Week starting 24th September, London African Music Festival and more....

Hello

As September comes to an end, the days grow shorter, and the weather colder it’s time to keep warm with a Proud to be African hoody, be it with the classic Proud to be African Logo, or the Afrobeat inspired logo or  Born in the UK Made in Africa! Of course the 1^st of October is Nigeria’s Independence Day so a Proud to be Nigerian hoody or sweatshirt won’t go amiss either!

Monday 24^th September

Collaborate for Africa will be meeting from 6.15-8.00pm at Avanta, 48 Charlotte Street, W1T 2NS, the group aims to foster networking amongst groups, organisations or individuals who are interested or working in Africa. This event is FREE

Tuesday 25^th September

At 7.00pm we have Modeste and Amadou Diagne and Griselda Sanderson at the Jazz Cafe, 5 Parkway, Camden Town, NW1 7PG.  Malagasy singer song writer/ guitarist blends traditional Malagasy sounds, with South African rhythms, he will be using this event to launch his third album ‘Handeha Hody/ Going Home’. Tickets are £12.00 from here or by calling the Box Office on 0207 485 6834 

Wednesday 26^th September

From 5.00pm to 7.00pm Kayode Akindele OBE, will be at Stratford Circus, Theatre Square, Stratford, E15 1BX, with the Arts of Hand Craft, exhibiting traditional handicrafts from Western Nigeria. This is FREE

Local Voices, Local Change takes place at 6.30pm at 25 Northumberland Avenue, WC2N 5AP, hosted by the Royal Commonwealth Society with the support of the Baring Foundation, this Africa focussed panel discussion will look at the role civil society plays in economic and political development and identifies best practice for strengthening community based civil society organisations, it will be followed by a drinks reception. The panel will be chaired by Myles Wickstead CBE (of the Open University) and consist of Mulugeta Gebru (Jerusalem Children and Community Development Organisation), Paul Skidmore (Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative) and Roy Trivedy (Department for International Development). This event is FREE register here

At 7.30pm we have the Yoruba Women’s Choir and Bumi Thomas at Stratford Circus,.  This female gospel choir led by Funmi Olawumi features 10 female soloists and a 6 piece band that combines Nigerian musical traditions with Christian gospel music. The choir consists of Ayinke Martins, Joy Aigbekan, Nike Fagbuaro, Biola Dosumu, Dupe Lawnson, Mary Oguntade, Tinu Adewoye, Biola Ojugbele, Esther Mabadeje, Comfort Oyelumade. The show will be opened by Bumi Thomas and her full band. A brilliant vocal experience all round. Tickets are £15.00 (concessions £12.50), from here or Box Office on 0844 357 2625 

Thursday 27^th September

Between 7.30pm and 9.00pm we have African Dancing with Frititi, a mix of live music and dancing from different cultures from as far afield as Gambia and Zululand. The workshop will teach the history and meaning of dance as well as the sequence of the steps themselves. It takes place at Interchange Studio, Hampstead Town Hall Centre, 321 Haverstoc, NW3 4QP. Tickets are £10.00 in advance and £15.00 on the door.

7.30pm see’s Tony Dudu and The Gumbe Jazz, Upstairs at the Ritzy, Brixton Oval, Brixton, SW2 1JG. The Guinea Bissau born guitarist will be performing his palop sound with his band fusing West African and South American sounds. Tickets are £10.00, from here, box office on 0207 326 2615

Friday 28^th September

The Monthly London Black Professional Meet and Greet will be taking place between 6.30pm and 10.30pm at the Grace Bar 42-44 Great Windmill Street, Piccadilly, London W1D 7NB. Phone Maks on 07931 939 187 to RSVP, entry is £5.00, so pop along to socialise and network to the with fellow black professionals and live DJ’s

Kicking off from 7.00pm to 1.45pm is the Kalakuta Band- Fela Kuti’s Unheard Afrobeat at The Long Room Bar and Hotel, 130 Mitcham Road, Tooting, London, S17 9NH. This is the beginning of a monthly residency for the 15 piece band led by Emeka Elendu Fela Kuti’s former guitarist. This event is FREE

At 7.30pm we have Rise Kagona the Malawian born former member of the Zimbabwean rock band Bhundu Boys at the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JT. Rise will be playing with his own band The Jit Jive Band, songs from his legendary career mixing Zim styles with Congolese rythyms as well as tracks from his new album. Tickets are £12.50 (£10.00 concessions) from here 

Saturday 29^th September

At 7.00pm, The African Jazz Stars will be performing at the Jazz Cafe, 5 Parkway, Camden Town, NW1 7PG. This excellent band returns with their big band funk led by guitarist Lucky Ranku, pianist Adam Glasser, drummer Babwaku Biasonama, percussionist Siemy Di, bassist Femi Sofela, trumpeter Claude Deppa, alto saxophonist Tony Kofi, tenor saxophonist Bukky Leo, baritone saxophonist Greg Bonnoe and vocalist Pinise Saul. If you know African music, you know the pedigree of this group, this is not one to be missed. Tickets are £17.50 (£15.00 concessions) from here or by calling the Box office on 0207 485 6834 

At 9.00pm rounding up the London African Music Festival is Dele Sosimi and the Afrobeat Orchestra with DJ Koichi Sakai at the New Empowering Church, 1a Westgate Street, Hackney, E8 3RL. As former keyboard player and music director for Fela Kuti’s Egypt 80, musical director for Fela! The Musical. For your finest live Afrobeat look no further £8.00 before 10.00pm, £12.00 afterwards and £10.00 in advance from here

  

Also as of 1^st October prices will be increasing slightly due to constantly increasing production and postage costs however, Proud to be African Clothing will still remain the most affordable African themed T shirt on the market