CLAPHAM METHODIST CHURCH / QUEEN MOTHER MOORE SCHOOL
We were very disturbed to read the contents of the press release below. Clapham Methodist Church is a venue where we have attended many positive and inspirational Afrikan community events over the years. We know many people who meet there regularly and have always found Reverend Hewie Andrew to be a supportive community elder who has always striven to do the best not just for his immediate congregation but the wider Afrikan community and humanity in general. He is in the proud tradition of non-sectarian, humble and respectful activist priests. To hear of him being treated in such a humiliating and disrespectful manner is truly shocking. He is deserving of all the support our readers can give.
PRESS RELEASE! SAVE QMM SCHOOL!
PRESS RELEASE! PRESS RELEASE! PRESS RELEASE!
THE REVEREND STEPHEN POOLE MUST GO!
Reverend Stephen Poole, the new minister at Clapham High Street Methodist Church since the beginning of September this year, is threatening the future of the Queen Mother Moore Supplementary School (QMMS) which was established in that church building since 1981.
Without consultation with the school’s management committee and without even a conversation with its founder, the Reverend Hewie Andrew, himself a senior Methodist minister, Rev Poole has decided to lock the school out of its main classroom, impounding its teaching resources, children’s work and classroom furniture and to charge Reverend Andrew for the use of the school office, an office he and teachers at the school have used since it was opened.
On 10 September 2015, before he had even got his feet under the desk, Reverend Poole sent a letter to Reverend Andrew giving him 2 weeks’ notice to clear out of the school classroom and remove all the school’s belongings because he was revoking the contract the school had recently signed with the church as he wished to use that classroom as a church office. On 22 September, he sent another letter stating: ‘We hope that all of the books and equipment that belong to the school will be removed from the room before or on the 25th, anything left will be removed and thrown out’.
On 24 September, Reverend Andrew replied to Stephen Poole protesting about that unilateral action and his confrontational and disrespectful approach, in particular the fact that Poole had not had the basic common courtesy to speak with him about his work at the church, with the school and in the community. On Monday 28 September, Hewie Andrew went to the school only to discover that Poole had changed the lock on the classroom door, impounding everything inside that room, no doubt until he could arrange to carry out his threat to remove it all and throw it out.
QMMS was established by Reverend Andrew in 1981 when he himself was the minister at that church for some 9 years. He qualified as a teacher in 1971. He intended the school to be the church’s mission to the community, standing up with parents in support of quality education for all children as a fundamental entitlement and making sure that the mainstream schooling system was not disadvantaging them, especially black children who were massively underachieving, being excluded from school, or sent disproportionately to schools for the educationally subnormal.
The school has operated in that church since 1981 and has extended the life chances and shaped the careers of many thousands of young people. More recently, the school has been running a Computer Coding Club for children aged 8 to 14 as an extension of its Maths teaching programme.
Because of Reverend Hewie Andrew’s and QMMS’ international reputation, the school and Clapham Methodist Church have attracted some impressive overseas visitors over the years, including:
• Queen Mother Moore (who opened the school)
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu
• Maya Angelou
• Professor Cornell West
• Professor James Cone
• Reverend Jesse Jackson
• The Rt Honourable Michael Manley (as Prime Minister of Jamaica)
The membership of the church is almost 100 % African and the school has always catered predominantly for their children. It receives donations from parents and until recently a grant from Lambeth Council which has since ceased as a result of Government’s austerity measures.
In spite of that, Stephen Poole has decided to obstruct the work of the school and to treat Reverend Hewie Andrew, a minister for the last 40 years and a respected Elder in the Lambeth community as if he is a nobody. As a supernumerary minister, Reverend Andrew conducts baptisms, marriages, funerals and special services at that church, the proceeds of which go directly into the church’s coffers and not even to the supplementary school.
We believe that Stephen Poole would not have treated Hewie Andrew so disgracefully if he had been white. His conduct has been so extraordinarily disdainful and patronising that we can make no other inference.
As such, we do not believe that Stephen Poole is qualified to lead a congregation that is almost 100% black and therefore HE MUST GO!
Reverend Hewie Andrew Support Committee.
Friends of the Queen Mother Moore Supplementary School.
NOTE for Editors
Please direct all enquiries to Professor Augustine John, member of the management Cttee of QMMS.
Email: gj@gusjohn.com
Mob: 07539 474 041
NUBIART DIARY AFRIKAN HISTORY MONTH
For this year’s Nubiart Diary Afrikan History Month there will be an exhibition, ‘Triumph of the Grassroots: British Social History 1972-2012’ at the Brunei Gallery in London in conjunction with the Brunei Gallery and the Vince Hines Foundation. The exhibition looks at the work and struggles of the Vince Hines Foundation, part of the Self-Help Movement in Britain. Since its founding in 1972 activities they have engaged in include: the promotion of the National Federation of Self-Help Movements, establishing the Afrika and Diaspora institute, running the Connexions youth service in the borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, advice and support, community education, anti-knife and violent crime outreach, the African-Asian Solidarity Conference UK 1992, meals service, outdoor adventures, sports teams, day trips, and musical talent contests. A small selection from their archive will be on display here.
‘Triumph of the Grassroots: British Social History 1972-2012’ runs from Wed 14 Oct-Sat 12 Dec on Tues-Sat at 10.30am-5pm (late night Thurs til 8pm) at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS, Thornhaugh St, London, WC1H 0XG. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7898 4046. Web: www.soas.ac.uk/gallery
Vince Hines Foundation – Tel: 030 3040 2690. Fax: 0870 974 8524. E-mail: cmass@ubol.com
Web: www.ubol.com
BRITISH PM DAVID CAMERON INSULTS JAMAICA
The British PM David Cameron insulted Jamaica, Afrikans and all intelligent human beings when he turned up on the Caribbean island as he was in the area for the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York. While the British Chancellor George Osborne took businesspeople on his recent trip to China and came back crowing about big money contracts for the Chinese to invest and control large slices of the British economic infrastructure what did Cameron have to offer Jamaicans? Cameron’s racist arrogance comes from being a descendant of slaveholders and a false beneficiary when slavery was outlawed in 1834. The slaveholders, those who traded in human flesh and whipped people to death, who conceived and perpetrated some of the most barbaric, inhuman and sadistic physical and psychological tortures were rewarded for their depravity as ‘British values’ considered THEY had been deprived of their right to exploit people and had thus suffered a loss of income. Slavery was not replaced by freedom but only colonialism and poverty. It is to this system that Cameron is wedded by his desire to perpetuate racist fantasies of British imperial glory. So when the issue of reparations came up for Britain’s role in the enslavement holocaust and specifically in Jamaica from 1655 Cameron was indignant saying slavery today is worse and then to compound his contempt for the suffering endured by Afrikans instead of any economic, educational, training or health development programmes he offered to give Jamaica £25m to build a prison so he could deport 600 Jamaicans in British jails. No hint of any of the deals or opportunities to the Chinese. Cameron and his like only see Afrikans as fit for slave plantations, menial tasks and prisons. Truly, he represents the lowest form of human life on the planet.
