NextAid actively links artists, musicians and the global community with some of the most impoverished and vulnerable children on the planet. By partnering with other organizations in the production of music benefits and awareness raising activities, NextAid channels emergency and long-term aid to African children in need.

DJs and artists such as Carl Cox, Mark Lewis, Miguel Migs, Simply Jeff, Gavin Hardkiss, Marques Wyatt, Garth Trinidad, DJ Dan, Soulstice, and many more have supported NextAid by making a donation or participating in awareness raising efforts including benefit events.

For more information about how to participate and become a NextAid artist please email artists[at]nextaid[dot]org

DJS AND ARTISTS A thru F

A thru F | G thru M | N thru Z

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aFRO-mYSTIK

Bio: The world is insane! Traditional musical boundaries between nations are bending. The sounds of native drums can be heard merging with house music and uniting with jazz creating new forms, disintegrating the mass-marketed model of pop culture. This is the world of Afro-Mystik, Om Records' electrifying live experience. Fusing the rhythms of many cultures into one on their second full-length album, "Morphology" coming April 2003, Afro-Mystik presents the evolution of diverse musical traditions into a singular, surreal electronic landscape. Read more...

Links: www.om-records.com

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Antonio

Anthony Mansfield got his first taste of house music in the early underground house scene of Northern California circa 1992. A heady mix of full-moon parties, beach parties, dirty warehouses, laid-back clubs, and crazy house-parties coupled with psychedelic, funky, deep house and organic breaks.

Anthony’s newest chapter is a return to San Francisco--djing, producing and relaunching his company Hector Works as a music label. Local events include: LE BOOM (Pink 2925 16th st @ S. Vanness, SF), GREEN GORILLA LOUNGE monthly underground or club event featuring two rooms of sound; and FULLY LOADED the bimonthly underground collective between Sunset and the Green Gorilla posse. read more

Quote: "In this age of "me, me, me," Nextaid's focus is Us."

Link: www.greengorillalounge.com

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Ben Annand
In December 1997 he played his first out-of-town gig, in Hartford, CT, and just one year later played his first international event in Quito, Ecuador. Mr. Annand's popularity has snowballed since this time, bringing his music to over 60 cities in 8 countries on 4 continents worldwide. Some of the highlights include a summer residency in Mexico City, closing the jazz stage of the Acapulco World Sound Festival, closing the 20,000 person Festimad in Madrid as part of a 4-country European tour, 10 visits to Moscow's famous Propaganda club, and greeting 2002 at the Rave Goa, held in a huge bullfighting arena in Madrid. He has appeared on numerous broadcast and internet radio programs and appeared on Russian Music Television (MUZ-TV), viewed by over 2 million people in 320 cities across Russia. Over the years, Mr. Annand's music has continually evolved towards its present range from deep jazzy house to banging tech-house and tribal. His taste steers away from remixes and obvious vocals, favoring tracks with depth and mood and vocals that are open to interpretation. "I like to think of the human voice as another instrument, an incredibly beautiful instrument which I use to conjure a mood rather than tell people a specific story….”

Link: www.tropical-house.com

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Brent Crampton

Titled by Red Bull as the Mr. X of Nebraska, Best DJ for the Omaha Entertainment Awards, recipient of the Scion's Breakthru Emerging Artist Tour and a Deep House Pioneer by The Reader, Brent Crampton has been pushing the boundaries of music and culture throughout the Midwest.

His style is driven towards jazz, funk, soul with African and Latin rhythms - the elements from which serious dance music abounds. He can work it with peak global soul sounds, deep and rhythmic tones or melodic downtempo. Most importantly, his music has a message: Bringing people together connecting through music releasing in dance.

From his socially binding monthly titled loom, his Turntable Tutorial DJ class, the art-music fusion shows - ColorSound and Art Reach, to being the NextAid.org Omaha rep., his contribution falls within philanthropy and touches on social progression, education, art and elevating culture.

His impression has been made throughout the nation, having performed in Chicago, Miami, Las Vegas, St. Louis, New Mexico, Phoenix, Hawaii, and along side talent such as King Britt, Woody McBride, Halo, Colette and jojoflores.

Quote from the Artist:
"As a DJ and promoter, I consider myself a call-horn to the community, asking people to gather. And when you bring them together, I have to ask myself - 'What's my intention?' NextAid uses nightlife culture as a mode for positive change in the world. That's an intention I'll stand behind."

