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!
