Issue Articles — Cover Story
The Spirit of Fi Yi Yi: Victor Harris, Sr. hits the streets for the last time
“For me, it’s a blessing,” declares Victor Harris on having his “given spiritual cultural anatomy” revealed to him as the Spirit of Fi Yi Yi 40 years ago. “I’m a chosen one, I’m a servant of God. I want that joy and healing to spread around the world.”
David Russell Batiste, Sr.: Best Of The Beat Lifetime Achievement In Music
David Russell Batiste Sr., this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Music honoree, has a strong legacy of family, music, and education. As his son Jamal put it, “My father has a continuing fire to share his music and touch people.
Reclaiming Roots: Loose Cattle took 10 years, two cities and one pandemic to lock into place
The New Orleans band’s earliest roots are in New York City where the two principals—Kimberly Kaye and Michael Cerveris—got together to play cover songs to blow off steam and keep the flame of their relationship burning. An album of cover songs, and a Christmas record followed. It only took a breakup, a personal health crisis, an eventual relocation to New Orleans, a new rhythm section, a pandemic, and a lot more confidence writing original songs for Loose Cattle to emerge wholly new. The band’s forthcoming self-titled album of largely all originals, marks the occasion.
December 2023 larger cover image
The Cover Club offers an OffBeat cover of your choice printed on canvas so you can hang your favorite OffBeat Magazine covers on the walls of your home! The December 2023 cover can be purchased here. […]
Sonic Boom For The Soul: For People Museum the future is now
People Museum is the unique innovative sound of Brian Eno producing dream pop in New Orleans, while a second line struts by, and Twin Peaks plays on the TV. This most unique of bands is doing something not heard before here or elsewhere while remaining purely organic and true to four distinct Louisiana backgrounds. You will never forget People Museum once you witness them live.
Classic and Classy: Erica Falls is flying high
Erica Falls has a hot new album called Emotions, the single “Up” is riding high on the charts, and she’s ready to go on the road to take it to the world. While she may be best known right now as the singer with Galactic for around five years, that’s about to change. It’s Erica time. As Lumar LeBlanc of The Soul Rebels said, “She is awesome, a great musician. Her position in the industry is rising.” We sat around the table to discuss her story while Brazilian music played in the background.
The Sparrow: Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah innovates while paying tribute to the ancestors
Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, born Christian Scott and presently known as Chief Adjuah, grew up surrounded by jazz music, the Black Indian culture and an awareness of their African roots.
Expect the Unexpected: Shamarr Allen keeps it True Orleans
Shamarr Allen is riding high on touring across the country with the imminent release of the True Orleans 2 album, his first in five years. He’s both a son of New Orleans and a U.S. Cultural Ambassador who talks as real as it gets. We sat down in his studio to get the word on his world.
