My mother's taste in Latin Jazz influenced me greatly. The Orchestra Big Bands
from the 1930 s-1970, especially the ones from Cuba and Panama. Jazz and Blues
greats: Miles Davis, Tito Puente, Sarah Vaughn, Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy
Gillespie, Ms. Ella Fitzgerald, Gene Krupa, Billie Holiday, Thelonious Monk;
and there's no forgetting my favorite all-time vocalist, Nina Simon - her voice was my light on so many
occasions. Though I would have given a weeks wages to have been able to see
JUST ONE Count Bassi show ... *sigh*.
Hip-hop: Public Enemy, Guru, Roots, Beastie Boys (have a sit-down w/ me one
day on music and I'll break that one down for you..), Hieroglyphics, Sunspot
Jones, Aesop Alone, Kool Keith (Black Elvis fu**in' rocks!), KRS 1 and Boogie
Down Prod., NWA, Run DMC, and Aceyalone - just to name some; Funk, Soul, most
of the late 60's rock and soul like The Whispers and Cream; 70's music from
Rock to Al Green to Led Zepplin and Kiss to the Delfonics, ... I love that
West coast lazy-funk that saturated the airwaves through the late 70's.
Artists like Randy Crawford and Bloodstone to Stevie Wonder, Bobby Womack and Donny Hathaway
heavily influenced the way I heard music. It was always about what was going
on in-between the rhythms for me, and artists like Stevie really brought that
out.
Dig - they were the ones that let me know that it was OK to color outside the
lines.
All Rock: Rush (John Bonham and Neil Pert are the reasons I wanted to play
drums), Police (Stuart Copeland is the reason I still can), Fleetwood Mac, and
Chicago.. And then you got bands like Living Color (Vernon Reid was a genius!)
to Metallica and Black Sabbath - though in the last ten years, one of my all-time favorite bands has become (wait for it ...) the Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl is a drummer-hero to me .. but its his songwriting, playing, and ability to just "say that shit" that really kills me!!! I WILL work with these boys .. and I WILL get Dave G into a studio, into sound booth, and into one of my songs. Watch me. ...
Can't forget the Punk years and all the
music we were listening to while we were out on our boards! Damn, I miss those
days at times, and the flexibility of my knees ;). But when the late 80's came
around and I discovered Dub (Skatalites, Marley, Lee Perry, DubPhonic ...),
break beat, and this other shit that no one could seem to find a name for -
the way I heard music was over for me. It was right after hearing a Beasties
cd that was nothing but their instru[mental]s. I couldn't take it off repeat
for months because I'd fallen in love. They were the first "band" - be it rock
or hip-hop - with the balls to release an instrumental album. And it was sic!
It fueled my relentless drive to seek out more music like this (I found Omi
Trio, Krust, DJ Krush, DJ Shadow, and J-Boogie respectively), which I think is
what brought me into this whole music-makin' sh*t in the first place.
Down-Tempo and Acid Jazz really pressed my impressionable mind; however, when
I discovered everything else under the dance music umbrella - it was over! The
DJs that influenced me are none that youd (unless you were from San Antonio)
ever heard of.. DJs like DJ Jesse and DJ Rise (first man to ever play Lil'
Louis "French Kiss" - to my ears) and DeepFeel. Places like the Cameo Theatre
was the only place we could get house music, and even then it was mostly
NY/east coast house that we were being spoon-fed. Still - it was some of the
best stuff I'd heard. Tony Humphries and Larry Heard still do it for me to
this day, dig?
Damn, there's so many others but, hell, that should give you SOME sort of clue
about my tastes and influences!!!
Comin' from where I'm from, where I'm at and where I've been.
About Sista Stroke :: Go to www.virb.com/sistastroke
Blessed with natural musical talent and the uncanny ability to nurture her gift through a relentless pursuit of inspiration, Sista Stroke is an emerging force in modern underground music. Her musical roots grow deep and span across the boundaries of genre and geography. She is a child of the b-boy generation whose journey though life has included living in Houston, San Antonio, Panama, McLean (VA), most recently Chicago, with a stop over in Los Angeles, and now London, England. The rich cultural textures of these cities reverberate in her music.
Sista Stroke came up musically as a member of the legendary Rebel Crew,a musical family founded in Houston in the mid 80s by Joe B. and Rick Partida. As part of the Rebel Crew she played styles ranging from Hip Hop to Dance Hall, Jungle to Jazz, and Breaks to House always remaining anchored in soulful music. Her skills did not go unnoticed and she soon developed a following which called her to the road. In virtually no time Sista Stroke developed a hardcore fan base in cities around the United States, England and Mexico. She is known for beatin it hard, yet strokin' the soul with an incredibly moving blend of deep, funky, and spiritual house music (however, she has more than just house in her arsenal).
She has often been booked to open for various acts, ranging from house to hip-hop, such as Afrika Bambaattaa, The Executioners, Tortured Soul, King Britt, Derrick Carter, Joey Beltram, Donald Glaude, DJ Dan, Method Man, Boo Williams, Mark Farina, Kaskade, and Super Jane (Lady D, Colette, Dayhota, and DJ Heather). However, she has now become a headliner herself through consistency in her DJing and a growing discography.
As a producer, Sista Stroke has found a place musically where she can truly explore the depths of her creativity. In 2004 she became the preeminent in-house producer/remixer for Mother Tongue and Innuendo Records. Over the past five years she has released records on Mother Tongue, D'Lectable Rec, Privat Box, Dusttrax, and Hook-Up Tunes to name a few, along with some of the most sought after white labels in the industry. Through her original creations and remix work, Sista Stroke has made a name for herself in underground music. She is now poised to make her mark on the industry with projects on Revolutionary Music as well as several other lucky labels. Her releases on Revolutionary Music range from House to Hip Hop to down-tempo.
You can catch Sista Stroke on her radio show, Brick City House, every Wednesday evening at 7pm GMT, on Chicago House FM.
To Join the Brick City House Group, you can click here. To Listen to past shows click here .
For updates, upcoming shows, info, or to join Sista Stroke's mailing list, please visit her atSistastroke.com
god u r awsome love the michael jackson track that was a sweet mix and thanks for the shirt really appreciate it just wish I was dancing more but way too tierd. peace n love always my fav.... DJ SISTA STROKE freak frealy
glad to hear that it is all good there! that must be a wonderful feeling... as for us on the show, let's make it happen! just tell me what you need and we can put something together.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 21-Feb. 18): They come from the future so hardly anyone understands them. They learn differently from everyone, put things off until the last moment, and anything dull (like yesterday) bores them. Their inventiveness is extraordinary but they need complete freedom, time, and space for brilliance to find them. Speed and movement help them think. They make unusual artists and love things glass-like, filled with fire. Their minds function more like lightning than regular brain cells. They’re our waters of life poured forth for thirsty humanity.
got my camp, doing what we can. aint afraid to collab n dat with any-one though. im currently working on my first album, got a couple of tunes still. taking my time as im tryna give it my all u know. Had bare mixtapes, eps n what not. taking it that next level. i'll hit ur radio ting and see what blow b, bless yeah.
Blessings ,Thank you so much for the being part of my space of music , please if you have a chance check out my other pages , they are my top 4 friends . The Van Zak page and the other 3 Zakaos pages all have original music . I put 48 songs in all on my space 10 different songs a page and 8 original lush and loving songs on the Van Zak Page .
Thank you for your time , friendship and support . It means more than you will ever know .Welcome to my world of music , be blessed and thank you
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