Week of 9th September: London African Music Festival, Africa Centre Festival, NUBA Awards, British Nigeria Law Forum, The African Market, Welcome to Busseywood, The Caribbean Film Corner, Uganda UK Trade and Investment Forum, Zimbabwe Arts and Culture in Harmony

Tadiyass!!!! (hello in Amharic)

Hope you are enjoying the tail end of summer. If not Proudto be African Clothing is going to share ^nd of September with almost 40 acts from all over Africa, in 14 venues all over London, with music as varied as the languages and the rhythms. There’ll be African classical music, Afro pop, Afro funk, books, poetry, music and other otherables! In fact if you fail to attend at least one performance you should seriously hand in your passport and go home!!! So check out the acts, go and listen to the beautiful, beautiful music of Africa and almost as important support our artists, support our music and support our culture. If we don’t who exactly will?

some serious enjoyment with you. The Africa Centre Festival comes to an end on Monday but on Friday we roll in to the London African Music Festival!! Running till the 22

But in addition to all that we also have the African Employment Challenge, Investment opportunities an risk management by the BCA, the British Nigeria Law Forum on Diaspora Education, The Caribbean Film Corner as part of the Portobello Film Festival, Uganda UK Trade and Investment Forum, Zimbabwe Arts and Culture in Harmony, the Nigeria UK Based Achievement Awards, Welcome to Busseywood- a 16 hour African Film Festival, The African Market, our good friends at Mwalimu Express return as does Numbi and Carpe Diem's Poetry meets Art.

I’m exhausted just writing it, get your running shoes on because you will be spoiled for choice! Enjoy!

Monday 9^th September

At 5.00pm the Africa Centre Festival continues with Afrobeats Take Over at the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JT with DJ Unbeetable. Tickets are £5.00 from here. 

At 6.00pm the Africa Centre Festival features’ Africa Talks at the Africa Centre. The first talk is Interventions with Mark Miller (Tate Modern and Tate Britain) discussing delivering cultural productions and sharing insights on digital platforms.

Followed by Pulling Focus: African Film and culture in context at 6.30pm with June Giavanni (African film curator and archivist) and Gaylene Gould (African diaspora film curator) who will discus their experiences promoting African cinema and culture over a 30 year history. RSVP this FREE event here.

From 8.00pm to 10.30pm the Africa Centre Festival presents Africa Karaoke at the Africa Centre, with Mercury nominated rapper Ty, poet Warsan Shire, Anthony Joseph and DJ Psykhomantus. Tickets are £7.00 from here £10.00 on the door.

Tuesday 10^th September

From 11.00am to 6.00pm Tiwani Contemporary presents Arts Connect Film at Tiwani Contemporary, 16 Little Portland Street, W1W 8BP. Running till 18^th September featuring the video works of multi disciplinary artists concerning migratory displacement, ecological misuse of resources and human elasticity. Screening Jude Angowih’s It is Well III (2013). FREE entry, more details here.

At 7.00pm Numbi hosts the Numbi Arts Book Launch at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, E1 6LA. This special book launch features Sai Murray, Christelle Kedi, Funmi Adewole, Dorothea Smartt and Kwani, there will also be the 2013 edition of Scarf Magazine. Tickets are £5.00 from here. 

At 7.30pm Carpe Diem presents Poetry Meets Art at Passing Clouds, 1 Richmond Road, Dalston, E8 4AA. This night of poetry and spoken word to raise awareness of Congo’s conflict material features Tshaka Menelik Imhotep Campbell, David Lee Morgan, Jonas McCloud, Asabi Hawah and Kass Man. There will be open Mic opportunities and artwork and a special performance by Cezanne Poetess. Tickets are £5.00 from here. 

