Da Gooneyz
10-11-2005, 09:07 AM
If your odds of finding 100% match for a Bone Marrow donor were 1 in 100,000 how would you feel?
These are the odds facing the mad talented DJ Swing and many others from ethnic minorities across the world. Whatever your background, you can help. We have the technology to save lives; you now need to URGENTLY step up. Giving a blood sample and your medical decision can take as little as 15 minutes. Is that really too much to ask?
THERE ARE NO EXCUSES. Ignore the myths this is simple and painless.
SAVE A LIFE. Join the world Bone Marrow Register.
15mins2savealife (http://www.15mins2savealife.com/)
http://www.grafixdesign.net/www.15mintues2savealife.com/djswing03.jpghttp://www.grafixdesign.net/www.15mintues2savealife.com/txtdjswing.jpg
THERE'S ALWAYS ONE RECOD THAT DEFINES A NIGHT. That Holy Grail of hot tunes that rules the floor. Tonight's sound has been steadily building up to this moment. It's now the height of the evening. Time to tear the place down. The first strains of the song's intro cause Bedlam as hands and voices are raised to the roof. A wheel back sustains suspense. The mic man revels in the moment. The next time the needle drops the beat kicks in and ignites the night like pyrotechnics.
This is the story of every truly great night in clubland. But for those of us gathered in The Fridge in the heart of Brixton, the song was Naughty By Nature's 'Uptown Anthem'; the DJ crew in question were DJ Swing's Boogie Bunch and that set was the perfect way to celebrate the end of their residency.
That night back in 1991 reminds me of the power of music and how one record - in the hands of the right DJ - can bring the people together. A sea of anonymous faces moving in unison: gyrating with attitude, mouthing lyrics, getting all up in the grill of complete strangers like they were our mirror image. These are those defining moments of youth. Another entry in that mental ipod marked 'soundtrack to our lives'.
Long before he beat Fatboy Slim, The Dreem Teem and Trevor Nelson to collect 'Best Club DJ' award at The MOBO awards in 1998, DJ Swing was winning the hearts of many club goers on the R&B and hip hop scene. Originally a member of the 'Live to Break' breakdance crew, his popularity grew throughout the 90's as Swing and his Boogie Bunch collective played clubs around the world and rocked parties for the likes of Mary J Blige, Lennox Lewis, Bobby Brown and Jodeci.
His forays into the music industry led to a four-year stint heading the R&B/Rap Promotions Dept for BMG/RCA Records. There he helped to break acts like TLC, Notorious BIG and Wu-Tang Clan in the UK before being head hunted by legendary hip hop label Tommy Boy Records. Radio also embraced the prolific DJ, with London 's Choice FM dedicating an hour every Saturday afternoon to showcase his skills in the mix.
It was therefore a shock to many when they learned in June 2004 that DJ Swing had developed multiple myeloma, a rare cancer of the bone marrow. His only chance of a cure is a bone marrow transplant. With no suitable donors in his family, DJ Swing's hopes rely on finding a perfect match somewhere out there. But as an African Caribbean the chances of finding this perfect donor is one in a 100,000. If Swing were white the odds would be one in five.
These shocking statistics have inspired Swing's boyhood friends and original DJ crew, The Boogie Bunch, to reform in an effort to find a donor themselves. They have gone back to their roots putting on club nights-cum-donor clinics to mobilise the black community and so save their friend's life. Their campaign to find a match has since been picked up on by Channel 4, who will be showing a documentary called Saving DJ Swing as part of their The Other Side series.
Others supporters such as Marilyn Napaul of www.fightmyeloma.org.uk helped orchestrate a soundclash that took place at Cargo, East London in August. The event found the likes of Trevor Nelson (MTV), Big Ted (Kiss FM), Manny Norte (1xtra), Dave VJ (Choice FM), DJ Pogo and Rampage sharing a stage and throwing down some serious old skool riddims to raise money for charity. The more intrepid of Swing's friends are collecting money via sponsored parachute jump. And believe me, getting black folk to jump out of an airplane cruising at an altitude of 12,000ft (of their own free will) requires some serious inspiration.
DJ Swing - or Brian Daley as he's known to his two children - is truly a man who has touched many lives. Back when I was a student trying to cut it as a DJ on the circuit he always offered support and words of encouragement. And although our paths have since taken us in different directions those words have stayed with me. It's that love and respect for DJ Swing that inspires so many to do what we do best in an effort to help. In doing so we pay tribute to one of the best R&B DJs of his generation and a man - who despite extensive chemotherapy and blood transfusions - is still very much in love with life.
He's the reason why veteran DJs prepare to hit the road for the Boogie Love tour; why music industry moguls rally this cause with the zeal of their first press officer gig; why I'm burning the midnight oil like that young journalist chasing a deadline. All this so we can get a message to you. This is Boogie Love and we really need your help and support right now to swing the odds in our friend's favour.
