Jimmy Fallon shouts out Bajah’s upcoming panel at Lincoln Center, hosted by WSJ

July 30, 2009 – 3:22 pm

Jimmy Fallon 1fallon2fallon3
Last night on the show, Jimmy Fallon and ?uestlove  bantered about the August 4th Planet Hip-Hop panel on which Bajah will be featured, alongside Public Enemy’s Chuck D, entrepreneur Steve Stoute, and ?uestlove himself. The evening will be moderated by Wall Street Journal’s culture editor Christopher John Farley, as they discuss why hip-hop has gone global — and where the music is heading next. Tickets are here and last night’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is here (check about 9 minutes in for Bajah’s lovely portrait).

By vanessa | Posted in Crew, Events, Fans, Press | Comments (2)

ABC News: Sierra Leone Invades Brooklyn

July 29, 2009 – 11:14 pm

ABC News

“The most captivating moment in this culturally rich afternoon was not a song at all, but rather Bajah’s spoken-word interlude about love and war. He depicted a scene of blood, bombs and bullets, dropping to the floor as the DJ played these sounds of war. This is not a group trying to win over an American audience by relating to and imitating our customs, but rather one whose intentions are to share their own experience with the world. And on Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum, they did just that.” FULL ARTICLE

BK Museum

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The Naked Truth

July 22, 2009 – 9:29 am

When you’re a superstar, die-hard fans will do just about anything to prove their loyalty. And for Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew, the biggest musical act in Sierra Leone, that includes a lot of public nudity… which has become a bit of a problem for them. “One of the craziest things I’ve ever seen was a fan stripping himself naked—just in support, like, ‘Dry Eye Crew!’” Bajah says. “It’s happening everywhere. We always want to stop them—cause back home, you can’t do stuff like that. But they just do it!” “One time we were in the city, and these guys just went in the street and started getting naked—in front of all the people!” adds A-Klazz. “We even had a problem with the chiefs in Bo town,” Bajah continues, “because we had a show there, and some guys jumped onstage and stripped.” “Newspapers came out and tried to scandal us,” A-Klazz adds, then Bajah explains: “They talked with the organizers, like we’re the ones telling them to do that, but we’re like, ‘No, sorry. They’re just doing it out of love.’”

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Brooklyn Go Hard

July 18, 2009 – 3:14 am

What’s it like to move from a small African nation to a big American city like New York? While Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew are digging their new lives in the hip-hop mecca of Brooklyn, they have had to do some adjusting. “For me, the thing I think is strange is, back home when you go out and see somebody, and you live on the same block, you always say hi. But here, if you say hi, they never answer you,” Dovy Dovy says. “When I first came to this country, I used to say hi to everyone. But people don’t. I find it… why? Sometimes I feel embarrassed.” “Yeah, cause a lot of stuff’s going on,” Bajah adds. “So at times you don’t need to talk to strangers. Maybe he’s coming to stick you. Too much fear in people these days.” So, what ever happened to “Spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way” (in the words of one of Brooklyn’s most notoriously beloved native sons)? Here’s hoping that soon enough the Crew’s neighbors start saying hello—or at least flashing the Dry Eye sign.

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The Dry Eye Y-eye

July 4, 2009 – 11:48 am

Fans all over the world do it. Dovy’s dad even does it back in Sierra Leone. Legendary rapper Q-Tip threw it at the Crew in New York after one of their first U.S. shows. It’s the Dry Eye hand sign: two fingers, making a V, held up horizontally beside the eye. But where did it come from? “It comes from the fans!” A-Klazz insists. “When the Crew came out, everywhere you go, people go like that—Dry Eye! So that became the symbol.” “Yeah, I don’t know how it spread throughout the nation,” adds Bajah. “Cause back in Freetown, they started doing the sign—Dry Eye all around. And when we go to the provinces, same thing. Kids come up in their school uniforms doing it. Even the old people! Everybody knows that sign.” Some even take it to the next level, by taping one eye shut or breaking one lens in their glasses. Now audiences at Dry Eye shows are taking it worldwide, flashing the sign in the name of the Crew. If you still don’t know how to do it right, just watch our handy slideshow – it’ll teach you how to flip the dry eye y-eye for real.

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Who are the Crew?

July 2, 2009 – 7:27 pm

They’re genuine superstars in their home country of Sierra Leone, packing the national stadium and inspiring legions of fans to do some crazy things to show their devotion. But in America, not everyone knows Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew… yet. Here, the Crew consists of Bajah, A-Klazz, and Dovy Dovy, three West African rappers/singers who live in Brooklyn and spend all their time working—recording a soon-to-be-released LP and performing live all over the East Coast. Then there’s the Jungle Leaders, who’ve been part of the extended Dry Eye family since the group’s early days in Freetown. They’re now in between Sierra Leone and London, but you’ll hear them on the upcoming album. Collectively they’ve released over 10 records in Sierra Leone, and their international debut drops soon. For more info about the Crew, click here.

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BDEC Dropbox

February 15, 2007 – 2:56 pm

JB DROPBOX

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