remix) Om Unit – Lightgrids Arp 101 – Warriors Galactic Pomrad – Bofhaun Tatham,Mensah,Lord & Ranks – Teacup feat Eric Lau Mr. Scruff – Music Takes Me Up Featuring Alice Russell Willie Colón – Ché Ché Cole (Sake1 Leftism Edit) Ambient Jazz Ensemble – Jazz Face (Kirk Degiorgio Remix) Chip Wickham – Snake Eyes (Ishmael Ensemble Remix) Kid Sublime feat. Nicky Guilland – Something About Your Love Yellowtail – Juju Mim Suleiman – Bibi Na Mpu (Maurice Fulton Dub) Nomumbah – Milziq Sleepwalke – Brotherhood (Marc Mac Dirty Jazz Mix) Atjazz feat Sarah Jane Morris – Fantasy (Domu remix) 4hero – Sink or Swim Peshay – Vanguard

It's Umoja Hi-Fi's Nice Up Radio show #46 with DJ Tomas in the mix. New music from Buju Banton, Anthony B, Jah9, Romain Virgo, Nattali Rize, Christopher Ellis and more. New riddims, and strictly 2020 reggae vibes! Listen to the show live Sundays 3-5PM PST or catch the weekly re-posts at www.soundcloud.com/umojahifi

Welcome to the Umoja Hi-Fi podcast. Umoja Hi-Fi is a seven person DJ collective formed in Los Angeles in 1992 and we are active to this very day! Subscribers to this podcast may be used to the various DJ mixes we’ve been dropping on this channel, and those are going to continue, but today we’ve got something special - we'll talk to DJ Tomas's long time friend and colleague Star Eyes, a.k.a. Vivian Host, an accomplished DJ, producer, music journalist, radio host and podcaster in her own right.

DJ Tomas met Vivian in LA in the early '90s around the same time that Umoja Hi-Fi formed. Tomas booked Star Eyes for one of her first gigs at, an after-hours event at Nova Express cafe, he wrote and edited with her at URB and XLR8R magazines, and watched her career flourish at Red Music Music in New York.

Speaking of Red Bull, Vivian's New York party crew Trouble & Bass won the 2013 Red Bull Culture Clash event -- a true underdog upset, besting Max Glazer's Federation Sound, Que Bajo and hip-hop producer Just Blaze. Since then, she's only continued to rise.

Dubbed "Brooklyn's Queen of Heavy Bass," hear how Vivian discovered reggae sound system culture, became a pioneering US drum & bass DJ, and forged a successful music journalism career along the way.

We present a very special vinyl 45s mix from Umoja Hi-Fi co-founder DJ Daz. This versatile DJ was born in London and raised in Los Angeles where he got deep into music from a young age.

In his London youth he attended Dingwalls sessions (where Gilles Peterson, Patrick Forge, Paul Murphy and others played) and after relocating found his way to LA’s Delicious Vinyl Records, home to the Pharcyde, Masta Ace and Brand New Heavies, among others. Later he became a resident at influential LA rare-groove/acid jazz club Brass.

He co-founded Umoja Hi-Fi with DJ Tomas in 1992 and has been an active club DJ in the hip-hop, rare groove, soul, funk, house and reggae scenes. His long running Chocolate Bar night saw dozens of artists and celebrities pass though its doors. Daz agreed to dig in his 45 box for this special guest of rare and cool funk 45s. Enjoy the groove!

Ximeno Records was co-founded by Danny Holloway and Aaron Paar in 2011 and releases limited-run vinyl 45s, focusing mainly on rare, funky vintage reggae and soul cuts. Aimed with DJs and selectors in mind, Ximeno has released though cover versions of tracks like “Let It Whip”, “I Want Your Love,” and “Rock With U” by artists including Derrick Harriot, Grace Jackson, Blood Sisters, Skatalites and Tappa Zukie. Check their Discogs page for more selections (https://www.discogs.com/label/482668-Ximeno-Records). Holloway and Paar first experimented with a 200-pressing 45, when it sold out quickly, and records number two and three also sold out, they knew they were on to something. Says Paar, “A lot of the ideas came from from Danny Holloway’s personal (record) collection; we would discuss and I would recommended the tracks I thought would work for DJs — things that people could play in the clubs right away.