These are the odds facing the mad talented DJ Swing and many others from ethnic minorities across the world. Whatever your background, you can help. We have the technology to save lives; you now need to URGENTLY step up. Giving a blood sample and your medical decision can take as little as 15 minutes. Is that really too much to ask?
THERE ARE NO EXCUSES. Ignore the myths this is simple and painless.
SAVE A LIFE. Join the world Bone Marrow Register.
15mins2savealife (http://www.15mins2savealife.com/)
http://www.grafixdesign.net/www.15mintues2savealife.com/djswing03.jpghttp://www.grafixdesign.net/www.15mintues2savealife.com/txtdjswing.jpg
THERE'S ALWAYS ONE RECOD THAT DEFINES A NIGHT. That Holy Grail of hot tunes that rules the floor. Tonight's sound has been steadily building up to this moment. It's now the height of the evening. Time to tear the place down. The first strains of the song's intro cause Bedlam as hands and voices are raised to the roof. A wheel back sustains suspense. The mic man revels in the moment. The next time the needle drops the beat kicks in and ignites the night like pyrotechnics.
This is the story of every truly great night in clubland. But for those of us gathered in The Fridge in the heart of Brixton, the song was Naughty By Nature's 'Uptown Anthem'; the DJ crew in question were DJ Swing's Boogie Bunch and that set was the perfect way to celebrate the end of their residency.
That night back in 1991 reminds me of the power of music and how one record - in the hands of the right DJ - can bring the people together. A sea of anonymous faces moving in unison: gyrating with attitude, mouthing lyrics, getting all up in the grill of complete strangers like they were our mirror image. These are those defining moments of youth. Another entry in that mental ipod marked 'soundtrack to our lives'.
Long before he beat Fatboy Slim, The Dreem Teem and Trevor Nelson to collect 'Best Club DJ' award at The MOBO awards in 1998, DJ Swing was winning the hearts of many club goers on the R&B and hip hop scene. Originally a member of the 'Live to Break' breakdance crew, his popularity grew throughout the 90's as Swing and his Boogie Bunch collective played clubs around the world and rocked parties for the likes of Mary J Blige, Lennox Lewis, Bobby Brown and Jodeci.
His forays into the music industry led to a four-year stint heading the R&B/Rap Promotions Dept for BMG/RCA Records. There he helped to break acts like TLC, Notorious BIG and Wu-Tang Clan in the UK before being head hunted by legendary hip hop label Tommy Boy Records. Radio also embraced the prolific DJ, with London 's Choice FM dedicating an hour every Saturday afternoon to showcase his skills in the mix.
It was therefore a shock to many when they learned in June 2004 that DJ Swing had developed multiple myeloma, a rare cancer of the bone marrow. His only chance of a cure is a bone marrow transplant. With no suitable donors in his family, DJ Swing's hopes rely on finding a perfect match somewhere out there. But as an African Caribbean the chances of finding this perfect donor is one in a 100,000. If Swing were white the odds would be one in five.
These shocking statistics have inspired Swing's boyhood friends and original DJ crew, The Boogie Bunch, to reform in an effort to find a donor themselves. They have gone back to their roots putting on club nights-cum-donor clinics to mobilise the black community and so save their friend's life. Their campaign to find a match has since been picked up on by Channel 4, who will be showing a documentary called Saving DJ Swing as part of their The Other Side series.
Others supporters such as Marilyn Napaul of www.fightmyeloma.org.uk helped orchestrate a soundclash that took place at Cargo, East London in August. The event found the likes of Trevor Nelson (MTV), Big Ted (Kiss FM), Manny Norte (1xtra), Dave VJ (Choice FM), DJ Pogo and Rampage sharing a stage and throwing down some serious old skool riddims to raise money for charity. The more intrepid of Swing's friends are collecting money via sponsored parachute jump. And believe me, getting black folk to jump out of an airplane cruising at an altitude of 12,000ft (of their own free will) requires some serious inspiration.
DJ Swing - or Brian Daley as he's known to his two children - is truly a man who has touched many lives. Back when I was a student trying to cut it as a DJ on the circuit he always offered support and words of encouragement. And although our paths have since taken us in different directions those words have stayed with me. It's that love and respect for DJ Swing that inspires so many to do what we do best in an effort to help. In doing so we pay tribute to one of the best R&B DJs of his generation and a man - who despite extensive chemotherapy and blood transfusions - is still very much in love with life.
He's the reason why veteran DJs prepare to hit the road for the Boogie Love tour; why music industry moguls rally this cause with the zeal of their first press officer gig; why I'm burning the midnight oil like that young journalist chasing a deadline. All this so we can get a message to you. This is Boogie Love and we really need your help and support right now to swing the odds in our friend's favour.