AfroBySoul London

All sizes | Kigali UP festival | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

2011-09-20T01:09:00.000-07:00

All sizes Kigali UP festival Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Rwandan DJ ERIC SOUL nominated Best DJ Of The Year @ MOAMAS 2011 -

2011-08-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

CAST YOUR VOTE FOR DJ ERIC SOUL NOMINATED AS BEST DJ OF THE YEAR AT THE MUSEKE ONLINE MUSIC AWARDS 2011.

AFROTAINMENT MUSEKE ONLINE AFRICAN MUSIC AWARD ANNOUNCED THE NOMINEES FOR 2011.
Following a month of exhaustive deliberation with an esteemed Voters’ Academy made up of African DJ’s, bloggers, VJs and entertainment industry figures, the Afrotainment Museke Online African Music Awards are happy to announce the nominees for the second annual groundbreaking awards. The awards are aimed at giving fans across the continent and in the Diaspora a voice and a chance to contribute to the acknowledgement of some of the finest in African musical talent.

The DJ of the Year category shows respect to DJs across the continent that have played a part in developing their respective genres and also command respect locally and cross-borders.
Visit: www.moamas.com/ for full list of nominees

Eric Soul itinary:
After a spiritual and cultural awakenning during a three month stay in post-war Rwanda as a resident DJ in Kigali, the capital of his native country. Eric Soul embarked on a musical crusade and landed in the headcity of clubculture - London - The mission?

Make Afro music and culture economically relevant, hip & sexy again to new generation of African and its Diaspora
Use this as a communication vehicle to trigger positive social changes!
Elevate his country cultural profile to its deserved statut.

Upon arrival in London, Eric Soul founded and developed AFROGROOV from a DJ music policy to a succesful and inspiring monthly platform of cultural expression to an international company delivering DJ-led music events, multi media art, a TV show, workshops and ground-breaking live performances. He performs as a DJ/artist on a variety of world stages such as Notting Hill Carnival, Printemps de Bourges, Womex, WOMAD, Sauti Za Busara festival (Tanzania), Lake Of Stars (Malawi), official launch party for the Football World Cup (Berlin). He is the conceiver, producer and TV host of WAHALA - a 26min digital TV show supporting and exposing new upcoming talent from Africa. As Africa explodes with talents, ideas and creativity that cross culture and geographical boundaries, Wahala is the reflection of an Africa in motion. With the aims of filling a large void existing between over-exposed commercial music and artists with global appeal not compromising their true cultural heritage, Eric Soul uses his fined-tuned ears, DJ skills, charisma and international network of key contacts to produce infectious online visual contents challenging negative perceptions and stereotypes on the most efficient media platform of all - Digital TV.
The Re-Evolution will Be Broadcast!

Scroll down to songs/video/industry group to CAST YOUR VOTE FOR DJ ERIC SOUL HERE

WATCH WAHALA
WAHALA Best of 2009 from NO PRODZ (Filming & Editing) on Vimeo.

RWANDAN artist of the Diaspora are representing well this year. Acclaimed US Based Jazz-Singer SOMI is also nominated in the Best Acoustic Song category:

Scroll down to Acoustic Song to CAST YOUR VOTE FOR SOMI HERE
WATCH SOMI live

The global success and international recognition of artists such Nneka, K'naan, Fally Ipupa or BlitZ The Ambassador confirms that there is a global and growing consensus that cultural and creative industries are a significant contributor to economic growth and job creation. Today, the wisest music and marketing executives, producers, movie makers and businessmen are flocking to AFRICA to find new talents. Initiative such as MUSEKE MOAMA 2011 deserves strong community support, political will and investments in view of maximising the potential of the African creative industries to promote and project this great vision of progress, strenght and empowerment.

Movie review by Alex 9yrs old - Tanzania

2011-02-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

Alex parle du film Commando - Videos humour

Globa Africa - Artist Alfredo Jaar meets Manthia Diawara

2011-01-19T21:07:00.000-08:00

Amaizingly deep presentation by Alfredo Jaar on his epic series of work part of The Rwandan Project. Followed by an insightful discussion with Malian writer, filmmaker, cultural theorist, scholar, and art historian Mantia Diawara . .

K'naan performs @ The 2011 Economist Conference

2010-12-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

For over 165 years, The Economist has traded on two ideas—insight and optimism. At The World In 2011 event, participants will have the opportunity to share in a unique experience that only The Economist can create—and to share their views and ideas about what will shape the months ahead.

At this year edition, the guest included an Ex-US President; a Chef, A Record Label Owner and a Rapper.....
Read more here

FELA! Part 2: The Fela cast teams up with African Centre

2010-12-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

Fela Xmas Party

A celebration of Fela-inspired music

SATURDAY 18th December, 8pm-2am @ The Africa Centre.
38 King Street- Covent Garden - London UK

The Africa Centre wishes you a very merry Christmas and invites you to an exclusive party in homage of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the founding father of Afrobeat music, featuring the cast from the sold-out Fela! Musical currently showing at the National Theatre, and a great Dj line-up, including Djs Eric Soul (AFROGROOV), Nastee McQuaid, Tony Nwachukwu (NEPA/burntprogress) & TRoy (Broadcite).

On the night, we will have a raffle with special Christmas prizes for our guests as well as delicious home-made Nigerian food on sale.

All proceeds from the night will go towards the refurbishment of the Africa Centre premises, scheduled to take place from March to July next year.

Please come along to enjoy and celebrate a night of Fela-inspired music at the Africa Centre with the cast from the Fela! Musical and other Fela Kuti lovers.

If you are a UK reader or just happen to be in London during this pre-NYE period! This is simply the place to be after the Xmas feast...nothing better to burn those extra calories!!

We really look forward to seeing you there!

Book your tickets online now at http://felaxmasparty.eventbrite.com

*The Africa Centre would like to thank all the above-mentioned djs, the cast of the Fela! Musical and artist Daniela Yohannes for making this night happen.

FELA! Part1: The Musical plays in London!!

2010-12-09T08:22:00.000-08:00

For the last three weeks, Bill T Jones's creation has taken London by storm. It is a slightly different version from the Award-Winning Broadway version of FELA THE MUSICAL with a brand new cast, musicians...only the leading roles of Fela is still there.

Antibalas was the tight musical unit who re-worked and performed the music for the stateside version while the National Theatre production gave the responsability to re-create the intricate music of Fela to the very capable hand of Dele Sosimi, Rob Hopcraft and Idris Rahman from the very slick Afro/Dub top London band Soothsayers.

The London press launch was really buzzing, both Seun And Femi Kuti were in attendance, Marie Daulne from Zap Mama, DJ Rita Ray amongst a few Nigerians celebrities and a kaledoscopic mix of media, industry crowd and other familiar faces. All were there mingling, drinking and dancing...a free party courtesy of the National Theatre production team.

For the gossips: Apparently the London version was a more pan-African cast and 60% of the cast were french-speaking performers of Carribean and African origin: the happy tap-dancer was not part of the Broadway version: Femi Kuti gave his thumbs up to the play saying it was quite an emotional experience....

Fela! was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical for Bill T. Jones, Best Leading Actor in a Musical for Sahr Ngaujah, and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Lillias White.

Weither you love musical or not....the FELA production is a real creative "tour de force". Critics will be very quick to point out details and question with sarcasms the possibility to produce a rendition of such a complex, facinating, multi-faceted and seriously iconic charachter in a 2 hour play?

Well, you really need to be darken by negativity to not be impressed by the sheer near-perfect balance between inter-active entertainment, powerful thought-povoking acting , music and dance performance in display while retracing authentic moment of the life of the Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick that FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI was.

Because it is the first, it is just the best that it could be and the bar has been set quite high.....So critics are very welcome to create their own version.....more there is...the merrier!

Still doubting?? Watch this clip and tell me you dont want to go and see it...

http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/felalondon/

Music is the weapon....Africanize 2011!!

Xmas Bank Holiday feat Kasai Masai, Toopi, Koichi Sakai and Eric Soul 27th Dec @ Passing Cloud

2010-11-27T15:59:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a XMAS PARTY?
27 DEC 2010... 8pm - 5am (28 is bank holiday)
join us to celebrate the winners of WOM@TT BEST OF BRITISH AWARD VII 2010:

KASAI MASAI

+ Exclusive show from TOOPI
+ after party by DJ ERIC SOUL (WAHALA on VOX AFRICA TV - SKY CH 218)

Eric Soul - Positive Soul crew / Bisque Rage visuels
Uploaded by bisquerage. - Discover more animation and arts videos.

upstairs:
MURUA 69 (tribute to the late GREGORY ISAACS)

KOICHI SAKAI (Afrobeat)

PASSING CLOUDS, 1 RICHMOND RD E8 4AA (Dalston Kingsland - overground station) off Kingsland Road

info 07932527121
Advance ticket : £5 www.ticketmaster.co.uk www.ticketweb.co.uk

£5 before 10.30pm
£7 after

AFROGROOV: Afro, Jazz, RnB, Hip Hop, Soul, Kwaito, Soukouss, Coupe' Decale', Bashment

JAQEE new single Pink Drunk Elephant is out

2010-11-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

JAQEE is a phenomenon, a smiling-dancing and singing musical rainbow so infectious she has already conquered Sweden, Germany, France and other European part with 3 albums spanning Jazz, Soul, Folk, Reggae, RnB and Hip Hop.

