Proud to Be African exists to provide an outlet for the vibrancy and creativity that Africa and Africans posses. We wish to present an alternative narrative to what people know (or think they know!) about that great continent. The designs are all by African artists and are inspired by Africa, with the view that for us wherever we are, whatever we are doing we are always Proud to Be African!
Our Products include male, female and children's T shirts, male and female hoodys, babygros
‘SHATTERED HEARTS’ one of the most anticipated Nollywood Movies of 2012. will be premièred in the UK onFriday 7th September 2012 at the Odeon IMAX Cinema, Bugsby Way, Greenwich, London SE10 0QJ
Written and Produced by a UK based African Film Producer & Nollywood Actress, Tolulope Yesufu and Directed by Actor/ Director Lanre Balogun. Starring: Theodora Ibekwe,Fatima Jabbe, Anthony Mojaro, Lanre Balogun, Tunji Sotimirin, Tolu Yesufu, Rita Edochie, Amour Owolabi, Titi Jacobs – Aseroma, Helen Osabutey, Tope Brass and many more
SYNOPSIS:
Shattered Hearts is a movie of love, betrayal and danger. Its a true life story that deals with the intriguing and potentially fatal love ring involving Bosun (Anthony Monjaro, Last Flight to Abuja), Bukky (Fatima Jabbe, The Mirror Boy), Vanessa (Tolu Yesufu, Owo Oju Egun) and Richard (Amour Owolabi.)
In Shattered Hearts, the relationship between Bosun – a charming, serious-minded cab driver and Daddy’s girl Bukky – a spoilt, obsessive and possessive young woman is thrown into turbulence when Bukky learns that Bosun is involved with Vanessa at the same time. It is all the more complicated because Vanessa is also in love with Richard whose overbearing and interfering mother (Lady Titi Jacobs-Aseroma) has been placing spanners in the wheels of their relationship.
Will love find a way in this maze of interwoven hearts in which somebody has accepted marriage proposals from two men, creating a life or death situation?
This Grand premiere will be Hosted by UK based Nigerian Comedians and MC WALE GATES & MC MARK CUN
Hopefully you are ready for London's next instalment of sporting achievement with the Superhuman Paralympic games on Wednesday the 29th, the RSC's all black Julius Caesar and in addition we have Deloittes Africa Ignites Weekend and a plethora of good things as you can see below
Monday 27th
August:
From 5.30pm to 11.30pm is the Africa Unplugged Music Festival is the biggest African concert in
Europe at the Wembley Arena. 15 African Nations will be represented by 20 acts,
Nigeria: Femi Kuti, 2Face,
Flavour Nwabania and Iyanya,
Ghana: R2Bees, Mista
Silva and Sarkodie
SouthAfrica, Zakes Bantwini and Zahara,
Zimbabwe: Winky D and MC
Inity,
Kenya: Traxx, Angola:
Cabo Snoop
Coted’Ivoire: DJ Arafat
Uganda: Chameleone
Zambia: Noeva
Congo provides the host
Eddie Kadi
There’s not much I can really say to sell this event, if the
names up there don’t attract you nothing will. This is a big one for African
music!
Tickets are from £25.00
to £350.00 (yup Celebrity tickets are £350.00, for those
of you that think VIP is not enough!!) from here
Tuesday 28th
August
At 7.00pm The Igbo
Cultural Support Network (ICSN) Book Club will be reviewing Chimamanda
Ngozi Adichie’s ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’
at Madam Chi, 187 Upper Street, N1 1RQ.
If you are a fan of this modern classic which channels Achebe for this
generation, feel free to drop by and lets chat! This event is FREE and goes on till 8.30pm
Wednesday 29th
August Paralympics Start
8.30pm-The
Paralympics kick off Today in Stratford. From all accounts this will be the
best attended Paralympic Games just from tickets pre sold, so we look forward
to London showcasing itself at its best again!
Thursday 30th
August
From 7.00pm to 11.00pm at the Jewel Bar, 4-6 Glasshouse Street, W1B 5Q, Brothers with No Game presents ‘You’ve Got Game!’ The Brothers with
no Game is a lifestyle blog which follows the perspectives of 4 20 something
guys on life, music, sport and everything in between. The evening involves
comedy, games and ice breaker entertainment and a few games.Tickets are £15.00 (and guys Ladies tickets are already sold out!! Hint,
hint!!) from here. You get a free drink with your entrance and there’s happy
hour with 50% off on food and drink until 8.00pm.
At 7.00pm the Africa Centre is hosting Talkoke, which is a unique pop up talk
show set up around the unique Talkoke Table, an interactive way of engaging
people. This event is FREE, RSVP
here
6.00-7.00pm-Welcome
to Yinka Shonibares Deloitte Ignite at the Linbury
Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 9DD. In
which the curator discussed his vision for the Africa Weekend as a celebration
of African traditional and avant garde arts and culture. This event is FREE
book tickets here
8.00-10.30pm- at
the Linbury Studio Theatre we have Tony Allen and the Niaja Centric Orchestra.