Wednesday 11^th September

At 5.00pm BCA Africa presents African Investment Opportunities- Appraisal and management of risk at Nabarro LLP, Lacon House, 84 Theobalds Road, WC1X 8RW. The event will present views from experienced companies Nabarro LLP (Law), Willis (Insurance Broker) and Macquarie (investment banking group) on the key risks associated with African investment. Patrick Speller (Nabarro LLP) will discuss Key risks in equity transactions- what investors can expect, Robert Barlow (Willis) will focus on the ability to transfer risks to the insurance market. Macquarie will give an overview of their experiences investing in Africa. Tickets are £95.40 for non members (£32.00 for BCA members and £50.00 for BCA partners) from here. 

At 6.00pm Chatham House hosts Africa’s Employment Challenge at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, 10 St James Square, SW1Y 4LE. Chaired by Komla Dumor, (BBC World News) the speakers at this event will discuss how Africa’s labour force growth can be converted into stable wage paying jobs and inclusive economic growth. David Fine (McKinsey South Africa) will comment on the findings of McKinsey’s report Africa at Work, Alex MacGillivray (CDC) will discuss CDC’s experience of investing successfully and responsibly in Africa and Vernon Soare (ICAEW) will discuss how ICAEW has provided training and practical experience to Africa’s workforce. Followed by a drinks reception, for more information contact the member’s events team. 

Thursday 12^th September

From 11.00am to 6.00pm Tiwani Contemporary presents Arts Connect Film at Tiwani Contemporary. Running till 18^th September featuring the video works of multi disciplinary artists  Mwangi Hutter Single Entities (2013) concerning migratory displacement, ecological misuse of resources and human elasticity. This is a FREE screening.

At 6.00pm the Royal Africa Society hosts The Book Launch of The Orchard of Lost Souls by Nadifa Mohammed in the Brunei Suite, School of Oriental and African Studies, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, WC1H 0XG. Chaired by Mary Harper (Africa Editor BBC), with Nadifa Mohamed (author and Granta Best British Artists 2013 nominee) and Ayan Mahamoud (Kayd Somali Arts and Culture). The Somali born authors work sees the fall of Somalia through the eyes of three women. RSVP this FREE event here

At 6.30pm the British Nigeria Law Forum presents The Future of Legal Education and Practice in Nigeria- What Role for Diaspora Lawyers at Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, Adelaide House, King William Street, EC4R 9HA. This seminar will discuss the opportunities for Nigerian lawyers in the diaspora to contribute to the Rule of Law and economic development in Nigeria. Chaired by OCJ Okocha SAN, MFR Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, the panel will consist of Mr Lanre Onadeko (Nigeria Law School) and Dr Gbolahan Elias SAN. The evening will end with networking and refreshments. Tickets are £12.00 (£10.00 students) from here. 

Friday 13^th September

At 6.00pm is the Caribbean Film Corner at The Tabernacle, 35 Powis Square, Notting Hill, W11 2AY. Part of the Portobello Film festival there will be screenings short films such as  of Jab in the Dark (Trinidad and Tobago), In Between (Martinique), Double with slight pepper (US and Canada set in Trinidad), Dance (Trinidad and Tobago), Ophelia-Kashmirs Ophelia (UK and India), Love me Haiti (Poland and Cuba), Captain T & T (Trinidad and Tobago), Down Dream (Venezuela), The Wanderer of St Marcel (France), The Enigmatic ‘Black Continent’ (Mexico), The Letter (UK and Colombia), The Good, The Beautiful and the Democratic (Venezuela) and The Cool Boys (Trinidad and Tobago),

And it’s all FREE!

At 7.30pm is the For Colored Girls by Ntozake Shange at Canada Water Culture Space, 21 Surrey Quays Road, London, SE16 7AR. Directed by Justina Kehinde this choreopoem uses dance and poetry to deal with the issues of rape, AIDS, infanticide and domestic violence. Followed by a Q&A with Hannah Pool. Tickets are £15.00 in advance from here. 