ECONOMICS CLASS 101+
The paragraph on inflation in ‘Economics Class 101’ in Nubiart Diary No. 349 should have read:
INFLATION
As the above examples of Retail Price Index and Consumer Price Index and their variants show the statistics are open to any manner of manipulation. Often governments say they are changing from one measure to another for more accuracy and to reflect changing consumption patterns eg purchase of electronics such as mobile phones or multi-channel TV subscriptions compared to 20 years ago. By selecting what goes in the consumer’s basket governments can get a figure closer to which they can use to justify their policies and support any spurious argument. Inflation may be a low number but poorer people spend a larger proportion of their income on heat and lighting, food, transport to work and rent. Another policy particularly favoured by right wing parties such as the British Tories is to have a low inflation rate but to monetise more of the economy, cut allowances to certain categories and to charge for goods and services which were previously provided free. This means that more money is needed to cover these costs but they can argue inflation is under control. The Tories have a particular hatred of the nation’s youth and have been hammering them financially for the past five years. Cutting access to housing benefit, raising the age at which it can be paid, limiting the percentage rises in benefit, increasing fees to attend education facilities to £9,000 a year whereas 30 years ago students were actually given a grant by the state to study. The financial burden of looking after under-25s falls on their parents, other family members, debt and borrowing services and increasing financial and acquisitive crime. The over-25s are facing their own challenges such as council tax benefit being cut so they have to pay a proportion from their income which was previously considered subsistence, rent and benefit caps, bedroom tax, increasing vehicle charges for residential parking, congestion charges and ‘fines’, annual above-inflation increases on trains and energy price rises of over 22%. All this when officially inflation has been around 1% for several years.
FORTHCOMING NUBIART PROFILES
NUBIART: Focus on arts, business, education, health, political developments and the media.
~ Oct 19: Review of ‘Hard Stop’, about the police killing of unarmed Mark Duggan in Tottenham Hale, the community’s response and the judicial rulings. Also ‘3½ Minutes, 10 Bullets’, a documentary about the killing of unarmed Jordan Davis in Florida by a white man who through his prejudice and paranoia imagined Jordan was armed when he was actually the one with a gun.
OCT PROMOS
~ ‘AMPLIFICADOR – Various Artists [Far Out Recordings – Out Now] Far Out have stayed true to their label name as it would be easy to fill a Brazilian compilation with any amount of nuevo bossa and rousing sambas and passed it off as the most happening thing in the country. Instead they have gone for the less obvious but not lacking in quality for any of that. This 17-track album opens with the traditional sounds of Ive Seixas with ‘Cervejas Populares’ and a new take on MPB but across the selection there is a heavy bias towards the Afrobeat end of things which was a pleasant surprise. Abayomy, who formed directly out of a love for Fela’s music, pay tribute to ‘Obatala’. Iconili follow that with their ‘O Rei De Tupanga’. Zulumbi’s self-titled track is a good introduction to what they are about with the added Portuguese rap over the groove. Zebrabeat Afro-Amazonia Orquestra’s ‘Zebrabeat’ mixes the Afrobeat polyrhythms with the regional rhythms of Para state.
Andre Sampaio E Os Afromandinga are clearly inspired more by Ali Farka Toure and Afel Bocoum on their blues ‘Ecos de Niafunke’ but they nail that style so well you can easily picture those great men laying this down in Mali themselves. Luziluzia’s ‘Summertime’ and Fino Coletivo’s ‘Iracema’ are more jazzy and contemplative. The Baggios take the psychedelic rock route with guitar and horn section to the fore on ‘Esturia Leao’. While Burro Morto give the drumkit a good pounding on the instrumental ‘Lucifer Colombia’ which show frevo and forro influences.
DJ Dolores (actually a man) drops ‘O Amor Vai’ a swinging club dance track. It comes from the album ‘Banda Sonora musica para filmes’ so it’s part of the soundtracks being used in the vast Brazilian film industry. Os Sertoes’ ‘Flor de Saudade’ is a ska-tinged number while Aeromocas E Tenistas Russas go even further down that road with ‘Kilimanjaro Dub’ which has hints of Stevie Wonder in his ‘Master Blaster’ / ‘Hotter Than July’ phase in between the other ingredients in the melange. Motormama’s ‘Rio Grande’ is the closer to an album that is more varied in musical styles than originally expected but is a reflection of the diversity of talent and influences that make up Brazil and its music scenes
~ ‘ISLAND RECORDS PRESENTS REGGAE DISCOMIXES’ – Various Artists [Spectrum Records – Out Now] Rocksolid 22-track double-CD compilation from the golden age of roots and rub-a-dub reggae. Island Records deliver up some extended workouts from their vaults and the tracklisting speaks for itself. Truly there are no fillers here:
Disc 1
1. Idle Dog - Hosbah Lawrence & Trinity; 2. In The Midnight Hour / Ya Ya - George Faith; 3. Cool Meditation - Third World; 4. Ku Klux Klan - Steel Pulse; 5. Want Fi Goh Rave - Linton Kwesi Johnson; 6. Children of Sanchez – Rico; 7. Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner - Black Uhuru; 8. Old Broom - Wailing Souls; 9. You Mean The World To Me - The Paragons; 10. Proverbs Extraction - Pablo Moses; 11. Pass The Kouchie / Pass The Knowledge - The Mighty Diamonds
Disc 2
1. Dreadlocks In The Moonlight - Lee Perry; 2. Carry Go Bring Come - Justin Hinds & The Dominoes; 3. Memories - Junior Murvin; 4. Prophecy – Fabian; 5. Civilized Reggae - Burning Spear; 6. We ‘A’ Rockers - Inner Circle; 7. Chatty Chatty - Toots & The Maytals; 8. Fight To The Top - Michael Prophet; 9. Warrior Charge – Aswad; 10. Lovers Rocking & Skanking - Tony Tuff; 11. Cool Down The Pace - Gregory Isaacs
The album kicks off with a tribute to all the artists and musicians who hung out down at Idler’s Rest waiting for a shout from a producer or singer to come to work. Jamaican roots classics come from Burning Spear’s ‘Civilized Reggae’, Wailing Souls, The Mighty Diamonds, Black Uhuru, Third World, Justin Hinds & The Dominoes, Junior Murvin, Michael Prophet and Toots & The Maytals. I’d half forgotten that both ‘Proverbs Extraction’ and Fabian’s ‘Prophecy’ were from the Island stable as I linked them to their release on other labels. There is jazzy-reggae from Rico and yard lovers from the eternally Cool Ruler, Tony Tuff, George Faith and The Paragons. The ‘British’ contingent are not ignored with Steel Pulse, LKJ, and even in this company Aswad’s ‘Warrior Charge’ still sounds as immediate and life-affirming as it did on that first hearing – you can never tire of watching Blue voice out over it in ‘Babylon’, still one of the greatest scenes in cinema history.