Like Ayo and Nneka or Patrice before her, it is yet again a German label who is behind the success of another princess of this wave of African artists who in the last 2 years have been crashing the European and American charts, touring internationally at most major festivals events worth appearing on the European live circuit, be it Soul, Reggea, Folk, World/African or Hip Hop.
The UK is just a little bit behind on this one...probably to caught up with X-Factor and N-Dubz to even care.
There is a long list of relevant talents that we do not see enough here in the UK despite having a receptive and knowledgeable audience ready to jump at the chance to see them perform if given an opportunity.
The odd "Black Divide"...it is interesting to notice how the Afropean range of musical taste is very similar but somehow different than the Afro-Carribean musical experience...it could be subject to a long debate but I regress....because here we have an artist contributing in narrowing the cultural gap in the most efficient and classy way. Resist if you dare!
Ladies and Gentlemand, all the way from Uganda via Sweden, here is JAQEE 4th and last single taken from her sucessful third Album KOKOO GIRL.
JAQEE IS ON ROOTDOWN RECORDS
JAQEE PINK DRUNK ELEPHANT OFFICIAL VIDEO

JAQEE also appear on WAHALA on VOXAFRICA TV, in the UK watch it on SKY Ch218
SEE TRAILER HERE

WAHALA - Trailer Season 2 w/JAQEE from NO PRODZ (Filming & Editing) on Vimeo.

Tiken Jah Fakoly - Je dis non (clip officiel)

2010-11-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

NEW TIKEN JAH FAKOLY album is out! Its call AFRIKAN REVOLUTION.

Lyrics in French and in English....big news!!!

Wahala has a new webpage....!!

2010-11-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

New look for VOXAFRICA, to enhance your media experience of all things African, check our re-designed webiste: more contents, all your favourite shows, video, latests interviews and news reports just a click away...
Come visit us www.voxafrica.com

On the WAHALA page, we have more archives of most of our previous show so come and check them out...such as this WAHALA Special Soul Power.
Regardez ici

To Sign or Not To Sign? ...that is the question!

2010-11-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

Originally found on BALOJI blog.....so powerful

I had to share it!

A much-respected hip hop MC turned MP...only in AFRICA, TANZANIA to be exact!

2010-11-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

For the younger generations in East Africa, the man is known as Sugu aka Mr II aka 2Proud, he is a legendary MC on the Tanzanian scene, he has been credited as a pioneer on the Swahili Hip Hop scene and has been on the forefront of the bongoflavor explosion in the region (East African urban music of choice).

As of the 1st of November, Sugu will be known as JOSEPH MBILINYI, a MP for CHADEMA (The Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo - Party for Democracy and Progress - a conservative political party in Tanzania.

Following a campaign funded by money raised in a typical entrepreneurial Hip Hop Hustle fashion ie: selling mixtape, Cd's, gathering supports, sponsors and finances via various social network, the hip hop legend and entrepreneur Joseph Mbilinyi managed to gather overwhelming supports from the youths, so overwhelming that it enable him to actually beat the more experienced, better funded politicial veteran and opponnent Benson Mpesya leader of Chama Cha Mapinduzi(CCM) the ruling party...

Following Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan turning US President and Brazillian musician Gilberto Gil landing the MP of Culture position, it is refresing to witness Africa being the ground of social innovation as we witness the full mannifestation of the core message of Hip Hop. Art as a tool of change and empowerment!!
Sugu aka Mr II aka JOSEPH MBILINYI....we salute you!!
It makes one feel nearly as good if not better than witnessing Knaan reaching number one in the charts!!
AFRICA THAT's WASSUP!! Ready or not...

Source:
MUSEKE
BUDDAHBLAZE

Which is your view of AFRICA?

2010-10-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

THE DARK CONTINENT:

CORPORATE MAP OF AFRICA:

DROP THE DEBTS...GIVE MY GOLD, OIL AND DIAMONDS BACK

WELL...JUST REMEMBER SIZE DOES MATTER

VOICES THAT SHAKE!!

2010-10-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

End of summer 2010, Platform and the Stephen Lawrence Centre were working in partnerships in view of creating a pilot course that would attempt to stimulate young people minds while simultaneously engage them with various social issues and injustices through various mediam of creativity.

The "SHAKE!" course was a week-long and the outcome exceeded anyone expectations as the young people and creative practitionners involved created a such a strong bound between them that the SHAKE adventure may well continue beyond what the workshop initially thought or intended.

Now the Stephen Lawrence Centre is a well documented initiative but for those who dont know, Stephen was a young and bright black kid with a promising future, his life was cut short after an unprovoked attack from 4 white men that took place near a bustop in South London. The Stephen Lawrence Centre is the result of a powerful campaign lead by Stephen parents who demanded justice to the authority which resulted in the official finding that the Metropolitan Police was indeed "institutionally racist" : it was only surprising for some layers of UK society. Black community had already encounter too many bad experiences to be "surprised" by something they already knew.....nevertheless, it was a triumphant ruling as this time, the news was "official" and in the news.
http://www.stephenlawrence.org.uk/

Platform is a UK based organisation continuing and carrying the legacy of the late Nigerian writer-activist Ken Saro Wiwa through the Remember Saro Wiwa initiative.
Ken Saro Wiwa and 8 fellows Ogoni were brutally killed on November 1995, the outrageous circumstances behind their deaths involved the Nigerian government and the Oil coorporate giant Shell, it is tale of coorporate greed, social apathy, state corruption versus basic human right and decency, courage and creativity.
http://remembersarowiwa.com/

So this group of people worked with artist and creative practitionner such as Sai Mu Rai, Zena Edwards, Ana from Chocolate films and myself in a view of creatively bring theses two apparently disparates subject together as part of a youth summer course.
And just like that, SHAKE! was born and we have end up with a film the you can view here: This video-mentary is filmed, directed and produced by the young people themselves.

Voices that Shake from Chocolate Films on Vimeo.

The SHAKE course also resulted in brand new blog and we hope this will be a template for many other youth projects to come that aim to efficiently use creativity to engage the youth to participate in today social debates.

www.voicesthatshake.blogspot.com

Be inspired,

UBUNTU SOUL SESSION

2010-09-12T20:04:00.001-07:00

UBUNTU SOUL SESSION
A nomadic series of events gathering uber-cool AFRO brands under one GROOV

Sunday 19th september 2010 @ Upstairs at the Ritzy- RITZY CINEMA –
BRIXTON SW2
from 6.30pm till late

FREE

This is the first of a series of event bringing you multi-disciplinary forms of African expression to your system.
Email : ubuntusoulsession@gmail.com

U B U N T U ! ! U B U N T U ! ! U B U N T U !!
Lets walk our talk, talk our walk!! More USS coming in a venue near you soon…

AFRICA THAT'S WASSUP!!!!
The events will be filmed for future broadcast on WAHALA - Voxafrica TV on SKY Channel 218
Watch show on streamline www.voxafrica.com/en/wahala
Watch teaser: www.vimeo.com/channels/wahala

