ANNA MORGAN is a tastemaker and connoisseur of globally minded low-end frequencies. Known for her eclectic high energy sets, genre fluid productions and dedication to breaking in new sounds, she has been quickly building an international community as fun and diverse as her style. As a curator and writer for the footwork jungle blog, she is an evangelist for 160bpm bass music. As a DJ, producer, label head and promoter she highlights urban diasporic stories by sharing her journey and the work of her community. She has been a regular on international festival lineups such as Outlook, Bass Coast, Lightning in a Bottle, and Shambhala. Her sets notably push rhythmic boundaries, while remaining dancefloor accessible. Her NYC based label Worst Behavior Recs has been covered by DJ Mag, Mixmag, Resident Advisor, Fact Mag, Inverted Audio, and was named by DJ Mag as one of the labels to watch in 2020.

Links mentioned in the episode:
NGAIO's SWU FM Show with Anna's guestmix (1 hour 30 mins in)
How To Stop Screwing Yourself - Mel Robbins
The power of vulnerability | Brené Brown

ANNA MORGAN Socials:
https://soundcloud.com/annamorgan_dj
https://www.instagram.com/annamorgandj/
https://www.facebook.com/AnnaMorganDJ/

Anna's 2020 Live sets:
20/20 London A/V set link:
Basscoat Pixel Fest
Just Jam

Label:
Worst Behavior Recs Bandcamp

The Footwork Jungle Blog:
https://soundcloud.com/footwork-jungle
https://www.facebook.com/FootworkJungle/


Anna Morgan

In this episode, I speak to the founder of Powerhouse festival and former curator of the Sistxerhood venue at Shangri La, Glastonbury. A friend of mine for years, we have always discussed the issues of being a performer / party starter in the night time industry and the dangers that come with the role. When the last restrictions were lifted the bookings came in fast for Booty Bass (my female / non binary DJ crew), which was wonderful, but in that small window I was reminded of how dangerous it is to be a Black woman in the nighttime economy. As soon as alcohol allows inhibitions to go down, respect and self-awareness goes with it. When I mentioned I was presenting a documentary on racial inequality, I was subjected to three 6ft white men drunkenly telling me much they had/did not have/believe in white privilege, accompanied by a forced bear hug. I went home in a taxi feeling dirty and drained. On another occasion, I was touched inappropriately by someone I had minus zero worries about and again went home feeling tainted and guilty.
These are mild instances of unwanted touching in the grand scheme of things, so much so that I almost let them go, but I couldn't because my reserves were already low. I didn't have the energy to carry this shame also, so I spoke to the latter and left the shame with him. Regardless, I should never have felt shame in the first place. But that is what happens in these situations. Everyone's had a bit to drink, lines get blurred and suddenly you're drowning in a grey area.

When venues, clubs and festivals open their doors again I want those who are marginalised to be safe. Safe from unsolicited touches, safe from name calling, safe from intimidation when we speak up for ourselves. I want us to be able to turn to whoever is in control - DJs, artists, promoters, managers, bar staff, security - and say I do not feel safe and for them to immediately jump into action without us having to go through a debate of what is or isn't considered harassment. I want the way it's dealt with to be uniform and I want those dealing with it to know what their unconscious biases are so they are able to look them in the face and put them to one side whilst they follow a standardised protocol.

That’s how Halt Harassment was born - out of sheer desperation - after a friend of mine was sexually assaulted at one of my nights. For the venues who have been left to try and deal with this on a case by case basis with no support. And for the audiences who slip through the cracks because it is too exhausting to mentally prepare for the stupid questions and the weird looks for daring to show up as their full selves.

I talk to Alice about her career working in the night time industry and the success of The Sistxrhood, providing a safe space at Glastonbruy festival in the party corner where only female / non-binary people could attend - no men - and how that affected the atmosphere inside the venue and invited conversation at the door. At the time and at the festival this was occasionally met with aggression but for the most part, people understood the need for the venue, to ensure those inside it felt completely relaxed and safe without having to have a consistent eye on who was around them.


Halt Harassment - A Societal Issue

Definitions Volume 3: The Remixes

Green Eyed Queen (Dutchie Remix)

Had to upload this - first time playing it with my original guitarist in 3 years. No practice, no need for eye contact - just PURE VIBES!! God I love this jazzy businessss

Upside Down Rehearsal

Akua Naru started to explain the reasons for certain songs that she played from her new album The Miners Canary (click to buy her album off bandcamp - it's worth it) is political, musical and thoughtful. (Black&) Blues People is the song she sang straight after dropping some truth and spreading the word that America's problems are not new and they are not confined to America. Technology has forced the world to wake up and now blatant disrespect for life can no longer be ignored - things have to start to change.

Akua Naru speaking at The Lantern

DEBUT MIXTAPE coming soon! 

This is a lil suttin from what's to come - watch this space people xx

Twitter/Instagram @ngaioanyia
Facebook/Ngaio

Badman Bailey S Brown on production


Separated Clip

Like what you hear? FREE DOWNLOAD at Bandcamp:
https://ngaioanyia.bandcamp.com/track/clip-my-wings

This is the first track to be released off a project I've been working on for a while. You may recognise the instrumental which is by The Weeknd, whose first mixtape was a big inspiration.

Clip My Wings - Ngaio

Second FREE DOWNLOAD available for 2016 - get it here: http://bit.ly/2gVM8VE

Flirting with the trip hop vibes that I grew up listening to, this production by Unkey is mixed by FORMZ LDN and mastered by Elefant Doc.