I remember the first Island 12” that I came across was The Meditations ‘Much Smarter’ Pre-Release which belonged to one of my sisters. For years I hunted round all the record shops trying to get my own copy and I assumed the distributors were just stalling me but it turns out that was one of the records - along with The Congos ‘Heart of the Congos’ - that got caught up in the dispute between Lee Perry and Chris Blackwell when Scratch pulled all his content that wasn’t fully released from the label so the 7” version of ‘Much Smarter’ that he put out was not as dread and heavy as the Island pre. Ten years ago I wouldn’t have been happy if Island had put out a discomix compilation and not included that track but with the repress, re-release and download market there’s an easier way to get access to a lot of tunes than traipsing round dusty shops or paying silly amounts of ‘hard-earned’ cash.
~ ‘SALENTO JAMDOWN’ – Sud Sound System [Adriatic Sound – Out Now] Mixtape CD coming out of Italy of modern roots reggae in the first half and dancehall. There are Jamaican and Italian artists here and most of the songs are likewise a mix of the two languages. Luckily it’s not a juggling mixtape where you only get 30 seconds of a track with some selector talking inanities all over the actual track. There’s some quality artists here including Capleton, Anthony ‘Gunshot’ Johnson, Jah Mason, Morgan Heritage and Luciano. While on the upfront line-up is Kiprich, a very impressive vocal style from Miss Trinity, Daddy Freddy (once considered the fastest DJ in the world), Alozade, Esco, General Levy, Bling Dog, Chico, Voicemail, Doctor Evil and TOK. Standout track is easily Luciano’s heartfelt ‘Lampedusa’:
‘This is Luciano in association with Sud Sound System and the Salento family paying homage to the brave pioneers who set sail in treacherous waters seeking for brighter shores…
Though waters are turbulent
Raging hard with the desperate
Brave souls seeking for betterment
Putting their own lives in detriment
Leaving loved ones behind
Hoping that they would find
Even a slice of paradise
Making the ultimate sacrifice…
Row, row, to Lampedusa we go
Go, go, for a better life we row
Row, row, to Lampedusa we go
Go, go, for a better life we row…
Human souls are constantly
Reaching out for survival
Seeking better perpetually
Preserving life is essential.
Though they don’t know
What the future holds
Yet still they go
Searching for better shores
Row, row, to Lampedusa we go
Go, go, for a better life we row
Row, row, to Lampedusa we go
Go, go, for a better life we row.’
NUBIART LIBRARY – OCT MEDIA
We will only review books we have read and DVDs we have seen and that are available at reasonable prices online or in shops or libraries. However, given the nature and current state of Afrikan publishing and film production there may be books and films on this list that are worth the extra effort to track down.
~ ‘ADRIFT: PEOPLE OF A LESSER GOD’. Dir: Dominique C Mollard [Simply Media] ‘God is great, until we die.’ The director Dominique C. Mollard is also the reporter in this documentary about Afrikans leaving the continent searching for a better life and future. Here it is from the Mauritanian / Senegalese coast to the Canary Islands, which although off Afrika’s west coast technically meant they had landed in Spain. The journey takes five days in small pirogues but it is in hostile seas and because of the trade winds without a good navigator your boat could end up in south America months later with skeletons if it doesn’t sink before then. From 2005-2009 60,000 Afrikans made the journey and at least 5,500 bodies were washed ashore. For many Afrikans this was the main way into Europe until the ‘Arab Spring’ opened up the route from Tunisia and Libya to Lampedusa. Since then the instability in the Middle East has opened up the route to Greece and increased traffic on the notorious Balkan route through Turkey into Eastern Europe.
Mollard spent nearly two years interviewing migrants in Mauritania and Senegal - several of whom have attempted the trip already either turning back or having been deported - before undertaking the crossing with 38 Afrikan migrants, among them a five-month-old baby. Reasons for them wanting to leave included the locals fishing fleet being decimated by larger fish factory ships who scooped up all the catch leaving nothing for the small-scale fishermen; the rising militant Islam outlawing activities in various countries; wanting to connect with relatives; hoping for financial success in a pool of increasing poverty; following the wealth and resources that have been exploited and expropriated from Afrika by corrupt corporations and governments; and continued slavery and discrimination in Mauritania despite laws outlawing such practices.
Spain has various agreements with Afrikan countries about coping with the migrants. An agreement with Mali was that any Malians who reached the Canaries would be deported back to Mali. While people in boats on the high seas expect to be picked up by ships and handed over to the Spanish marine patrol or civil guard but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way, by accident or design, and instead people are handed over to the Moroccan navy. This also means being deported back to their country of origin or to the points of embarkation, ie Mauritania or Senegal, to try again as soon as enough money has been raised or the next favourable crossing time comes along. If political stability, economic development and a fairer share of the resource wealth are not forthcoming then the situation on the continent will continue to reflect what one person said in ‘Adrift’: ‘Africa is dying a slow death, assisted by the rest of the world.’
We welcome feedback on any event you have attended that was listed in Nubiart Diary. It helps us with the selection of future listings and is also info we can pass on to the event organisers where appropriate.
~ RAS EVENTS
- ‘Democracy in Africa’. On Mon 5 Oct at 6.30-8.30pm at the Brunei Suite, SOAS, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG. The launch of Democracy in Africa, a comprehensive overview of the history of contemporary democracy across Afrika. During this event the author Professor Nic Cheeseman and a panel of experts will explore some of the most important questions facing Africa and democracy today in the wake of recent events in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
- ‘Activism in the Niger Delta: Reflections on the past, present & future’. On Wed 7 Oct at 7.30-9.30pm at the Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG. Over the last few decades, several movements and activists have protested against resource exploitation and environmental damage in the Niger Delta. This event, held in memory of two activists, Ken Saro Wiwa and Oronto Douglas, leading human rights attorney who founded Environmental Rights Action, will reflect on what has been achieved in the last twenty years, as well as the challenges that remain for the country’s new administration.
- ‘King of Kings - The Triumph & Tragedy of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia’. On Mon 2 Nov at 6.30-8.30pm at Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG. Haile Selassie I was a descendent of King Solomon and a forerunner of African unity and independence. He fought with the Allies against the fascist Axis powers during the Second World War and was a reformer and an autocrat, who was assassinated in a communist coup. Haile Selassie is brilliantly portrayed in King of Kings by his great-nephew Asfa-Wossen Asserate. Join us for a stimulating evening focusing on one of Afrikan history’s most important figures.
~ TATE BRITAIN SPOTLIGHT ON SANKOFA FILM & VIDEO. The Autumn season of screenings at Tate Britain continues its spotlight on the visionary collective Sankofa Film and Video. It was established in 1983 by five aspiring filmmakers – Martina Attille, Maureen Blackwood, Robert Crusz, Isaac Julien and Nadine Marsh-Edwards, focused on the production of new black subjectivities and introducing audiences to black feminist theory and the politics and poetics of self-representation.
