Week of 26th August: Emerging West Africa, The Griots Tale, Showcase Africa, Go Jazz Concert, Policing and Community Safety Debate, How Jamaica Conquered the World, I have a Dream

Happy short week!!

Hope you are enjoying the long weekend and upcoming short week, Proud to be African Clothing will be

relaxing and enjoying the sunshine. This week we have from jazz to Ethiopian music, afrobeat with Bukky Leo. ARISE at the Tabernacle, African movies, The Griots Tale at the Africa Centre. Debates on Children and Policing, poetry and spoken word and more.

On Friday Emerging West Africa will be taking place at The Museum of London showcasing business, trading, employment and charity opportunities in West Africa  

Monday 26^th August

At 6.00pm is the Go Jazz Concert at Jazz Cafe, 5 Parkway, Camden Town, NW1 7PG. This night of neo soul, jazz and spoken word will feature Yemi Sax (Nigerian contemporary Saxophonist), Kairos 4tet (MOBO Award winning UK Jazz band), Femi Temowo (MOBO Nominated UK/ Nigerian jazz guitarist), Floetic Lara (poet) and others. Tickets start from £27.50 from here

At 7.45pm is the UK Premiere of Big Words at the Stratford East Picturehouse, Salway Road, Stratford, E15 1BX, set in Brooklyn in 2008 on the eve of Obama’s historic election 3 friends once members of a promising hip hop group meet again and discover some things never change. Followed by a Q&A with director Neil Drumming. Tickets are £6.50 from here

Tuesday 27^th August

At 7.00pm Carpe Diem presents Poetry Meets Film and Photography: Arms Trade Special at The CLF Art Cafe, Bussey Building, 133 Rye Lane, SE15 4ST. This mix of live art photography, poetry, spoken word and film highlights the Arms Trade in Congo and features rapper and spoken word artist LyricL, Proud to be African favourite El Crisis, Nathaniel Nye, Kemi Taiwo and Mizan the Poet. Hosted by Emma Ako and Mizan the Poet

At 7.30pm the Africa Centre hosts The Griot’s Tale at the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JT. Written and composed by Tunde Jegede this is a classic story of a young man’s search for truth. Drawing from the ritualistic aspects of African mysticism with music, poetry, dance and the visual arts, this fascinating performance is choreographed by Bode Lawal, directed by Patrice Naiambana, with visual artist and poet Taiwo Emmanuel Jegede and filmmaker  Sunanra Begum. Running till 2^nd September, tickets start from £15.00 from here. 

Wednesday 28^th August

At 7.00pm Apple and Snakes presents I have a Dream- Architects of our Republic at the Riverside Terrace, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX. This is an open air collision of words, music and film celebrating the 50^th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jrs ‘I have a dream’ speech. Featuring visual displays and choirs, spoken word artists Hollie McNish, Salena Godden and Charlie Dark, musicians Zena Edwards, Drew Horley and Dizraeli. Poetry films by AJ McKenna, Conrad Kira, Vanessa Kisuule, Rik Sykes and Deborah Stevenson. This is a FREE event, more details here. 

At 7.30pm is Uncle  Errol’s Poetry Jam 10 at Vibe Gallery, 100 Clements Road, Bermondsey, SE16 4DG hosted by Uncle Errol with an open mic, singers, drummers, saxophonists, spoken word featuring Bunmi Hazzan, Mike Galsworthy, Ma’ankha Bast, Rikki RiktheMost Livermore, Jonas McCloud, Nathaniel Nye, Cezanne Poetess, Leah Bailey, David Lee Morgan, Emma Ako, Mark Mr T Thompson, Jah-Mir Early and John Paul O’Neill. Admission is £4.00 more details here.

From 12.45am to 3.00am The Femi Temowo Quartet will be performing at Ronnie Scotts, 47 Frith Street, W1D 4HT, playing at Ronnie Scotts famous Late Late show. Tickets are £10.00 (£5.00 students). More details here.

