WOMAD 2009 Featured Artist: Russ Jones (UK)

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DJ Russ Jones has forged a new direction in mixing global beats and world/dance music with Future World Funk, embracing eclectic cultural styles from mashed-up Brazillian 2-Step, Arabic Hip Hop, Afro-house, vintage reggae, Latin, ragga, Japanese funk and Ghanian Hip Life to Moroccan Gnawa Dub.

Jones sources this eclectic material from travelling extensively and appearing at world beat clubs in every remote corner of the world, in Beijing, Moscow, Sao Salvador, Oslo, Istanbul, Tokyo and Sao Paulo – then taking it to the big metropolises of New York, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam and London.

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Major recognition for Future World Funk came from being chosen from 350 acts to represent the UK at the 2003 World Music Expo in Seville.

Russ is behind some of London’s most successful clubs – and he has been doing it for years with consummate ease. With total dedication to the music Russ has founded some of London’s seminal club nights including London Calling and No Room For Squares. Russ subsequently became the artistic director of the Blue Note and other venues across London. Around the same time he also helped set up the celebrated Brazilian record label “Far Out Recordings’.

Russ is now programming and promoting the club night Future World Funk along with his partner in crime DJ Cliffy. The Future World Funk project has led to eight highly successful and critically acclaimed compilation CDs which in turn have led to gigs all over the world.

Alongside DJ duties Future World Funk and Russ have hosted and programmed festival stages at Glastonbury, Montreaux, WOMAD and back in London host a monthly residency at the Notting Hill Arts Club and regularly appear in top venues.

In addition to all these activities Russ produces his own ‘World Carnival’ channel for digital broadcasters Music Choice which is broadcast on the Astra satellite and cable TV across Europe and is working for the charity World Vision as an advocate for their cause and consultant on youth marketing.

www.futureworldfunk.com

http://www.myspace.com/russjones1

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