U B U N T U S O U L S E S S I O N
are generously supported by
broadcite – Cutting edge black music producers and DJ’s collective from London / Ghana – Hot new single BOBO by Troy feat Wunmi to be released in October - Catch it while you can!! www.broadcite.com
ohema ohene – African sophistication with a British twist. Fashion lifestyle boutique brand, specialising in ethnically influenced products. The trainer’s collection is a sure afro fashion hit!! www.ohemaohene.com
voxafrica – The increasingly popular UK based Pan-African Independent Bilingual TV channel has recently launched in the UK via SKY and in Africa via CanalHorizon. Power move!! www.voxafrica.com
wahala – The WAHALA TV show introduce fresh Afro videos and document in real time the positive impact African music has today on popular culture. Time to celebrate …loudly!!! www.voxafrica.com/en/wahala
afro-pop-live – Nurture and supports world-class African class talents, this agency mission is to help new African acts breaking the UK music industry and beyond. www.afropoplive.co.uk
out of africa – Leading UK based company producing and delivering promotes and profiles African arts. The OoA platform highlights the best in African arts via tours, concerts, festivals, newsletters and blogs. www.outofafricauk.wordpress.com
underground railroad - The Underground Railroad is a network for black British (African/diaspora) artists to share, profile-raise and collectively develop new cutting-edge artforms - transforming or pushing the boundaries in the search for a new language of cultural expression. www.underground-railroad.ning.com
afrogroov - Promoting positive and diverse experiences for all ages and races, Afrogroov busts stereotypes and makes connections. Always on the lookout for new artists, spaces and happenings, this is a crucial creative network on the move. www.afrobysoul.blogspot.com
kayobi clothing - pronounced (K – OW – B) is an apparel and accessories company created to tell the African story and that of the Diaspora through positive, vibrant and thought provoking imagery. www.kayobiclothing.com
upstairs at the ritzy – Probably the hippest multi-purpose venue in Brixton, an ace bar above the Ritzy Cinema, open 7 nights a week, ‘Upstairs’ is a new ‘cultural hub’ for Brixton. www.upstairsattheritzy.com
liquoricefish – design - promotion - copy-writing. www.liquoricefish.co.uk

This is the first of a series of event bringing you multi-disciplinary forms of African expression to your system.
Email : ubuntusoulsession@gmail.com

U B U N T U ! ! U B U N T U ! ! U B U N T U !!
Lets walk our talk, talk our walk!! More USS coming in a venue near you soon…

AFRICA THAT'S WASSUP!!!!
The events will be filmed for future broadcast on WAHALA - Voxafrica TV on SKY Channel 218
Watch show on streamline www.voxafrica.com/en/wahala
Watch teaser: www.vimeo.com/channels/wahala

Mexico Gulf vs Niger Delta

2010-06-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

Daily Mail 17th June 2010

The engulfing BP plumbed new depth last ight as President Obama bullied the company into deposing £13.5 billions into a fuind to settle compensation claims for calamitous Gulg of Mexico oil spill...

This is the way the way US is handling the crisis that hit the Gulf of Mexico since last April.
3 weeks following the incident, 1 face to face meeting was enough for BP executives and President Obama to settle.

Does somebody smell double standard, hypocrisy and a beautiful example of an arrogant manifestation of post colonial world views.

Lets rewind to last year...

June 2009

New York– After legal battles lasting nearly fourteen years, oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has been forced to pay a $15.5 million out-of-court settlement. Plaintiffs from the Ogoni region of the Niger Delta have successfully held Shell accountable for complicity in human rights atrocities committed against the Ogoni people in the 1990s, including the execution of writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. The legal action is one of the few cases brought under the U.S. Alien Tort Statute that have been resolved in favor of the plaintiffs. The settlement includes establishment of a $5 million trust to benefit local communities in Ogoni.

Yes you have read well.....it took 15 years for the Ken Saro Wiwa family to bring the case to court and held Shell accountable for the death of peace and environment activist/writer Ken Saro Wiwa.
Shell has swept the problem under the carpet at the overall amount of £1millions pounds a year.
What??

Why cant a sovereign country such as Nigeria protect its own people who are "under assault on their own homeland by external enemies"

Why is it that Niger Delta is totally ignored by mainstream media when the crisis they are face with for decades is far worse than any environmental modern disaster the US or the west will ever experience??

At least I stumble onto one American journalist who looked a bit deeper than your average anchor or news reader and ask...why?

NNEKA has a word to express on the matter too..

The media has a way to highlight and select certain hand-picked global world events and put it in the forefront of our thoughts to become the main conversation topics part of our daily concerns while other tragedies, injustices, disasters occurring in other parts of the world are pushed in the back of our consciousness if not totally ignored.

More info on OIL abuse:
http://wiwavshell.org/wiwa-v-shell-victory-settlement/
http://www.shellguilty.com/shell-settles/
http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11487:between-gulf-of-mexico-and-niger-delta&catid=98:editorial&Itemid=351
http://remembersarowiwa.com/

KIDJO - BONO - LEGEND - FELA's CAST...moving on up!!

2010-06-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

In the past few weeks, I have been honoured to share deep thoughts and devise ambitious plan with brilliant individuals, go-getter and doers.

Most discussions were generally geared towards Africa, the economics of music and culture and how we could contribute to its progress in the 21st century.
The world seem to wake up to Africa and even though it appears as good news to many, the most conscious amongst us are concerned as we already know this trend is 1) not as trend at all 2) may be a double edge swords of massive scale proportions.

As kindly "advised" by the government, experts and "humanitarian "celebrity". Africa need to take charge of its own destiny.

In that register, I wanted to know people honest thoughts on this new track by Angelica Kidjo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtEkbYhtW3Q

What do you think of it musically and aesthetically speaking?
Does it represent African culture or perpetuate status quo and stereotypes?
Do we support this sort of initiatives or no? Why or why not?
is it clever? Easy?

I would be very much interested to know what you think on this specific track of Angelica Kidjo which feature Bono and John Legend andf the dancers from Fela musical ( I wonder if Fela would have approved to let his dancer participate to this), most of you know how passionate I am about the way African music is represented in the west and the way we perceive it in our our own mind.
I touch on the subject in length in an article/manifesto published in UNTOLD in 2001. My view haven't changed a since then..in the light of currents events, it has become even more urgent today:
http://www.creativecaribbeannetwork.com/page/3275/en

For me music is not just entertainment or a money-maker. The way we care about our culture and trade our music is reflective of the way we perceive ourselves and the role we could play as African in the world.
If Music is the Weapon...I suggest we use it properly, intelligently and responsibly...

Peas n light

VOXAFRICA is now on SKY!! Log in...

2010-06-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

AFRICA! THAT'S WASSUP!
THE VOXAFRICA CREW FINALLY LANDED ON THE SKY PLATFORM. Channel 218.

www.voxafrica.com/en/wahala

Daara J Family - Big Up to Wahala from NO PRODZ (Filming & Editing) on Vimeo.

DAARA J FAMILY live @ Jazz Cafe 25th May 2010 + SCHOOL OF LIFE- the new album is out now!!

2010-05-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

AFROGROOV:
AFROPEAN MUSIC NETWORK – CLUB NIGHT – SCREENINGS – LIVE PERFORMANCES – DJ – AUDIO & VISUAL PRODUCTION
=================================================================================
DAARA J FAMILY live @ Jazz Cafe -
Tuesday 25th May 2010 - 7pm

TICKETS: http://www.jazzcafelive.com/newsandevents/templates/bookings.aspx?articleid=1008&zoneid=1
===================================================================================

Say Yeah yeah!! Straight from Dakar Senegal, the hottest and loudest Afro Hip Hop Dancehall act is coming to town...
Radio 3 World Music Award winner DAARA J FAMILY presents their new album - SCHOOL OF LIFE @ Jazz Cafe on the 25th May!!
Conscious lyrics, heavy bassline and killer flow people!! Be ready to nodd ya head and jump up & down African style!!

If you never experienced Daara J Family Live, be ready to be ignited by one of the most consistent and succesful HipHop group coming out of AFRICA!! If you need more convincing, here is our encounter with them for WAHALA.
Freestyle, in-depth interview and general sillyness with Faada Freddy and Ndongo in Paris. They can do it all and in style...
Watch WAHALA w/ Daara J Family:
http://www.voxafrica.com/en/wahala/wahala-in-conversation-with-daara-j-Family

AFRICA: The next Hip Hop Throne

2010-05-20T08:50:00.000-07:00

Cedric Muhammad is a business consultant, political strategist, and monetary economist. He is a former GM of Wu-Tang Management and currently a Member of the African Union’s First Congress of African Economist. He’s the Founder of the economic information service Africa PreBrief (http://africaprebrief.com/) and author of ‘The Entrepreneurial Secret’ (http://theEsecret.com/). Cedric recently published an article on the popular and influential US ALLHIPHOP website.

There was only a small window for us to ever meet and share opinions as our world is so much apart. But somehow, our common love of HipHop, curiosity and through the wonder of this new Information Age, we got to talk ...via FACEBOOK!

Brother Cedric contacted me to share some opinions and knowledge on the relationship between Hip Hop and Africa. I was humbled by the fact that a knowledgeable and experienced brother such as brother Cedric Muhammad decided to quote me so heavily in his commentary.

This tell me that the penny is dropping in global consciousness.
AFRICA is THE FUTURE!
Here is the article
http://allhiphop.com/stories/editorial/archive/2010/05/18/22225694.aspx

NNEKA back in London! Wed 28th April 2010!

2010-04-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

African artist MOBO Awards 2010 winner is back in London!!

