DJ Man-O-Wax and The Reminders

April 15, 2016

Caravanserai Tour Returns to The Dennos

In early February, the first performance of the “Caravanserai: American Voices” touring series took place in Traverse City, featuring Palestinian-American multi-instrumentalist Ronnie Malley and Indian- American virtuoso vocalist Zeshan Bagewadi. The “Caravanserai” tour borrows its name from a compound Persian word meaning “caravan” and “palace,” essentially an inn where diverse travelers would meet after journeying through the desert. Similarly, these touring musicians meet audiences on stages throughout the country, for shows that highlight diversity, color and some truly exceptional music.

DJ MAN-O-WAX

Asad Jafri, aka DJ Man-O-Wax, was born in Kuwait, a U.S. citizen with parents hailing from India (his father) and Pakistan (his mother.)

“I was exposed to hip-hop culture when I moved to the U.S. at the age of 10, after being uprooted due to the first Gulf War,” Jafri said.

He started learning about the different components of hip-hop music, trying them out for himself, arriving at DJing last; that was the element of the genre that stuck.

“I was most attracted to it because I wanted to share music with my peers,” he explained. “This was at about the age of 16, but I didn’t start DJing until I was 19.”

While DJ Man-O-Wax has spun funk, soul, reggae, jazz, Afrobeat, Bollywood, and Brazilian tracks, in addition to hip-hop, he was never really drawn to EDM or techno music, preferring sounds from more regionally-based scenes and higher inspirations.

“What makes my style unique now is my fascination with spiritually-influenced music,” Jafri explained.

He draws especially from Sufi traditions and those hailing from North and West Africa and South Asia. His favorite mixes, he added, are ones in which he can incorporate these spiritual styles into heavy beats.

“At that point, I feel like I’m no longer DJing and it has an effect on my whole being,” he said. “Because it’s so powerful, I can only do [that sort of DJing] in certain environments.”

THE REMINDERS

Hip-hop duo The Reminders comes from an equally eclectic and fascinating background. Emcee Big Samir was born in Brussels, Belgium, while his Reminders counterpart (and real-life wife of nearly 10 years), Aja Black, hails from Queens, N.Y.

Big Samir weaves his lyrical patterns in both French and English, with his cool, down-to-earth flair, while Black shows off her unique vocal cadences with an equally self-assured performance style. Their sound infuses that hip-hop base with soul and roots music, plus lyrical messages invoking positivity and common ground. They’ve shared stages with the likes of Mos Def, KRS-One, K’Naan and Nas, among others.

“We both grew up in Europe and traveled a lot in our youth,” Big Samir said. “Being exposed to so many different environments and people, we have open minds and a broad perspective of the world, therefore bringing a universal message in our music.”

Hip-hop also played a major part for both Big Samir and Black while they were growing up.

“It shaped our musical style,” Big Samir said. “From dancing to seeing graffiti to hearing it everywhere.”

The duo became involved with “Caravanserai” after discovering it aligned with similar work they do in their own neighborhood and abroad as “musical ambassadors.”

“The ‘Caravanserai’ concept fits our message, so we agreed [to participate],” Big Samir said. “It’s great to be able to do a trip like this to small U.S. cities.”

MUSICAL BRIDGES

While the first “Caravanserai” tour of the 2015–2016 season was more about the immigrant American experience, specifically Middle Eastern and Indian, this second “Caravanserai” show is focusing on hip-hop and cultures born in the U.S.

“I’ve been involved in both unofficial and official roles with ‘Caravanserai’ since its inception,” explained Jafri. “And, for this season, I wanted to explore the diversity of music styles that Muslims in America are involved with — which, of course, are as diverse as American music itself!” Jafri carefully selected artists who specifically enjoy connecting with communities through their art forms.

“Hands down, connecting with people, building relationships, growing as an individual, and especially being able to positively affect lives are the things I find most rewarding about this venture,” he said.

The Reminders agreed.

“For us, it’s being able to connect with the people in these communities that we have never visited before,” Big Samir said, “so we can create dialogue, share our art and celebrate together.”

will be in concert with Caravanserai II – A Project of Arts Midwest on Saturday, Apr. 23 at 8pm at the Dennos Museum Center. For tickets and more information, visit dennosmuseum.org or call (800) 836-0717. For more about the musicians, visit caravanserai-arts.org. DJ Man- O-Wax will be spinning during Vinyl Night at The Little Fleet in Traverse City on Apr. 20 (see thelittlefleet.com and The Little Fleet on Facebook for details.)