Week of 8th April: TY Album Launch, Courtney Pine, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, ACLT, CLR James Appreciation, South African Achievers, Kirikou at the Africa Centre

Summertime and the livings easy!

This week we have lots of legends and notables of African literature art and music with a Chinua Achebe

Appreciation, not 1 but 2 chances to catch one of Nigeria’s finest new authors Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie here in London, as well as British Hip Hop legend TY’s new album launch at The Jazz Cafe, ACLT events, Courthey Pine,  CLR James Appreciation, a film about Muhammad Ali and the animated film Kirikou at the Africa Centre. It may be winter outside but culturally it’s definitely spring!

Monday 8^th April

From 7.00pm to 10.00pm Wandsworth Mayors Office and Grenada High Commission will be hosting a Caribbean Evening at The Waterfront, Battersea Reach, Juniper Drive, SW18 1TS in support of the Mayors Charities. Tickets are £25.00 from here. 

Tuesday 9^th April

From 1.30pm to 5.00pm Meridian Sport and Social Football Club hosts Team Nigeria Press Conference in the Banking Hall, Nigeria High Commission, 9 Northumberland Avenue, WC2N 5BX, the African Cup of Nations UK is a football competition contested by youths and mens national teams from different UK based Africans. The final will be played at West Hams Upton Park in June. His is a FREE event, register here. 

At 6.30pm is the Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Appreciation Readings at the Dalston CLR James Library, 60 Roseberry Place  , Dalston, E8 3BQ. This will be a celebration of the works and literature of the Father of African literature and the young author seen as his natural successor. The readings will be by Andrea Enisuoh and Ngozi Headley-Fulani with additional support by Ngoma Bishop. This is a FREE event.

At 7.45pm the lady herself talks about her new novel Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ‘Americanah’ at the Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX. Her new work is a story of love and race spanning 3 continents and numerous lives centred on a young man and woman and the countries they choose to call home. Tickets are £10.00 from here.

Wednesday 10^th April

From 8.00am place4BRICS hosts the African Creative Industries Investment Summit at The Africa Centre, 38 King Street, WC2E 8JT. This event is for anyone interested in advertising, the arts, broadcasting, fashion, film, music and publishing in Africa and will gicve key insights into Africa’s creative industries by industry experts such as Obi Asika (Storm 360, Glu Africa), Yemisi Mokuolu (Hatch Africa), Njabulo Madlala (South African Opera Singer), Omar Ben Yedder (IC Publications), Nadia Denton (Author-Black British Filmmakers Guide to Success), Sinem Bilen-Onabanjo (FAB Magazine), DjoTunda Wa Munga (Filmaker), Josette Matomby (African Fashion Week), Prof Johanna Gibson (Queen Mary’s University of London), Dr Nicola Searle (UK Intellectual Property Office), Basi Akpabio (Producer), Magali Marcus (Marcus Global Communications ), Elisabeth Lalouschek (October Gallery), Patrick Campbell (OHTV), Simon Vandi (SiVa Entertainment), Lyndon Roberts (Lawyer), Konye Roberts (Adbelts) and Dr Shiyghan Navti (IBM). Tickets are £95.00 from here or £125.00 on the door. 

At 1.00pm The Royal Society for the Arts presents Humanising History and Cultures: The Role of literature at the RSA, 8 John Adam Street, Charing Cross, WC2N 6EZ with Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (very busy lady this week) in conversation with Ellah Allfrey Deputy Editor of Granta Magazine with her views on literature. This is a FREE event book here.

At 7.00pm is The Urban Collective : Supporting the ACLT at East Village Club, 59 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3HX. Hosted by Love2dance founder Danielle Blenman, it features live music, fashion and poetry, with performances by Anthony Anaxagorou, TALIsinc, iamshugi, Taiwo and more, with a fashion show by Clee Clothing and Ish Couture the Tickets are £5.00 in advance from here and £8.00 on the door. 

At 7.00pm Black Cat Music presents Courtney Pine in Support of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal at the Brixton Jamm, 261 Brixton Road, Brixton, SW9 6LH. Playing works from his latest album the veteran saxophonist will be supported by The Portraits, Jerry Deeney, Paper faces and Zita Holbourne. Tickets are £13.00 in advance and £15.00 on the door from here. 