- ‘The Passion of Remembrance’. On Mon 5 Oct at 7-9pm. Co-directed by Blackwood and Julien, the first full-length feature film by Sankofa Film and Video (1986) offers a radical and necessary interrogation into what constitutes ‘post-colonial’ identity at a time of political and social restlessness in Britain. Set within an isolated desert landscape contrasted with recognizable scenes of the intensity of family life, this vanguard work demonstrates the richness and variety of the black experience. Featuring British-born Maggie Baptise, The Passion of Remembrance is a poetic and hard-hitting commentary on the complexities of race, gender and sexuality. The screening is followed by film curator Karen Alexander in conversation with the audience.
- ‘Martina Attille: Dreaming Rivers’. On Mon 2 Nov at 7-8.30pm. This 30 minute short, shot in 16mm, in director Attille’s own words ‘illustrates the spirit of modern families touched by the experience of migration.’ Winner of Film Ducat at 1988 Mannheim Festival and other awards, this rarely seen work evocatively weaves together fragments of a solitary present, ambition-fuelled dreams and memories of the past. Caribbean-born Miss T.’s wake serves as the site for lyrical recollections from both those who live on and from Miss T. herself. The screening will be followed by artist Sonia Boyce MBE, Professor in Fine Art at Middlesex University (and set designer on Dreaming Rivers) in conversation with and Dr Amna Malik, Senior Lecturer in Art History and Theory at Slade School of Fine Art.
Both screenings at Clore Auditorium, Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1. Adm: £5 / concessions available.
~ BRITISHBLACKMUSIC.COM/BLACK MUSIC CONGRESS PRESENTS
- ‘Managing A No. 1 Artist With Former Emeli Sande Manager Adrian Sykes’. On Tues 6 Oct at 6.30-8.30pm at Harrow Mencap, 1st floor, 3 Jardine House, Harrovian Business Village, Bessborough Road, Harrow, HA1 3EX. E-mail: editor@BritishBlackMusic.com Web: www.BritishBlackMusic.com Extra-BBMM Q&A session with well-seasoned music industryite
- ‘2000 Years of British Black Music’. On Thurs 8 Oct at 5.30-7pm at Woolwich Library, London, SE18 6HQ Tel: 020 8921 5750. This audio-visual assisted presentation of black music making in the British Isles over two millennia, will also show its engagement with patronage and the music industry
- ‘2000 Years of British Black Music’. On Tues 13 Oct at 6.30-8pm at Battersea Library, London, SW11 1JB Tel: 020 7223 2334. This audio-visual assisted presentation of black music making in the British Isles over two millennia, will also show its engagement with patronage and the music industry
- ‘British History 50:70 / Is Jesus White?’ On Sat 24 Oct at 5-8pm at Clapham Common Methodist Church Hall, Nelson’s Row, London, SW4 7JR. An audio-visual presentation by history consultant Kwaku on Christian iconography which puts Jesus and Christianity into a historical context that links to the present. It covers religion, art, identity and impact of the usual portrayal of “whiteness” against the seldom portrayal of the “other” or “blackness” within Christian iconography.
- ‘Look How Far We’ve Come Community Talk - Is Jesus White?’ On Wed 28 Oct at 6.30-9pm at Croydon BME Forum, CR0 3PB. An audio-visual presentation on Christian iconography by history consultant Kwaku, which puts Jesus and Christianity into a historical context that links to the present. It covers religion, art, identity and impact of the usual portrayal of “whiteness” against the seldom portrayal of the “other” or “blackness” within Christian iconography.
- ‘Look How Far We Have Come’ Film Screening and Discussion. On Thurs 29 Oct at 5pm at Tate South Lambeth Library, London, SW8 1QP. Tel: 020 7926 0705. History consultant Kwaku examines the question of racial equality in Britain for young people 14+ (& parents/family).
- Taking From Eric Williams’ ‘Capitalism & Slavery’. On Mon 2 Nov at 6.30-8.30pm at Harrow Mencap, 1st floor, 3 Jardine House, Harrovian Business Village, Bessborough Road, Harrow, HA1 3EX. E-mail: editor@BritishBlackMusic.com Web: www.BritishBlackMusic.com / http://bit.ly/1dD4QyL Presentation and discussion led by Cecil Gutzmore.
For BBM/BMC events e-mail: editor@BritishBlackMusic.com Web: www.BritishBlackMusic.com
~ THE NEW BLACK FILM COLLECTIVE AND BLACK HISTORY STUDIES PRESENT ‘CIVILISED CINEMA: THE FIGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS ON SCREEN’. The New Black Film Collective’s Black History Month 2015 programme features this inspirational series of films and events commemorating 50 years since the passing of the British Race Relations Act, voting rights in the US, the assassination of Malcolm X and the 25th anniversary of the release of Nelson Mandela which led to the abolition of apartheid.
Black History Studies screenings:
- Double Bill: ‘Grove Roots’ & ‘Africa’s Black Star - The Rise And Fall Of Kwame Nkrumah’ (U). On Fri 9 Oct at 7.30pm. In ‘Grove Roots’ eight young west Londoners document the history of their local area and traces the evolution of Ladbroke Grove from the 1958 race riots to the present day. The film looks at the major milestones, historical flash points and social landscaping of the area to capture the unique story of Ladbroke Grove. ‘Africa’s Black Star’ tells the political rise and fall of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s and Afrika’s first independent president after colonial rule. Through testimonies from Ghanaian historians and social commentators, Nkrumah’s contemporaries and his family members, audiences learn about his fascinating life. The film covers Nkrumah’s phenomenal rise to power, Africa’s independence movement, his successes and losses, the internal and external enemies, the 1966 coup and the continuation of his legacy in Ghana and Africa. This is a ground-breaking documentary with beautiful visuals of the country and unprecedented access from family members, friends, politicians and historians from Ghana, the UK and the USA.
- ‘Looking For Claudia Jones (U). On Fri 16 Oct at 7.30pm Enemy of the state, visionary, freedom fighter - just who was Claudia Jones? This compelling documentary reveals one of history’s most dynamic civil rights activists. With a directorial debut by writer Nia Reynolds and narration by actor Josette Simon (Cry Freedom), ‘Looking for Claudia Jones’ is the fascinating life story of a true rebel with a cause. The film documents the influence of Claudia Jones, a towering figure in politics in the second half of the twentieth century in the USA and UK. Claudia was a campaigner for freedom, through her communist beliefs. She founded Britain’s first Black newspaper, The West Indian Gazette and Afro-Asian Caribbean News, in 1958. And she was one of the founders of the Notting Hill Carnival, as a community led response to the Notting Hill race riots of 1958.