Now I’m not sure if that name is a typo but the main thing is Tony Allen in the
house. The master drummer and Afrobeat legend will be performing with Nigerian
traditional and contemporary artistes a blend of traditional music, afrobeat,
jazz and funk, with special guests Damon Albarn and Martina Topley Bird If you
want Afrobeat played the way Afrobeat wishes it was played, then you need to be
here. All this for just £20.00 and £25.00 from here
At 6.00pm is the
iCAN Informal Caribbean African Network Social evening at Browns Bar and Brasserie, West India Quay, E14 8JJ. Going on till 11.00pm in the lower bar (or outside
area weather permitting) this is an opportunity for people of African and
Caribbean origin to get together network either socially or professionally
Saturday 1st
September
The Africa Ignite weekend resumes at 12.00pm there is an interactive exhibition till 6.00pm in the Paul Hamlyn
Hall of contemporary instruments designed and built by composer Victor Gama
inspired by instruments from his native Angolan folk music and instruments. This
event is FREE
From 12.30pm till
2.00pm Alesandra Seutin Artistic
Director of Vocab Dance Company will deliver a Lecture/ demonstration of her African Dance Project collaboration
with renowned Senegalese choreographer Germaine Acogny. She will use this
lecture to share her experiences exploring how traditional African dance can be
fused with Western classical and contemporary. This is FREE
At 2.00pm in the Covent Garden Piazza, with Africa on the Piazza. There will be
open air screenings of a collection of exciting and innovative African films
from the 1950’s to date from directors such as Ousmane Sembene and Souleymane
Cisse. This is a FREE event; however
there is no seating so bring rugs, blankets cushions etc and dress appropriately.
It goes on till 10.00pm
As part of the Africa Ignites there are Drumming Workshops at 2.15-3.00pm
and 3.30-4.15pm in the Lambert Studio, Royal Opera House
In the Crush Room at
the Royal Opera House there are Storytelling Workshops at 3.15-4.00pm and 4.00-5.00pm
In the Clore Studio
Upstairs, Royal Opera House are Dance
Workshops at 2.30-3.15pm and 3.45-4.30pm and then a Drum and Dance Sharing workshops at 4.45-5.30pm. The drumming, dancing,
storytelling etc are all brought to you by the IRIE! Dance Theatre, one of Britain’s leading African peoples dance
company working in the field of community education, the workshops are suitable
for all age groups and nationalities. All workshops are FREE
In the Linbury Studio
Theatre Tavaziva Dance will perform Sensual
Africa based on Zimbabwean born Bawren Tavaziva’s trip to Malawi and
inspired by the music and rituals of the Tumbuka and Chewa people. This is FREE and the 2 shows are 2.30-3.00pm and 3.45-4.15pm, recommended for 12+ audiences
In the Royal Opera Houses,
Crush Room at 5.30pm there is a
recital by South African Tenor SiphoFubesi. The University of Capetown
graduate appeared in the opera Heart of
Darkness in 2011.
At 7.00pm there
is a concert by Victor Gama in the Paul
Hamlyn Hall. Instrumentos is a
concert using the composers instruments inspired by his native Angolan folk
music and instruments performed by musicians from Angola and Portugal. This
event is FREE
At 10.00pm we end
the day with a Club Night with Radio
1Xtras DJ Edu in the Linbury Studio Theatre. Doors open at 9.30pm and the night finishes at 1.00am. Tickets are £10.00 in advance and £12.00 on the door, he’ll be playing
hip hop, R&B dancehall and garage and is joined by special guest Bumi
Thomas and Debra Debs
At 3.00pm the
Africa Centre will host Jamaica 50 years
of Independence at 38 King Street,
Covent Garden, WC2E 8JT, there will be coffee tasting of Blue Mountain
coffee at 3.00pm and 5.30pm by the UK’s only Jamaican
Barista Miranda Le Crette. At 4.00pm
there is Music Panel Discussion of
MyKaell Riley, Leone Ross, David Katz and a live performance by Earl 16. 6.00pm Courttia Newland and Leone Ross
present Words and Fiction. 7.00pm
sees Comedy by Annette Fagon and
Spoken Word by El Crisis. From 8.00pm
till late there is DJ Sounds with Psykhomantus
and Dub Me Always. There will be
film videos and screenings during the day hosted by Leone Ross. Tickets are
£10.00 (concessions are £7.00) from here.
At 6.00pm is the Grand
Finale of Miss West Africa UK 2012
at the Mermaid Conference Centre, EC4V
3DB. All proceeds from this event go onto selected orphanages in West
Africa. So for an evening of glamour get your tickets from here for £30.00 and £50.00 VIP
11.00am to 5.00pm see’s MAD Short Film Festival, this is Christian led project that
combines arts and social justice events. The day will consist of a Film-makers Workshop with the Producers of Africa United, teaching how to get your film
funded and come up with a winning pitch, networking lunch and short film
screening of ‘Rahab’. This event is FREE but register by email or book here
Sunday 2nd
September
The Africa Ignite weekend resumes at 12.00pm there is an interactive exhibition till 6.00pm in the Paul Hamlyn
Hall of contemporary instruments designed and built by composer Victor Gama
inspired by instruments from his native Angolan folk music and instruments. This
event is FREE
From 12.30pm till
2.00pm Alesandra Seutin Artistic
Director of Vocab Dance Company will deliver a Lecture/ demonstration of her African Dance Project collaboration
with renowned Senegalese choreographer Germaine Acogny. She will use this
lecture to share her experiences exploring how traditional African dance can be
fused with Western classical and contemporary. This is FREE
Africa on the Piazza
returns at 2.00pm with more open air
African movie screenings. It goes on till 7.00pm,
there’s no seating so take cushions, blankets etc
In the Lambert
Studio, Royal Opera House there are Drumming
Workshops at 2.15-3.00pm and 3.30-4.15pm by the IRIE! Dance Theatre.
