Updates, April

Hey Fam,

Happy spring! Lots of exciting news to report!

I am proud to be a rotating guest musician with the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops.  I appear on their latest Nonesuch release, Leaving Eden, produced by Nashville legend, Buddy Miller.

The album has been getting great reviews including a 4-star write-up in Rolling Stone. Check out what critics had to say below:

Mother Jones: Matta is a human beatboxer who can do absolutely unbelievable things with nothing more than a microphone.

Washington Post: The interpretation feels a bit looser; boundaries are pushed a bit further — more and more; the Drops seem to be saying that keeping this music alive means not just playing it but playing with it.

Mikael Wood, LA Times: The result is a rarity in the Chocolate Drops’ world: roots music as useful as it is beautiful.

PopMatters: One year ago, the Carolina Chocolate Drops were presented with golden gramophones in the category of Best Traditional Folk Album for their 2010 release, Genuine Negro Jig. But for it’s diversity, experimentation, and excellent performances, Leaving Eden is even better.

In addition to Leaving Eden, as part of the band, I collaborated with them on tracks that were chosen for:

Amnesty International's Chimes of Freedom: Bob Dylan Tribute album   

The Chieftains' Voice of Ages 50th Anniversary album  

and The Hunger Games Soundtrack, produced by T-Bone Burnett

I will be doing select dates with the Drops this year.  Check back for a more official announcement soon.
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Also proud to announce a collaboration with Nihan Devecioglu and Cenk Erdogan, entitled "Cark," (Pronounced: "tch-ark", meaning "gear" in Turkish).  We combine Turkish folk, Western Classical, free improv and groove. We released our new album, on Anason Records, in Munich, last month.  I will have details on how to purchase the record in the coming weeks.
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Excited to be a part of the development of Aaron Jafferis' How to Break:

HOW TO BREAK tells the story of two hospitalized teenagers – a b-boy with sickle cell and a b-girl with leukemia – breaking through their diagnoses in search of a gut understanding of what it means to be “ill.” A 35-minute excerpt was performed 4/9 by Kwikstep, Rokafella, Adam Matta, Carra Patterson, Rona Figueroa, Gio Perez, Christopher Edwards, and Aaron Jafferis at NYTB at the D-Lounge, at the Daryl Roth Theatre.
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Until the next post, please check out this remix I happened upon at the Library of Congress last year, searching the stacks at the American Folk Life Center with the Chocolate Drops when we were on the road.

1. Click here

2. Then Click here

The pieces are samples of Coptic Chant, and an Omaha Gourd Dance.