Link: www.brentcrampton.com

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BT

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Carl Cox

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Charles Feelgood

Bio: Legendary for his role in the birth of the electronic music scene in the Baltimore/ Washington DC area, Charles Feelgood has built a reputation as a DJ in the international dance community through his ingenious remix skills and a dynamic brand of funky disco and hard house. Cultivating a fascination with music since childhood, Charles grew up listening to Motown, disco and funk, genres that heavily influenced his personal style as an artist. "I used to stay up late listening to my dad play records and decided that was what I wanted to do," says Feelgood. His first foray into the world of dance music was in the 80's,throwing small scale parties under the name "House of Fields." From Depeche Mode to Aretha Franklin dance mixes – the music was very eclectic at the parties and you can hear that range of genres in Charles's sets today.

Quote from the Artist: "The people of Africa are in the middle of a full blown epidemic.To blindly sit by and turn a deaf ear to a "problem" because it's "so far away" is the purest form of stupidity.The people in Africa need our help. Medical supplies, donations, and education are just a few of the tools that we have to offer from the most priviledged country on the planet."

Links:

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Colette

Please explain why, through NextAid or other means, you have taken on a responsibility to respond to the AIDS catastrophe in Africa?

When I first visited the NextAid website I was shocked to learn how little I knew of what was actually happening in Africa. 95% of children in the world orphaned by AIDS are from Africa! 95%!! That percentage is staggering, but we all have the power to help make that percentage less. We should stop looking at this as someone else's problem and realize it is an issue that affects all of us. Organizations like NextAid make it easy for any one of us to help.

Bio: With her disarming doe eyes and a heartwarming demeanor, Colette possesses the unmistakable voice of post-millennial house music. Her sweet-but-sultry voice has been called "angelic" so many times, it's a miracle she hasn't grown wings: Imagine a less breathy Kylie Minogue merged with a more controlled Roisin Murphy (Moloko) and you have a good grasp on her classy voice that highlights any beat that flows behind it. Whereas in the late 80s, the diva reigned supreme and made the music cower, Colette has kept it deliciously simple and always melodic, making the former choirgirl-cum-Chicago-house-siren a mainstay of modern dance music.
And it's been that way for a minute -- as raves were starting to wind down throughout the nation in the late 90s, Colette was busting through the "novelty act" stereotype that kept many women DJs corralled like VIP ropes guarding a Hollywood hotspot. But ever since she started her SuperJane troupe with fellow Chicagoan DJs Dayhota, Lady D and Heather (celebrating their 10th anniversary this year), Colette's paved the way for other women seeking equal time behind the decks as their male counterparts. Things came full circle in 2006, when the Los Angeles transplant reunited with Heather for a stateside tour promoting the "House Of Om" mix they did together. It was a busy year -- Colette also played an intense set at Coachella, kept up her long running residency at "World's Best Club" Smartbar and toured with fellow Om house soldier Kaskade.
And 2007 shows no signs of slowing with her new artist album, Push.
"I'm really excited about this record," Colette exclaims. "I collaborated with such amazing producers and songwriters on this project, and I'm going to be doing a few shows with a live band for the first time." However, the road to making Push, wasn’t always an easy one as Colette explains. “I spent four years working on my debut album Hypnotized. I learned so much from that experience and had a clearer vision of what I wanted my second record to sound like. We worked about 11 months writing and recording Push, with one month off for my wedding. I was really lucky to have found such a great partner as he did more of the planning than I did. Usually the bride is running around getting everything ready, but I was balancing the wedding and recording the new album.
If Push plays out anything like her first artist album, Hypnotized, Colette’s endless nights will have been more than worth the effort. Hypnotized became the most downloaded dance album on iTunes (US), and featured dance floor burners like "What Will She Do for Love" (Billboard's No. 1 Dance Club Play Single) and the title track, which was licensed to The Devil Wears Prada soundtrack. In just a few years time, Colette was featured as a "Newcomer to Watch" in JANE Magazine, filed under "Hot New Music" in Interview Magazine, graced the cover of XLR8R, and named in URB's Next 100.

Links: www.om-records.com
www.djcolette.com

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Diesel Boy

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DJ Amber

Bio: Amber is a San Francisco-based techno and tech-house DJ and producer with a driving beat and aggressively risky mixing technique in a town better known for its laid back house style. Amber is a resident with the San Francisco branch of Sister USA, the most recognized cross-genre, all-female DJ collective in the world. From 2002 - 2003 San Francisco Bay Area locals watched Amber on television as Host of :CODE, a nightlife and electronic music television show. In 2003, Amber co-founded NorCal DJ and Music Production Academy in San Francisco, where she develops and instructs DJ courses. For more information and music downloads of Amber's tracks and mix sets visit www.iamthedj.com.