These are FREE
In the Crush Room at
the Royal Opera House there are Storytelling Workshops at 3.15-4.00pm and 4.15-5.00pm by the IRIE! Dance Theatre. These are FREE
In the Clore Studio
Upstairs, Royal Opera House are Dance
Workshops at 2.30-3.15pm and 3.45-4.30pm and then a Drum and Dance Sharing workshops at 4.45-5.30pm. The drumming, dancing,
storytelling etc are all brought to you by the IRIE! Dance Theatre. All workshops are FREE
At 2.00pm to 3.00pm in
the Linbury Studio Theatre we have African Messiah by Tunde Jegede, a celebratory new work by composer and
multi-instrumentalist combining themes and melodies from Handels Messiah with
African Musical tradition, the work draws on the tradition of the griot and the
kora and brings together some of the finest international singers and musicians.
This is not one to miss as Tunde Jegede and if you didn’t have enough there is
another performance at 5.00pm
In the Royal Opera Houses,
Crush Room at 5.30pm to 6.15pm there is a recital by South
African Tenor SiphoFubesi. The University of Capetown
graduate appeared in the opera Heart of
Darkness in 2011.
At 7.00pm there
is a concert by Victor Gama in the Paul
Hamlyn Hall. Instrumentos is a
concert using the composer’s instruments inspired by his native Angolan folk
music and instruments performed by musicians from Angola and Portugal. This
event is FREE doors open at 6.40pm.
At 7.00pm there
is a private screening of the documentaryKickin’ it with the Kinks at Courthouse Hotel, 19-21 Great Marlborough
Street, W1F 7HL, running till
9.00pm. the documentary explores the complexities of haircare among women
of African descent, tickets are £12.00 from
here.
As this weekend has been all about the Zimbos,I feel I should say hello in Shona! From Oliver 'Tuku' Mtukudzi at the
O2 to ZIMFest on Saturday and Sunday Proud to be African Clothing was happy to
see that the Proud to be Zimbabwean T shirts were as popular as the Proud to be Kenyan and Proud to be African ones. However I wanted to write about the new RSC all black Julius Caesar so I’ll start with that
Julius Caesar with an all black Cast
Last week I went to see the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) new production of Julius Caser with an all black cast. An interesting experience and one that I would recommend. As we took our seats we were serenaded by an African band (known as the Vibes of March!! Honestly if I start a band I’m nicking that name!!) complete with kora, drums, djembe and so on playing us in to the action.
This being my first Julius Caesar I didn’t have
a frame of reference beyond a few of the more famous quotes but the synopsis
for this production is that Rome is a new African country and Julius Caesar is
the conquering military leader returned to the accolades of an adoring public. One
cannot really review a Shakespeare play as the plots are not exactly secrets so
I’ll focus mainly on the production and the acting.
Jeffery Kissoon as Julius Caesar stood out as someone
enjoying his role despite the few scenes Shakespeare actually gave the
character the play was named after! The majority of the play involved Brutus (Paterson Joseph) as he succumbed
to the wiles of the plotters principally the envious Cassius (Cyril Nri) and then
wrestled with his loyalty to friend, state and so on. The second act followed
the assassination of Julius Caser revolved around Marc Antony played by Ray
Fearon, who gave me my moment of the play by uttering one of my favourite Shakespearean
quote “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!” in
the context of an African marketplace, another nice touch.
For those who like me escaped English literature in school
to suffer the depredations of the laboratory
this was a great experience taking me back to my youth in Nigeria when all
black plays were not necessarily something to be remarked upon, but in the UK
to see an all black performance put on by a company as notable as the RSC
playing to a packed audience was quite touching.
Standout
performances were
Paterson Joseph who(despite the unsuccessful attempt at an African accent) took Brutus and cleverly portrayed a man at war with his loyalties,
conscience and beliefs, .
Cyril Nri and Paterson Joseph
The symbolism of
the ragtag soldiers with AK 47s and the debates about the dangers of sycophancy
in a new democracy are of course relevant to an audience of Africans, but the
age old story of the price of success and the price of envy as well as the struggle
between duty and personal loyalty.
