Joe Bataan - New York Latin Soul Legend - Live @ The Wardrobe Leeds 13th June 09

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New York's latin soul legend hits Leeds in June! Joe Bataan live at the Wardrobe!

Red Bull Music Academy, Karen P's Brod Casting and DJ Lubi Present
JOE BATAAN - NYC latin soul legend!
with James Pants (Stones Throw Records)
backed by Grupo X
(the UK's no.1 latin jazz band)
plus DJ Irfan Hussain (Rainy City)

Saturday 13th June @ The Wardrobe,
St Peter's Square, Leeds LS9 8AH
10pm-2.30am - £10 advance......

Press Release

Red Bull Music Academy is bringing a true legend of latin soul and disco to Leeds for an exclusive Northern date on an even more exclusive UK tour (London and Birmingham being the only other dates). Joe Bataan has a career spanning 45 years which took him from the means streets of Harlem in the 1960s singing boogaloo and latin soul for Fania Records, to international superstardom in the mid-1970s with recordings for Salsoul Records, and then pioneering rap music in the late 1970s with his ground-breaking "Rap-O-Clap-O" track!

STILL recording today, he has a new CD on Vampi Soul Records (Spain), simply called King Of Latin Soul, and works live regularly with various bands, both in the USA and Europe. Since 2006, the relaunch of the iconic latin label Fania Records has seen all his classic 1960s and early 1970s albums re-issued, and his music has reached out to a whole new generation of listeners and dancers! Unbelievably, this is his FIRST trip to the UK ever!

One such new fan is his fellow collaborator on this tour, West Coast producer/DJ/musician James Pants, recording artist for the coolest label in hiphop and abstract beats, Stones Throw Records. James was discovered by Stones Throw label boss Peanut Butter Wolf and has been making some excellent eclectic recordings for them the last few years, showing his love of all things funky, from disco to latin boogie, deep techno to original hiphop and electro. He is a self-confessed massive Joe Bataan fan and jumped at the chance to work with him on this tour. James will be playing percussion and guitar/keys onstage with the singer as well as throwing down some tunes as post gig guest DJ.

Finally, backing Joe, his New York singer and timbalero plus James Pants, we have the UK's no.1 latin fusion band Grupo X. Featuring the best latin and jazz musicians in the country, the band have recorded two studio CDs for Loft Recordings which have won them a pretty impressive fanbase which includes Gilles Peterson, Louie Vega (Masters At Work), Bobbito Garcia, Rainer Truby, Osunlade, Jazzanova and of course, Joe Bataan. When he was booked for the UK, he insisted they back him. They have won the respect of many visiting latin musicians as the best and most reliable backing band in the country, a list which includes Jimmy Sabater (Joe Cuba's singer/timbalero), Frankie Morales (Tito Puente's singer), trombonist Jimmy Bosch, Bobby Matos (West Coast US percussion legend), and "Mr.Bongo" himself, Jack Costanzo, one time percussionist with people like Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra!

Special guest DJ on the night is Irfan Hussain from Manchester's very hip Rainy City Music label. A music obsessive who loves everything soulful (boogie, nusoul, Brasilian beats, deep house, afrobeat, real hiphop), he has promoted some of the city's best soulful and global clubnights over the last decade (Rainy City, Balanso, Community etc), and featured a host of top DJs at them (Louie Vega, DJ Spinna, Bobbito, Osunlade, Afronaught, Gilles Peterson, Benji B, Jazzanova). A very rare DJ set in the city of Leeds for a true pioneer of soulful beats in the North!

A musical collaboration across three generations brought to you by Red Bull Music Academy, Karen P's Broad Casting and DJ Lubi (Fania Records), in conjunction with The Wardrobe, this will not happen again in the UK! Catch this gig and witness a little bit of musical history in the making!

Leeds gig details and ticket information:
Gig : Joe Bataan, James Pants and Grupo X live onstage plus DJs Irfan Hussain and James Pants
Date : Saturday 13th June 2009 - 10pm to 2.30am
Venue : The Wardrobe, 6 St Peter's Square, Leeds LS9 8AH
Tickets : £10 advance from the venue (no booking fee), more on the night.
Tickets online/shops (£10 advance plus booking fee):
Jumbo Records - 0113 245 5570 : www.jumborecords.co.uk - St John's Centre, Leeds LS2 8LQ
Crash Records - 0113 2436743 : www.crashrecords.co.uk - 35 The Headrow Leeds, LS1 6PU
Contact (venue) : The Wardrobe - 0113 383 8800 - info@thewardrobe.co.uk

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