The 11^th London African Music Festival

Joyful Noise presents The 11^th  London African Music Festival begins with 10 days of African music at 14 venues across London, 39 acts representing north, south, east and west Africa

At 7.30pm is Osibisa (Ghana) at The Hideaway, 2 Empire Mews, SW16 2ED. This legendary band ^th anniversary of their soundtrack for the cult 70’s movie Supafly TNT. Teddy Osei (saxophone), Sal Amarfio (drums), Mac Tontoh (trumpet), Spartacus R (bass) Robert Bailey (keyboards), Wendel Richardson (lead guitar and Lasisi Amao (percussion and tenor sax). Tickets are £15.00 from here. 
formed in 1969 with 20 studio albums to their credit will be celebrating the 40

At 7.30pm is Guy Schalom and the Baladi Blues Ensemble (Egypt) at Rich Mix. Percussionist Guy Schalom is joined by an all star team of Egyptian master musicians including Sheik Taha (quarter tome accordion), Ahmed El Saidi (oriental sax) Aly el Minyawi (duff and doholla), Adam Warne (riq and doholla), with vocalist and oud master Abdul Salam Kheir. Tickets are £12.50 (£10.00 concs) from here.

At 7.30pm is the Family Atlantica (Venezuela) and the Afro Palace DJs, Upstairs at the Ritzy,  Brixton Oval, SW2 1JG. This psycotropical music project spans two continents and fuses Cuban rumba, Venezuelan tambor and tonada, Ghanaian highlife, Ethiopian blues and calypso with other styles. Featuring Jack Yglesias (tube flute, shekere), Kwame Crentsil (percussion), Luzmira Zerpa (vocals), Ni Boye (perxcussion) and Jacobtete (percussion). Tickets are £6.00 in advance from here £8.00 on the door. 

At 7.30pm is Modou Toure (Senegal) and DJ Fenomeno Show at the Hackney Attic, 270 Mare Street, Dalston, E8 1HE. This refreshing Senegalese blues singer will be plays guitar and percussion and performs in Wolof, Mandinko, Soninke, Portuguese, Creole, French and English. He will be performing with his band Tilo. Tickets are £5.00 in advance from here £7.00 on the door.  

At 7.30pm is the Acoustic Africa with Mosi Conde (Guinea), ACD Arts Adungu Players (Uganda) and Bonzi Ghana) at Jacobean Mansion House, Charlton House, Charlton Road, Charlton, SE7 8RE. This triple bill of acoustic instruments sees Conde on the kora, Bonzi on the balafon and guitarist Alfred Bannerman. Tickets are £6.00 ( £5.00 concs) from here..   

At 8.00pm is Malick Pathe Sow and Bao Sissoko (Senegal) and Niran Obasa at The Vortex Jazz Club, 11 Gillett Square, Dalston, N16 8AZ. With hoddu (desert lute) playing vocalist Sow and kora maestro Sissoko this is African classical music at its finest and most traditional. Tickets are £12.50 (£10.00 concs) from here .

Saturday 14^th September

From 12.00am to 5.00pm Tiwani Contemporary presents Arts Connect Film at Tiwani Contemporar. Running till 18^th September featuring the video works of multi disciplinary artists Single Entities (2013). FREE entry
concerning migratory displacement, ecological misuse of resources and human elasticity. Screening Mwangi Hutter

At 9.00am the Zimbabwe Diaspora Focus Group hosts Zimbabwe Arts and Culture in Harmony at Holy Apostles Hall, 47 Cumberland Street, SW1V 4LY, featuring music, poetry, arts, traditional dancing and music, register for this FREE event here.

From 10.00am to 4.00pm The Ubele Initiative presents  Intergenerational Diaspora Communities Conversation at Deptford Lounge, Giffin Street, Deptford, SE8 4RJ. This unique day of dialogue and process work aims to bring together like minded, highly skilled and experienced action oriented people to create new ways of addressing community needs. There is a fee on the day of £10.00 (£5.00 young people). Register here.