So if you want to
see Shakespeare in a different setting for some and a familiar setting for a
few others, head down to the Noel Coward Theatre, St Martins Lane, London, WC2N
4AU. Tickets are priced between £15.00 and £49.50 and can be obtained here
until 15th September
Cast and Crew
Jeffery
Kissoon - Julius Caesar
Adjoa Andoh
- Portia
Segun Akingbola - Trebonius
Mark Ebulue - Artemidorus
Ray Fearon - Mark Antony
Ricky Fearon - Cicero/Lucilius
Andrew French - Decius Brutus
Marcus Griffiths - Marullus/Octavius' Servant/Pindarus
Ivanno Jeremiah - Octavius
Paterson Joseph – Brutus
Samantha
Lawson - Caesar's Servant
Simon
Manyonda - Lucius
Joseph Mydell - Casca
Cyril Nri - Cassius
Ann Ogbomo - Calpurnia
Theo Ogundipe - Soothsayer
Jude Owusu - Cinna the Poet
Mark Theodore- Metellus Cimber/Messala
Ewart James Walters - Caius Ligarius/Lepidus
Chinna Wodu - Cinna the Conspirator
Director -
Gregory Doran
Designer - Michael Vale
Lighting - Vince Herbert
Music - Akintayo Akinbode
Sound - Jonathan Ruddick
Movement - Diane Alison-Mitchell
Fights - Kev McCurdy
Associate Director - Gbolahan Obisesan
And Now To Events
Monday 20th
August
At 7pm ADAD presents ADAD Open Stage at the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent
Garden, London, WC2E 8JT. This is a thought provoking dance performance
from diaspora African choreographers
Madeleine ‘Madee’ Ngomba-Mwanza, David Blake and Pauline Blackwood whoshare dance works which examine
personal journeys, cultural links and the deportation. This is a two day event
so tickets are £5.00 (£3.00 concs)
or £8.00 (£5.00) for both days.
Tuesday 21st
August
At 7pm ADADpresents the second day of ADAD
Open Stage at the Africa Centre, 38
King Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8JT. Yassmin V Foster and Anna
Watkins present works based on women’s struggles, human movement and space.
Tickets are £5.00 (£3.00 concs) or £8.00 (£5.00) for both days.
Between 1.00pm and
5.00pm the Caricom DiasporaConference will take place at the Cinema, Tricycle Theatre, 269 Kilburn High
Road, London, NW6 7JR hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner
H.E. Garvin Nicholas. The event will consist of talks, networking presentations
and ends up with a Whiskey Master Class. The event is FREE but register here
Between 6.00pm and 9.00pm at Punch and Juicy Liquid Foods, Unit 8 Queens Parade, Willesden Lane, NW2 5HT, there is a Talk of the Times reasoning session entitles Highlighting August Within Global African History, led by TAOBQ co-ordinator Kwaku this FREE event shows there is much more to August, Book here or RSVP by email
At 12.00am Kenya
shows what it can do in London with Kenyafest
at Lea Valley Playing Fields, Chingford, London, E4 8AQ. Celebrating the best
of Kenya in the UK it includestraditional
Kenyan and UK children’s games such as Kati, Rounders, egg and spoon and bouncy
castles. Live music will be provided by
the Afrika Jambo Band with African Dancers with additional live music from
upcoming Kenyan artists such as Lynette, J Star, Mimi and Ajabu. Alongside arts
and crafts, food and drink stalls, there will be Proud to be African Clothing
so bring your wallets, outdoor clothes, blankets, outdoor kangas, foldable
chairs and more importantly yourselves, children, husbands, wives, friends,
enemies, colleagues and random people off the street!!! The event ends at
9.00pm, tickets for adults are £10.00,
children 10-17 years £5.00 and FREE for under 5’s call for more information, check here or please
call: 07886815454; 07928124019.
From 8.00pm to 11.00pm
there is a Special Cultural Reception,
in honour of the visiting artists from Carniriv
who will be participating in the Notting Hill Carnival all the way from Rivers
State, Nigeria at the Africa Centre, 38
King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JT. A fascinating event that will be a
nice touch of homesickness for people like me! RSVP by emailing or calling 0794 4597 530
/0755 3549 599
Sunday 26th
August
If you like African comedy then you need to be at The Lighthouse Hall, 262 - 274 Camberwell
Rd SE5 0DL at 4.00pm for the London leg of the Crack Ya Ribs Comedy Concert by Julius Awgu D Genius. Going on till
11.00pm, there is music and dance by
MI Abaga, Dprince, Fuse ODG, DJ Abass and
DJ Osa Jatt plus including Comedy by Seyi
Law, Senator, Ghanaian actress Yvonne Nelson, Wale Gate, Akpos, MC
Shakara, Guru, Funny Bone, Julius Agwu and may surprise acts. Tickets are £25.00 for Downstairs seating, £35.00
for Upstairs seating, £50.00 VIP
and £100.00 limited VVIP. Tickets
are obtainable from here, here, here and here!
and
,
Ticket hotlines are
Sekinah: 07714167322, Dwise1: 07432832598, Naijaunion: 07531772745
·
At 12 midday till
6.00pm, there will be an African
Showcase Market as part of the Jamaica@50 celebration at Leyton Cricket Ground, High Road Leyton,
E10 5PW. There will be cultural and artistic events from 5 participating
African countries, with stalls selling African food, drinks, arts, artifacts
and other cultural items. There will also be a drum and headwrap workshop. More
details here.
Sara Zvakanaka (goodbye in Shona) till next week and the Paralympics!
Summer Olympics are gone, countdown to the Paralympics
begins! Some have done well in the Olympics (1,2,3! Hmmm) Some can and will do better. But ultimate and maximum respect to all those who went out and represented their countries and put in the effort after all those years of training. And to all the people of London who gave up their time and comfort to make it happen. A big thank you from Proud to be African Clothing in the form of 10% off with voucher code Olympic10.
