London African Music Festival and Imperial Wharf Jazz Festival

Hi Everybody!

Ladies T shirts

This is the week for music! The London African Music Festival is upon us! Oh yes, 2 weeks of the finest African Music going starts on Friday and Proud to be African Clothing will be there to take it all in. We have musicians from Nigeria, Ghana, Cape Verde and Mali, there is also the Imperial Wharf Jazz Festival.

Monday 10^th September

At 7.00pm we have Kayo Chingoyi: Africa is a Continent at the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, WC2E 8JT. This Celebration of African Diaspora Literature curated and hosted by Zambian author Kayo Chingoyi, with Belinda Zhawi a 21 year old Zimbabwean writer, Sam Elmi a Somali poet and playwright, Kenyan/ Somali Warsan Shire London based poet and writer and Nick Makoha Ugandan writer. Book here. 

Thursday 13^th September

At 7.00pm we have Cleveland Watkiss: Vocal Improvisations at the Africa Centre. The virtuoso jazz artist will be giving holding a singing workshop followed by a concert. Open to people of all singing abilities, this is the place to come if there is a burgeoning singer in you fighting to get out! Tickets for the Concert and workshop are £15.00 (£10.00 concessions) and for the concert alone £9.00 (£7.00 concessions) from here.  

We have a Jazz festival!! The Imperial Wharf Jazz Festival kicks off from 6.00pm to 10.00pm at The Boulevard, Imperial Wharf, London, SW6 2QD. Kicking off this FREE festival is the incomparable Courtney Pine and Abimaro and The Free. More details from the website.

Friday 14^th September

Born in the USA Made in Africa

The UgandaInvest London 2012 Forum “Commemorating 50 Years of Independence” starts at 9.00am to 5.00pm at The May Fair Hotel, Stratton Street, W1J 8T.  This Forum seeks to promote opportunities for investors in key sectors of the Ugandan economy.  There are a limited number of FREE complimentary tickets available from here.

At 6.30pm US Comedian Kevin Hart comes to The O2 (yes its got its name back!!), Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX. The pint sized comedian as well known for his stand up routine as well as his roles in Soul Plane, 40 Year Old Virgin, Think like a Man and many more will be rounding up his latest tour here in the UK. Tickets are from £35.25-£49.75 from here

The London African Music Festival begins at 7.30pm with Yaaba Funk and DJ Chief Commander Yaaba at the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JT. For the uninitiated, Yabba Funk was formed in 2006 combining 70’s Naija Funk, Hi Life, reggae, Brazilian grooves, broken beat and Cuban rumba. This is afro funk at its finest so if your looking for fantastic bass lines, awesome guitar riffs and blaring horns, get your self down to Africa Centre. Tickets are £10.00 and can be brought from here 

Just in case you thought that was it at 7.30pm we also have Jumoke Fashola at Vortex Jazz Club, 11 Gillett Square, N16 8AZ. This Nigerian Afro-soul/ Jazz singer has performd with Dionne Warwick, the Royal Ballet, Bobby McFerrin, appeared on stage in countless musicals and is a staple of the London Jazz circuit, she will be performing with her live band with pianist Simon Wallace, bassist Oli Hayhurst and drummer Winston Clifford. All of this for £12.50 (£10.00 concessions) from here.

Saturday 15^th September

At 8.00am the 2nd Ugandan UK Convention kicks off as part of Uganda’s Golden Jubilee at the Troxy Arena, 490 Commercial Road, E1 0HX. The convention will take place at consist of an Investment Expo, Fashion Show and After Party

The Ugandan Diaspora Investment Expo kicks off at 9.00am, with the Ugandan Vice President the Rt. Hon Edward Ssekandi as Guest of Honour. This event is billed as the premier learning platform for those seeking to invest in Uganda, there will be workshops and opportunities to network and build partnerships. Speakers include The Rt Hon Rebecca Kadaga (Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament), Baroness Lynda Chalker, Hon Daudi Migereko (Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development), Mr Elly Karuhanga (President, Tullow Oil Uganda), Mr M Kigozi, Eric Guichard, Her Excellency Joan Rwabyomere (Uganda High Commissioner to the UK), Jennifer S. Musisi (Kampal City Authority), Dr Andrew Ggunga Seguya (Uganda Wildlife Authority) and many more.

