One of the most unlikely roots music success stories of recent years has been Olu Dara's 1998 album, "In the World: From Natchez to New York." Even more surprising than the spontaneous ease with which he combined blues, folk, Afro and Caribbean styles, or his vivid, autobiographical, half-spoken words, was that Dara was a jazz sideman, in his late 50s, and this was his first record.
He then repeated the success with "Neighborhoods," which comes with an occasional, well-timed added slice of funk. He will be at the Blue Note Tokyo as part of the Roots Music Festival 2001 being held from July 30 to Aug. 3.
None of this might have happened if it wasn't for his rapper son, Nas, who wanted his father to record so that he could "show people where he came from."