Thursday 29^th August

At 4.30pm SLIK presents a Public Debate on Policing and Community Safety at London City Hall, The Queens Walk, Southwark, SE1 2AA, featuring a diverse panel of speakers on this topic such as Stephen Greenhalgh (deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime), Stephen Rimmer (Home Office Director General of the Crime and Policing Group), Imran Khan (Human rights and Criminal Lawyer), Frances Crooke OBE (Howard League for Penal Reform) and Jamal Higgins (Lewisham Youth Mayor). Book your place at this FREE event here. 

At 7.00pm Black Arts Production Theatre presents  Bring Back The Love Part 4 at Unit 8, The Enterprise Building, Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Tottenham, N15 4RX, hosted by Travis Knight and Cezanne Poetess, this event features drama and debate that explores relationship issues with sketches based on Cezanne Poetesses self help novel ‘Single, Spiritual...and Sexual!’. The guest panel will consist of long term couple Daphne and Michael Josephs, Glynis and Jak Beula. Admission is £5.50 in advance from here and £7.00 on the door

  

Friday 30^th August

At 5.00pm Divas on Demand presents Emerging West Africa at Museum of London, 150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN. This event showcases business, trading, employment and charity opportunities. features keynote speakers  include Julian Robertson Jones (Enterprise Africa Ltd) discussing Trade and Emerging Markets, Michael Amaning (Invest in Africa) discussing Business Opportunities in Africa, Nana Ampofo (Songhai Advisory LLP) discussing Investing Opportunities  in Ghana, Clifford Lawrence Amankwah (Health and Fitness Mogul) discussing Funding Opportunities, Andrrea Opoku (Marketing Consultant) on Starting a Business in Africa, Rolake Akinkugbe (Ecobank), Alice Ukoko (Women of Africa) and Noreen Makosewe (The Motivational Listener). Hosted by Winnie Oudeman (Young and Connected) and the panel facilitated by Sena Kpodo (Business Council for Africa), with entertainment provided by poet Nathaniel Nye as well as a raffle and refreshments.  Tickets start from £7.00 from here. 

At 5.00pm is How Jamaica Conquered the World at 3 Olaf Street, Notting Hill, W11 4BE, celebrating Jamaican cultural success with a series of films and debates. At 5.00pm is The Harder They Come, starring Jimmy Cliff, at 7.10pm Marley, a biopic on the life, music and legacy of Bob Marley. At 9.40pm Jamaican Cultural Q&A with Mykaell Riley, Courttia Newland and others debate the cultural legacy of Jamaica around the world. At 10.30pm a screening of the podcast How Jamaica Conquered New York and then from 11.00pm a party with DJs Roifield Brown, Barrie K Sharpe, and Invasion Sound. This is a FREE event, register here.

At 6.30pm Star100 presents Development through Sports with Tom Vernon at Lewis SIlkin, 5 Chancery Lane, Clifford’s Inn Passage, EC4A 1BL. The founder £13.50 from here. 

of Right to Dream Football Academy in Ghana will be discussing social investment as a development tool, setting up and running a social enterprise in Ghana, the journey to founding Right to Dream and the potential and future of elite sport in Ghana. The Academy has grown from a few boys on a dusty pitch in Ghana to a successful fully residential international school offering scholarships to talented children. Tickets are

At 8.00pm Open the Gate presents Bukky Leo and Black Egypt meets Dennis Bovell Band at Passing Clouds, 1 Richmond Road, Dalston, E8 4AA. Afrobeat meets Dub reggae live on stage with DJ Koichi Sakai on the decks upstairs in the Ghetto Lounge. Admission is £5.00 before 10.00pm and £8.00 after.

At 8.00pm Zewditou Yohannes and Howard Williams will be performing at Cafe Otto, 18-22 Ashwin Street, E8 3DL, this unique husky voiced UK based Ethiopian artist will be singing in Amharic with her trio playing the masengo and krar. Tickets are £8.00 (£7.00 in advance)

Saturday 31^st August

At 2.00pm is A Taste of Africa at Adulis, Eritrean Restaurant and Bar, 44-46 Brixton Road, Brixton, SW9 6BT. The day will feature exhibitions of modern art, fashion, design, ancient art and artwork, followed by a buffet of Ethiopian/ Eritrean dishes all of which will be accompanied by entertainment hosted by Cezanne Poetess with posts, saxophonists and pianists. Admission is FREE from here. 