From 10.00am to 6.30pm is the 3^rd Ugandan UK Trade and Investment Forum in London, at the Troxy Arena, 490 Commercial Road, Shoreditch, E1 0HX. This forum will discuss a selection of projects, investing in ICT, leveraging public private partnerships, Diaspora bonds, Uganda Stock, opportunities for diaspora venture capital. Panellists will include the Honourable Edward Ssekandi (Vice President of Uganda), Mr Elly Karuhanga (Tullow Uganda). Rt Hon Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga (Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament), Dr Irene Muloni Ugandan Minister of Energy and Mineral resources), Hon. Daudi Migereko (Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development), Eng Dr Frank B. Sebbowa (Uganda Investment Authority) Professor Joyce Kikafunda (Ugandan High Commissioner to the UK), Patrick Bitature (Uganda Investment Board), Ashish Thakkar (Mara Group), Richard Kamajugo (Commissioner for customs), Hon Tress Bucyanayandi (Ugana Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries), Sebaggala M. Kigozi (UMA) and many more. Register for this FREE event here.

From 12.00 noon The Free Film Festival/ CLF Bussey presents Welcome to Busseyworld at the CLF Art Cafe, The Bussey Building, 133 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4ST, with 16 hours and three floors of African cinema. Finishing up with music on Level 1 will be Afro rock artist Yinka Oyewole and Band, followed by South London Soul Train host Mickey Jazzheadchronic Smith exploring soul and funk, on Level 2 Niita Emvula alongside guest spoken word artists followed by DJ Tom Unlikely Stiedl, closing with special guest The Legendary Flashin Eddie Fowlkes, get the full line up and details of this FREE mega event here

At 2.00pm the BFI will screen 4 Little Girls in the Blue Room, BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, Southbank, SE1 8XT, Spike Lee’s film about the terrorist bombing of churches in Birmingham, Alabama in the 1960's, tickets are £6.00 from here

At 3.00pm is Artist Talk:Naomi Wanjiku Gakunga-Ituika Transformation at October Gallery, 24 Old Gloucester street, W1CN 3AL. The exhibition features wall hanging sculptures created from tin cans, steel wire, and oxidised sheet metal, RSVP for this FREE exhibition here.

At 6.30pm is Graphic Africa at Platform at Habitat, 208 Kings Road, Chelsea, SW3 5XP. This exhibition of 16 leading African designers will showcase a thoroughly contemporary aesthetic with designers from 10 countries in East, West and Southern Africa for Design Network Africa. This FREE exhibition runs till 20^th October.

At 6.30pm Black History Walks presents the Nzingha Lectures 9: Black Girls in Film 1963-2013, in the Blue Room, BFI Southbank, Dr Legal-Miller (KCL) will give an illustrated talk on the representation of the Birmingham church bombing. Register for this FREE event here.

At 7.00pm is the 3^rd Annual Nigerian UK Based Achievers Award (NUBAA 2013) at The London Welsh Centre, 157 – 163 Grays Inn Road, Holborn, WC1X 8UE. Hosted by Chuka Royalty and Fanny Oprah this is a platform to celebrate and recognise the commitments and success of Nigerian communities, charities, businesses and social groups. Tickets are £20.00 (£15.00 concs) from here.

At 8.00pm African Fashion Week London presents The African Collective at the Grand Connaught Rooms, 61-65 Great Queen Street, Holborn, WC2B 5DA. This adjunct to London Fashion Week showcases a selection of designs from African talent. Tickets are £11.25 from here.

At 9.00pm Sicnarf and Co Productions present the Premiere of Heartless Carer at The Odeon Greenwich, Bugsby Way, Greenwich SE10 0QJ. Based on a true story it tells the story of a woman who came to join her husband in the UK but fell into the clutches of a notorious womaniser. Directed by Francis Uwadi, starring Yvonne Hays, Ikenna Obi, Lanre Balogun, Ayo Ogundipe, Bisi Hassan, Olivia Eze, Joanna Apple and others. Tickets start from £15.00 from here.

