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African Happenings
WHAT
IS URBAN?
Hopefully
we will get some pointers, if not answers, at the BMC’s ‘Is It Black
Music Or Urban?’ debate. Birmingham-based DJ workshop/label and arts
organisation Punch is running a year-long multi-media project called
‘What Is Urban?’. 0121 224
7444. www.whatisurban.org.uk/flash.php.
ALL-STAR
VOCALISTS
Ade, panellist at the BMC’s ‘Is It Black Music Or
Urban?’ debate runs the All-Star Academy’s soul vocals programme.
Its one-to-one private lessons and group classes are enrolling now.
There’s an exclusive
choir training programs, plus ‘free’ group class introductions in
June 2004. For enquiries and bookings for "urban music's No.1 school of expertise in vocals,
performance & artist development training":
020 7770 6080/ 07976 412 093. www.urbanallstar.com/allstaracademy.
URBAN
NIGHT
BBC Radio 1 has revamped its schedules. One of the programmes
that benefits from better time slot is the Bobby
& Nihal’s Sony award winning Asian beats show under the Wednesday
Urban Night strand now starts at 9pm. "It is about making sure the
right music is on at the right time of day,” states a station bod.
“We looked at the line-up six months ago and asked if we were giving
the right exposure to the right musical genres, and decided to bring
shows like Bobby and Nihal and The Lock Up into the evening
schedule."
URBAN
NOMADS
Bamjimba is a Preston-based reggae collective based around
Fatman, who was recently in Marocco (yes, it’s in Africa!), recording
“ some ‘urban’ nomad dub/reggae in the Medina in Marrakech”.
Bamjimba’s ‘I Love’ CD, which is available for sale www.prostudio.co.uk,
has managed to raise over £6,000 for the UK Sickle Cell Society from
April 2003 to April 2004 sales!
URBAN
YOUTH
One of the lesser known attractions at the Urban Music
Festival was 14 year old Harlesden-based MC SmartGuy who won the UK
Unsigned Rap Finals. Check out his site for more details, including a
sample of his rocking, conscious track ‘Don’t Be Easily Led’: www.mcsmartguy.com.
USHER’S SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
According to Variety, things are moving along nicely on a new film
project
being executive produced by and set to star Usher. The
project is being dubbed
as an urban 'Saturday Night Fever'. Film studio MGM have bought the
script and word is they hope to capitalise on the artist's recent return
to the charts with the movie project. (Culled from daily@unlimitedmedia.co.uk.
FRESH
TELLY
T4 are looking for fresh producers, MC’s, lyricists, and
vocalist to take part in a new urban music documentary for channel 4. If
you believe you have what it takes to make it in the game, send your
demo, biog and photo to: Jade Richardson, T4/Chancers, P. O. Box 38148,
London W10 5TH or call 0208 969 9991 and leave a 60 second freestyle, as
well as your name and contact details. Must be 18 or older. Closing date
is June 10.
URBAN
TALENT
Urban Syndicate presents the Urban Talent showcase every
Tuesday 11pm-Midnight on 1503AM and www.soundradio.info.
Urban Talent introduces you to a
fresh, vibrant and unique radio programme on Sound Radio”. It is
predominantly to showcase and promote UK artists and their hip-hop,
R&B, garage and reggae music. This is
achieved, wherever possible, through interviewing artists live on air at
the Sound Radio studios. The Urban Talent show primarily focuses on
local talent from the east London area. However, they welcome talented
artists from anywhere within the U.K. The Urban Talent show is aired
live, wherever possible.
Tuesday 25th May: in the studio will be Denise
Destini, founder of Phuturehype. She will be bringing three artists
who will be performing at the finals of Phuturehype.
Sound
Radio officially launched on July 26 2002. Terrestrial coverage ranges
from Potters Bar (Hertfordshire) through to Croydon (Surrey). In
addition to a potential local audience reach of 4 million.
Urban Talent, Sound Radio, 15 Olympus Square, London E5 8PL. urbantalent@soundradio.info,
Mr
Whyte on
07903 340 938.
Roaring Showcase
RoaR
is
the UK urban artist showcase for signed and unsigned
artists. It’s held every 2-3 months. The next one’s on Friday
June 4 at Oh Art!!, Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, Bethnal Green,
London E2. £7 in advance. 7pm.
Limited concession tickets available. For more information,
submission of demos, tickets, etc: 07944 152 430 or visit www.twylyte.co.uk.