At 3.00pm is Senegalese with Cheryl- Lunch O’ Clock at The Mitch Pitch, Mitcham Market, Upper Green East, Mitcham ,CR4 2PE, where you will get the chance to learn traditional Senegalese cooking, prepare a pot luck recipe and share with others. Register for this FREE event here.

From 6.00pm till midnight is Showcase Africa at The Camden Centre, Euston Road, WC1H 9JE, featuring music from Ogga Kattalog and The Gentlemen, Heritage Survival Band, Fire Flex, Da Canine, Hyper Hype and Manny. Dancing from Unique Silver Dancers, Chippera Modern African Dance, comedian and poet Imhotep Oyortey and many more as well as children’s (or adults!) face painting, magician and other children’s entertainment. Tickets are £15.00 (£5.00 children) from here.

Sunday 1^st September

At 5.00pm is The Griot Tales Dance Masterclass and Screening at the Africa Centre, Tunde Jegede The Modern Griot and then a talk by Tunde Jegede and Sunara Begum about the show and how the main themes were developed. Tickets are £15.00 for the dance masterclass or £5.00 for just the screening from here.

will offer a dance masterclass with choreographer Bode Lawal, followed by a special screening of

At 6.00pm is The Flair Debate Show: there are no bad children, only bad parents’ at The Light Bar and Restaurant, 233 Shoreditch High Street, Shoreditch, E1 6PJ. There will be 2 teams debating the topic as well as performances by May7even, Ashton Forde, Angela Ricci, Salman Malik, with Guest Judges DJ Spoony and Clencha. Tickets are £8.00 from here

At 6.00pm Black Cinema Club screens Night Catches Us at Black Grape Platinum Suite, 228 West Green Road, Tottenham, London, N15 3QR,  written and directed by Tanya Hamilton, the film is based in 1976 around Marcus who came of age amidst the Black Power movement and finds himself having to protect  a secret that could destroy old friendships, Admission is £5.00 (£2.00 concs), more information here

At 7.00pm is A.R.I.S.E. at The Tabernacle, Talbot Road, Powis Square, Notting Hill, W11 2AJ , hosted by Daddy Ernie interviewing presenter Evadney Campbell, broadcaster Eddie Nestor and comedian Slim in this TV chat show type event where luminaries from the African-Carribean community are interviewed about their lives and careers, with musical entertainment provided by the resident band d22 featuring Don-E. Tickets are £12.00 in advance from here, more on the door 

Week of 28th January: the ANC, There Was a Country, V&A Museum, Live Jazz, Tropical Vibes and Movies

Hello My Good Friends,

Divas on Demand

As we come to end of February there a whole series of fascinating events to keep us warm and engaged. Last week Proud to be African Clothing had a great time at the Divas on Demand Networking event with Jenny Garrett, Claudia Liza and Gemma Feare, we look forward to the next one! As we enter the US Black History Month this week we have Ethiopian coffee documentary's  book talks on the ANC and Nigeria, Igbo Dancing, live jazz, Chadian movies, African art at the V&A Museum.

Monday 28^th January

At 7.30pm the Africa Centre presents South Africa, The new ANC leaders and an uncertain future at the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JT, a talk with journalist Fiona Forde (author of ‘An inconvenient youth: Julius Malema and the new ANC’) with author Gillian Slovo about the changing face of the former liberation movement as it governs modern South Africa. Although this is a FREE event a £3.00 donation is politely hinted at here. 