Following an amaizingly succesful year touring around the world, Nigerian born AFROPEAN artist NNEKA is back in London to perform a full live
show at London Scala. Support comes from Ghostpoet.

“No Longer at Ease”, her second album, combines the political and the personal
in “a winning mix of soul, hip-hop an reggae”.
The lead single from it, 'Heartbeat', became her first song to break into the
German Top 50.
In September 2009, the song entered the UK Single chart at number twenty.
She toured the USA
in early 2010, resuming her stay in the USA
with a memorable performance on popular David Letterman show on CBS.
• Artist to watch in 2010 - ROLLING STONE
• Artists who refuse to be confined to one genre are often considered crazy. Artists who follow their conscience are considered crazy.
This is that brand of crazy - J PERIOD
• ...retrospectively this probably should have been a contender for those album-of-the-decade lists. CHARLIE GILLET

To win tickets for this unique performance and grab copies of her last album:
NO LONGER AT EASE.
SIMPLY ANSWER THIS EASY QUESTION:
What is the title of NNEKA UK top 20 single??
REPLY to afro.components@googlemail.com
Very limited offer: Please reply by wednesday 28th noon!!

To purchase ticket:
Wednesday 28 April 2010
Time: 7:30pm until 11pm
Admission: £12.50 in advance. 18+ show
Tickets: www.ticketweb.co.uk
08444 771 000
or Scala box office between 10am and 6pm Mon-Fri for ticket purchase (not
collection)

Not convinced?
WATCH NNEKA SPECIAL w/WAHALA teaser here:

WAHALA Teaser / Special Nneka from NO PRODZ (Filming & Editing) on Vimeo.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL WAHALA SHOW ON VOXAFRICA:

AFRO goes to BRISTOL

2010-04-13T00:04:00.000-07:00

Music-wise, UK cities are much more geared towards house, whereas down here we like the tempo a little bit slower. We're more in that 92BPM world nature…. Bristol is also known as a big drum'n'bass city”
John Mitchell - The Guardian

Bristol based Kongossa Promotions is the latest name in Afro club nights, set up to create AFRO nights in Bristol, a town which gave birth to some of the most innovative and pioneering music acts of the 90’s, such as Massive Attack, Tricky and Portishead, Roni Size and the Full Cycle DJs to name just a few.

Although Bristol is home to a large African population, there were no regular African club events catering for this globally expanding brand of music. Enter KONGOSSA whose aim is to bring modern and edgy African music to the city centre venues with the freshest DJ’s and live acts.

After creative consultation within African communities and cultural experts, it was decided the night will be called KONGOSSA, a pidgin word for “gossip”, as we wanted a memorable and groovy sounding title for western ears that Africans would recognise as their own, KONGOSSA has a recognisable ring too that non-pidgin speakers would remember and enjoy repeating.

For our first event, we brought a DJ roster which will introduce you to an infectious fusion of syncopated, intricate and contagious rhythms patterns spanning the whole of Africa, thumbing vintage horns, harmonized tribal chants, multi-lingual rapping and the grooviest traditional folklore to rock a modern dance-floor ever.

Music: ERIC SOUL of AFROGROOV / London / + DJ Simba // DJ Strazy playing a sizzling fusion of Naija Pop - Hip Life - Makossa - Ndombolo – Sene-Rap - HipHop - RnB - Bongo - Kwaito - Afro Broken – House and much more…
Dress code: However you do it, work it!

There ain’t a beat like an African beat and Kongossa intend to show this to the population of Bristol. Mainly we just wanted to merge the cream of western dance music with Afro club land and black music in our town. Bristol!
Get the hint? Now go and spread the word….

The Launch event is on Saturday May the 8th at the Warehouse,
57th Prince St, Bristol // Ticket £8 & £10 //
Advance ticket available on www.bristolticketshop.co.uk
warehouse-club.co.uk - kongossanights@hotmail.co.uk – 077927 803 73
Check is on FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kongossa-Nights/105588766147225

Supported by AFRICA UNSIGNED & AFROGROOV

WAHALA special Haiti

2010-04-09T08:17:00.000-07:00

http://www.voxafrica.com/en/wahala/wahala-special-haiti

In January 2010, the earth shook, causing mass destructions and numerous lives were lost during the 7.0 earthquake that devastated Haiti. The death toll rose to more than 100,000 in a matter of days, and the number of casualties kept increasing while the international community rescue teams worked hard at saving lives. As the entire world came together to help, the incredible resilience of the Haitian people was on full display, as we read incredible stories of survival and miracles taking place every day in many parts of the island of Port-Au-Prince.

The humongous generosity and compassion people shown from all over the world has been impressive. More impressive is the incredible history of an Island that however financially challenged it may be, has been and remain an inspiration for many countries across Latin America, USA and Africa.

In 1804, following a fierce and bloody war, Haiti became the first black independent state of the Caribbean and was at some point the wealthiest country in the whole region. However, in western media, Haiti has been solely described as the poorest nation of the “Northern Hemisphere” so Wahala is here to investigate the “other side” of the story of Haiti and set the record straight..

United Haitians [http://www.uhuk.org/] in the UK, an up and coming charity, worked in conjunction with Sun Bailante [http://www.sunbailante.com/] to put on a fundraising event in North London. Finger-on-the-pulse, Wahala is here to discuss with the evening big players, to unleash some truth from the Diaspora and spread some culture…

And not to forget some fresh videos from Haitian artists such as, Wyclef Jean, Maxwell, Haiti Twabadou, and Model Kompa.

K'naan, Wale and John Forte touring the US together? Will they hit the UK?

2010-03-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

Its the sort of news that brings a huge rush of adrenalin and excitement in your system!!! ...lets read this again....K'naan, Wale + John Forte on tour together!!! Wow!

For those still lacking behind, those wondering why those name should even trigger the release of any dose of adrenalin in one system.
A: Is K'naan a new sport? Can you practice Wale without a helmet??
B: No dude!! They are rappers.
A: Oh, I like rap but why should I get so excited by the news of "relatively unknown" artist hitting the road together, are they hotter than Lil'Wayne?
B: Whack! Slam! Baam! Relatively unknown?? You must be deluded in thinking you know hip-hop to drop something so retarded!! Ignorant fool....Stay down now!

Ok just to place the situation in the right context. Let’s go back a few years back...

Tupac had dies...Biggie followed suite a few month later...Hip Hop was mourning, at that point the US could never recapture the hotness of which it was once known for. Of course, the Murder Inc, Bad Boy, Ruff Ryders, Roc-A-fella tried to keep the flavour both in the streets and in the charts, however the more important business was carried out in the corporate directors boardroom. Every rapper aim was to snatch that elusive label/distribution venture with majors company in order to control their money. Responsible and empowering lyrical content was not so important at that point. Hip Hop original founding fathers didn’t see it coming so fast and so strong but the culture of Hip Hop had become a multi-billion dollar industry and as a consequence....the positive social movement that was Hip-Hop suffered a bit...slowly...progressively...hip-hop changed.

The always reliable Dr Dre, brought us his 2001 Chronics, re-assuring everybody that Hip Hop was still strong, he also unleashed Eminem....all of a sudden the hottest rapper in the world was a peroxided white boy.

EMINEM was like a wet-dream come true for white corporate America. Finally they had found their Elvis Presley of rap, someone who rap like them, if not better and he hasn’t got this melanin issue....We are in early 2000 and Eminem, someone familiar with depression, profanities, drug-addiction and violence towards women, has become the ultimate hip-hop authority. No less ladies and gentleman!
Just like Rock'n'Roll had swiftly become a white people property, hip-hop was moulded into a docile and spine-less cash-machine.

So what does Em do? Just like P.Diddy and Dr Dre did in the 90's did by discovering, nurturing and package to sell the likes of BIG and Snoop. Em wanted to unleash his own "protege"....enter the baddest, meanest, cruellest, hungrier MC into the game. With Interscope marketing budget behind to back him up and the team DR DRE and Eminem on the production. Curtis Smith aka 50 Cents aka Fiddy was re-introduce in to the world. 50 Cent had already secured a decent buzz with the classic tune How to Rob and a solid series of mix tapes but the push from Em and Dre catapulted 50 Cents on the top of the hip-hop pyramid.

But times are now different. Hip Hop makes money and the 1/2 a dollar man Mr50Cents, manage to do in less than 3-4 years, what Jay-Z, P.Diddy and Russell Simmons took decades to achieve. Mutli-platinum selling artist / actor / director/ fashion boss / poster boy....Fiddy racked it unashamedly, fast, very fast...too fast!

