Friday, February 6, 2015

Haji Mike 27 Years And Counting.

HAJI MIKE

DUB POET - RADIO PRESENTER - WRITER - DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY 

"Wheel And Come Again"

You'll find him on Youtube, Soundcloud, Twitter, Talawa, Versionist, Facebook, iTunes et al. He's been on the BBC (Rhythms Of The World Programme), He's graced many a radio station both real world and internet, His dub poetry has appeared on many underground artists creations (attempted full discography below) not only on dub music but hip hop and folk. He's toured various countries as MC as DJ as Dub Poet as Speaker at seminars on music and media. Currently he has a DJ slot at Versionist Village Radio every wednesday where he selects his favourite reggae and dub music from past and present both underground and above ground. He's a writer and has edited the book Art And Social Justice - The Media Connection - recently published.
A mainstay and revered part of today's underground scene we take an indepth look into the one Haji Mike.

"The main thing that keeps me motivated is the live situation. No matter what happens to how we buy or get the music for free, there will always be the need, the fulfillment in audiences to see, hear and feel music as a live performance. And musicians themselves, will always get that equal buzz factor, doing it in front of audiences, and making a communicative connection – no matter the content, style or sounds. Some people will do it for fame, some for love, and some for peace, but at the end of the day, many of these people will feel that need to carry on and perform." Haji Mike.  READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE


Link Up With HAJI ON FB




RADIO DAYS AND NIGHTS

Haji Mike started his radio DJ adventures back in the late 1970's at University Radio Essex. 

A Haji Mike Radio Show LISTEN HERE 

"We're Gonna Shake The Hip & Play The Flip" H.M


He's a DJ that enjoy's playing the music, discussing the music to the audience, it's evident when you hear Haji on the radio wether it be a live show or podcast, I've never heard a DJ that is so at ease with playing music live to a watching audience as is the case these days with cam lounges and chatrooms intergrated into stations, he simply is not phased by any of it, that's years of experience working along side his easy going manner equalling a very chilled out listening situation. He'll play anything that he likes, he'll go down eclectic avenue then take the vibe to the classics then drop in some pure underground vibes without fanfare just rollin' in nicely, he'll also -and this is lacking today with so many DJs -  tell a story about a particular tune or artist he's just spun, how it relates to his life, sometimes he'll give a verse or two of some dub poetry for good measure whilst treating the listeners to one of his own collaborative releases. 
He's worked many collaborations during the past twenty five years and in his own words some were great, and some he'd rather forget. I first discovered Haji's dub poetry by listening to the album 'Virtual Oasis' a wonderful collab with Dub Caravan that I came across by surfing the web blind style one evening a couple of years ago and I was hooked and thus this started my own personal link up with Haji, I presented a two hour showcase of Haji's works on the radio in 2014 and continue to spin a tune or two nearly every show and like most fans of musicians I embarked on collecting his works which has included some rare stuff sent to me by the man himself.  Having Haji DJ at our station and profiling at our site 'Versionist' is the icing on the cake. I sent him a Flow Prod riddim a while back, I didn't say a word, left it at that, two days later or so we had an exclusive dubplate for the Village station with just about all the DJs playing it for a few weeks, natural collaboration spesh that. Every DJ listed at the station during that time had a name check on it.
G.R

"I hope this tune makes it cos it looks like a fried dumplin' selection" H.M

Haji Mike is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communications, at the University of Nicosia.

Attempted Full Discography



Breezin’ Thru London – Jellyfoot feat Haji Mike 12” single       white label  1990

As’Ta Narkotika – Haji Mike   12” single - Kebab Kulture Music  KKM1 1990

Mousiki – Haji Mike  12” single -Kebab Kulture Music                 KKM2  1992

Sugar & Spice – Izit feat Haji Mike  from LP “The Whole Affair” by Izit - Tongue & Groove Label  TNGLP1  1993

Stavroulla – Haji Mike 12” single – Kebab Kulture MusIc KKM3   1993

Vrakaman – Haji Mike   12” single – Kebab Kulture Music    KKM4  1994

When Cyprus Becomes One – Haji Mike & Sugar released on “One Hell of a Storm ( Versemongers
Meet Soundcreators) Various Artists – Tongue & Groove Label  TNGLP4  1994

Chakaramak! – Haji Mike  12” single – Kebab Kulture Music  KKM5  1994

Haji Mike On The Mike – Haji Mike  CDLP- Kebab Kulture Music  *Also on cassette  KKMCDLP1 1994

Aphrodite’s Dream – Haji Mike  CDLP – Haji Mike Music Productions (HMP Label) HMPCDLP2  1997

Hmiz & The Haji – Hmiskoumbria feat Haji Mike from CDLP ‘2030’ – DefJam Universal Greece   CDLP  1999

Haji Mike meets Dirty Harri – Haji Mike & Dirty Harri – Axion Music Greece   CDLP      2000

2001-2008 – NGO activism music/community media phase founded Poetz4Peace with Zeki Ali and
Steffen Franz (USA) most releases self-manufactured (CDLP) and co-produced with key group members
Steffen Franz/Haji Mike/Mike Cherry/Mike Minas. Developed Olive Tree Music as a label and studio and during  this time very few solo releases came out. Also a great period for touring abroad. Poetz4Peace appeared at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival – USA 2004.Haji Mike also toured with Steffen Franz on ‘The Power of Words’ tour – 2007 and recorded material online and in the Studio in San Francisco with Steffen Franz, CES One and Mike D for his third solo LP, ‘The StoryMan’ which was an LP of many collabs.