“Support homegrown. RoaR does just
that.”.
STILL
URBAN?
Heard of The Now Urban Official Charts? Why Now Urban? It was
“created to give urban black music the true representation it
deserves, something found to be lacking in all other official national
charts”. Now you know. But have you ever seen these urban charts? www.nowurban.com.
CHOICE RADIO
When Choice Radio began in March 1990, it was described as “Britain’s
first 24 hour soul music station”.
Now, it’s described as “London’s
only true urban music station attracting a young, vibrant audience who
live life to the full in every way – be it out partying at the hottest
clubs or buying the biggest names in fashion”. Now you know.
GRASSROOTS
PLAN
GrassRoots hits Plan B, 418 Brixton Road, London SW9 on
June 2 (and every first
Wednesday of every month). It’s the “ place to see the most
exciting, talented, raw and underground, up-and-coming African and urban
rappers, DJs, MCs, vocalists and beat makers. They leave no stone
unturned to present the most dynamic and trailblazing acts”. Features
resident DJ Eric Soul alongside The Truentz, a seven strong hip-hop
collective, bringing you their own special blend of hip-hop, mixed with
samba, rhythm and blues, classical, reggae, blaxploitation and jazz.
8pm-2am. £5, £3 Concs. 07967 362 551 info@outofafrica-london.com.
REMEMBERING AFRICA
Africa Remembrance Day (ARD) is on Sunday August 1. The African
Remembrance Day Committee (ARDC) are planning a family orientated event
to mark the day at Potter’s Field. The ARDC works with others to
promote and acknowledge ARD/Emancipation Day and to erect monuments to
the African victims of slavery. www.africanremembrance.org.uk.
CHARLIE’S
WORLD
Charlie Gillette celebrates twenty-five years of
presenting World music with
the release of ‘World 2004’ compilation. The fourth in the series,
it’s the first on Wrasse Records. “Each year his compilation has
created more and more interest, mainly because it is the best World
album for the year. This year’s ‘World 2004’ is no exception. It
rounds up the best and most popular world music of the past twelve
months. As such this compilation is now seen as the must-buy World Music
Compilation of the year. As Charlie sums it up: "This is the Sound
of the World today, as heard by these ears." The selection crosses
all boundaries, nationalities and languages. It includes Ojos De
Brujo, Souad Massi, Think of One, Terry Hall, DJ Dolores, Carla Bruni,
plus the rocking ‘Atide’ by Brit African/hip-hop fusionists JJC
& The 419, whom Gillette has championed. www.wrasserecords.com/albums/112.html.
JAZZY
SENEGALESE
Award-winning Senegalese rap Daara J play live at
London’s Jazz Café on Saturday 29th May. Their album ‘Boomerang’
is released in the UK on Wrasse Records.
GRIOT
TOUR
Kasse Mady Diabate is “one of West Africa’s greatest
musicians, acclaimed for the sheer beauty and ethereal quality of his
tenor voice”. Born into a
legendary line of griots (singers for the emperors of Mali and their
descendents), Diabate is “perhaps the greatest living performer of a
tradition which dates back some 700 years to the height of the Mali
empire”. He is equally comfortable in other styles, having received
great acclaim for his recent collaboration with legendary blues
guitarist Taj Mahal and as singer for the Cuban-flavoured ‘Las
Maravillas de Mali’. His
album, ‘Kassi Kasse’ (EMI), was released in March 2003 and was
nominated for a BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music. His UK tour includes
May 29 London Barbican (opening for Cesaria Evora), June 3 Bristol’s
Fiddler Club, 4 Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music, 5
Southport’s Southport Arts Centre, 6 London’s Blackheath Concert
Halls.
AFRICAN
RADIO
Uncle Sam recently marked his fourth anniversary as a
radio presenter. He started presenting his African music programme
on Choice FM on May 7 2000. “It all started out of curiosity to
discover what it took to make a radio presenter,” states Uncle Sam,
whose day job is an accountant at Choice. “Fortunately, I was working
at the same radio station in a different capacity. I guess I must be
doing it well, else I wouldn’t still be here. We started with
four shows, of which I presented one. The others have all gone,
sadly. I have had great support from you all in various ways. I
can only say words alone cannot express my gratitude.