The 11^th London African Music Festival

At 7.30pm Orlando Julius (Nigeria) and The Heliocentrics will be performing at Rich Mix. The legendary Orlando Julius will be performing with the London based psychedelic music collective with DJs AJ Kwame and Baggy of Afri-Kokoa opening the show with rare Afro pop, Afro funk tunes. Tickets are £12.50 (£10.00 concs) from here.

At 8.00pm Adjoa (Ghana) and Niran Obasa will be performing at The Vortex Jazz Club. The UK born afro soul jazz singer fuses soul, jazz and traditional Ghanaian rhythms singing in English, French, Spanish and Twi. She will be performing songs from her new EP ‘Adjoa’ with Chris Jerome (keyboards), Emmanuel Tagoe (percussion), Frank Tontoh (drums) and Eustace Williams (bass)

At 9.00pm M3nsa (Ghana) will be performing at The New Empowering Church, 1a Westgate Street, Dalston, E8 3RL. Son of Osibisa guitarist Tumi Ebo Ansah, the second half of innovative rap duo FOKN Bois, with a collection ranging from pidgin English musicals to Fanti Love songs. Backed  by his band Ryan Ansah (guitar), Fin Crowther (keyboard) and Aki Fujimoto (drums), Tickets are £12.50 (£10.00 concs).

Sunday 15^th September

From 11.00am to 3.00pm Numbi presents Numbi Family Workshops at Rich Mix. With creative photography workshops led by Numbi resident artists Charity Mwaniki, Nadyah Aissa and Kinsi Abdulleh. Tickets are £10.00 (£5.00 concs)

From 11.00am to 6.00pm Open The Gate presents The African Market at Gillett Square, Dalston,N16 8JN. This iconic African market will be held in the public square under a gazebo with African fashion, arts and crafts, food, music, face painting, drumming circles and much more. FREE to attend.

From 2.00pm to 6.00pm Mwalimu Express returns to Rich Mix. This months instalment of London’s finest Pan African family adventure is themed The Algerian Chaabi Chic Season featuring the Yaz Fentazi Trio, the Algerian oud maestro is joined by Zad Ada (bass) and Alessio Baralli (drums), films from screen station, Lucy Angell John’s Parent and Toddler Dance sessions, awale from the Oware Society, face painting and T shirts as well as tunes from hosts and DJ’s Rita Ray and Max Reinhardt. This is a family friendly FREE event

At 8.00pm Bold Tendencies presents Africa is a Film: Otelo Burning at Bold Tendencies, 95A Rye Lane, SE15 4ST. Set in late 1989 South Africa this film tells the story of two 16 year olds as they fall in love with surfing and come of age against the backdrop of the end of apartheid and township violence. Register for this FREE screening here

The 11^th London African Music Festival

At 7.30pm Akim El Sikameya (Algeria) will be performing at The Jazz Cafe, 5 Parkway, Camden Town, NW1 7PG. Singer and violinst AEl Sikamey fuses Andalusian and Arabic music with a sound like a flamenco guitar. Tickets are £20.00 (£18.50 concs)

At 7.30pm Namvula (Zambia) will be performing Upstairs at The Ritzy, she will be performing track from here debut album Tickets are £5.00 in advance from here and £7.00 on the door.

At 7.30pm Miryam Solomon (Eritrea) and Elmi Ali (Somalia) will be performing at The Forge, 3-7 Delancey Street, Camden, NW1 7NL.  The Eritrean singer with one of the most distinctive Afriocan female voices will be singing in Tigrinya and English. Somali poet Elmi Ali opens the show with his intelligent word play. Tickets are £10.00 (£7.00 concs) from here. 

At 7.30pm is a Filmphonics LAMF Special: African Film Live Score with Dat and Atongo Zimba at the Hackney Picturehouse, 270 Mare Street, Hackney, E8 1HE.  Drummer and percussionist Davide De Rose, guitarist Nathaniel Keen aka Dat and koliko (two stringed lute) player Atongo Zimba will create a unique live score for one of West Africa’s finest cinema releases. Tickets are £9.00 in advance from here, £10.00 on the door.