The message was simple: Get Rich or Die Trying - Reebok loved it! So did Gatorade, SonyPlaystation, Xbox and Coca Cola....he launched his trail-blazer collective G-Unit, his own clothing-line amongst other lucrative business deals and found himself topping the list of the world most succesful musicians in Forbes magazine!!!

The man who got shot 9times, who creates beefs and turn the ugliness of it into an efficient marketing tool, boosting his CD sale to finally position himself on top. What happened? Everybody wanted to be as successfully and rapidely rich as Fiddy...what about the lyrics and talents? Oh by that time, responsible lyrical content and substance didn’t really matter anymore. Well...for the time being.

The industry exec will tell you: "You need to give people what they want...glamorize the ghetto, have as many women as you want, flaunt your bling, tell em how much money you have, speak ebonic, show them how many cars you drive, how you like to get fucked up with that drink in that club, tell them how hard you are, dont let take it away from you, make them respect you, etc....give me a radio hit and I ll make you rich"

MC's became confused....MC's had the finger on the trigger, MC's renamed our sisters and mothers hoes and bitches, MC's were iced-out from the finger to the chest and all the way to their teeth.

R.Kelly once sang: "You remind me of my jeep...I wanna wax it"
It sums up the situation!! As women seem happy to openly be compared to an assembled piece of metal....the full indecent orgy of pure consumerism was splashed out on our TV screen, our magazine, radio and media. If you can afford it....flaunt it...we don’t care where it is coming from and what you represent, if you got it, flaunt it, if you don’t....die trying to get it!!

Its not only the MC's fault, everybody wanted to have a piece of the pie, from the video director to the producer, the drug-boss wanted a bit of this hip hop paper too so he invested in rappers, set up an independent labels to control the money-flow. Hollyhood was not far behind...with rappers acting in blockbuster, their cousins signing movie deals lef right and centre...soon the rest of black creative America followed....Photographers, stylists, writers, comedian, publicist, etc...everybody was chasing the paper just for the sake of having the paper...no higher purposes. The revolution of the mind had been succesfully contained and squashed!

After all the Souljah Boy, Lil Wayne, G-Unit, Crunk and Dirty South business people could handle...Hip Hop slowly realised they needed something fresh to inspire them and guide them again.

The thing is Hip Hop never really went away, on the contrary, even. It expanded to reach places around the globe, it contaminated the world and its original purposes and a message has been safely guarded in the farthest place of the earth. For proof, just check the vibrancy of the hip-hop scene in Portugal, Senegal, South Africa, France and of course UK. Those countries never had it so good...

If you are familiar with Afrogroov and our motto, you know that we know what America doesn't yet know.
While the world was focus on the USA, in the hope that it will bring a new saviour, a new Jesus-Christ, a new 2pac, a new Rakim, a new Biggie.
We already know and we have been saying to whoever cares to listen.

"Hip-Hop made in USA has reached a glass-ceiling. Hip Hop made in USA does not teach us anything but to make money.....ok ok!! I like money too...but once I have it...then what???? What is the plan after you can hang out in the same place, and drive the same car as your former slave master? You already carry his name and forgot who you were...ok, now you rich, maybe you feel free....but then....what???"

It should be known and aknowledge now....The real future of Hip-Hop comes from AFRICA!!!!

So now back to 2010; who is K'naan? Who is Wale? And why those guys bring me a rush of adrenalin??

One is from Somalia and the other is from Nigeria. African MC's! Following a few worthy collabs...those MC's are hotter than July as far as Hip-Hop is concerned...together they are bringing back an energy, originality in flow and content which was exactly what the doctors ordered when he diagnosed Hip Hop illness.
WALE feat K'naan: Um Ricka

WALE feat K'naan: TV in the Radio

So now that Live Nation (Michael Jackson, Jay-Z, Madonna) has put those 2 MC's on a co-headlining tour across the US....for those who know about Hip-Hop...it doesn’t come better than that. They could even do a super-group with Nneka! What?? It has been done before....those are HEAVY artists! It would soo work!!
Anyway...I am drifting away here. So, don’t take my word for it, here is what Billboard says. Also feel free to do your own research, find out for yourself...be excited...get that adrenalin rush too.
Now the question is...will that tour hit the UK!? For those lucky enough to be on the itinary...here are the dates:

US SPRING TOUR: K'naan / Wale + support from John Forte
Crazy flow, banging beats, stage presence and a high dose of consciousness and global awareness guaranteed!!!
Here are the tour dates for K'Naan, Wale and John Forte:

Mar. 31: New York City (The Fillmore at Irving Plaza)
Apr. 1: Boston (House of Blues)
Apr. 2: New Haven, Conn. (Toad's Place)
Apr. 3: Baltimore (Ram's Head Live)
Apr. 4: Washington D.C. (9:30 Club)
Apr. 6: Philadelphia (Trocadero)
Apr. 8: Atlanta (Center Stage)
Apr. 13: Cleveland (House of Blues)
Apr. 14: Columbus, Ohio (Newport Music Hall)

WALE live: Pretty Girls

KNAAN: T.I.A.

With Knaan, just before he grace Charlie Gillet Radio3's stage.
Summer 2006 @ WOMAD!!
RIP Charlie Gillet.

POLITIC vs..CULTURE

2010-03-07T17:41:00.000-08:00

The creative world is such a funny business!! While we aim to express our individuality as part of a beautiful Human Family in the most honest and possible manners, this legitimate and vital quest for freedom of expression is in contradiction to some outside forces that keep reminding and challenging us that we are really living in a world controlled, conditioned and nurtured not to think too deeply about things, to believe in the current way of things, things are being taking care of by people who know better....people who can do better, with the intent of our best interests at heart.

Politicians, scientists, historians, eminent professors, religious authorities, academics and the likes....not to forget the financers, the bankers, investors, industrials and of course......the almighty and powerful lawyers etc...All those people!

Clever, smart and educated, articulated experienced, knowledgeable....hungry for power, influence, self-gratification and validation amongst their own peers.

Those are the one on top!

Creative people are called "artists" and I am always wondering what would the world be like if creative people were on top of the pyramid of power...what would our world look like if culture was globally recognised as the driving force and main components of an ever evolving society. What if "culture" was the real currency of our economical system? What if "trading" culture was the real business??

Whenever I dare to venture in this area of discussion with "serious" people, I encounter the same ol' rolling eyes and condescendence: "Ha ha ha Eric...you r such an artist.....you see, its all about money my friend, what is the point of doing what you do? That you do so well in fact, if you are not making big chunk of money out of it?". As to say, if you are successful at expressing yourself and not making big dosh...what is the point?

Well....I know they are laughing but I also know their take notes! Because truth is...culture generates money...but that is not the ultimate point...money is a mere results, not the goal! Not to be confused!

This view comes from a "gut" feeling, you know, that thing you cant describe, cant name, cant see but yet you feel it inside of you so strongly, so real that you cant deny it...even in the face of facts antagonising this feeling.
I wish I had Barack Obama or Malcolm X orator skills to translate such a abstract concept into a language that would trigger people imagination in believing in what I call "the logically obvious", but...I don’t have enough data or vocabulary to do so and as I cant find the languages to answer those questions conclusively...I am constantly researching for the right documentation, the right people to support my views. I have stumble on some interesting and relevant pieces but too often, the language is too intellectualized and I feel that it does alienate a big section of the masses. So it is not as efficient as it could be if it was simplified. A simplified presentation in words and visual as to unequivocally reach a conclusion that would make the masses go: "Oh Yes, I got it now!"

Enter Dr Hans Rosling: He says:
"The world of seemingly impossible is possible"
and he add
"It is about culture"
then
he just proves it!!!
Nobody will argue with this man!!! As he has the "data"

Check him out in this amaizing presentation!

BALOJI- Congolese artist show how it shoud be done

2010-03-04T07:24:00.000-08:00

So excited to see the development of an artist drawn from the Diaspora. Following his noted apparition in a Belgian talent TV show, Belgium based Congolese lyricist and rapper Baloji embarked on a very personal identity quest through his music and art.
Pushing through the many obstacles of an industry increasingly reluctant to develop, nurture and support talent, Baloji determination and realness demonstrate that a dialogue between cultural origin, identity, and art and music industry is a possibility.
Kinshasa Succursale, his 2nd album is a testimony of a profound need for artist to continue expressing real issues through creativity where the satisfaction of the artists and musicians involve takes priority on the commercial target of the project.
A perfect example of Afro synergy between an determined artist and a knowledgeable music label.