Poetz4Peace – Demo – with Zeki Ali and Steffen Franz (USA)    Olive Tree Music   CDEP  2001/2

A Pair of Olive Leaves – Poetz4Peace                                             Olive Tree Music   OTM1 2003

Cyprus Thing Vol 1 – Various Artists                                            Olive Tree Music    OTM2 2004

Music Is Joy – OTM Music Workshop II                                         Olive Tree Music   OTM3   2005

The StoryMan – Haji Mike                                                                Olive Tree Music   OTM4  2006

Safe Sex – Haji Mike, Pinky, Sofoz, Zeki Ali & Mike Cherry       Olive Tree Music  OTM 4   2008

Around 2006 started doing first collabs online starting with ‘Babylon Kingdom Must Fall’ this was a demo submitted online to Alpha & Omega. Despite their positive response to the lyrics it did not make the remix release project so it never came out. Around this time linked up with Bandulu Dub from Portugal resulting in around 20-30 songs online. Some of these were lost due to hard drive problems in both ends of the mix. A couple of tunes got released officially. Bandulu Dub toured Cyprus (2008) Haji Mike toured Portugal (2008) and this he linked up for first time with an artist then called Russtafarian – who later became known as  Dub Caravan. This was a time of many collaborations 3 songs with Sonic Crime and  from about 2006, following the passing of Zacharais ‘Sugar’ Hadjishacalli, who produced many of Haji Mike’s early tunes (1990-94)  linked up with Sugar’s Brother, Don V Louie. This is probably the loosest most improvised collaboration ever. Whenever Haji passes through Louie’s Turnpike Lane Studio the two do tunes on the fly. There’s a few tracks unreleased from this but one (see below) has come out via social media (not as a free download though).

Babylon – Haji Mike feat. Aaron Kedar with Don V Louie   online streamed single Spill The Milk Label 2006

Freedom – Haji Mike meets Bandulu Dub    FNAC Compilation Portugal   FNAC  2007/8

Flag – Haji Mike meets Bandulu Dub & Jah Billah  digital download Dan Dada  2008/9

Jah Works – Haji Mike meets Bandulu Dub & Roots Ista Posse digital download Dan Dada   2007/08

Domestic – Haji Mike produced by Stephanie     digital download  Stephanie   2008

Only The People (Can Bring The Wall Down) Haji Mike & Sonic Crime    online streamed single Sonic Crime Productions   2009

Unite - Haji Mike & Sonic Crime    online streamed single Sonic Crime Productions   2009

Thalassa (Sonic Crime Remix) – Lia Vissi feat Haji Mike  Lia Vissi release ‘Apousia’ (Greece) 2009

Babylon Time – Haji Mike featured on Sick Donkey Compilation (USA) Sick Donkey Records  2009

Babylon Time – Haji Mike 7 inch single  THC Records Greece   THC 2009

Bless – Haji Mike, Manwel T & DoobieSounds   DubKey digital download   2009

This Is My Prayer – Alpha & Omega with Haji Mike ‘Virtual Dub 3’  DubKey digital download  2010

Virtual Oasis – Haji Mike & Dub Caravan   CDLP DubMed Music     DMCDLP01   2010

Distrobushan – Haji Mike & Dub Caravan   digital download  2011

For 1 Gramme – Haji Mike    digital download   2011
For 1 Gramme (DC Remix) – Haji Mike & dub Caravan     digital download     2011

‘Wild & Green’ – Karney feat Haji Mike from the LP ‘Respect’     Karney Music (USA) 2012

Extremes – Haji Mike & Dub Caravan     digital download   2012

2013-present…with the passing of his father Philippos, Haji Mike made very few tunes in 2013. Towards the end of the year a collab
Began with Med Dred, locally based Reggae and Dub Producer. These songs will be coming out at some time in the near future.

No Nazzi – Haji Mike & Med Dred with Pinky – from free compilation ‘Reggae Community of Greece sings about Peace in memory of Killah P                                                             digital download   
          
Dead Politiks – Red Star Martyrs feat. Haji Mike ‘United As One’ release by Dubophonic & DubKey  digital download   2014

Liberation – Haji Mike & Flow Production Versionist Radio Dub Plate    online stream   2014

‘The Lost Poetry Hard Drive EP Vol 1’ – Haji Mike meets Bandulu Dub   Dan Dada Music   digital download   2014

Works in the making…
Guest track on Direct Impact 25th Anniversary release called ‘Bloodsuckers & Vampires’.

 Haji Mike & Al Breadwinner (Versionist Records) LP in process.

You can catch Haji Mike at Versionist Village Radio every Wednesday at 6pm-8pm UK / 7pm-9pm FR / 8pm-10pm CYP

Haji Mike Versionist page HERE




Haji Mike first appeared on the Mic in 1990 and is celebrating his silver jubilee!

No comments: