D.C. Don Juan -Show Room + My Town (Freestyle Video)

2010 GO-GO AWARDS THIS SUNDAY LINCOLN THEATER

BOSSMAN – NO Hands

Whop from the band Wisdom Speaks talks about not being nominated for a 2010 Go-Go Award.

2010 Go-Go Awards and hall of fame induction

DC Music Examiner

Music enthusiasts in the nation’s capital are eagerly awaiting the annual Go-Go MusiC Awards and Hall of Fame Induction. This affair will take place Sunday November 21, 2010 (7:00 pm – 10:30 pm), and will be held at the historic Lincoln Theatre (1215 U Street, NW). Go-go music is a hybrid of R&B and funk, heavy on percussion, and uniquely indigenous to the Washington DC metropolitan region.

The purpose of the go-go awards is to honor the excellent artists and behind-the-scenes personnel who create music for their fans – not just in DC – but also nationally, and even internationally.

Ron Moten, who is one of the organizers, confidently states that this year’s event will be the most successful ever.

“We have both Mayor Fenty and Mayor-elect Vincent Gray on board as presenters,” he says. “We also have tributes to many exceptional go-go musicians from the past and present.”

Among the tributes will be for legendary conga player Jungle Boogie. He will be honored by an all-star lineup of Go-Go Mickey, Rocksteady, Sauce, Godfather, and Ju-Ju. This will be the first time in history that conga players of this magnitude will perform together on the same stage. There will also be tributes to Sugar Bear (EU), Maeisha and Hip-Huggers, Buggs (JYB), and to the TCB Band – whose lead rapper Polo is seriously ill and remains in a coma.

The awards ceremonies can be a positive and unifying event within the go-go community, but some musicians have questions about the process which is used to pick the nominees.

Brian “Whop” Craig, whose band Wisdom Speaks was not nominated, is somewhat confused about how the selections were made.

“We’ve been nominated every year so far, and this past year we have accomplished more than ever,” says Craig. “We have a corporate sponsor (DC Lottery) and we won a national ad award for best original score. We wrote and produced a song (Jingle Jangle) on Chuck Brown’s latest CD. We also performed to a packed house every Thursday at My Place, which is one of the top go-go venues.”

“It’s impossible to satisfy everyone,” says Moten. “The selections are made by a panel of experts which includes Preston Blue, DJ Big John, Moe Shorter, Jauhar Abraham, Bobbie Westmoreland, and Kato Hammond.”

Local promoter Dre “All Day In The Paint”,who coordinates a DC hip-hop awards show, understands that these events can often put you in a no-win situation.

“Some artists are mad at you because they didn’t get nominated, and others are upset because they didn’t win,” says Dre. “No matter how thorough you are in picking the top candidates there’s still going to be one or two people who aren’t happy.”

Moten, who has been involved with the go-go awards for several years, says he has learned from the experience.

“Certain musicians – like the What Band – complain every year if they don’t win an award,” he says. “But we are confident that every decision we make is made with integrity. And we’re constantly trying to improve the process. Next year we plan to expand the panel.”

Sunday is definitely going to be a great night to enjoy local music. The show will be hosted by comedian Billy “The Kid”, and performing live will be Rare Essence, Be’la Dona, Junkyard Band, Backyard Band, Dave Hollister, and Raheem DeVaughn.

If you plan on attending the awards show – don’t forget that “going to the go-go” is a very interactive experience. So bring your dancing shoes, put on your best outfit, and be prepared to “get it in”!!!

Go-Go Awards After Parties:

Junkyard Band / Backyard Band at the Masonic Temple (1000 U Street, NW)

Be’la Dona at LIV (2001 11th Street, NW) 11th & U – Upstairs

Wisdom Speaks at Bohemian Caverns (2001 11th Street, NW) 11th & U – Downstairs