WRONGLIPS & DOPE SWAN present:
FROM THE SOURCE
An evening with Yolanda Zama, Sarah White and Eagle Nebula

If you’ve been wondering about the creative force behind TRACE, now you’ve got a chance to get a taste of the amazing work some members of the TRACE family has got to offer. One of our finest writers, Sarah White, has joined forces with Yolanda Zama and Brooklyn MC Eagle Nebula to bring you the finest musical gems all the way FROM THE SOURCE.

South African-born singer/songwriter, Yolanda Zama, has been blessing the globe with her unmistakable voice for eight years now, blowing away audiences at venues from her native Xhosa to local Brooklyn joints. Raised in Harlem, NY, Yolanda’s most memorable musical influences range from Nina Simone and Miriam Makeba to hip-hop and R&B classics. When asked, Yolanda describes her unique blend of protest songs, folk and R&B as “global soul.”

Brooklyn-based Sarah White never ceases to amaze me with her endless creativity and talent. This lovely songstress rides beats with an electric flow, making the process seem completely effortless. Her multi-layered, smoky voice can melt over a lush, melancholy tune just as smoothly as when she is rapping to a heavy-hitting future soul or reggae beat. Imagine a world without the voice of Nina Simone, Jill Scott and countless other singers, who continue to heal, inspire, turn on, relive experiences through the sheer power of their voice. Knowing the heart-transforming power of this lady’s vocal abilities, I can no longer imagine the world without the voice of Sarah White. While she is keeping herself busy producing her own tracks, you’ll also find her collaborating with several international producers/musicians such as Arch_type, Papastomp, M.anifest, and last but not least, her partner in crime, Dj Don Cuco. Stay tuned for her new solo LP coming out later this year. Peep her music here.

I’ll let Eagle Nebula’s beautiful bio speak for itself. “Hailing from Inglewood, CA via the great tower of creation, springs forth to bring you joy and truth in the form of magically rhymed verses. Riding on the wavelength that carries the new paradigm of hip hop music like Ashanti royalty, she has come to uphold the very essence of hip hop — a gift from the universe, manifested though ether as sound, to regenerate, inspire and heal. As a crown reminds a queen of her royal place to lead the people, when Eagle Nebula rocks her cosmic headphones, she is reminded of her duty to speak universal truth and bring light to the masses who have been shrouded in darkness and despair. Look out for her debut album “Cosmic Headphones” soon to be released on the ePistrophik Peach Sound label, produced by Georgia Anne Muldrow and executive produced by Dudley Perkins.” Check the technique here.

I feel blessed to have had a chance to be part of this collaboration as the art director behind the scenes. Show some love and be part of this very special event featuring these three talented performers, and mingle with some of the other amazing TRACE talents such as one of our best writers, PAN, street-wear guru, Prince, and fine artist/creative writer/multi-talent Steven Psyllos, our beloved managing editor. This is the inaugural FROM THE SOURCE show initiating upcoming collaborations, art projects and performances, so stay tuned for our future events. We also invited the beautiful designers of Brooklyn-based fashion label MISSBRUNO to showcase some of the pieces of their new Summer 08 collection. These ladies are the female talents to watch in 2008 and beyond!

Thursday, May 8th 2008, Doors open: 8pm, Show starts at 8:30pm
Location: SMOOCH, Organic Cafe and Wine Bar, 264 Carlton Ave (off of Dekalb), Brooklyn 11205
[Take C to Lafayette Ave or G to Fulton St + 5 mins walk]
FREE EVENT!!

23 years in the making and nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, Nerakhoon (The Betrayal) is just the sort of gorgeously shot, visually powerful film that should be expected from the first directorial stab of Ellen Kuras, whose career as a Directory of Photography led her through I Shot Andy Warhol and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Partnering with her Loatian language teacher, Thavisouk Phrasavath, the two tell the story of his family. It’s a strong and clear narrative, familiar to recently transposed families: a corrupt/unsteady government (Communism in Laos, in this case) hunting political ‘malcontents’; a family separated; emigrating to the U.S. and financially devastated by the process; and figuring out, one detail of daily life at a time, how to fit in while maintaining cultural practices.

With the strength of the story freeing Kuras and Phrasavath from visual conventions, the documentary also clips neatly from straight-forward cinema-verité to archival footage to scenes with an experimental edge — the seamed mix seeking a more “poetic” way of communicating.

Check out the sneak preview tonight at the IFC in New York, with Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath present.

Details here.

Clicking his way from Cuba to New York by way of Puerto Rico and Ohio, Jose Picayo’s portraits and fashion spreads have graced the pages of everything from Rolling Stone to The New York Times Magazine. You may have even seen his work for TRACE a few issues back.

You’ll see more than a few transcultural TRACERS — including some staff! — front and profile against the wall at Picayo’s new show, Mugshots, which opens today in New York. The series, which was shot on lush, large-format Polaroid, captures New York in a moment with hauntingly sweet, if oddly clinical portraits of the faces that line the city streets and subway cars.

With thousands of faces, each devoid of context but intimately expressive, papering the gallery walls, it’s hard not to imagine yourself among them.

Details on tonight’s opening reception here.