"GROWING STONE" is a song about the plight of the family farmer written when we were invited to perform with Willie Nelson at the 2008 farm Aid concert. We met local farmers and attended a seminar/Q&A with Willie, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews. It was an eye opening experience hearing the statistics and hardships of family farmers during this seminar. It was also very inspiring to hear the positive stories and to meet small farmers who were successfully making a living. This is what our song "GROWING STONE" is about; the plight of the family farmer and how he/she will stand up and win and keep their land! Visit our project site on Kickstarter.com to learn how YOU can be involved in our Growing Stone music video.
Photographer: Jillian Johnson
November 13, 2009 | "Is America Part of The World" with April and The Rupa Fishes
“Is America part of the World?” is an adventurous music series that aims to challenge the way we think about “American” and “World” music with artists that are home-bred and world-traveled.
www.isamericapartoftheworld.com
9:00pm NATION BEAT
Brazilian Carnival meets New Orleans Mardi Gras - Brooklyn based Nation Beat captures the dance worthy sounds of northeastern Brazil and the deep American south that turn their live shows into massive carnival dance parties.
10:30pm RUPA & THE APRIL FISHES
The San Francisco-based Rupa & The April Fishes cross borders and build bridges on their new album “este mundo” effortlessly mixing elements of Gypsy swing, Colombian cumbia, French chanson and Indian ragas to create a sound Time Out has called “global agit-pop.”
DETAILS
November 13th
9:00 PM - The Bell House
149 7th St. Gowanus/Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York
April 25, 2009 | Rocks Off Concert Cruise: Party aboard the Half Moon around NYC with Nation Beat!
The Half Moon is a 200-capacity boat docked at Skyport Marina, at 23rd Street & the East River. The Half Moon is a 2-level boat, with a full bar and bathrooms on the lower level. The band plays on the upper level, which has a roof, but is open on the sides. There is also a large open deck on the upper level, where smoking is permitted as you enjoy panoramic views of the city and beyond. Departing from 23rd Street and FDR Drive, the Half Moon heads south along the East River and passes underneath the 3 major bridges (Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn), then cruises through New York harbor to the Statue of Liberty, which it circles for approximately 30 minutes. It then turns around and makes the same trip again in reverse. The experience of watching the bridges pass overhead while a great band is rocking 20 feet away is not to be missed!
DETAILS
Saturday, April 25th
Address: Skyport Marina at 23rd street & the East River (FDR)
Load Time: 7:00pm
Boat departs: 8:00pm
Boat returns: 11:00pm
Tickets: $20 advance tickets / $25 day of
CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKETS!
December 28, 2008 | Nation Beat is #1 WORLD MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR in NJ Star-Ledger
"This New York-based band combines rural music from northeastern Brazil and the American South, but that's just the beginning of this joyful mash-up. The ethnomusicological dissections, however, are tossed in the back seat for this careening joy ride."
-By Marty Lipp
October 07, 2008 | Nation Beat Animation Contest WINNER: Congratulation, David Perry!
September 20, 2008 | EXCLUSIVE LIVE FOOTAGE: Nation Beat performs with Willie Nelson @ Farm Aid 2008
OFFICIAL SITE: Nation Beat with Willie Nelson @ Farm Aid 2008
PRI's "The World" with Marco Werman: Interview with Nation Beat and Willie Nelson
BOSTON GLOBE: Willie Nelson's Farm Aid reaches from Boston to Brazil
BOSTON GLOBE: Hay fever: Farm Aid makes stop at the Comcast Center
"A little while ago i had the pleasure of listening to the music of a group called Nation Beat, and I was overwhelmed, and I'm so happy to introduce them to you today. So make them welcome: Nation Beat!" -Willie Nelson, Farm Aid 2008
August 28, 2008 | Nation Beat's newest fan: WILLIE NELSON!
You don't get too many phone calls like the one Nation Beat bandleader Scott Kettner got a few weeks ago. Earlier in the month the band had been profiled on NPR's All Things Considered, in a great spot by Afropop Worldwide's Banning Eyre. On the phone was a new admirer: Willie Nelson's longtime manager who proclaimed Nation Beat the most exciting new thing he'd heard in years, and Willie loved them too, and would they be available to have Willie sing a few songs with them at Farm Aid 2008 in September?
So with immense pride and excitement, we are officially announcing that Nation Beat will be performing on stage with Willie Nelson at Farm Aid 2008! TICKETS AND INFO
August 5, 2008 | Nation Beat climbing the charts!
On the heels of their successful (and still ongoing) summer tour and a featured spot on NPR's All Things Considered, Nation Beat has hit #2 on the iTunes Latin music chart and #107 overall on Amazon.
August 1, 2008 | Nation Beat Featured on NPR's All Things Considered
Nation Beat landed a highly sought-after placement on NPR's vaunted, #1-rated program All Things Considered -- produced and narrated by award-winning music journalist (and Afropop Worldwide Senior Editor) Banning Eyre. STREAM / DOWNLOAD
The glowing reviews keep pouring in....
The New York Sun: "A dizzying cocktail of music... the sophistication and unadulterated passion the group brings to its enterprise elevates the sound into the intoxicating.”
The Village Voice: "Like a multi-cultural dream, Nation Beat's new Legends of the Preacher floats Liliana Araujo's bold contralto over a synergistic blend of bluegrass," jazz-funeral" riffs, and Pernambucan carnival percussion—plus melodies influenced by Iberia's exiled Jews and Moors—into something joyous, revelatory, and socially aware."
NJ Star Ledger: “Hank Williams never swung like this... When an experiment really works, you don't think about process, but just enjoy the results."
QuietColor.com: "Nation Beat “has a groove and character all its own. Blending sounds of Southern blues with Brazilian maracatu and a whole lot more, their sound is definitely unique. With Liliana Araujo’s beautifully full, soulful voice gliding gracefully over the red hot multi-layered rhythm section… a delightfully wide range of sound and influence."
July 14, 2008 | Nation Beat Remixed!
Click here to download the dancefloor crushing remix of Nation Beat's "Maré Cheia" by NYC producer extraordaire Amon. Beware, contents are HOT!
June 1, 2008 | EXCLUSIVE: 3 FREE downloads from Legends of the
Preacher
Click here to download free
full album versions of "Nago Nago," "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and
"A Vida Tava Tao Bao" in MP3 format.
READ MORE NEWS