Now Belgium is not the most shining example of a vibrant cultural industry in mainstream people consciousness, however it has to be said that this tiny little country has somehow brought serious contribution to the table on a consistent basis.
Only in the last 3 or 4 decades, Belgium has been responsible of unleashing to the world artist like Jacques Brel to the phenomenally influential New Beat and Acid House movement via the genius contribution of Benoit Polvoerde to comedy and cinema and innovation of Too Many DJ's in global clubland. Not forgetting to mention progressive label such as Crammed Disc who continue to blur the lines between World music, Folk, Global and club beats.
When Belgium wants, Belgium can!!!!

2010, now we see another player introducing his art in a way none has ever done before and making quite a good job of it.

Ladies and Gents: Here is BALOJI with Kinshasa Succursale
http://www.baloji.com/

Guadaloupe 2010

2010-01-24T23:36:00.000-08:00

REWIND

A long tradition of Carnaval celebration was rudely interrumpted in 2009...So what happened in Guadeloupe in 2009???

Lets refresh our memory: " Protesters ransacked shops and torched vehicles in Guadeloupe overnight as a strike over the cost of living escalated, and one senior local official said the island was "on the verge of revolt."

FORWARD

2010, the Carribean area is still in turmoil, this time "mother nature" has demonstrated its power of destruction with the earthquake in Haiti.

Just a few weeks later, the Montserrat vulcano whose last eruption occured in 1995 causing mass evacuation...woke up again/

This was undoubtedly the largest event to have occurred at Soufrière Hills volcano since May 2006′

GUADELOUPE 2010

A WORD FROM YOUR HOST.

Ownership / Control

2009-12-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

We had a little debate last year about cultural Ownership and Control...It is an interesting subject and I d like to invite all the AFRO enthusiast in the debate and share their opinions with us....

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=5792541238&topic=5323

A glimpse into Rwandan culture - Know where you are from so you know where you going!!!

2009-11-25T10:37:00.000-08:00

Despite a culture going back to the 7th century, the mesmerizing and beautiful cultural background of Rwanda is tainted by a dark history of wars and genocide.

A little know and unusual fact when it come to AFRICA, but it used to be a time in Rwanda, where all three communities (Twa, Hutu, Tutsi) forming the Rwandan society were sharing a culture, a unique language, political system, religion, values, songs, dance and traditions.

INTORE DANCER

Rarely aknowledge in western media reports and history books, this significant fact of Rwandan history has been conviniently set aside. In today's mainstream memory, only the man-made politically-motivated ethnic divisions of Rwanda is highlighted which correspond to a consistency in perpetuating mis-leading stereotyped ideas and imageries of Africa.

In this instance, ignoring and setting aside the knowledge of a society living together harmoniously promote a racist conception of African ethnicities as primitive and savage, it prevents observers from coming to an accurate understanding of the causes of conflicts and impoverishment in Rwanda and other contries of the continent.

Physical stereotyping took place too. The first missionaries wrote things like: ‘We met Tutsi who are tall...’ People came along with instruments to measure nose length and width. This was nonsense – but the stereotyping persists today. A report from the recent war describes it as ‘a war between the tall and the short people’.

source:http://www.newint.org/issue260/keynote.htm

Rwanda has a profound and beautiful endangered culture. For decades now, to preserve, showcase and to teach Rwandan culture many forms and complexities to the next generation has been the ultimate mission of concerned Rwanda intellectuals, creatives, poets, artists and musicians. For they know the dignity and strenght of a population imperatively start with the knowledge of self, its roots, its history.

Intore et Ingoma
by LiliTheKing

Hollywood in Rwanda 60 years ago

Les mines du roi Salomon (1950)
by LiliTheKing

Not to miss a good opportunity to generate audiences, Hollywood hastly unlocked the finances to produce the Oscar-nominated movie "HOTEL RWANDA", the film was shoot in South Africa because the Rwandan governement, rightly so, were not convinced that such production was in their best interests and so refused to give authorisation to film on their land. It was released in a hush in 2004 to coincide with the 10th anniversay celebration of the Genocide.

What HOTEL RWANDA did to collective consciousness is to reinforce the same old stereotyped about Africa. With no or little twisted explanation about the country colonial history. This film showed us an governemental army executing its population, wild-out thugs massacring innocent, regular people killing their neighbours for no apparent or at least rational reasons. Its the Hollywood version. No surprise there.....

HBO, the US TV network, also had the will to tell the incredible story of this little known country called Rwanda. So they asked director Raoul Peck to come up with a story for a film. Mr Raoul Peck took a very different view and accomplished his mission brilliantly by approaching the subject from a totally different angle....more about him and his great movie SOMETIMES IN APRIL starring Idris Elba, Carole Karemera) in next blog.

Meanwhile....don't believe the hype! All is not what it seem to be....

AFRICA IS THE FUTURE - BE INSPIRED - FOLLOW DA GROOV

Dating game in Nubian world?? Is it dead...

2009-11-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

Out and about, meeting and mingling with brilliant, talented and good-looking people of all sexes and races, a recurring subject seem to invariably enter the conversation in most social circles.
Man want to find woman and woman want to find man...
If we were living in remote village somewhere in Eastern Europe, I would understand the lack of opportunities available to meet the one-that-will-make-you-smile locally....
However, living in London where we seem to have a concentration of the best people of the world, the selection of candidates to fulfil our lives should be easy....well apparently it is not.
So remembering we are in one of the most vibrant and culturally mixed cities of the world and setting aside the players and the men-bashing female crew....it will be fair to say that a wide range of more-than-decent candidates are ready for love but are still very much concerned about one little detail. .....
Where do you find love??
Furthermore, as we talking about dating in the Nubian world, do all black people have the same issue when it comes to find love? Does the dating game play with the same rule in Paris, London, New York, Atlanta, Dakar or Nairobi or Kinshasa?
Are there too many competitions from other races to bag an exotic date?
Alas, no magic solution, no opinion here...he he! Just fuelling the debate and pointing you out to COSMOPOLITAN. A new show on Voxafrica covering the subject of online dating...
Presented by Thabang Motsei, a modern, smart and elegant black woman herself, she went to investigate the online dating game.
Watch it here:
http://www.voxafrica.com/modx/en/cosmopolitan/dating-in-the-big-city
The interesting part of the show are the tips given by a .....(wait for it)....a Black Dating Coach expert!! I thought HITCH was just a movie for Will Smith to remind us how much of a Golden Boy he is, simultaneously smashing the box office, enriching his studio executive bosses while fatting up his own wallet, making men feel inadequate and women want to have his babies...No no no, apparently Love Doctor is a real job!! Now you want to see this....
www.voxafrica.com/modx/en/cosmopolitan/dating-in-the-big-city

DO YOU KNOW WAHALA???

2009-11-23T10:22:00.000-08:00

WAHALA in PARIS feat DAARA J FAMILY & CAPLETON

Wahala arrives in Paris for an unprecedented meeting with the French Reggae scene! No need to go to Jamaica to discover the reggae tones... France is swarming with outstanding artists ...

At the Cabaret Sauvage, Eric Soul found them and there is something for all tastes! From the energetic bashement of the Spyda Team to the sweeter notes of Soul Stereo Sound System via Brahim, and Senegalese super-star Daara J Family, finishing with the big Capleton!

Wahala vibed at the Cabaret Sauvage during one of the largest Reggae gatherings orchestrated by Reggae France . Happy Birthday and Big up to them ! And to find out more about Reggae France log on to( http://www.reggaefrance.com/).

WAHALA is broadcast EVERY SATURDAY on VOXAFRICA:
VOXAFRICA: 1st Independant Pan African Bilingual TV Channel
www.voxafrica.com/en/wahala

WAHALA is produced by

2009-11-16T16:41:00.000-08:00

JOURNEY ACROSS THE BLACK ATLANTIC
FOLLOW DA GROOV NEWSLETTER NOV 09

Follow da Groov is a newsletter compiled and edited by AFROGROOV, its aim is to inform a significantly expanding and excited new audience about Afro related event…that is you Ladies and Gentlemen! Most –but not all- of the events compiled in FDG newsletter use the creative services of cultural activist DJ ERIC SOUL, these events are usually taking place all across London and in the rest of UK however we will endeavor to keep you up-to-date with worth-checking events happening abroad as well…We are part of a growing global cultural movement so in no means can this list ever be exhaustive, many other empowering afro-tastic projects, artistic collectives and initiatives are mushrooming in every cities of every countries and continents around the globe, using edgy mediums of “black” cultural artistry- may it be from African, American or ethnic origin- to channel positive energy which create an uplifting impact on various communities. Check them out, just follow da groov…

It is a good time to feel and BE African.

