October, 2011 marks JUMP N FUNK's 10th Anniversary, and we are proud to announce that we have tour dates in New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, St. Louis, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia to celebrate with our extended Afrobeat Family nationwide. Love Afro Life, and stay tuned for the new and improved www.JumpNFunk.com coming in October, 2011 as we celebrate our tenth year of bringing you the finest in Fela Kuti and all things aurally and visually Afro global! Hope to see you shaking your nyash on a dancefloor with us very soon. Until then, bless up and Love Afro Life!

JUMP N FUNK, America's Original Afrobeat Party, was born of the collective vision and efforts of Rich Medina, Debbie Sealy and Trevor Schoonmaker in late-summer, 2001. Trevor was curating an unprecedented museum exhibit, "The Fela Project", at a time when many were unaware of Fela Kuti, his music and his legacy. Through a meeting facilitated by Visual Artist, Brett Cook Dizney, Rich, Debbie & Trevor developed the party concept with the sole intention of raising awareness about the King of Afrobeat.

Within three months, JUMP N FUNK grew from an intimate afterwork gathering, to an event avidly attended by hundreds at Shine, (currently the address of The Canal Room). From Shine, JNF moved around New York City for a several years, landing in The Coral Room, Cielo, Central Park SummerStage and The Martinez Gallery before settling into a long residency with S.O.B.'s in 2004. By 2006, as Debbie and Trevor pursued other interests, Medina was determined to restructure and reinvigorate the party brand which, while still tied heavily to celebration of Fela Kuti, provided a more expansive view into the burgeoning rebirth of Afrobeat Music. In late 2006 Rich Medina combined forces with his studio production partner Mark Hines (The Marksmen) to expand the JNF experience with live video and instrumentalist performance elements. 

With the event re-tooled, Medina and The Marksmen set about touring the JUMP N FUNK party anywhere there was demand. To date, JUMP N FUNK has toured the world, making stops in Catania, Sicily; Tuscany, Italy; London at The Barbican Museum; Manchester's Rich Mix; MC Theater in Amsterdam; Paris with Free Your Funk; Tokyo with DJ Muro and Seiji Hitomi; Brussels; and Tuebingen, Germany as well as numerous nationwide and Canadian tour dates over the years. Beyond touring theJNF brand, Rich Medina has also toured as the Official Tour Date DJ with both Femiand Seun Kuti, Zap Mama, Wunmi, and New York City's Antibalas, further extending the reach of JNF to the masses. 

Rich Medina

Founder and Originator

JUMP N FUNK

America's Original Afrobeat Party

as featured weekly at:

http://www.complex.com/city-guide/2011/09/the-end-of-summer-wrap-up-on-the-road-with-rich-medina-aug-30-sep-5

Read the article to the end for my next events, including Brooklyn Bowl tonight, September 9th, and Funkin' Right alongside DJ Needlz in St Louis tomorrow, September 10th!

I also have the pleasure of rocking the Turntables On The Hudson Boat Cruise on September 17th, as well and Sendae Sermon in RIverside Park in Harlem on September 25t http://sundaesermon.com/events.php! AND, the legendary Breakbeat Lou (@BreakBeatLou) rocks at Props October 5th ( we know the flyer says Sept 28th at the moment, but stay tuned...)!!! Details on all that later!

Otherwise, all my events are at the end of this mailer if you're getting this via email, or in the Events section of www.richmedina.com if you are just cruising through the site! Stay tuned for new and improved site mechanisms coming your way real soon too!

In other news, my peoples have their hands elbow deep into the most recent Philadelphia #VitaminWaterUncapped program, and the next two nights close out the series. If you are in Philly and wondering what's the flavor thing to get into this weekend, here's your answer right here buddy...

Shouts out to Little Giant (@215Tayyib) and SuperflyMom (@superflymom3) for creating 16 days worth of extremely credible programming from the ground up. All events are at Sigma Sound, on N 12th St, just north of Race St. in Chinatown.

#VitaminWaterUncapped

Sept 9 and Sept 10, 2011 programming.

Tonight, Friday Sept 9th from 9pm – 1 am

"Boys vs. Girls"

Dirty South Joe, Guns Garcia, Phsh, Suga Shay, Ultra Violet, Sega, Ethel Cee, Gilbere Forte, Zarina, Chill Moody will all be performing in an all out gender battle.

Saturday – Sept 10th from11am-6pm  

"Bboy and All Styles Battle"

with a cash prize awarded at the next Superdope!

9pm-1 am

DJ Statik, DJ Aktive & JUST BLAZE!!!!

Their entire session ends tomorrow night from 8pm to 1am, with music by some of my favorite dudes around. DJ Statik, DJ Aktive, and the legendary production machine known as Just Blaze!

Here's to a fantastic kick off to Fall 2011 for everyone. Bless up, and hopefully see you in BK or St Louis this weekend!