Monday 13th
August
At 6.00pm we have
Let’s Talk, discussion and debate
evening at Bar19:20, 19-20 Great Sutton
Street, Farringdon, EC1V 0DR. Running till 11.00pm this monthly debate night mixes spoken word with an
opportunity to voice your opinion
At 6.30pm Black
History Studies presents Marcus Garvey Month Films at PCS Headquarters, 160
Falcon Road, SW11 2LN. The first screening is The Promised Ship at 7.00pm.
Tickets are £5.00 and can be
obtained in advance by emailing or phoning 0208 881 0660 or 07951234233
Wednesday 15th
August
At 6.30pm monthly
free networking event Ebony Inspired UK
will hold at Mar Azul Restaurant, 124
Clapham Road, Stockwell, London, SW9 0LA. This event is FREE, just register here
Between 6.30 and 8.45pm at London Metropolitan University, 84 Moorgate,
City of London, EC2M 6SQ, RoomT11-03, Black History Walks hosts Slave
Catchers, Slave Resisters a presentation
on how Africans fought back against trans Atlantic slavery. FREE
Thursday 16th
August
At 6.00pm ACBN introduces
the Aim Higher- Business Enterprise
Evening at 356 Holloway Road, London, N7 6PA, hosted by Maximal Learning in
partnership with the Global Institute for Entrepreneurship, this event will
give attendees the opportunity to network, learn how to harness your inner
resources and maximise opportunities, find new prospects and opportunities and
hear from international award winning consultants and trainers. Tickets are £10.00 in advance by emailing, online
or phoning. Or else they are £15.00
on the door
Friday 17th
August
At 7.00pm there
is the Special Olympic Hoza Festival
2012!! A tribute to Zimbabwean musical legend Oliver Mtukudzi (aka Tuku) will be held at the IndigoO2 at the O2, Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX. The guitar playing
singer will be supported by 4 generations of Zimbabwean musicians. Busi ‘True love’ Ncube founder member
of Zimbabwean Afro Fusion group Ilanga, jazz
singer Prudence Katomene and special
guest Shingai Shoniwa of the Noisettes.
Tickets are £30.00, £45.00 and £55.00 from here
At 6.30pm we have
African Women Resistance Leaders 1600 to
2012 will take place in the Blue
Room at BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road SE1 8XX. Running till 9.15pm this is an interactive,
informative session in honour of Funmi Kuti (Fela Kuti’s mother and Nigerian
independence activist) and Pan African Women’s Day. This event is FREE
Saturday 18th
August
At 2.00pm we have the documentary Fela NYC: Fresh From Africa at the National Film Theatre, Belvedere Road, South Bank, London. Directed
by Edward Jaheed Ashley it is a record of Fela’s visit to New York in the
1980’s and is a no holds barred, unplugged look at the Afrobeat king. Watch out for visits from legends of that period’s
music scene such as Roy Ayers, Baba Olatunji and Don Cherry. Filmed at a
concert organised by Amnesty playing alongside Bono and Carlos Santana just
after he’d been released from political detention in Nigeria, this is a classic
slice of African musical/ political history hosted by ‘Meet the Adebanjo’s’
actor Wale Ojo. The documentary will be followed by a Q and A with Rikki Stein
(Fela’s former manager) will be preceded by a one hour film, ‘Ancestral Voices’ about traditional
African religions. Tickets are £5.00
from the website
Our friends from Ghanaian Londoners come back with Celebrate Ghana 2012 at 2.30pm at the Ripple Centre, 121-125 Ripple Road, Barking, IG11 7FN. Running till
5.30pm there will be special guest speakers, stage performances, stalls, food,
sports personalities, networking, music and dancing. This event is open to all
and family friendly. Book here for tickets of £5.00 earlybird, £10.00 advanced and £15.00 on the door
ZIMFest comes to
London!!! Taking place at Grasshoppers
Rugby Club, McFarlane Lane, (off Syon Lane), Osterly, Middlesex, TW7 5PN.
This packed event will feature live music, authentic South African food, African
Arts and crafts (Proud to be African Clothing of course!) and much more.