The After Party kicks off at 6.00pm featuring Bobi Wine and Firebase Crew, Judith Babirye, Iryn Namubiru, Nayio, AcdArts and the Crackers Comedians. RSVP by emailing or phoning 020 7237 7317 or 07426 201 055. The Conference is FREE although the after party ranges from £25.00 to £300.00, from here and here

The Imperial Wharf Jazz Festival continues today at 1.00pm at The Boulevard, Imperial Wharf, London, SW6 2QD. with a super funky line up of super stars the Hackney Colliery Band, The Cuban Jazz Band Project, Matthew Halsall, John Etheridge and Christian Garrick, YolanDa Brown, The Lucinda Bell Orchestra and Omar. And again;

All.

This.

For.

FREE!!!!!! Running till 10.00pm this is not one to be missed by the jazz fans out there.

Proud to be Ghanaian

From 1.00pm till late we have Ghana Party in the Park at Barnet FC Underhill Stadium, Westcombe Drive, Barnet, EN5 2DN. The day consists of music, cultural dancers, Durbar of Chiefs, fashion shows, football, children activities, arts and crafts stalls and of course freshly cooked traditional food. This is a fun filled family friendly day with thousands of visitors

At 5.00pm is the Afro Global Network Professional Networking Business Mixer at the Kingsway Hall Hotel, 66 Queen Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 5BX. This event is in support of Spread-A-Smile Foundation which operates in Southern Africa, if you bring a gift for donation tickets are £5.00 without a gift tickets are £10.00. From 10.30pm till 3.00am there will be  a Post Networking Drinks and Cocktails at Kanaloa Club. Purchase tickets here.

At the Africa Centre at 6.30pm we have Africa Fine Dining. An evening of delicious Ghanaian fusion food, washed down with Ghanaian beer by Ghanaian Catering firm Jollof Pot. Tickets are £37.00, an ideal evening out with family or colleagues. Book here

For you Afrobeat people whose bodies have been disturbing them to dance oya relax, because we have Bukky Leo and Black Egypt at 7.30pm at the Vortex Jazz Club. Yes that’s right the tenor saxophonist will be smashing out his Afrobeat and Afrocentric jazz backed up by bassist Dennis Stanley, guitarist Chris Lamptey, our friend percussionist Olatunde Richard Baker, drummer Saleem Raman, trombonist Trevor Edwards and vocalist Yeukai Makoni. Tickets for this little slice of awesome are £12.50 (£10.00 concessions) from the website.

Also at 7.30pm Ghanaian vocalist Alfa Sackey and Afrik Bawantu will be performing at Hackney Attic, 270 Mare Street, Hackney, E8 1HE. This combination of Afrobeat with traditional Ghanaian music has wowed crowds from Finland, Ghana, Nigeria, Israel and Italy to name a few. You can see this 12 piece orchestra for a mere £10.00 with tickets from here. 

Sunday 16^th September

At the Africa Centre we have the Sunday Movie Heremakono-Waiting for Happiness from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. This 2002 Mauritanian film is set between the Sahara and the Sea and follows the lives of several characters in the coastal city of Nouadhibou as they wait to travel to Europe. Caught between African and Western cultures, young Abdallah has come to visit his mother before moving on to Europe. RSVP for this FREE event here

Proud to be South African

Our friends at Mwalimu Express have returned from summer break and they are taking us to Freetown, Sierra Leone! Running from 2.00pm to 6.00pm at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA. Live on Stage will be Sierra Leonean musician Abdul Tee-Jay performing his guitar driven reworkings of Palm wine music a heady mix of Afrobeat and High Life. In addition there will be Lucy Angell John’s Parent and Toddler dance sessions, stalls, Oware games, tunes by DJ’s Rita Ray (yay) and Max Reinhardt ending up with a screening of Reel Lives Sierra Leone starring musician Usifu Jalloh on a journey through a day in the life of Freetown children. This is the only FREE African family event in London so come down and chillax.