- A JOURNEY ACROSS THE BLACK ATLANTIC myspace.com/afrogroov_ericsoul

- DANCE THE GUNS TO SILENCE
remembersarowiwa.com

- I AM BECAUSE WE ARE
ubuntu-trading.com

- WAHALA voxafrica.com/en/wahala

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hello all,

It’s this time of the year again, Xmas and NYE are around the corner, a good opportunity to reflect and acknowledge to good things of 09.

Since COMPONENTS, the now legendary Sunday all-dayer at the south-London venue Brixton Jamm, ended a year of 12 sessions through the year 2008. The year 2009 has seen activities on the AFRO tip multiplying and mushrooming all over the city and beyond...

What started as a tiny and self-contained cultural movement amongst people "in-the-known" has now truly evolved in a range of pro-actives afro-influenced initiatives generating a solid impact in London, waving larger circles outside its own original borders.

In a demonstration of collective consciousness, replication of that energy can also be felt in cities like Paris, New York, Bamako and Marrakech. The whole planet is grooving to the same cutting-edge Afro pulse.

As African, we always felt we had a bit of a raw deal as far as our representation in the cultural landscape been concerned but if we look deeply into the first half of 2009, unless you were hidden in a cave, the general feeling of an AFRO culture about to burst in the mainstream is almost becoming palpable in London town, congratulations are due!!!

Highlights are:

· The rise of Muntu Valdo who went on to performs his Sawa-blues style around the globe.

· The completion of Jally Keba Susso album to be released soon via a Manifesto imprint.

· Carsten Höller's temporary art installation The Double Club dominated the London club scene during a 6 month period. With a strong western/congolese music policy...a unique cultural experience, the club challenged expectations and helped re-shape music taste amongst the fashionistas, celebrities, global jet-set, industry and media type London is so found off...

· The multi-purposed community project Passing Cloud completed its transformation and currently host the best live jams with positive musicians from top bands on the regular…appearing on their stage on a weekly basis. Members of Tru Thought’s Savanna Soul to Nuru Kane via Heliocentrics and Dub Colussus, Soothsayers, YaabaFunk, Kadyaly Kouyate, One Drum Abass, Afla Sackey & Afrik Bawantu, Sofrito’s DJ’s and many more are regularly playing...

· Barefoot skirt wearer Hippy Hop artist Wanlov The Kubolor, the self proclaimed King Of Pidgin music is on the rise, jet setting the world to solidify links and collabo’s, big album and film in the pipeline...dont sleep on Da Kubolo….

· A big up to Enchanted Tunes the Momo Tuesday popularity is growing, their side project are ace!! E.T. Shepherd's Bush Festival, a show spawned over several days and venues in the West London area saw artists as diverse as Gordon Masiela, Emmanuel Jal, The Kubolor and Lyric L gracing the stage. The highlight must have been the visit of Jamel Comedy Club perform in London for the first time. Jamel is no1 French comedian and its worth noting he is in fact from Morocco....another African making it big aborad!!

· Artist such as K’naan, Vieux Farka Toure, Mulatu Astake, Ousmou Sangare, Amadou n Mariam, Youssou N Dour, Seun Kuti, Baaba Maal, etc…have become regular fixture on the live London scene, selling out London’s favorite venues such as Barbican, Jazz Cafe, South Bank, Cargo etc...

· Various initiative and promotion group have step up their games and masses of trendy Afro type characters are moving in packs from East to South, West to North to check the various nights, south to east London, all bases are covered... Afrobeat Collective, DJ Abass’s Planet Nollywood, from AFRO POP LIVE to SOFRITO via AFROBEAT VIBRATION & Wom@tt, HEADSHIGH, AFRIK KOKOA, BAOBAB and MOVIMIENTOS...even the almighty LIMPOPO was back on the front line presenting Afro live show on the west side of London...

· While the black music we find in the charts is progressively morphing into pure pop, the London over-ground scene reacted with a serious increase and proliferation of DJ’s collectives and crew working hard, pushing fresh ideas, new artists and generally help shape up new musical formats for mass global consumptions.

· Case on point, NNEKA! She beat the big boys and received the Best African Act at the MOBO 2009. Need we say more? Ok then, what about reaching the BBC Radio 1 top 20 charts with the dub-steppy rock&bass re-fix from Chase & Status…..how harder could 1 make a bigger impact with one single tune???

· A new TV show has landed on the screen worldwide, it is WAHALA!! A new weekly show produced and presented by AFROGROOV’s Eric Soul, broadcast every week Saturday on VOXAFRICA: The 1st Pan-African Independent TV channel, WAHALA takes you where no other show has been before, with previous guest such as Dele Sosimi, Wunmi, Keziah Jones, Daara J Family, Capleton, Ghariokwu Lemi and Simphiwe Dana amongst other….

Yes people we are truly making the necessary noise, creating the big waves we need in order to elevate our culture to its deserved position...

As someone said to me recently: " I feel this is just the beginning"...
New beginning. Yes indeed!!!

Join us as London is grooving again….
AFRICA IS THE FUTURE – FOLLOW DA GROOV – BE INSPIRED!
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SUNDAY 22 NOV 2009
From 3 Corner Of The World @ CARGO – Rivington Street – Shoreditch.

SANDBLAST-ARTS is an arts and human rights charity, working to empower the Saharawis to tell their own story, promote their culture and earn a living through the arts. The majority of the Saharawi people are forgotten refugees living in desolate camps in the harsh Algerian desert. SANDBLAST are doing an amazing job to raise awareness about the Saharawi’s, AFROGROOV suggest you investigate and get involved, current project involve music making and cultural exchanges between African and Western with the Saharawis musicians of the band TIRIS living in the desert….
The Cargo fund-raiser line up is yummy...reach!!

More info: http://www.sandblast-arts.org/
6.00pm till midnite - £10 adv, £12 otd (£10 NUS) –

tickets http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=353578&interface
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FRIDAY 4th December 2009
Extraordinary Voices - LATE @ TATE – Millbank - London SW1P 4RG

home live art presents Extraordinary Voices at Tate Britain with artists, performers, choirs and communal singing which explores the use of the voice as an instrument of extraordinary physical and cultural resonance.

The night includes live performances from a group of leading UK and European artist and performers including: Adey & Kayte from The Shout, who sing haunting songs through megaphones, in Arabic and Hebrew, on step ladders high across the cavernous Durveen Galleries. Powerful performances from the massed choirs of Maspindzeli (Georgian) and the London Bulgarian Choir. An all night set, from influential Afro Urban DJ Eric Soul from Afrogroov. Exquisite and theatrical performances by Mikhail Karikis, who crosses the Durveen Galleries like a catwalk. A durational performance by artist Geoff Fazan's busking band, who attempt to cover the entire Bob Dylan songbook throughout the course of the evening and the chance for the audience to create two new scratch choirs and perform themselves, in the galleries of Tate Britain, with The Funk Chorus (Barby Asante & Andrea Encinas) and The Feral Choir (Phil Minton).

6.00 till 22.00 FREE –
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/eventseducation/lateattatebritain/lateattate2009december.htm
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SATURDAY 5th DECEMBER
YAABAFUNK 7” LAUNCH CD @ AFRICAN CENTRE – Covent Garden – London.
38 Kings Street, Covent Garden London - WC2E 8IT

Yaaba Funk will be Launching their first single at the famous Africa Centre on the 5th December 2009. Expect a riotous live performance form yours truly (some new and classic Yaaba tunes) On the wheels of steel will be Africathy, Debbie, AJ (Afrikokoa) Volta45, Dudu Sarr and the Yaaba DJ's Eric Soul and the Wahala Crew will be there to film a special edition for his Wahala TV show. Senga K Designs will be there to help you with your christmas shopping while you Shake your NYASH!!!!!!!! Email us yaabafunk@hotmail.co.uk for a five pound guest list. YAGA YAGA YAGA YAGA YAGA.

9.00pm till 3.00am - £7- concession and g.list £5

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=179062961142&ref=ts
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/yaabafunk
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SUNDAY 13th DECEMBER 2009
AFRIKOKOA XMAS FUNDRAISER @ BIG CHILL HOUSE, Kings Cross

257-259 Pentonville Road, King’s Cross, London, N1 9NL (Northern Line, Victoria Line and Thames Link, Next door to Thames link and Scala).

Afri-kokoa continue to push the boundaries of cutting edge African contemporary music with a special headline act of UK legendary dance producer and disco house pioneer DJ Joey Negro playing a unique blend of Afro-House and its funky infusions. DJ Joey Negro (aka Dave Lee) is hot property; his eclectic sound delivered in mind-blowing performances has graced many of the world's hottest nightspots on a regular basis. He is an MN2S resident DJ regularly rocking the spot at The End (London) and El Divino (Ibiza)

Also on this special night we present live the phenomenally talented afro group ‘Afrikbawantu’ led by the well known Ghanaian percussionist ‘Afla Sackey’. A brilliant and professional line up that consists of an amazing horn section plus funky bass, guitar, drums, vocals and a full set of african percussion. Their music is a dance floor filling blend of jazz, funk, afrobeat and highlife.