Featured artistes on
the Main Stage include:
Wunmi (Nigeria/
UK/ USA): a crazy mash up of Afrobeat, jazz, broken beats, house and soul Nigeria’s
Wunmi is anything but conventional. An awesome dancer and musician
Pinise Saul and the
Lucky Ranku Band (South Africa): this magic collaboration brings SA jazz
Queen Pinise Saul together with guitarist Lucky Ranku and 5 other
instrumentalistsfor an authentic township sound
The Spindle Sect
(South Africa): this band combines hip hop, metal and electronic to create
a unique African cross over sound
Thanbani (Zimbabwe/ UK): is a London based Roots/ soul collective
led by talented vocalist Tee Nyoni
Kontroversial
(Zimbabwe/ UK): brings a crazy mix of authentic sound ranging from dendera to
metal to rumba
Frankie Rudolf
(Zimbabwe/ UK): Born in South Africa and based in Nottingham (hmm I’m sure I
have T shirt for this) this fresh young singer/ guitarist will be delivering
his distinctive soulful acoustic/ indie folk style
Kamikaze Test Pilots
(Zimbabwe/UK)
Boyz Retonaz
(Zimbabwe/ UK)
The Dance Arena will
have the following DJ’s:
Zepherin Saint (Tribe Records), Rob Macson (Zimbabwe), DJ
Djeff (Angola/ Tribe Records), Kristelle Morin (Australia/ Tribe Records),
Mixolis (Zimbabwe/ UK), La DJ Petite, Papa Large and Samantha Blackburn
At 9.00pm on Saturday
we have the Nigerian Diaspora Youth
Leadership Forum Summit 2012 taking place at Kings College London, Strand Campus, Surrey Street, WC2R 2LS. This
2 day event with the theme ‘Our Future in Nigeria’s future: The importance of
leadership initiatives’ will consist of workshops, panel debates, keynote
speakers and a Gala dinner and awards ceremony. Register here
At 4.00pm we have Xacchi Fashion Show and Auction, Camhurst
House, Holloway Community Centre, Parkhurst Road, N7 0NU. This show is in
support of SOS Children and S.A.F.E. Kenya Chjaritiers and is hosted by
Princess Ifem of Nigerian FM Radio and Remel London. Entertainment include
Comdeian MC Mark, Musicians Young Jay and Fabrice Wonga, Poets Belinda Zhawi
and Poet Janet, running till 9.00pm,
entry includes food and drink and is £15.00
(£5.00 for under 10’s) from here and there is a raffle with an Android
Tablet as first prize
Sunday 19th
August
The second day of the Nigerian Diaspora Youth Leadership Summit
will consist of a Mentoring Cafe
running from 12.30pm to 4.00pm. This is an opportunity for 100
Nigerian students to form a one to one mentorship opportunity with top Nigerian
public officials. Between 6.00pm and 11.00pm is the Global Excellence
Leadership Awards (GELA) Award Presentation which will involve cultural
presentations, music, poems etc Passion for Homeland Dinner/ Nigeria Rocks Festival
and the Launch for Nigerian Students Leadership and Educational Development
(CNSLED). This is by appointment only email to book.
ZIMFest continues
at the Grasshoppers Rugby Club,
McFarlane Lane, (off Syon Lane), Osterly, Middlesex, TW7 5PN with the Eat Festival featuring live jazz, the
ZIMFest unplugged Open Mic Sessions, food and drink from around the world and
so on
From 3.00pm to 7.00pm we have the London Culture Fusion at Via, Canary Wharf, 2 Hertsmere Road, E14
4AB. This fundraising event for Ghanaian Londoners and @YE WorldBlog, aims
to celebrate the fusion of West African and English Culture through fashion,
music, art, drama, comedy adn exhibitions. Tickets are £8.00 earlybird, £10.000 advanced
and £15.00 on the door from here.
3.00pm. The
London Afro-Caribbean Book Club will
be discussing the novel Nomad: A
Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations by Ayaan Hirsi Ali at Heights
Bar and Lounge (15th Floor) St Georges Hotel, Langham Place, Regent
Street W1B 2QS. Nomad is a philosophical memoir recounting how the author
got the US in search of a new life and observing the cultural, social and religious
clashes and turmoil’s she encountered. Deeply personal and evocative
African people I greet you! Proud to be African is not just
a brand it’s now a state of mind as Chas
Le Clos (South Africa), Cameron van
der Burgh (South Africa) and Tirunesh
Dibaba (Ethiopia), all bring Olympic
Gold Medals back to Africa and Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis and co bring it home for Team GB. As a way of celebrating
this we are giving you 10% off all
purchases with the code Olympic10
and have decided that it is the opportune time to launch our new clothing
lines, so just for you lucky, lucky people we have 7 new designs and one new
garment
Born in the UK /Made in Jamaica (already almost sold out!)- I’m not sure how much celebration
there will be when Usain Bolt starts off but I’m reliably informed that
everyone within 100 miles of Jamaica have been warned to wear earphones for the
duration of the athletics!
Proud to be South African- isfor all you
beautiful beautiful boys and girls out there (in the words of Papa Le Clos!!!) that
want to celebrate the Rainbow Nation Golden summer in London
Proud to be Zimbabwean- we know Zim people like to party, well now you can celebrate with some groovy T shirts for you to celebrate
in!!!
Proud to be Ghanaian-
our West African brothers and sisters have been vexing for me for not blessing them with
their Proud to be T shirt despite crashing all their events, eating their food
and drinking their drink, so here you go. Oh Charlie! I hope you will give me
peace now!
Proud to be Kenyan-
this one is selling as fast as Sally Jepkosgei Kipyego and Vivian Cheruiyot going
around the track!! Representing Team Kenya will be much easier when you tell
the world how Proud you are to be Kenyan!
Born in the USA/Madein Africa- for our African American friends who have been on my case not to
forget them you get not one but two variations on the theme of dual identities.
One repping the continent and the stars and stripes and the other celebrating one of Africa and America’s most famous son, US President Barack Obama
And a variation on a current theme for the ladies now that
the sun is threatening to shine we have Proudto be African Ladies Vests our most popular design now comes in a fetching
red, black and white camisole top in small, medium and large!
