Nomadic Wax
Encyclopedia
Nomadic Wax is a fair-trade international music, film, and events production company with a social and global focus. It specializes in hip-hop and underground music. Nomadic Wax works with a network of artists and musicians worldwide who use art as a medium for activism, social change, and community development.
American Ben Herson founded Nomadic Wax in 1999, while living in Brooklyn, New York. Herson graduated with a B.A. in African Studies and Anthropology from Hampshire College
in 2000 and did post baccalaureate
studies in Wolof (a West African language) at Columbia University.
Nomadic Wax has since expanded, with an additional office in Washington DC run by Creative Director, Magee McIlvaine.
and became fascinated by the music which contained politically and socially conscious lyrical content . His attempts at persuading existing labels to publish the music met with difficulties. In 2001, Herson returned to Senegal with collaborator Dan Cantor of Notable Productions. The two used a Dakar
community center to record what would eventually become Nomadic Wax’s first release, “African Underground Vol. 1,” a compilation featuring fourteen Senegalese rappers. "African Underground Vol. 1" was noted for being the first African Hip-Hop compilation recorded in Africa for release in North America. Focusing on Africa and the African Diaspora
, Nomadic Wax has expanded its projects into the Middle East, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.
in Washington DC. Since then, “Democracy in Dakar” has been shown at dozens of film festivals and universities internationally.
“Democracy in Haiti” is Nomadic Wax’s third documentary project. It follows a variety of young people to examine why Haiti’s youth have become so separated from mainstream Haitian society and the democratic system.
Nomadic Wax Music productions include:
AFRICAN UNDERGROUND: DEPTHS OF DAKAR: Depths of Dakar is the follow-up to “African Underground, Volume 1, Hip-Hop Senegal.”
AFRICAN UNDERGROUND: HIP-HOP SENEGAL: The first release of Nomadic Wax is also the world’s first African hip-hop compilation produced for international release. Featuring Abass, BMG 44, Omzo, Slam Revolution and more.
CHOSAN: THE BEAUTIFUL SIDE OF MISERY
NOMADIC MIX TAPE VOL. 1: The Nomadic Mix Tape series is an ongoing multi volume collection. Thisrelease features 14 cuts from artists performing at the International Hip-Hop Festival at Trinity College.
LAMINE TOURE AND GROUP SALOUM: Group Saloum performs original mbalax music featuring Touré’s sabar drums
Nomadic Wax has produced concerts, festivals, panel discussions, and workshops at nightclubs, museums, parks, high schools, universities, nonprofit organizations, and think-tanks across the United States and abroad.
• Panel discussions and workshops: the Nomadic Wax team and network has first-hand experience and knowledge in topics such as regional politics, youth empowerment and education, global artistic movements, grassroots activism and entrepreneurship. They have been invited to speak on topics such as Hip Hop Evolution: Historical, Social, and Global Impacts of the Culture, and Hip Hop’s Role in Society and Politics in Africa. They have conducted workshops for youth and adults on DJ-ing, breakdancing, freestyling, and spoken word.
• Festivals – Nomadic Wax has helped found, coordinate, and book performers for several festivals around the country.
o Co-founder of the Trinity International Hip-Hop Festival (THHHF) – an annual global urban music and media conference hosted at Trinity College featuring three days of music, film and academic events. Since its inception in 2005, Nomadic Wax has co-produced, co-managed and branded the festival annually. (www.trinityhiphop.org).
o Tufts International Hip Hop for Social Change Festival: Nomadic Wax has helped arrange the performers, panelists, and films that make up the annual full-day, student-run festival for the three years it has been held.
• Conferences- Nomadic Wax has produced interactive panels and presentations bringing speakers and performers to SXSW – the world’s largest music, film and new media conference. Nomadic Wax has also organized and produced panels, film screenings and multi media presentations for two of the United States’ most highly regarded academic conferences in African Studies and Ethnomusicology research (ASA and SEM).
• Tours – Nomadic Wax has established itself as one of the most innovative and effective College and University booking agencies for global urban artists in North America. Nomadic Wax’s music, film, lectures and events have visited academic institutions (including NYU, Tufts, Columbia, UCLA and Harvard – among others), museums (Smithsonian Museum of African Art, MOCADA – NYC) and with arts presenters worldwide (Music Docs – Sweden, Human Rights Film Festival – France), and more.
o Examples: Comrade Fatso and Outspoken & the Essence’s ‘Spread the Word’ Tour (Spring 2009)
• Cultural Exchanges: Nomadic Wax has organized cultural exchange tours where artists from other countries are brought together with artists from communities in the United States to share their arts, experiences, and culture, and collaborate on joint projects. These exchanges consist of private events between the participating artists, as well as public expositions of their art.
o Example: ‘Cape Town to DC’ Artist Exchange, July 2010.
American Ben Herson founded Nomadic Wax in 1999, while living in Brooklyn, New York. Herson graduated with a B.A. in African Studies and Anthropology from Hampshire College
Hampshire College
Hampshire College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1965 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges in the Pioneer Valley: Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts...
in 2000 and did post baccalaureate
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
studies in Wolof (a West African language) at Columbia University.
Nomadic Wax has since expanded, with an additional office in Washington DC run by Creative Director, Magee McIlvaine.