At 7.00pm Jazz Cafe and Supa Dupa Fly host British Hip hop superstars TY’s Kick Snare and An Idea EP Release Party at  The Jazz Cafe,5 Parkway, London, NW1 7PG, with a host of special guests including BREIS, Akala, Durty, Goodz, Native Sun, Mystro and Pumpkin followed by music from DJ’s Big Ted, Boogie Bunch, Rapzscallion, Bunny Bread, Man vs Wife and Mr Thing. This is proper hip hop at its finest, tickets are £12.50 from here. 

Thursday 11^th April

From 8.30am to 2.30pm CountryFactor will host ZimInvest London 2013 Forum at International Intercontinental Hotel, Park Lane, W1J 7QY. Themed why Zimbabwe Matters, this is a platform for promoting opportunities to investors in mining, energy, agriculture, infrastructure, PPP’s and privatisation. Tickets start from £90.00 from here. 

At 7.30pm Tilts London Liming  returns to Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, E1 6LA with spoken word with a chilled out carnival vibe. This Kaiso and Comedy special will feature Calypso legend Alexander D Great, comedian Prince Abdi, spoken word poets Tim Clare, Femi Martin and Tim Bombdog as well as performances from Melanie Abrahams and James Ingham. Tickets are £8.00(£6.00 concs) from here. 

Friday 12^th April

At 6.00pm the TUC hosts Muhammad Ali and his Impact on Minority Communities at Congress House, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3LS. This event features a screening of ‘The King of South Shields’,  a film covering the visit of boxer Muhammad Ali and his wife and daughter to South Shields Mosque and the effect this visit had on the local Yemeni community. Followed by a discussion with Alex Pascall this is a FREE event,register here. 

At 6.30pm Kofi Arts hosts The Art of Love: Expressions of Spirituality on Ancient African Art  at Kofi Arts Studio, 115 Melfort Road, Thornton Heath, CR7 7RX a talk charting how spirituality was portrayed through the male and female figure in pre dynastic times. Tickets are £7.00 from here.

At 6.30pm BEMA hosts The Importance of The Black Vote in Hackney at Dalston CLR James Library, Dalston Square, a discussion by Operation Black Votes, Simon Woolley about the impact, importance, patterns and relevance of votes cast by African Caribbean people in Hackney over the last 40 years. Hosted by Andrea Enisuoh with Diane Abbott MP, Jules Pipe (Mayor of Hackney), Ngoma Bishop (BEMA) and local councillors. This is a FREE event register here.

Saturday 13^th April

From 11.00am to 6.00pm is the CLR James Legacy Conference at WEA London Region, 96-100 Clifton Street, EC2A 4TP celebrating the works of the great Trinidadian writer and activist C.L.R. James. Confirmed speakers include Darcus Howe (writer and broadcaster), Selwyn Cudjoe (Wellesley Ollege), Mike Dibb (Film maker), Robert A. Hill (UCLA) and Selma James (author). RSVP this FREE event here. 

At 6.30pm is the South Africa Achievers Awards Gala Dinner at The Cumberland Hotel, Great Cumberland Place, W1H 7DL to celebrate South Africa’s unsung heroes and heroines with a champagne reception, 3 course meal, fashion show with raffle prizes to be won. Tickets are £60.00 from here. 

Sunday 14^th April

At 2.30pm the Africa Centre is showing Kirikou and the Sorceress at the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden,  WC2E 8JT. This animated feature film draws on West African folklore and is about a boys extraordinary journey to bring peace and harmony to his village, featuring the music of Youssou N’dour. This is a FREE event although a £3.00 donation is kindly requested.

At 8.30pm is Juwon Ogungbe and Life Force Music at Vortex Jazz Club, 11 Gillett Square, Dalston, N16 8AZ. Hosted by Lord Eric Sugumugu singer, composer and multi instrumentalist Juwon Ogungbe will be performing tracks from his album, Life Force Music and new material, tickets are £12.50 (£10.00 concs) from here.