Blog and News
BEMBE Party December 17th!
BEMBE returns to The Vagabond in Miami. San Lazaro Edition!! With special opening set by Djinji Brown.
BEMBE Party returns to Miami Sept 24th
Join me as I celebrate my birthday at The Vagabond on Saturday, September 24th. Djinji Brown joins me with a special opening set.
Purple Reign
By now most of you know about Acai, the Brazilian super fruit, its nutritional content, it’s amazing earthy, chocolatey, dark berry flavor, and how it is pronounced. I’ll spare you the lesson, but I will tell you that I have been addicted to Acai for the last 6 years. Pretty much everyday, I have an Acai bowl with granola and bananas or an Acai smoothie to start my day. There have been a few brands out there, and I’ve had them all. I’ve also seen a few of my favorites go out of business including Flavor Brazil, which I cleverly include a little granola packet in the cup. The ubiquitous choice we have been left with turns out to be the least authentic tasting of them all. And while Sambazon should be commended for having USDA organic certification and having implemented fair trade certification, their growth has left us with little to no choice for Acai sorbet/pulp. I used to have gallons of Acai pulp overnighted from UniversalTaste, which had superior taste and texture, but that too has been unavailable for a while now.
I really do encourage you Acai fans to search for alternatives to Sambazon and support them. My latest find has been Nativo Acai (http://www.pureacaiberryfruitjuice.com/). What’s so great about them? They have the only raw (unpasteurized) pulp that I know of and it tastes great! I get it at the Whole Foods in South Beach, and I bet they can get it at your Whole Foods too if you ask. Long story short, Acai is good for you and tastes great, find some, have some! … and now you know what the song Purple Reign on my upcoming album is about! 
Carlos Mena @ WMC 2011
If you are lucky enough to be in Miami Beach for the Winter Music Conference, here are the parties where you can catch me spinning.
Monday March 7th – NYC DEEP Party (Jazid)
Wednesday, March 9th – Stalwart Party (Clevelander)
Thursday, March 10th, 2011 – Tribe Party (National Hotel)
Friday, March 11th, 2011 – Dive Party (South Seas Hotel)
Friday, March 11th, 2011 – THE G++DNESS meets SPREAD LOVE (Jazid)
Saturday, March 12th, 2011 – Dance Ritual (Vagabond)
Sunday, March 13th, 2011 – Dance for Haiti
Scroll down for more details
5 Teena’s on My Mind
I am not going to say I was the biggest Teena Marie fan and that I am lost without her. In fact, when I first heard the news, I simply sighed and went on playing with my son. Over the next 30 minutes I must sung “I Need Your Loving” 3 or 4 times because now my 3 year old was singing it too. An hour later the memories came in bunches, and I could feel the perspiration on my neck, as if I was once again standing on the boardwalk in Coney Island, baking in the August Sun. Listening to Teena Marie’s “Lovergirl” coming out of my JVC dual cassette Boom Box, way too loud as I recall. Then I remembered my brown Chevy Super Sport, crawling past hydrants for the free car wash, bumpin’ ”Square Biz” and arguing with my cousin about Don Mattingly and if he was going to be as good as people, including me, where thinking he would be. He batted .343 the next year and proved me right!
I remember the first time I saw Teena Marie play guitar.. it made me pay attention and appreciate her as an artist. I spent a couple hours tonight listening to her body of work and now I am sitting here typing in awe and gratitude and a little remorseful that I didn’t pay more attention to her in life. Thank you Teena and may you rest well at the feet of your Creator.
5 Teena’s on My Mind (stream/download)
Thank you. I will miss you.
Today marks the 21st Anniversary of my coming to the Bay from Brooklyn, NY. I’ll never forget not being able to sleep in that Saratoga condo because it was too quiet. There were no sirens, there was no yelling, no dancehall, salsa or hip-hop beats to transport me gently into Bushwick dreams. I simply didn’t fit in, and I was terribly uncomfortable. A few weeks later I searched the classifieds and cruised South Bay neighborhoods, like I was on a pre-Craigslist era safari, seeking graffiti and brown people. It turned out I was just north of downtown San Jose, and it was a little noisier and gritter and it kept me sane for a few years. I am grateful for my 10BASS T days, and I give thanks to Slim Daddy Milo and my fellow producer and collaborator, may he rest in peace, Lou Anthony Guevara “Selector G”. Most of all I am eternally grateful to Steve Balbo for being an amazing friend during my years in the South Bay.
Then I discovered THE Town. Oakland. My mini Brooklyn, well sorta… I felt I had come home and was blessed to be able to collaborate with so many amazing artists over the years. I am tempted to start naming names, but the list is sooo long so I will only single out Don Washington, who helped build the CASAMENA Studio in Oakland where so many magical sessions happened. Oakland gave me my voice, and nurtured my work, so thank you Open mic curators and collaborators! Oakland saw me embrace my spirituality, and encouraged my leap into the arms of Orisha. Maferefun Elegba & Ogun. Oakland saw me at my best and at my worst, and most recently Oakland has seen me become a father. I am not the same man that arrived in the Bay Area 21 years ago.
Over the last 6 years, the world of dance music has embraced me in a way I never expected. I am grateful for the opportunity I continue to have, and the trust you have placed in me, as I nurture and present new talent to you. Although I feel I’ve gotten away from fully expressing myself as an artist, I am humbled by the recognition and success, and I am truly thankful.
At the risk of sounding corny, if it isn’t too late for that concern, I think it is appropriate that my 21st anniversary brings me to this difficult decision. In this coming of age of sorts, I am choosing to seek inspiration on the East cost and will be leaving the Bay Area in the coming weeks with my family. I will miss my friends but I hope you understand my need for a shift in energy so that I can return to creating and expressing myself fully. I hope you will welcome me back with open arms as I plan to return and visit from time to time. In closing, I want to say Thank you to all my supporters and friends. I will miss you. Ashe.
Many Blessings,
Carlos Mena
P.S. The final Yoruba Dance Sessions in the Bay Area is this Thursday,October 28th.