- ‘Divided By Race. United In War And Peace’ (U). On Fri 23 Oct at 7.30pm. A powerful documentary about race relations in Britain during and after the Second World War. At its core are the testimonies of 14 surviving veterans, particularly those West Indian and Afrikan men and women who volunteered to join the war effort and soon afterwards returned to live in Britain. They risked their lives to serve under the Union Jack in time of war, then faced a second battle for the right to remain under that flag as British Citizens. Until now their stories have not been fully heard. Nor has the contribution they made been properly recognised, both in helping to win the war and in changing the face of British society. This film, brought to you by The-Latest.Com, Britain’s first dedicated citizen journalism website, seeks to both redress that balance and explore the sometimes painful evolution of our multi-cultural society. After the screening there will be a Q&A with the Director Marc Wadsworth
- ‘Fast Girls’ (PG). On Friday 30th October 2015 at 7.30pm. When sassy streetwise Shania (Lenora Crichlow) meets ambitious, middle class Lisa (Lily James), their two worlds collide on the athletics track with explosive results. As the fast girls strive to qualify for a major world athletics championship, they battle adversity and rivalry on their dramatic, heart-warming and inspirational journey.
All screenings at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town Hall Approach Road, Tottenham, London, N15 4RX. Adm: Free. Tel / Fax: 020 8881 0660. Mobile: 07951 234 233. E-mail: info@blackhistorystudies.com Web: http://www.blackhistorystudies.com
The New Black Film Collective screenings below are all in the Stratford / Bow area of London:
- ‘Grove Roots’ (U), ‘Malcolm X: A Day In Smethwick’ (U) & ‘Selma’ (U). On Tues 6 Oct at 6pm & 8pm at the Genesis Cinema, London.
- ‘Malcolm X: A Day In Smethwick’ (U). On Thurs 8 Oct at 6.30pm at the Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London.
- ‘Selma’ (PG). On Thurs 8 Oct at 8.30pm at Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London.
- ‘Africa’s Black Star - The Rise and Fall of Kwame Nkrumah’ (U). On Thurs 15 Oct at 6pm at Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London.
- ‘Masterclass: Race and the Law in the UK’. On Thurs 15 Oct at 6.30-7.30pm at University Square Stratford, London.
- ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’ (12A). On Thurs 15 Oct at 8.30pm at Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London
- ‘Looking for Claudia Jones’ (U) & ‘Selma’ (15). On Tues 20 Oct at 6pm & 8pm at Genesis Cinema, London.
- ‘Masterclass: Black Political Narratives - Black Sections: past, present and future’. On Wed 21 Oct at 6-7.30pm at University Square Stratford, London.
- ‘Grove Roots’ (U). On Thurs 22 Oct at 6pm at Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London.
- ‘The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution’ (12). On Thurs 22 Oct at 8.30pm at Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London
- ‘Looking for Claudia Jones’ (U). On Thurs 29 Oct at 6pm at Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London.
- ‘Masterclass: The Aliveness of Black Film’. On Thurs 29 Oct at 6.30-7.30pm at University Square Stratford, London.
- ‘Njinga (Nzinga), Queen of Angola. On Thurs 29 Oct at 8.30pm at Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London.
Adm: Free. Tel: 020 8470 0692 / 07860 613 246. E-mail: priscilla@tnbfc.co.uk Web: www.tnbfc.co.uk
~ CONTEMPORARY ARTS RESEARCH SEMINAR SERIES, SCHOOL OF ARTS, SOAS ARTISTS’ SYMPOSIUM: ‘ART & COLLABORATION’. This one-day symposium brings together six leading artists in conversation about the role of collaboration in their practice. What happens when artists collaborate? What are the challenges and potentials of working together? How can collective action help us rethink notions of learning, identity, art and politics?
11am-1pm: Atta Kwami and Jacob Jari discuss ‘Networks’ and collaboration in the context of their own work, but also as a mode of learning in the artists’ workshops they established in Ghana and Nigeria. Based on the Triangle model, these workshops brought together a broad community of artists, enlivening practice by sparking a series of creative networks.
2-4pm: Joy Gregory and Peterson Kamwathi discuss ‘Power’. Joy Gregory’s practice explores a long-running concern with politics, history and social difference, most recently in a body of research about language endangerment. Peterson Kamwathi’s recent work explores the formation of alternative communities in the face of political power, and through his 2009 series ‘Sitting Allowance’, indicts the role of institutions in the 2007-8 post-election violence in Kenya. Together they discuss the potential of creativity and collaboration as modes of resistance to power. Introduced by Touria el Glaoui, Director of 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair
4.30-6.30pm: Sonia Boyce MBE and Samson Kambalu discuss ‘Play’. Both use collaboration as a method in their visual practice. Boyce has worked with a series of performers since the turn of the millennium and Kambalu’s short films, collectively titled ‘Nyau cinema’, are often produced in acts of spontaneous collaboration on city streets. Together, they discuss the creative potential of ‘play’ in these largely improvised encounters.
6.30-8pm: Book launch for ‘Making Art in Africa 1960-2010’, edited by Polly Savage (Lund Humphries, 2014), a major new book which brings together the voices of 69 artists and curators to narrate key moments of art making across Anglophone and Lusophone Africa since independence.
On Sun 11 Oct at 11am-8pm in Djam Lecture Theatre, SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG. Adm: Free. E-mail: info@lundhumphries.com to reserve a place.
~ AFRICAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF THE UK MARY KINGSLEY ZOCHONIS LECTURE. Dr Peace Medie will deliver the lecture on ‘Women, Security, and Justice: Enforcing Gender-Based Violence Laws in Post-Conflict African States’. She is a research fellow in the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD) at the University of Ghana. Her research and teaching interests include international relations, gender and international security, and civilian protection. On Thurs 15 Oct at 6-7pm at the Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG. Adm: Free. RSVP: secretary@asauk.net Web: www.asauk.net
~ ‘LATE AT THE LIBRARY: FELABRATION!’ A spectacular live showcase tribute to the life and music of Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Felabration marks the birthday of Fela Anikulapo Kuti (1938-1997), the defining creator of the funk, jazz and rhythmic force that is Afrobeat, which emerged in Nigeria in the 1970s. As well as a composer and multi-instrumentalist genius, Fela was a human rights activist and defiant political and social maverick whose influence continues to reverberate throughout Africa and beyond.
The supercharged tribute to the man and his music is led by Dele Sosimi and his 16-piece Afrobeat
Orchestra. Dele Sosimi played keyboards as part of Fela’s Egypt 80 band from 1979 to 1986 and created the Positive Force band with Fela’s son, Femi Kuti, with whom he performed from 1986 to 1994.
Another Fela associate taking part is drummer Tony Allen who was instrumental in the creation of
Afrobeat. He was an original member of Fela’s Koola Lobitos highlife-jazz band and later of Fela’s Africa 70 band (1968-1979). Line-up includes: MTV, MOBO, BET and KORA awards winner 2face Idibia; Laura Mvula; Shingai Shoniwa, vocalist and bassist for the UK indie rock band Noisettes; Terri Walker; The Floacist from Floetry; Nigerian acoustic jazz-folk singer and songwriter Bumi Thomas; West African singer Audrey Gbaguidi, grime MC Afrikan Boy; and musician, historian and writer Ed Keazor. Special guests will be the Trinity College Afrobeat Ensemble, all recent graduates from Trinity College in London, Fela’s alma mater. On the decks will be London-based Japanese-born DJ Kochi Sakai.