Wanlov Kubulor
This week has been interesting what with African Fashion
Week London at Old Spitalfields, where I kept bumping into familiar faces,
including Wanlov Kubulor of FOKN Bois doing his own funky thing as ever.
The place was packed with so many fine fine girls my blood
pressure has only just returned to normal but its all good!
And without further ado lets
see what Fun and games London has for us
London African
Events for the Week starting 6th August
Monday 6th August Olympics Day 11
The
Market, Boutique and Gallery at 30
Nigeria House, Theatre Royal, Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, E15 1BN run
from 10.00am to 5.00pm as well as
the Deola Sagoe exhibition and videos.
At 2.30pm is the UK- Nigeria Creative Partnership in the Auditorium of 30Nigeria
House, running till 9.00pm, this
collaborating between the British Council and New World Nigeria seeks to
provide greater insight into Nigeria’s creative industries and develop
innovative solutions to provide links between the UK and Nigeria creative industries.
There will be panel sessions and a, networking session. This event is FREE but
book here
Final Kenya Tourism Day begins at 10.00am at Kenya House, 29-35 West Ham Lane, Stratford showcasing Kenya’s huge
and well developed Tourism sector register here and turn up to this FREE expo
From 10.00am daily is Ekhaya Hospitality Centre, South Africa’s Home Away from Home at
the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the South Bank
Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX. Running till 10.00pm each night for the
Olympics and Paralympics, on there are dances, exhibitions, films, fashion
shows, performances and provincial exhibitions. All events are FREE, with Olympic events screened in
the Foyer.
Born in the UK Made in Jamaica
Jamaica House 2012 is the official house for the Jamaica
Olympic Association and is based at the O2 (or North Greenwich Arena in Olympic
non sponsor branding speak!!), Peninsula Square, London, SE10 0DX. And is open
everyday from 4.00pm until midnight. Entrance is FREE but register as capacity is
limited. Today we have UWI Dance
Performance, Roots Underground, DJ Rory and Stone Love, and Live Olympic Sports and food and
shopping
The Bob Marley Exhibition, a collection of over 40 diverse and rare
photographs and artefacts from the life of the legendary musician and activist.
Entrance is FREE with a ticket to
the British Music Experience and is open 11.00am
to 7.30pm running till October.
Today
also sees the last performance of the Jamaica
50th Festival at the IndigO2,
with a stellar line up of Jimmy Cliff
and Oneness, Derrick Morgan, Max Romeo, Gaylads, Bob Andy plus David ‘Ram Jam’
Rodigan until late, tickets from £50.00
from here
Keeping it
Jamaican we also have the cult underground play, ‘My Big Fat Jamaican Funeral’ starring Marlon King, Olive Miller,
Kayaan and Charles Tomlin. Obtain tickets here
Tuesday 7th August Olympics Day 12
The
Market, Boutique and Gallery at 30
Nigeria House Theatre Royal, Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, E15 1BN run
from 10.00am to 5.00pm as well as
the Deola Sagoe exhibition and videos.
The Ekhaya Hospitality Centre opens at 10.00am with exhibitions from different
South African Provinces and Government Departments as well as hourly African Dances and Free Olympic events viewing screens in the Foyer
Between 1.00pm and 10.00pm is a Film Festival
inthe 30 Nigeria House Auditorium featuring ‘The Rattlesnake’ at 1.00pm, ‘Blood and Henna’ at 4.30pm and then at 7.30pm ‘Good People Great Nation’ followed by ‘Maami’ Tickets are £5.00 and all performances will be
followed up by a brief Q&A with the filmmakers.
Its 4.00pm! It’s time for Jamaica House 2012! Live at the House, features Rasite and DJ Daddy Ernie, and Live
Olympic Sports and food and shopping
Wednesday 8th August Olympics Day 13
The
Market, Boutique and Gallery at 30
Nigeria House Theatre Royal, Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, E15 1BN run
from 10.00am to 5.00pm as well as
the Deola Sagoe exhibition and videos.
The Ekhaya Hospitality Centre opens at 10.00am with exhibitions from different
South African Provinces and Government Departments as well as hourly African Dances and Free Olympic events viewing screens in the Foyer.
Opening at
10.00am we have the African Showcase Market till 7.00pm at Market Square, Town Centre Barking, Barking, IG11 8DQ. With a wide
variety of African goods and products, this is a prime chance to stock up on
your hard to find African items.
Between 12.00pm and 10.00pm Nigeria House has another Film Festival inthe Auditorium. Showing at 12.45pm is ‘Oriki’ followed by ‘Arugba’. At 4.00pm is ‘Big Daddy’followed by ‘Violated’
and rounding up at 7.30pm with ‘I’ll
take my chances’. Tickets are £5.00
and all performances will be followed up by a brief Q&A with the
filmmakers.