Quote: Lifting up the world's "poorest poor"--those living on less than $1 a day--truly lays the foundation for world peace. While populations suffer from total poverty, with no access to clean water, nutritious food, education, and proper medical care for crises like the HIV/AIDS epidemic there will continue to be despair, anger, and conflict. The burdens of suffering only further erode the foundations of a healthy society and keep a nation from being able to stand on its own two feet. A self-feeding cycle.

Links: iamthedj.com, sistersf.com

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DJ Dan

Bio: DJ DAN is one of America's most highly sought after DJ/producers who continually breaks new musical ground. Beginning as Los Angeles' top techno DJ in the early 90's, he went on to inspire the breakbeat trend a few short years later with the classic anthem "Loose Caboose." Later DJ DAN reinvented the sound with "Needle Damage"--a fusion of all that is hard and funky. He has toured the world over, releasing numerous highly celebrated singles and popular CD's.

Quote: "It is unbelievable how much we take for granted as healthy Americans. When you see the suffering that goes on in South Africa, it makes you realize how fortunate we truly are. If we all get involved to help NextAid in their fight to help the current and future generations, we can all make a huge difference in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It really does not take much to lend a hand in this cause. I am proud to support and contribute in any way that I can to NextAid in their continued efforts to save lives and I hope many more will get involved in this wonderful cause as well."

Links: www.djdan.com

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DJ Fluid aka Christopher Smith

The founder and head honcho of San Francisco based Om Records, Christopher Smith is a busy man. Known internationally as the United Nations of Future Music, Om celebrates its 10th Anniversary in 2005. The label is respected worldwide for its diverse roster of electronic music, soulful house and hip hop.

When not busy running the Om Records label, Smith puts on his DJ Fluid hat. He is constantly touring, bringing his deep, funky and chunky sounds to the people. “I try to offer a unique sound to the dance floor, incorporating all the styles of music I find inspiring”. Fluid’s sound is diverse indeed. His landmark DJ sets combine everything from Chicago House to Nu Jazz to Brazilian Rhythms.

Quote from the Artist: "Children who grow up with no hope and no education will not have the tools necessary to instigate positive change in their own communities. By reaching out to these children and providing them with the essentials to build a new life, we show them that the world does care and there is indeed a great deal to live for."

Links: www.omrecords.com, www.afromystik.com

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DJ Garth

DJ Garth is a name that carries weight far beyond the west coast he calls home. Growing up with a passion for punk, funk and soul music in England and America, he was first of the notorious Wicked crew to move from London and set up camp in San Francisco. Inspired by the Bay Area way of life he instigated the crew’s legendary full moon parties and co-founded Wicked in 1991.From those heady beginnings, Wicked has been credited widely as the catalyst that helped put San Francisco on the global dance map. Read more...

Quote from the Artist: "Africa is the motherland; the mother of all rhythm. When NextAid laid out their vision to help Africans live to see a brighter day, I felt compelled to join the cause. If I can give something back to Africa, why wouldn't Ii? It's given me everything."

Links: www.grayhound.net

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DJ Heather

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DJ Tracy

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Donald Glaude

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Dov

Bio: Growing up in Cape Town South Africa, inspired by radio, an early interest in electronics and a Casio keyboard, Dov’s involvement in music creation and production can also be traced back to the days playing with a reel to reel tape recorder and then picking up guitar in his teens.
By the time he headed to University he was involved in radio show production and DJing and always had a latest mix-tape. Apartheid era South Africa enforced a draft policy and while serving in the military Dov used soccer and performing as a rhythm guitarist in the minister’s band as a means for avoiding other activities.
He left South Africa in 1992 and the influences he encountered on the road would forever change the way he understood and utilized music. Based in San Francisco since 1994 Dov has been instrumental in the growth of dance culture in the Bay Area by producing multiple events, festivals, gatherings, importing and exporting music, working in music distribution, club manager / booker, working as a magazine website content developer, music reviewer, and serving as a label solicitor for major digital retailers in 1998 and an A & R rep and music buyer. Dov coordinated and booked the conference / panel side of the first Summer Music Conference in San Francisco. He assisted in the development of multiple underground labels in the past 10 years and finally formed his own label Muti Music in January 2002 and build and managed music and media label, Cyberset since 2004. Related production and company projects that Dov has founded / worked on include: Fusion Festival and monthlies, Eyephunk, ig-nite, Radio-v, Digital Be-In, Muti Music, 1015 Folsom, Subalicious, Shattered, Beats without Borders outdoor stage, multiple one-off nights and Cyberset Music.