Music by resident DJ: Eric Soul (Afrogroov, Components) Chief Commander Yaaba AJ Kwame

Artistic visuals will be provided by Erin Sorenson -
Live Visuals by KLEM@S - Graphic Design by Mick - Arts & crafts stalls Senga Design

Amnesty International who will have their representatives from London at the event raising money with your kind donations….

Amnesty International campaign for the protection human rights across the world. They are not tied to any political party or belief: for almost 50 years Amnesty have worked to advance the human rights of all ordinary people. Amnesty is active throughout London and very happy to be supporting this exciting event.

5.00pm till Midnight - £5
MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/afrikokoa

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WAHALA TV show - TRAILER #1 from NO PRODZ (Filming & Editing) on Vimeo.

November 09: BHM aftermath...the ladies show how its done....Simphiwe Dana - Nneka and Toli Nameles

2009-11-05T03:18:00.000-08:00

What a scorching start of the month.
The organiser decided to present SIMPHIWE DANA last date of her One Love Movement UK tour in the 900-capacity main room @ Queen Elisabeth Hall and the scenery was appropriate to experience this young songstress from South Africa.

Most press release hail her as the new Miriam Makeba and that is typical of media to look for a known and obvious reference points in order to digest new information. Is it because she sing, while being a female, while coming from South Africa and being black that she automatically is compared to the great Miriam Makeba? Is it because, she, too, sings in both her native Xhosa and English?
Is it fair to the artist? Is it fair to Miriam Makeba? The simplistic approach...the new this, the new that....??!

It is when she step on stage, with gracious and subtle movement, she immediately draw you into her world, musically sparse, beautifully delivered, politically engaged, Soul, Jazz and traditionnal perfectly blend, fiercely conscious of who she is and what her purpose is...
All become clear, here is a unique singer, an engaging performer with subtle yet riveting stage presence....

You want more? Get to know more about SD on www.voxafrica.com flagship cultural show AFROBUZZ; Cosmopolitan and WAHALA....coming soon

Simphiwe Dana, we salutes you!!!

SIMPHIWE DANA, KADIJATHOU, YEMI FROM AFRO POP LIVE, KIRENGA ERIC SOUL

Only 1 day to recover from a gruelling tour, we are at ULU to welcome Best African Act Mobo winner NNEKA for the 1st date of her forthcoming UK tour!

It was interesting to see the attendance at NNEKA concert at ULU. University Of London Union's concert venue was a very appropriate choice for this special evening.

The place filled up quickly with a young, sexy and hip multicultural crowd who came to check a unusual line up...
Gnawa-esque Ragga dub from Amazigh K from Algeria and sensation NNEKA from Nigeria

It was an great sight for someone like me, I mean the audience....
as London music scene is sometimes unecessarily secluded and me being an inquisitve DJ, I always felt it was natural and necessary to swing from World music exclusive circles to underground afro-boho spots while hanging at hip hop and Jazz jam and continue raving in illegal warehouse blasting loud bleeps and bassline from hand-made sub-woofer...for me its all good!!!! If one need to hop from scene to scene to see what is really cooking ...so be it, its part of the job.

To bring those scenes and audiences together has alwyas been a difficult and constantly challenging mission for various marketeer and concert promoters.

What the NNEKA-buzz effortlessly created last nite... or should I say, what the NNEKA-buzz easily destroyed last nite was the division the existed within various and disparates audiences.... young, sexy and hip listenners of BBC Radio 1 rubbed shoulder with the white and middle-age elite of the World music scene, Arabic and Africans community members of all ages and top industry executive nodded in unisson to the music of Nigeria and Algeria, the lines were blurred, the music once again brought everyboy together under one roof.

NIGERIAN CHART-TOPPER JUSTINA AND CHARLIE GILLET

Delivered and sealed by the partnership of Afro Pop Live and Enchanted Tunes, it was a great evening and should be the template of many others fresh live music event in the forthcoming future...

NNEKA is back on her 1st UK tour later this month, stay logged!

NNEKA and Amazigh K, we salutes you,

And finally, as it always comes in three!! Another great Afro lady will be performing 2nite @ Passing Cloud as part of Dele Sosimi's annual celebration of FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI's birthday.

Toli Nameless (empress of Afro beat) meets Dele Sosimi (legendary keyboardist to Fela Kuti) in a rare Afro Beat jam session. Special guest including but not limited to Helen McDonald (vocals & talking drum). It’s going to be a night to remember. Please join us at Passing Clouds in London on Nov 5th.

When you witness greatness in the making...

2009-10-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

"All those band had a strong syncopated rhythms at that festival....after a while, it seemed like they were all playing the same tune, but that is what people think African music is about..dance!! Its so much deeper than just dance and fun"

Those are the observations being casually exchanged in the back of our tour bus during the first part of her UK tour.

Simphiwe Dana and her band, the Live Ensemble are all seasoned musicians and all of them possess that rare quality....an inquisitive mind.

South African do not take anything for granted when they are outside of the relative comfort of their own borders...with a new sense of freedom that began only 15years ago, the thirst for different experiences with other cultures and knowledge of the world outside SA, the way other African lives in their land or how the Diaspora interact in the western world are recurrent subject of conversations, this creates lively, numerous, stimulating and inspiring debates....

And what about the music....

I think this is for you to discover...words cannot make justice to experiencing Simphiwe Dana live.

She will be in Oxford, Birmingham and London.

30 Oct Oxford, Oxford Contemporary Music at 02
ocmevents.org | 01865 305 305

31 Oct Birmingham, The Drum
the-drum.org.uk | 0121 333 2444

02 Nov London, Southbank Centre
southbankcentre.co.uk | 0871 663 2500

For more info, including box office details go to: www.blackroutes.org.uk or call 0121 224 7444

In her own word: "My music is a little bit of old and a little bit of new"

2009-10-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

1500 GMT ON VOXAFRICA
SATURDAY 24TH OCTOBRE 2009

WAHALA Teaser / with Daara J Family, Capleton,... from NO PRODZ (Filming/Editing/Produc on Vimeo.

FOLLOW DA GROOV Oct 09

2009-10-19T06:24:00.000-07:00

SIMPHIWE DANA live
London Southbank 2nd November 2009.
The GIG of the year is around the corner!!!
I would recommend people to get their tickets fast in order to void last minute booking disappointment as this show is on another and higher AFRO league...now you would not want to miss that would you?
SIMPHIWE DANA is a multi-platinum and award-winning artist from South Africa. Promoting her 2nd Album, The Love Movement, she hits the UK this autumn for a 6-dates UK tour!!!
If you didn't know? Now ....well, just reach.
More info about the tour: http://www.blackroutes.org.uk/tours/8/
• UK tour DJ supports by Eric Soul
• London date supports only from Eric Lau, Olivier DaySoul

Follow da groov.
http://www.southbanklondon.com/page/whatson/?date=2%7CNovember%7C2009&attractionid=0&interestid=0

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NNEKA live
London ULU 4th November 2009
With a surprise victory at this year MOBO awards, the soulful germano-nigerian songstress NNEKA confirmed her position on the crest of the new and infectious Afro wave making so much splashes internationally right now!

+ support: Amazigh Kateb
LIVE at ULU >>> Wed 4 NOV

http://www.myspace.com/nnekaworld
http://www.myspace.com/amazighk2

ULU (University Of London Union), Malet Street, WC1

Be Inspired
Tickets on sale now in HMV shops
Online booking at Seetickets.com

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WAHALA Special Fela's Boys
The ground-breaking TV show is ONLINE NOW!!!
WATCH IT HERE: http://www.voxafrica.com/modx/en/wahala/wahala-felas-boys
Episode 15: Review.
Monday 7th Sept PROUD Gallery - CAMDEN TOWN - LONDON!!
This is where the whole London Afro scene chose to gather on a summery Monday evening for a special multi-disciplinary event, celebrating the legacy of the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

The night, dubbed FELA’s BOYS, showcased dance with Bode Lawal, music from the London Afrobeat Collective, Wale Ojo, Richards Olutunde, SES, Inemo and Wahala’s host, DJ Eric Soul

Join WAHALA on FACEBOOK:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000346268006&ref=profile

http:www.youtube.com/user/afrogroov
http:www.fairtilizer.com/user/afrogroov
http:www.voxafrica.com/modx/en/wahala
http:www.myspace.com/afrogroov_ericsoul