On Fri 16 Oct at 8pm at the British Library (Entrance Hall), 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. Adm: £25. Tel: 01937 546 546. E-mail: boxoffice@bl.uk Web: http://www.bl.uk/events/late-at-the-library-felabration Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1613604392221958/
- ‘West Africa: Word, Symbol, Song’ exhibition opens on the same day at the PACCAR Gallery, British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. Adm: £10 / Under-18s – Free / Concs available. Tel: +44 (0)1937 546 546. E-mail: boxoffice@bl.uk Web: http://www.bl.uk/events/west-africa-word-symbol-song
‘West Africa - Mission from cape’
An exhibition of literature and music – from the great African empires of the Middle Ages to the cultural dynamism of West Africa today using beautiful manuscripts, sound, film and more, tracing the written and oral cultural history of West Africa for the past three centuries. ‘Late at the Library: Felabration!’ includes free access (until 10pm) to the exhibition.
Fascinating stories from the region’s 17 nations show how West Africans have harnessed the power of words to build societies, drive political movements, sustain religious belief and fight injustice. Hear the myth of the founding of ancient Mali in recorded performance. See the influence of religion through colourful fabric and the saddlebag Qur’an. Celebrate writers and artists including Africa’s first Nobel prize winner, Wole Soyinka, and internationally acclaimed musician and human rights activist Fela Kuti.
- ‘Talk with Nigerian artist and graphic designer Lemi Ghariokwu’. On Fri 16 Oct at 6.45-8pm at the Conference Centre, British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. Adm: £5. Tel: 01937 546 546. E-mail: boxoffice@bl.uk Web: http://www.bl.uk/events/lemi-ghariokwu-art-and-afrobeat The artist for many of Fela’s iconic sleeves for most of Fela Kuti’s albums, and their close personal and artistic relationship, which gave him an instinctive, complex and highly creative response to the music and its social and political messages.
- ‘Finding Fela’ screening of Alex Gibney’s 2014 documentary, followed by live conversations with Fela’s manager Rikki Stein, as well as Dele Sosimi, Lemi Ghariokwu, 2face Idibia and Tony Allen. On Sat 17 Oct at 2pm at the Conference Centre, British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. Adm: £8. Web: http://www.bl.uk/events/finding-fela-plus-qanda
~ BASSEKOU KOUYATÉ: UK LIVE DATES + NEW VIDEO. Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba’s fourth album ‘Ba Power’ is a striking, career defining record marked by mesmerizing songs, razor-sharp riffs and full-throttle emotions. ‘Ba Power’ contains all the swagger, precision and wide-eyed excitement that the title implies. It is the album where Bassekou’s music engages with the world in ways he could have only imagined 10 years before. It is the album where he confirms his status amongst the 21st century’s most relevant musical artists. ‘Musow Fanga’ (meaning ‘Power of Women’) is the second single taken from the album, and with it in hand.
- On Mon 19 Oct at 8pm at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (Music Room), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Hope Street, Liverpool L1 9BP. Adm: £16. Web: http://www.liverpoolphil.com/17931/events-contemporary-music/bassekou-kouyate.html
- On Tues 20 Oct at 8.30pm at The Lantern, Colston Hall, Colston Street, Bristol, BS1 5AR. Adm: £16.50. Web: http://www.colstonhall.org/shows/bassekou-kouyate-and-ngoni-ba/
- On Thurs 22 Oct at 8pm at Firth Hall, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield University, Sheffield S10 2TN. Tickets: £14 adv. (Conc. £12 / Students £5) / £16 on the door (Conc. £14 / Students £6)
NB: A TalkingGigs where Bassekou will be discussing his music and life with Andy Morgan, interspersed by musical interludes (solo / duet, etc). Web: http://concerts.sheffield.ac.uk/whats-on/global-soundtracks-bassekou-kouyate
- On Fri 23 Oct at 7.45pm at Howard Assembly Room, 46 New Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6NU. Adm: £17.50 (Conc. £14.50 - £15.75) Web: http://www.operanorth.co.uk/howard-assembly-room / http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/bassekou-kouyate-sings-the-blues
Bassekou Kouyaté: http://bassekoukouyate.com/
Twitter: @Bassekou http://twitter.com/Bassekou
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bassekou-Kouyat%C3%A9/39291943354?fref=ts
Glitterbeat Records: http://glitterbeat.com/
Twitter: @Glitterbeat_Rec https://twitter.com/Glitterbeat_Rec
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Glitterbeat
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/glitterbeattv
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/glitterbeat
~ EQUIANO SOCIETY CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PAUL BOGLE (1820 – 24TH OCTOBER 1865) COMMEMORATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ‘DEATH’. There will be a screening of ‘Catch A Fire’, Menelik Shabazz’s biography of Paul Bogle. On Sat 24 Oct at 3.30-5.30pm at Karibu Educational Centre, 7 Gresham Road, London, SW9 7PH.
~ MARIAN GOODMAN GALLERY PRESENTS WILLIAM KENTRIDGE’S ‘MORE SWEETLY PLAY THE DANCE’ includes two immersive multiscreen film installations, monumental ink-on-paper paintings, sculptures and drawings. The upper gallery is dedicated to the show title, More Sweetly Play the Dance’, an eight-screen processionary danse macabre. But, beyond the medieval notion of dancing as a means of staving off death, as this 40 metre, life-sized, circular caravan traverses around us, one senses that it’s as much a cortege of those who have been deprived of a fully realised life – yet another procession of refugees fleeing a skirmish or warlord. Most of the itinerants are filmed holding up silhouettes transcribed from enlarged Kentridge drawings as they march. Kentridge’s long-time collaborator Dada Masilo brings up the rear, dancing en pointe with a rifle to the last strains of their canticle, as if single-handedly “hold[ing] the hope and disillusion together”.