“To mark this, I have declared May and June 'anniversary
months' to be used for promotions, giveaway and competitions. I would be
even more grateful if the labels can help me make this a successful
celebration.” Not one to sit on his laurels, Uncle Sam has been
studying French in order to effectively communicate with his Francophone
listeners. Check out the African Beat programme Saturdays 10pm-midnight.
It’s streamed on www.choicefm.net
or see the playlist at www.unclesamofafrica.com/Playlists.htm.
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT
The African Diaspora And Development Day (AD3) is July 3. The
theme foe 2004 is: ‘Transforming the local everywhere: Africa here,
there, Africa everywhere’. Hundreds of Africans and their
organisations are expected to gather on Saturday July 3 at London's City
Hall for AD3. The day “has become the biggest gathering of Africans in
the UK involved in supporting Africa’s development”. Featuring
seminars, workshops, exhibitions, an African development market, and a
keynote address by renowned West African gender activist Yassine Fall,
AD3 will also provide an opportunity for African diaspora organisations
to meet with other development agencies - donors, policy-makers,
pan-African development institutions and international NGOs - to share
information and chart a way forward for the UK diaspora’s role in
Africa’s development.
Organised by africa21 (a consortium of nine African organisations), this
year’s AD3 will focus on how Africans in the UK are promoting change
both here in the UK as well as in Africa in their regions of origin. In
the evening, entertainment featuring leading diasporic performers will
round off a day. AD3 2004, The Greater London Authority - City Hall, The
Queen's Walk, London SE1 2AA. Onyekachi Wambu, 020 7587 3905. ad3@afford-uk.org.
www.afford-uk.org.
AMPLIFIED
AFRO-LATIN SOUL
Better check out Amplied on Sunday May 30 at Market Place,
London W1 for a blast of Afro-Latin sounds from the likes of Africando, Antibalas, Azymuth, Batidos, Bebel
Gilberto, Bugz In The Attic, D'Angelo, Da Lata, De La Soul, Ed
Motta, Eddie Palmieri, Ernestos, Fertile Ground, George
Duke, Incognito, Joyce, Mark De Clive-Lowe, Masters at Work,
Meshell Ndegeocello, Milton Nascimento, Modaji, Mondo Grosso,
Mongo Santamaria, Orishas, Osunlade, Peven Everett, The
Pharcyde, Tito Puente, Ramsey Lewis, Raphael Saadiq, Ry Cooder, Sade,
Santana, Slum Village, Stevie Wonder, Vikter Duplaix, Wyclef Jean and
many more. www.amplified-online.co.uk.
AFRICA
DAY
May 25 is Africa Day. Activities include the
campaign to celebrate the UNESCO 2004 International Year of the Struggle
against Slavery and its Abolition. www.ligali.org/nomoretalk/2004whatareyoudoing.htm.
WEIRD
AFRICAN BIRTHDAY
Out Of Africa celebrates
its first year at Cargo, Rivington St, London E1 with a big bash on June
16 featuring a huge line-up of performers and DJs threatening to blow the roof off
Cargo in a party of African proportions!” On the bill are Aphletik and
Weird MC, plus DJs including the “legendary” Eric Soul.
Having played with
the likes of Tony Allen, Femi Kuti and Ashley Beedle, Weird MC, the
“pioneer of Afrobeat hip-hop” plays with her full band. Old
Street tube. 8pm-1am. £10,
£6 concession. Out of Africa: Giles 07957 621 814 or hatch@hatch-uk.com;
Weird MC: Debbie Golt: debbie@outerglobe.freeserve.co.uk
Aphletik: Jules
Simon: jules@spiracle-management.com;
Eric Soul: www.ericsoul-dj.com.
UHURU
BUSINESS
Pan-Africanist group Uhuru have a meeting at
the UNITY Centre on May 30, 3.30pm focusing on ‘The Crisis Of Pan
Africanism’. 37-39 Peckham High street, Peckham, SE15. Arrive early to
watch international screening of political speakers. 020 8265 1731. On
July 16, 7pm, there will be the Celebrating Africa & Africans talks,
live entertainment and a banquet at Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Sq, WC1. £15.
At the same venue on July 17-18 there will be The Conference To Build
Worldwide African Revolutionary Organisation: The African Socialist
International. For an open mic showcase for pan-Africanists and
conscious heads, check out the twice monthly Free Da Mic, a
“progressive musical night in support of young African musicians for
their economic benefit”. Sunday May 23, 7pm. £3. N.A.T. 07957
427 168. www.sunshinekid.com.
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