We’ve released a lot of reggae boogie or disco covers, and funkier tracks like “Melting Pot” by Underground Vegetables. Danny and I just combined our knowledge to give DJs something in our bag and make it more accessible.” Now enjoy this mix by Paar, who rep’s Umoja Hi-Fi and Worldship Records in addition to Ximeno.

This mix is an Umoja Hi-Fi exclusive of the first 10 Ximeno singles.

Umoja SoundStation 3-5PM PST on Nice Up Radio with hosts from Umoja Hi-Fi DJ Tomas SF, Culture D and King CoknI O'Dire. Listen on niceupradio.com or download the app from Apple App Store or Google Play. #reggae #roots #classic-dancehall #one-drop #nice-up-radio #umojahifi Catch the re-broadcast every week on soundcloud.com/umojahifi Find Umoja on all your socials @umojafifi (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube)

DJ Tomas SF presents Rocksteady to Rub-A-Dub Mix

1. Melodians – Swing and Dine

2. The Cables – Baby Why

3. Hemsley Morris – Little Things

4. Derrick Morgan – Want More

5. Derick Harriot – Have You Seen Her

6. The Heptones – Party Time

7. Johnny Osbourne – Rub-A-Dub Party

8. Hopeton Lewis – Rockashocka

9. Bob Marley & The Wailers – Nice Time

10. Slim Smith – Rougher Yet

11. Lone Ranger – Love Bump

12. Lloy Robinson – Can't Stand It

12. Alton Ellis – I'm Just A Guy

13. Sugar Minott – Vanity

14. Jimmy London – I'm You Puppet

15. Zap Pow – This Is Reggae

16. Anthony Johnson, Little John, Don Carlos – Roll River Jordan

17. Jr. Reid – Concrete Castle King (Dub)

18. Dennis Brown – I Can't Stand It

19. Sister Nancy – Transport Connection

20. Delton Screechie – Get Up Stand Up

21. Ranking Devon – All Nation Have To Bow

22. Brigadier Jerry – Jamaica Jamaica

23. Johnny Osbourne – Water Pumping

24. Nicodemus – Bubble Nicodemus

DJ Tomas – Umoja Hi-Fi Sound Station

"I’m A Rootsman, Part 1: Deep Roots Mix"

A 73 minute selection of deeper roots reggae music from the 1970s and ‘80s. This selection focuses on slower, dubbier tracks with conscious themes and lyrics. I was trying to invoke the spirit of reggae radio in the ‘80s – be it pirate radio in the UK, college radio in the US or Dread at the Controls broadcasts in Jamaica. Another inspiration was DJ Andrew’s foundation/roots underground parties in Los Angeles in the mid-90s. A UK native and carpenter, Andrew would hold late night affairs in small after-hours bars on Fairfax Ave, focusing on strictly roots and culture selections. Honest Jons’ Dave Phelps would bring his 45s and Daz and Cokni would rope in. I & I hope you enjoy this set. More soon. Giving I-ses unto Jah I-tinually. Word sound is power.

 Tracklisting:

The Silvertones – Rejoice Jah Jah Children

Jah Lion – Columbia Colly

The Heptones – Sufferers Time

Junior Murvin – Police & Thives

Delroy Williams – Foxhole + Dub Version

The Abyssinians – Good Lord

Augustus Pablo – King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown

Prince Lincoln – Humanity + Dub Version

Patrick Andy – Every Tongue Shal Tell + Dub Version

Kojak – Penitentiary

Johnny Ringo – Tense Me Tense

Penitentiary Dub Version

Wayne Jarrett & Silver Fox – Saturday Night Jamboree (12" Mix)

The Viceroys – My Mission Is Impossible

Prince Alla –  Only Love Can Conquer

Jah Woosh – Marcus Say + Dub Version

Gregory Isaacs – Mr Cop

Mikey Dread – Barber Saloon

Bunny Wailer – Boderation

Carlton Livingston – 100 Weight of Collie Weed

Frankie Jones – Don't Smoke The Seed

Johnny Osbourne – Give A Little Love

Scientist –  Give A Little Dub

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Rebel Music

Horace Andy – Zion Gate

Leroy Smart – No Love + Dub Version

Johnny Clarke – (Just Call) Me African Roots

Fabian – Prophecy