London African Events for the week of 13th August

Week of 13^th August

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 13^th 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 15^th 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 16^th 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 17^th 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 18^th 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

Tickets are available from £25.00 here

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 19^th 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 (15^th 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