At 6.00pm the Lets Events team will be screening the documentary Black Gold at Bar 19.20 19-20 Great Sutton Street, Farringdon, EC1V 0DR. The film follows an Ethiopian coffee producer as he goes around the world attempting to get a fair price for his high quality coffee. Admission is FREE and the film starts at 7.30pm sharp

Tuesday 29^th January

At 7.00pm the Igbo Culture and Support Network (ICSN) Book Club returns to review Professor Chinua Achebe’s new book ‘There was a Country: A personal memoir of Biafra’ at Madam Chis, 187 Upper Street, Islington, N1 1RQ. Come along have some excellent nibbles and discuss this brilliant and deeply controversial book

Thursday 31^st January

At 5.00pm Chatham House presents Land Reform in Zimbabwe Revisited: A Qualified Success? at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, 10 St James Square, SW1Y 4LE, with former UK Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Joseph Hanlon (LSE), Jeanette Manjengwa (University of Zimbabwe), Teresa Smart(Institute of Education). They will be discussing a new book ‘Zimbabwe takes back its land’ which argues that despite hyperinflation and political violence, the new farmers are doing relatively well and becoming productive countering the dominant media narrative. This is a FREE event register here.

At 6.30pm Millers Jazz Lounge presents Alim Kamara Live Hip Hop Night at O2 Water Margin, 23 Entertainment Avenue, Greenwich, SE10 0DY. Hosted by G.R.E.E.D.S with special guests Andrew Muhammad, Ego-Ella May and the NuVibez band. Along with the live poetry and music there is also a buffet. Tickets are £20.00 from here.

At 8.00pm Supa Fine presents Lumiere, Julivaa, Flexie Musio, Missbee and Modupe at the Hideaway, 114 Junction Road, N19 5BL performing live jazz, soul and folk music followed by Resident DJ’s Citizen K and Speedy, GUBA Award winner Juliyaa will be performing her African inspired soul vocals with guitarist Tom Povey, Lumiere will be performing her unique blend of acoustic folk and slow soul, Missbee will be fusing classic Ella Fitzgerald sounds with latin, soul  and old school jazz, ranging from sad to soulful with Carl Harris on vocals and Keeling Lee on guitar, Modupe is a soulful vocalist with effortless stage presence and finally Nigerian vocalist Flexie Muiso. Tickets for all this soulful, jazzy goodness is £5.00 from here. 

Friday 1^st February

At 6.30pm in the Lunch Room of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) Museum we have Africa: Speed, Search, Sound at the V&A museum, Cromwell Road, Kensington, SW7 2RL. Where you can speed date with historians about their favourite items, search for hidden representations of Africa, make recycled accessories, learn drum calls and party. There will be live music by the Thabani Nyoni Band in the V&A Cafe at 8.00pm. This is an uber groovy FREE event with many never seen before African art treasures. More details here

Saturday 2^nd February

At 10.00 am the ICSN Dance school returns to Islington Arts Centre, 2 Parkhurst Road, N4 0SF for 2013. With a fusion of dance styles as well as core Igbo dancing this course lasting till 23^rd March 2013 is only £65.00. Email for more details 

From 1.00pm we have London Tropical Vibes 2013 at Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, WC1R 4RL, there will be a Tropical Market with delicious foods, cocktails and other products on sale in the main hall, a festival showcase, exciting workshops and a buffet of French Caribbean cuisine followed by a party with all flavours of tropical music including a Latino band Cajunto Sabroso followed by Sunbailante DJs. All of this tropical goodness can be yours with tickets ranging from £5.00 to £27.00 from here.

From 2.00pm to 5.30pm the LCSI presents African Diaspora in Development of Africa at London West Valley College, 218 Whitechapel Road, E1 1BJ. The seminar will cover African development needs, donating skills and time for development, establishing partnerships, funding opportunities, working with international organisations etc. Reserve your place at this FREE event here. 

At 6.30pm Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen will be hosting Its Ghana be Meze at Carlton London Cafe, 4 Roach Road, E3 2PA. This is a 6 course meze madness of delicious Ghanaian street food, with vegetarian options. There are two sittings one at 6.30pm and the other at 8.30pm. All for just £20.00. 

Sunday 3^rd February

At 2.30pm the Africa Centre has a screening of the Cannes Film Festival winner A Screaming Man at the Africa Centre, 38 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JT. This Franco-Chadian drama by Mahamat Saleh Haroun is about Adam a former swimming champion who is now a pool attendant at a 5 star hotel, forced to give up his job to his son by the new Chinese owners, he becomes resentful all the while the country is in civil war with the District Chief harassing Adam for his contribution to the war effort, but being penniless he only has his son. RSVP for this FREE screening here.