An Experience: Sa-Ra Creative Partners @ The Canal Room, NYC, 01/09/06	By Knowfrillz

Click On Speaker To Listen To Snippets From Sa-Ra Creative Partners

	Glorious
	Cocopop
	Fantastic Vampere

My decision to go and see Sa-Ra Creative Partners perform was truly a last minute one. The weather was bad, it had been a long day of what was already feeling like a long week at work, and it was only Wednesday. But in the 11th hour, I decided to make the trek across the Hudson to see one of the architects of some of the most innovative sounds in music today.

I had no idea what to expect for a couple of reasons. First, I am still unclear as to what exactly Sa-Ra Creative Partners is. A production team? A band? A singing group? A group of MCs? Well, after seeing their live show, I will say they are a combination of all of those elements. Made up of 3 individuals, Om’Mas Keith, Shafiq Husayn and the ever-fashion-forward Taz Arnold, the bi-coastal collective have come together to create some “next level” music; a sort of new millennium “p-funk” with a twist of hip-hop. Having worked with everyone from Heavy D and Pharoahe Monch to Platinum Pied Pipers and N.E.R.D., the group is a mixed bag full of surprising sounds and musical compositions that spans the sonic globe.

After a great DJ set from DJ Contact that encompassed everything from Soul to Hip Hop to Afro-Beat, the group took the stage accompanied by a band, a DJ and 3 female vocalists which included their first artist, Irisina Gayle, as well as Kim Hill (former vocalist for The Black Eyed Peas).

From the start, their discipleship of pioneers like George Clinton and Parliament, the Ohio Players and even Sun Ra was apparent as their mixture of funk induced rhythms, Hip-Hop and dancefloor Soul moved the crowd into a frenzy. The 3 vocalists interacted with the band with “burlesque-esque” choreography much in the same manner as their often provocative lyrics interacted with their cosmic dust-covered soundtrack. For those of us who have been pumping their CD-R demos for the past 2 years, they hit the crowd with “old favorites” like “Hollywod” (now on Bilal’s sophomore album), the raunchy "Cocopop"(which feature Irisina Gayle), “Fantastic Vampere” and the aptly titled “Glorious”, which was almost a religious experience for me personally as soon as the bass guitarist hit the first few bass licks sounding exactly as it is on the studio recording. But as is par for the course for a band that pushes the envelope like SRCP does, the majority of the music was brand new to our ears. From compositions like “Star Wars” to “Butterscotch”, “Tasty You” and “Black Fuzz”, the audience was treated to much of what is to come in the future for Sa-Ra and their first full length LP to be released on Kanye West’s imprint, G.O.O.D. Music.

At the end of the show, much of the G.O.O.D. Music Roster who was in attendance joined their labelmates on stage. Consequence, who is best known for his work on A Tribe Called Quest’s “Beats Rhymes and Life” album, got on stage and performed one of his hottest tracks from his “The Cons Pt. 3” mixtape entitled “Do What You Do.” John Legend made a brief appearance along with GLC and a few other members of their musical family.

Overall, the show was “an experience” to say the least; and it was definitely an enjoyable one. It was great to finally see some of the musical luminaries that I have held in such high regard in recent times. I urge everyone to see the Sa-Ra Creative Partners live show if they perform in your area because it will undoubtedly be “an experience.”