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Toronto's real afrobeat orchestra: Ultra Magnus


Giggles

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Hello Ottawa crew,

I have in the works a short little trip for Toronto's monster afrobeat orchestra: Ultra Magnus. They will be headed to play in the WMF in Montreal and I have a date booked in Ottawa for them as well...if Ottawa thinks they can handle the real deal!!!

Headed by band leader Magnus Paulson, Toronto's Ultra Magnus bring the sounds of real afrobeat to life with thier never ending energy and unmatched afrogrooves. With an up-coming tour in the works along side Akoya Afrobeat Ensamble (including members of the original Fela Kuti afrobeat troop), Ultra Magnus is ready (after years of home territory giging) to bring their highly skilled musicianship to other parts of Ontario and Quebec. This 10-13 piece afro-orchestra will have your mind thinking of the awarness afrobeat has always tried to surface, and your ass shaking uncontrolably...

I'd like to see a response from some of you Ottawa folks for a show like this. Be warned, this is the real deal and all these players are HEAVY, HEAVY, HEAVY(all members having a degree in jazz in their respective instruments, but moreso are armed with the years of knowledge Magnus has researching the forms and music of afrobeat as well as his work with such bands as Akoya A. E...)...

So Ottawa; think you can handle this? The tentative date is the 27th of this month at Babylon!!!

Gawpo Giggles :grin: :grin: :grin:

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ok then...no wonder I moved away...and a question was raised as to why some hard working Canadian bands can't do anything but play a few shows here and there throughout their local area (and not break into the U.S)...shit local support was it?!?!?!

Gawpo Giggles :mad: :mad: :mad:

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Hey my friend, don't give up so easily. It is summer after all and some many things to do with so little time. But here is my question; why haven't I heard of this group playing in Toronto? I see you almost every Monday night and I don't recall hearing where UM is playing in T-Dot...O-Town is a busy place this summer it seems so maybe a little hard to slip in a band at last moment's notice...

See you tonight?

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ok then...no wonder I moved away...and a question was raised as to why some hard working Canadian bands can't do anything but play a few shows here and there throughout their local area (and not break into the U.S)...shit local support was it?!?!?!

Gawpo Giggles :mad: :mad: :mad:

wow, thats pretty harsh, huh?

really makes me want to go see the band now.

the email i got from the band last week didnt even have dates in it, despite billing this band as great stuff.

i didnt get a reply when i wrote back asking about that, but i aint bitter.

plus, the phrasing "real afrobeat", is kind of a drag to read when mr somethingsomething do a great job at what they do, and publcize what they do so that people can actually go and see em.

.02

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the email i got from the band last week didnt even have dates in it, despite billing this band as great stuff.

i didnt get a reply when i wrote back asking about that, but i aint bitter.

I don't know who sent you that, and I didn't recieve your email...Magnus has been asked to refrain from his duties with bookings as he's too busy with all his work in music...the dates are sent out to people who make it to the shows and sign email lists...other shows are listed on the website...

plus, the phrasing "real afrobeat", is kind of a drag to read when mr somethingsomething do a great job at what they do, and publcize what they do so that people can actually go and see em.

.02

A few years back I was the guy that was helping out Canned Beats with shows at an establishment in London...an establishment that housed Mr. SomethingSomething...I have been a serious fan of Afrobeat music for YEARS...probably as long as I've been listening to "jamband" music...I've also been involved in the social awarness that the originator Fela Kuti was involved in, although my close involvment came as my relationship with animal rights issues and what arose from that (all types of injustice throughout Africa)...I didn't mention anything in regards to Mr. SomethingSomething althoug I find it funny you would take "real Afrobeat" as a poke at them...YES, there is a reason I referred to UM as the "real Afrobeat" and it may be more than Magnus' study of the art of Afrobeat, his work with founding members of the Afrobeat movment and the entire message UM presents with their high energy Afrobeat...

I see you almost every Monday night and I don't recall hearing where UM is playing in T-Dot
COPer, I mentioned to you my Bday show (this entire board as well) and another future date as well...your a busy guy COPer...what can I say?

I put this up to see if any of these people I've known for years would into something like this...35 views and not 1 reply...no "sounds good", "too busy", no nothin'...I dunno, take em some place where the crowd will appreciate them and it would be worth their while to go...Montreal for the WMF I guess...

and a question was raised as to why some hard working Canadian bands can't do anything but play a few shows here and there throughout their local area (and not break into the U.S)...sh!t local support was it?!?!?!

maybe harsh, but if the shoe fits...summer smummer...

Gawpo Giggles :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

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Thanks Jay for the feedback...the Montreal gig isn't actually 'till the second week of Aug so maybe I'll see about that. I spoke with Adam first 'cause I thought Ottawa would really enjoy the fury that is UM...Adam suggested the 27th of this month...I then got a hold of a friend booking in Montreal who has ties with the WMF and he gave me a bunch of dates for UM and was SUPERSTOKED...but the festival is in August so...I was trying to see if this show on the 27th would still be worth it for the band...working backwards to try and please a bunch of people...

NNNNNNNNNNEEEEEWAAAYYYYY, thanks for the insight and I'll see whats up with the band...it's also REALLY hard to get a band of 10 plus members (some with jobs, some whose job is being in 4 or 5 different bands) together for a little run...almost had it worked out...

Gawpo Giggles :P:P:P

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giggles...if you look at the timing of your 2 initial posts, you didn't let the suggestion settle...8AM to 2 PM???????

dude...chill.

I really hope that SumSum and UM don't get compared too often. Um is an orchestra and SumSum are a 6 piece band. they've got a different approach to the style. UM sound way more dirty funk than SumSum and I think they're different acts entirely. 'toronto's real afrobeat orchestra' is definitely apt as an orchestra is 10 or more players. To say that UM is the only genuine article on the scene, however, is entirely baseless as Larry and John from SumSum have studied afrobeat as well and quite possibly as much or to an equal degree as Magnus. You'd really just be splitting hairs there.

'A few years back I was the guy that was helping out Canned Beats with shows at an establishment in London...an establishment that housed Mr. SomethingSomething...'

giggles...that was a year ago. I know it seems like awhile - maybe other issues such as scope and direction should be reassessed as well. but yes, your input came into use incredibly well and I wholeheartedly appreciate it. Thanks for that again. Your help and support were vital for some of those shows to have gone off as well as they did.

and for the record, Mr. Somthing Something is still on the marquis at Elements.

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