Jamaica House 2012 opens up at 4.00pm with Live at the
House featuring Black Slate and DJ Goldfinger,
and Live Olympic Sports and food and
shopping
But for
the theatrically minded there is a treat of all treats, with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) staging
an all
Black production of William Shakespeare’s classic play Julius Caesar. Running till 15th
September at the Noel Coward Theatre, St
Martins Lane, WC2N 4AU. This classic play about friendship, honour, loyalty
and patriotism is retold as a fast moving thriller about a struggle for
democracy in modern day Africa, produced by Gregory Doran, with Ray Fearon as
Mack Antony, Paterson Joseph as Brutus, Jeffery
Kissoon as Caesar and Cyril Nri as Cassius. The play was recently broadcast
on BBC4 so for those of us who missed it, we have no real excuses. Performances
from Monday to Saturday are at 7.30pm, with Thursday and Saturday matinees at
2.00pm (check website as there are certain exclusions). Tickets are from £25.00 to £50.00 but there are various
voucher codes for discounts which can be used
At the 12 midday at the Guvnor Bar, Bell Lane, off Dock Road, E16 2AB, Stratford we have Nigeria Day as part of their Uniting Nations series of events. going till 10.00pm,
alongside live screenings, there will be delicious hot food, shisha tent, fashion, DJ’s and music
Thursday 9th August Olympics Day 14
The
Market, Boutique and Gallery at 30
Nigeria House Theatre Royal, Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, E15 1BN run
from 10.00am to 5.00pm as well as
the Deola Sagoe exhibition and videos.
From 11.00am to 1.00pm there is a Traditional
Dress Workshop at 30 Nigeria House
led by Costume Designer Iyen Agbonifo
for children between the ages of 8 and 13 years. Its £5.00 per child with accompanying adult FREE
The Ekhaya Hospitality Centre opens at 10.00am with exhibitions from different
South African Provinces and Government Departments as well as hourly African Dances and Free Olympic events viewing screens in the Foyer
4.00pm,Jamaica House 2012 opens
up with Live at the House with Rasites and DJ Goldfinger, and Live Olympic Sports and food and
shopping
Friday 10th August Olympics Day 15
he
Market, Boutique and Gallery at 30
Nigeria House Theatre Royal, Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, E15 1BN run
from 10.00am to 5.00pm.
The Ekhaya Hospitality Centre opens at 10.00am with exhibitions from different
South African Provinces and Government Departments as well as hourly African Dances and Free Olympic events viewing screens in the Foyer
Jamaica House 2012 opens up at 4.00pm with Live at the
House, Rasites and DJ Elaine, and Live
Olympic Sports and food and shopping
At the 12 midday at the Guvnor Bar, Bell Lane, off Dock Road, E16 2AB, Stratford we have
another Nigeria Day, going till
10.00pm, alongside live screenings, there will be delicious food, DJ’s and
music
Saturday 11th August Olympics Day 16
The
Market, Boutique and Gallery at 30
Nigeria House Theatre Royal, Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, E15 1BN run
from 10.00am to 5.00pm.
The Ekhaya Hospitality Centre opens at 10.00am with exhibitions from different
South African Provinces and Government Departments as well as hourly African Dances and Free Olympic events viewing screens in the Foyer
At this
point we have the ICSN SummerBBQ(and we use the word summer with
caution!) at the Linford Christie
Stadium, Du cane Road, White City, W12 0DF (Near East Acton Underground and
home of the London Nigerian Rugby Club). Food go plenty, (jollof rice, fried
rice, BBQ Chicken, burgers and so on), drink go plenty, better music go plenty,
live performances go dey, fine fine boys and fine fine girls go dey. Action
runs from 2.00pm till late and its £10.00 for entry (£7.00 for fully paid up ICSN members)
At 2.30pm at the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JT, there is a Malawian Drumming and Dance Workshop led by Thlupego Chisiza, Hussein Gopole and Jafali Amadu. Tickets are between £3.00 and £5.00 from here
Jamaica
House 2012 opens up at 4.00pm with Live at the House, Black Slate and DJ Rory
and Stone Love, and Live Olympic
Sports and food and shopping
Sunday 12th August Olympics Day 17
It’s Kenya Day at Kenya House, in Stratford (and Olympic marathon as well, where
Kenya should do well. Coincidence?!!). For those Kenyans who wish to support
their team along the route, meet up at Kenya House between 6.00am and 9.30am,
to collect flags and disperse yourself along the route to cheer the boys and
girls on. Between 9.30am and 12.00 midday, you can watch the event Live in
Kenya House or along the route. Of course you wouldn’t want to be without your
Proud to be Kenyan T shirts! Between 12.30 and 1.30pm there will be street
interviews with Kenyans and foreigners to get their opinions on the race, and
then a Press Conference by the winning marathon runner (that’s the kind of
African confidence we like!!). This is followed by an introduction to Kenya
2013 and Kenya Nite.
Nigeria
House will be closing down!!! Snif sniff sniff. But in true Naija fashion we
will celebrate our parting with a Closing
Party in the Auditorium at 30 Nigeria House Theatre Royal, Stratford
East, Gerry Raffles Square, E15 1BN. More details to follow
The Ekhaya Hospitality Centre is also closing
down (bit of a pattern here!) in the Foyer from 3.00pm till 5.00pm we have Ringo and Sipho Hotstix
Lets keep supporting African Athletes and Team GB and lets give all the friends and visitors to London a great time!
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‘SHATTERED HEARTS’ one of the most anticipated Nollywood Movies of 2012. will be premièred in the UK on Friday 7th September 2012 at the Odeon IMAX Cinema, Bugsby Way, Greenwich, London SE10 0QJ