Butterflies

Discovered this song yesterday and it's been swimming around in my brain ever since so I wanted to try it out and experiment with something completely new. Check out the original too, it's wicked. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjGnnjZVHPI

Abra - Needsumbody Acapella Cover

Really excited to debut my EP at The Hatter on the 23rd March for BCFM. Last time I played any of these songs was at Glastonbury 2016 and I wasn't totally comfortable with all my songs - almost a year and I'm really happy with the sound that's come through.

So here's an acoustic version of one of my songs, written in October. It will be a difficult one to sing for many reasons but it's also one I'm most proud of. Come see it (and me!) live here: https://www.facebook.com/events/180936192393871/

Inside Outside (Acoustic)

Having released her debut EP on Konichiwagwarn records, Ngaio's neo-jazz makes an impression. A compelling meld of Jill Scott sermonising, Erykah Badu incandescent nu-soul backed by hypnotic hip hop beats mixed into each other by the women herself who is also an aspiring DJ - recently closing new Gas Tower stage at Glastonbury's party quarter, Shangri-La this year (2017). Saturated in feeling and graced by superior musicianship, her sets keep you guessing and always end with a bang!

See Them - Ngaio

Push - Ngaio

Inside Outside

Caramel

A little birthday mix having fun with some of the afrobeats I picked up in Ghana...

Booty Bass Afrobeats/Latin Mix

Upcoming on Saffron Records : Blackbird

Written as a voice for those that are so often ignored, Blackbird is raw, unapologetic and honest. Looking at identity politics and the need to be heard, NGAIO draws from a plethora of musical inspirations in this experimental track layering harmonies and spoken word over a trip hop base illustrated with African percussion. 

Blackbird presents a mixed race woman's view on multiculturalism and politics, using her voice to speak without interruption so she can be heard not only when her voice is beneficial to others.

Release Date : September 19th 2019
www.ngaiomusic.com
@ngaioanyia

Blackbird (Clip)

The opening track of my upcoming EP: We Fly.

Hail Mary, was written about using your voice to call people out when it would be so much easier to be quiet. Taking chances and sparking conversations.  My mum is the original Hail Mary; she's always seen difficult conversations as just that - difficult, but not impossible. 

Pre order now via Bandcamp: https://ngaioanyia.bandcamp.com/album/we-fly

Read more: http://ngaiomusic.com/hail-mary

Hail Mary (Clip)

In February 2020 I visited Lagos, Nigeria. As a half Nigerian I had been anxious to visit for the first time to find out a bit more about who I am and where I come from. The perfect opportunity arose when I was awarded a travel bursary by the British Council to go and review the Lagos Theatre Festival.

I didn’t know what to expect from the Lagos Theatre Festival; a slightly more relaxed approach than the UK for sure, but other than that I was blind. It’s not an outlandish comment to say that the UK’s theatre scene is largely monoculture. Things are gradually changing but there are still huge gaps in accessibility to the scene for those coming from diverse backgrounds. Like most industries, it’s difficult to get a foot in the door without a connection, and harder still to keep it there if unable to work for cheap or for free. This removes it as a viable workplace for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The theatre industry in Lagos is currently being built back up from scratch, and with that rebuild serious considerations have gone into who the theatre is for and how to make it an environment that everyone feels comfortable in, in order for it to thrive.&nbsp;

It is being reestablished as a social gathering for multiple groups and a place you can go to meet friends and involve yourself in the productions. I speak with one of the organisers, Lydia, about what the experience was like putting the festival together as well as what they have in store for this year's virtual festival.

If you'd like to find out more, head to https://lagostheatrefestival.com

Big thanks to the following for making this podcast happen:

Instagram accounts:
@britisharts
@ngbritish
@acegrams
@coachhousestudio
@redstripe




Lagos Theatre Festival

Blackbird

Blackbird (Radio Edit)

We Fly

Interlude

Blackbird (Vocal Edit)

Hail Mary

Green Eyed Queen

We Fly Remixes

Objectify (KG Remix)

Blackbird (LR Groove Remix)

Green Eyed Queen (Hagan Remix)

Hail Mary (Boa Kusasa Remix)

Ngaio is a force to be reckoned with. More than just a singer, this powerhouse of a performer can switch from a killer DJ set to delivering intricate jazz harmonies with a voice that could have stepped out of the 1940s, to heart hitting spoken word.

Born in London, now a twenty years strong Bristolian, Ngaio has been skating across musical scene since she could walk. As well as being  musical director of Bristol’s Bass Choir. She has been organising and promoting events since setting up of her own night Booty Bass which was started in 2018 as a way to provide a platform for more female DJ’s.

It’s rare to find a performer with this many strings to their bow. Ngaio’s versatility as an artist has seen her moving audiences to standing ovations in St George’s Hall with a soul striking vocals, spark tears though truth laden lyrics, destroy dancefloors with selections old and new that take crowds on a journey of nostalgia and discovery and sometimes combine all three! Bringing jazz influenced vocals into the UK Funky world has seen her released on Bristol label Durkle Disco with a Cardinal Sound remix that reached clubs from Europe to Australia.

Previously seen at festivals such as Glastonbury, Boomtown, Secret Garden Party, Love Saves The Day, Tokyo World and guesting on Rinse FM, Flex FM, Noods Radio and soon to be station regular at SWU FM, 2019 isn’t likely to see her slowing down any time soon.

Electric performances that envelop the crowd, the vibe she provides stays long after she’s left.

Ngaio

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