BAY AREA JAZZ AND BLUES ARTISTS (B.A.J.A.B.A) features and highlights Bay Area talent in all of the flavors of the Africa American Musical Diaspora or The Evolution of the Blues. This program also presents a monthly series called BAJABA ShowCase, a live performance in the KPFA Performance Studio.
Afrikahn Jahmal Dayvs
Producer/Host
Afrikahn Jahmal Dayvs, MC: Radio Producer and Host. Afrikahn has been working in radio since 1971, starting out in Oklahoma on two different stations. A few years later, the greater Bay Area became his next movement on the airwaves with shows on over six stations including internet radio. His love of Jazz and Blues, its roots, inspirational musicians, and especially the desire to showcase an array of the amazing breadth of talent that the Bay Area has to offer lead him to produce and host the BAJABA radio show on independent station KKUP/KPFA. BAJABA Showcase was created by the late, great Jazz Activist Doug Edwards, (‘The Doug of Edwards’ as he was known), who passed in Sept. 2010. Afrikahn has continued on and grown the fan base of this uncompromisingly integral part of our Bay Area musical landscape while also hosting shows throughout the week. (written by Joey Brite, Behind the Curtain Productio
Additional voices on Bajaba on JaZzLine@KPFA —
Ken “The Groove Meister” Pruitt and Safi Wa Nairobi.
Safi Wa Nairobi, Associate Producer, also shares responsibility for video documentation of B.A.J.A.B.A.’s live performances: at KPFA, Berkeley as well as on the road. Safi has been producing with KPFA Radio since 2004, including with Pushing Limits (disability focus), The Radio Chronicles (documentary storytelling) and is one of the original founding members of Women’s Magazine. Safi also produces for KPOO Radio, 89.5FM, San Francisco. Hugely Inspired by the African Diaspora and all music associated therewith, Safi continues to help celebrate the wizardry, genius and creativity of some of the world’s finest artists– particularly those in the San Francisco Bay Area. Safi wa Nairobi holds the B.S. in Political Economy of Natural Resources from UC Berkeley, as well as the MA in Media Studies (video emphasis) from New College of California, and loves to sing–in the shower.