Quote from the Artist: My heart still lives in Africa, I grew up in South Africa for the first 21 years of my life. It may sound like a cliché, but "children are the future" and AIDS and other catastrophes in Sub-Saharan Africa have resulted in the complete breakdown of the family unit in many of these regions, leaving children to fend for themselves and their siblings. Many African leaders and health departments have refused to recognize any link between HIV and AIDS and have by so doing not provided treatment or support for treatment for those showing symptoms. By providing shelter, care and education for children orphaned by AIDS, we are investing in a better tomorrow.

Links:
http://myspace.com/dovmusicandproduction
http://mutimusic.com
http://www.cyberset.cc http://myspace.com/bigdubproject

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Electric Skychurch

Bio: James Lumb is a multi-media communication advocate. For twenty years, he has worked as a composer, performer, producer, journalist, filmmaker and technology developer.

As leader of the seminal American Electronic Rock Band “Electric Skychurch,” James performs and speaks around the world, and is the Technology Editor for the NYC based “Big Shot Magazine”.

James’ particular gift is communicating in a charismatic, humorous style. As a speaker, he is adept at bringing difficult social and technical subjects to light in an entertaining, spontaneous way. View PDF bio.

Quote from the Artist: Globalism is more than just business; it's the inevitable interconnectedness that we face as technology and travel link all societies, advanced and traditional, around the planet. As we move forward the health and welfare of all people becomes a logical priority. Its time to put the economic, spiritual, and racial divisions of the past aside and address African AIDS for what it is - a health problem with potential to directly impact people everywhere. The virus has no borders.

AIDS destroys the bodies of people with HIV, but that is only part of the problem. Racism is a spiritual disease spread through fear, and although racism and fear exist independently of HIV, there is no doubt that as the disease progresses new forms of prejudice and hatred will emerge within healthy people who, in an effort to protect themselves from infection, close themselves off to others. By fighting AIDS in Africa we are also fighting to preserve and nurture the delicate equality that emerged in the last century.

Links: www.skychurch.com

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Ellen Ferrato

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Fil Latorre

Bio: Fil Latorre is a San Francisco-based DJ, producer and event promoter that has been djing since 1993. His skills as a dj have garnered him high praise and critical acclaim. Less than a year after buying his first record, he won the first annual Fever/Buzz Battle of the DJs in Baltimore, Maryland, sparking critics and contemporaries alike to refer to him as a natural. Fil soon became a staple at events all over the country and Canada, playing at raves and clubs alike for various promoters in the Americas including the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Colombia, South America.
Among other residencies, in 1995, Fil co-founded the Dirty Crew with DJ's David Javate and John-Michael. Together, the Dirty Crew coordinated one-off events and moved on to establish their weekly party, Filtered which went on for almost 3 years and has been heralded as one of the best weekly underground club nights in DC's history.
After djing on the West Coast multiple times where Fil received his best response, In 1999, he packed all his studio gear and records and moved to San Francisco. 5 months later, Fil co-founded Staple, along with Michael 'Inhuman' Minnich, Tony Roam and Jeff Brillhart. Staple was a weekly Saturday night event that showcased national and international talent like Glenn Underground, Alton Miller, Boo Williams, Stacey Pullen, Dan Bell, Layo & Bushwacka!, Jori Hulkonnen, Common Factor, John Tejada, Jeno, JT Donaldson, Lance DeSardi, Mark Ambrose, Alexi Delano and many more. After a 55 week run, staple - the weekly - called it quits. For more info, check out www.deepcity.org/staple.
In 2001, Fil reunited with David Javate to throw the monthly party Staple:Refuge at San Francisco's famous house music mecca, the EndUp. Refuge brought back many of the guests from the original staple, and more. Staple went on at the EndUp for a little over a year.
Fil has been passionate about music all his life, from when he studied violin and piano during grade school through studying music theory at the University of Virginia and finally becoming an Audio Engineer. The next logical step being production, Fil has been working on original work for years, which he regularly plays in his dj sets.

Links:
www.staplemusic.net
www.fillatorre.com

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Freddy Be

Links: www.budbrothers.com

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