Background
During the summer of 1999, Nomadic Wax founder Ben Herson discovered a local independent hip-hop scene in SenegalSenegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
and became fascinated by the music which contained politically and socially conscious lyrical content . His attempts at persuading existing labels to publish the music met with difficulties. In 2001, Herson returned to Senegal with collaborator Dan Cantor of Notable Productions. The two used a Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
community center to record what would eventually become Nomadic Wax’s first release, “African Underground Vol. 1,” a compilation featuring fourteen Senegalese rappers. "African Underground Vol. 1" was noted for being the first African Hip-Hop compilation recorded in Africa for release in North America. Focusing on Africa and the African Diaspora
African diaspora
The African diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to places throughout the world—predominantly to the Americas also to Europe, the Middle East and other places around the globe...
, Nomadic Wax has expanded its projects into the Middle East, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.
Film and Television
Nomadic Wax began working with film in 2007, with the film “African Underground: Democracy in Dakar" co-produced with non prodit film company Sol Productions. The film is a feature-length documentary that explores the role of youth hip-hop activism in the 2007 Senegalese elections. On December 11, 2008, “Democracy in Dakar” was screened on LinkTV. In 2009, it was screened on WHUTWHUT-TV
WHUT-TV is a Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station in the Washington, D.C. area. The station is owned and operated by Howard University, a historically black college. The studios are on the Howard University campus.-History:...
in Washington DC. Since then, “Democracy in Dakar” has been shown at dozens of film festivals and universities internationally.
“Democracy in Haiti” is Nomadic Wax’s third documentary project. It follows a variety of young people to examine why Haiti’s youth have become so separated from mainstream Haitian society and the democratic system.
Music and Events
Nomadic Wax works with partner company Notable Productions to produce audio projects. Selections from Nomadic Wax’s music catalogue have been played on TV, film and new media internationally. The company has also has supplied music and media to Nike, Starbucks, Universal Music Group, and ESPN. Twice monthly, Nomadic Wax curates the radio show Mo’ Glo for KEXP (Seattle) and WNYE (New York City), featuring the latest in global underground sounds. Nomadic Wax Artistic Director Federico Erik Rosa (DJ Nio) of Genoa Italy is the musical selector for the Mo Glo radio program.Nomadic Wax Music productions include:
AFRICAN UNDERGROUND: DEPTHS OF DAKAR: Depths of Dakar is the follow-up to “African Underground, Volume 1, Hip-Hop Senegal.”
AFRICAN UNDERGROUND: HIP-HOP SENEGAL: The first release of Nomadic Wax is also the world’s first African hip-hop compilation produced for international release. Featuring Abass, BMG 44, Omzo, Slam Revolution and more.
CHOSAN: THE BEAUTIFUL SIDE OF MISERY
NOMADIC MIX TAPE VOL. 1: The Nomadic Mix Tape series is an ongoing multi volume collection. Thisrelease features 14 cuts from artists performing at the International Hip-Hop Festival at Trinity College.
LAMINE TOURE AND GROUP SALOUM: Group Saloum performs original mbalax music featuring Touré’s sabar drums
Nomadic Wax has produced concerts, festivals, panel discussions, and workshops at nightclubs, museums, parks, high schools, universities, nonprofit organizations, and think-tanks across the United States and abroad.
• Panel discussions and workshops: the Nomadic Wax team and network has first-hand experience and knowledge in topics such as regional politics, youth empowerment and education, global artistic movements, grassroots activism and entrepreneurship. They have been invited to speak on topics such as Hip Hop Evolution: Historical, Social, and Global Impacts of the Culture, and Hip Hop’s Role in Society and Politics in Africa. They have conducted workshops for youth and adults on DJ-ing, breakdancing, freestyling, and spoken word.
• Festivals – Nomadic Wax has helped found, coordinate, and book performers for several festivals around the country.
o Co-founder of the Trinity International Hip-Hop Festival (THHHF) – an annual global urban music and media conference hosted at Trinity College featuring three days of music, film and academic events. Since its inception in 2005, Nomadic Wax has co-produced, co-managed and branded the festival annually. (www.trinityhiphop.org).
o Tufts International Hip Hop for Social Change Festival: Nomadic Wax has helped arrange the performers, panelists, and films that make up the annual full-day, student-run festival for the three years it has been held.
• Conferences- Nomadic Wax has produced interactive panels and presentations bringing speakers and performers to SXSW – the world’s largest music, film and new media conference. Nomadic Wax has also organized and produced panels, film screenings and multi media presentations for two of the United States’ most highly regarded academic conferences in African Studies and Ethnomusicology research (ASA and SEM).
• Tours – Nomadic Wax has established itself as one of the most innovative and effective College and University booking agencies for global urban artists in North America. Nomadic Wax’s music, film, lectures and events have visited academic institutions (including NYU, Tufts, Columbia, UCLA and Harvard – among others), museums (Smithsonian Museum of African Art, MOCADA – NYC) and with arts presenters worldwide (Music Docs – Sweden, Human Rights Film Festival – France), and more.
o Examples: Comrade Fatso and Outspoken & the Essence’s ‘Spread the Word’ Tour (Spring 2009)
• Cultural Exchanges: Nomadic Wax has organized cultural exchange tours where artists from other countries are brought together with artists from communities in the United States to share their arts, experiences, and culture, and collaborate on joint projects. These exchanges consist of private events between the participating artists, as well as public expositions of their art.
o Example: ‘Cape Town to DC’ Artist Exchange, July 2010.