Downstairs, Kentridge presents ‘Notes Towards a Model Opera’, a three-screen film installation that grew from his research for a recent exhibition at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing. He found himself repeatedly drawn to Madame Mao’s Eight Model Revolutionary Operas, which conflated vainglorious folklore, jingoistic re-presentations of military victories, martial arts and ballet. The soundtrack for the piece, arranged by the composer Philip Miller, is based on various elaborations of the communist anthem ‘The Internationale’ ranging in style from period 1950s colonial dance bands to South African toyi-toyi chanting protest marches. Until 24 Oct on Tues-Sat at 10am-6pm at Marian Goodman Gallery, 5-8 Lower John Street, London, Tel: Charlie Dunnery McCracken on 020 7099 0088. E-mail: charlie@mariangoodman.com
~ TIWANI CONTEMPORARY PRESENTS ‘THE MIRROR BALL CONSTELLATION’ EXHIBITION Since the early 1980s, Theo Eshetu has combined the formal components of film with anthropological ideas to examine the notion of culture itself. His manipulation of time and light leads to work that draws on themes and images from the artist’s dual European and African background. As one of the first artists to work exclusively with video art, Eshetu has contributed significantly to the medium’s recognition within the context of fine art. Eshetu’s long form essay-films and multiscreen video installations have gained him international recognition at numerous film festivals and museums. Tiwani Contemporary will show Eshetu’s acclaimed 2014 work Anima Mundi, an immersive multimedia and video installation, as well as the five-screen video installation Meditation Light (2006) and works from the photographic series The Mirror Ball Constellation (2013-2015). Theo Eshetu was born in 1958 in London and grew up in Addis Ababa, Dakar and London before establishing himself in Rome. He currently lives and works in Berlin. Exhibition continues until 31 Oct on Tues-Fri at 11am-6pm and Sat at 12-5pm at Tiwani Contemporary, 16 Little Portland Street, London, E-mail: info@tiwani.co.uk Web: www.tiwani.co.uk
Syd Shelton, Bagga, vocalist with
Matumbi, Hackney, London, 1978
~ AUTOGRAPH ABP PRESENT ‘SYD SHELTON: ROCK AGAINST RACISM’. The first major exhibition of Syd Shelton’s photographs capturing one of the most intriguing and contradictory political periods in British post war history. Between 1976 and 1981, the Rock Against Racism (RAR) confronted racist ideology in the streets, parks and town halls of Britain. RAR was formed by a collective of musicians and political activists to fight fascism and racism through music. Under the slogan ‘Love Music, Hate Racism’, it showcased reggae and punk bands on the same stage, attracting large multi-cultural audiences. At a time when the fascist attitudes of the National Front were gaining support, RAR marked the rising resistance to violent and institutionalised racism. Shelton photographed performers such as The Clash, Elvis Costello, Misty in Roots, Tom Robinson, Au Pairs and The Specials as well as the audiences at RAR gigs and carnivals across England. He captured the history-making RAR Carnival at Victoria Park, London in 1978, and demonstrations such as the Anti National Front Demonstration in Lewisham in 1977. Shelton also took contextual social and cultural images that informed the politics of the movement across England and Ireland. Until 5 Dec on Tues, Wed & Fri at 11am–6pm, Thurs at 11am–9pm and Sat at 12–6pm at Autograph, Rivington Place, London, EC2A 3BA. Adm: Free. Tel: +44 (0)20 7729 9200. Fax +44 (0)20 7739 8748. E-mail: info@rivingtonplace.org
Hula dancers from the Hālau Nā
Kipuʻupuʻu group, Kaʻauea, Hawaiʻi,
Hawaiian Islands, 2011.
Photography: Dino Morrow.
~ BRITISH MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS ‘SHIFTING PATTERNS: PACIFIC BARKCLOTH CLOTHING’. A selection of textiles from the Pacific used to wrap, drape and adorn the body in a myriad of styles and designs, these garments demonstrate the long history of barkcloth, and its ongoing relevance today. In the islands of the Pacific, cloth made from the inner bark of trees is a distinctive art tradition its designs reflect the histories of each island group and the creativity of the makers. Spanning the region from New Guinea in the west to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the east, the exhibition will show a selection of 77 garments, headdresses, masks and body adornments from the Museum’s collection dating from the 1700s to 2014, including those worn as everyday items and ceremonial costumes linked to key life cycle events such as initiation and marriage. Barkcloth is generally made and decorated by women, but garments intended for ritual purposes may be made by men. Until Sun 6 Dec at Room 91 at the British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC2. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7323 8181.
~ ‘AFRICAN THREADS, HACKNEY STYLE: 400 YEARS OF TEXTILES JOURNEYS FROM AFRICA TO HACKNEY’. This exhibition explores Hackney’s historic ties with Africa through fabric and fashion. Uncover their influence on the local area, from 17th century trade with West Afrika by Hackney merchants to the presence of Afrikan communities and textiles in Hackney today. Discover how textiles were produced in different regions of Afrika and the meaning behind some of their bold designs. The exhibition features stunning costumes, photographs and local people. At Hackney Museum, Technology And Learning Centre, 1 Reading Lane, London, E8 1GQ
~ ‘NO COLOUR BAR: BLACK BRITISH ART IN ACTION 1960-1990’. Exhibition of the archive of the Guyanese campaigners and publishers Eric and Jessica Huntley. Until Sun 24 Jan 2016 at Mon-Sat at 10am-5pm and Sun 12-4pm at Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Yard, London, EC2V 5AE. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7332 3700. Twitter: @NoColourBar Web: www.nocolourbar.london
~ JENGBA MEETINGS. JENGbA campaigners can deliver lectures to Law, Criminology, Media, Sociology, Youth Studies departments as well as school children. On the second Tues of every month at 7pm at Edward Woods Community Centre, London, W11 4TX. Tel: 07709 115793 / 07725 727520 (Media Enquiries). New office: Office A, Norland House, Queensdale Cresent, London, W11 4TL. E-mail: JointEnterpriseInfo@Gmail.com / JengbaMedia@Gmail.com
~ BUNDU DIA KONGO (BDK). African cultural and spiritual group, working towards the spiritual and psychological growth and development of Africans all over the world. Let us make a positive change now. Our story pre-dates Egypt and continues today. Come and learn about African prophets, African history and African spiritual practices at our weekly Zikua.
- Sun at 1.30–4.30pm at 108 Battersea High Street, London, SW11 3HPTel: Makaba - 07951 059 853. E-mail: moyomakaba9@gmail.com
- Sun at 12.30–3.15pm at Malika House, 81 George Street, Lozells, Birmingham, B19 1Sl. Tel: Mbuta Mayala – 07404 789 329.
~ THE AUSAR AUSET SOCIETY GI GONG CLASSES. Every Monday at 7.30–9pm at Hazel Road Community Centre, Hazel Road, Kensal Green, London, NW10 5PP. Adm: £5 per class. Tel: 07951- 252-427. E-mail: Tauinetwork.europe@gmail.com
Contact: Kubara Zamani, Afrikan Quest International, PO Box 35165, London, SE5 8WU. Tel: 07811 494 969. E-mail: afrikanquest1@hotmail.com
We were very disturbed to read the contents of the press release below. Clapham Methodist Church is a venue where we have attended many positive and inspirational Afrikan community events over the years. We know many people who meet there regularly and have always found Reverend Hewie Andrew to be a supportive community elder who has always striven to do the best not just for his immediate congregation but the wider Afrikan community and humanity in general. He is in the proud tradition of non-sectarian, humble and respectful activist priests. To hear of him being treated in such a humiliating and disrespectful manner is truly shocking. He is deserving of all the support our readers can give.
PRESS RELEASE! SAVE QMM SCHOOL!
PRESS RELEASE! PRESS RELEASE! PRESS RELEASE!
THE REVEREND STEPHEN POOLE MUST GO!
Reverend Stephen Poole, the new minister at Clapham High Street Methodist Church since the beginning of September this year, is threatening the future of the Queen Mother Moore Supplementary School (QMMS) which was established in that church building since 1981.
Without consultation with the school’s management committee and without even a conversation with its founder, the Reverend Hewie Andrew, himself a senior Methodist minister, Rev Poole has decided to lock the school out of its main classroom, impounding its teaching resources, children’s work and classroom furniture and to charge Reverend Andrew for the use of the school office, an office he and teachers at the school have used since it was opened.
On 10 September 2015, before he had even got his feet under the desk, Reverend Poole sent a letter to Reverend Andrew giving him 2 weeks’ notice to clear out of the school classroom and remove all the school’s belongings because he was revoking the contract the school had recently signed with the church as he wished to use that classroom as a church office. On 22 September, he sent another letter stating: ‘We hope that all of the books and equipment that belong to the school will be removed from the room before or on the 25th, anything left will be removed and thrown out’.
On 24 September, Reverend Andrew replied to Stephen Poole protesting about that unilateral action and his confrontational and disrespectful approach, in particular the fact that Poole had not had the basic common courtesy to speak with him about his work at the church, with the school and in the community. On Monday 28 September, Hewie Andrew went to the school only to discover that Poole had changed the lock on the classroom door, impounding everything inside that room, no doubt until he could arrange to carry out his threat to remove it all and throw it out.
QMMS was established by Reverend Andrew in 1981 when he himself was the minister at that church for some 9 years. He qualified as a teacher in 1971. He intended the school to be the church’s mission to the community, standing up with parents in support of quality education for all children as a fundamental entitlement and making sure that the mainstream schooling system was not disadvantaging them, especially black children who were massively underachieving, being excluded from school, or sent disproportionately to schools for the educationally subnormal.
The school has operated in that church since 1981 and has extended the life chances and shaped the careers of many thousands of young people. More recently, the school has been running a Computer Coding Club for children aged 8 to 14 as an extension of its Maths teaching programme.
Because of Reverend Hewie Andrew’s and QMMS’ international reputation, the school and Clapham Methodist Church have attracted some impressive overseas visitors over the years, including:
• Queen Mother Moore (who opened the school)
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu
• Maya Angelou
• Professor Cornell West
• Professor James Cone
• Reverend Jesse Jackson
• The Rt Honourable Michael Manley (as Prime Minister of Jamaica)
The membership of the church is almost 100 % African and the school has always catered predominantly for their children. It receives donations from parents and until recently a grant from Lambeth Council which has since ceased as a result of Government’s austerity measures.
In spite of that, Stephen Poole has decided to obstruct the work of the school and to treat Reverend Hewie Andrew, a minister for the last 40 years and a respected Elder in the Lambeth community as if he is a nobody. As a supernumerary minister, Reverend Andrew conducts baptisms, marriages, funerals and special services at that church, the proceeds of which go directly into the church’s coffers and not even to the supplementary school.
We believe that Stephen Poole would not have treated Hewie Andrew so disgracefully if he had been white. His conduct has been so extraordinarily disdainful and patronising that we can make no other inference.
As such, we do not believe that Stephen Poole is qualified to lead a congregation that is almost 100% black and therefore HE MUST GO!
Reverend Hewie Andrew Support Committee.
Friends of the Queen Mother Moore Supplementary School.
NOTE for Editors
Please direct all enquiries to Professor Augustine John, member of the management Cttee of QMMS.
Email: gj@gusjohn.com
Mob: 07539 474 041
NUBIART DIARY AFRIKAN HISTORY MONTH
For this year’s Nubiart Diary Afrikan History Month there will be an exhibition, ‘Triumph of the Grassroots: British Social History 1972-2012’ at the Brunei Gallery in London in conjunction with the Brunei Gallery and the Vince Hines Foundation. The exhibition looks at the work and struggles of the Vince Hines Foundation, part of the Self-Help Movement in Britain. Since its founding in 1972 activities they have engaged in include: the promotion of the National Federation of Self-Help Movements, establishing the Afrika and Diaspora institute, running the Connexions youth service in the borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, advice and support, community education, anti-knife and violent crime outreach, the African-Asian Solidarity Conference UK 1992, meals service, outdoor adventures, sports teams, day trips, and musical talent contests. A small selection from their archive will be on display here.
‘Triumph of the Grassroots: British Social History 1972-2012’ runs from Wed 14 Oct-Sat 12 Dec on Tues-Sat at 10.30am-5pm (late night Thurs til 8pm) at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS, Thornhaugh St, London, WC1H 0XG. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7898 4046. Web: www.soas.ac.uk/gallery
Vince Hines Foundation – Tel: 030 3040 2690. Fax: 0870 974 8524. E-mail: cmass@ubol.com
Web: www.ubol.com
BRITISH PM DAVID CAMERON INSULTS JAMAICA
The British PM David Cameron insulted Jamaica, Afrikans and all intelligent human beings when he turned up on the Caribbean island as he was in the area for the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York. While the British Chancellor George Osborne took businesspeople on his recent trip to China and came back crowing about big money contracts for the Chinese to invest and control large slices of the British economic infrastructure what did Cameron have to offer Jamaicans? Cameron’s racist arrogance comes from being a descendant of slaveholders and a false beneficiary when slavery was outlawed in 1834. The slaveholders, those who traded in human flesh and whipped people to death, who conceived and perpetrated some of the most barbaric, inhuman and sadistic physical and psychological tortures were rewarded for their depravity as ‘British values’ considered THEY had been deprived of their right to exploit people and had thus suffered a loss of income. Slavery was not replaced by freedom but only colonialism and poverty. It is to this system that Cameron is wedded by his desire to perpetuate racist fantasies of British imperial glory. So when the issue of reparations came up for Britain’s role in the enslavement holocaust and specifically in Jamaica from 1655 Cameron was indignant saying slavery today is worse and then to compound his contempt for the suffering endured by Afrikans instead of any economic, educational, training or health development programmes he offered to give Jamaica £25m to build a prison so he could deport 600 Jamaicans in British jails. No hint of any of the deals or opportunities to the Chinese. Cameron and his like only see Afrikans as fit for slave plantations, menial tasks and prisons. Truly, he represents the lowest form of human life on the planet.
ECONOMICS CLASS 101+
The paragraph on inflation in ‘Economics Class 101’ in Nubiart Diary No. 349 should have read:
INFLATION
As the above examples of Retail Price Index and Consumer Price Index and their variants show the statistics are open to any manner of manipulation. Often governments say they are changing from one measure to another for more accuracy and to reflect changing consumption patterns eg purchase of electronics such as mobile phones or multi-channel TV subscriptions compared to 20 years ago. By selecting what goes in the consumer’s basket governments can get a figure closer to which they can use to justify their policies and support any spurious argument. Inflation may be a low number but poorer people spend a larger proportion of their income on heat and lighting, food, transport to work and rent. Another policy particularly favoured by right wing parties such as the British Tories is to have a low inflation rate but to monetise more of the economy, cut allowances to certain categories and to charge for goods and services which were previously provided free. This means that more money is needed to cover these costs but they can argue inflation is under control. The Tories have a particular hatred of the nation’s youth and have been hammering them financially for the past five years. Cutting access to housing benefit, raising the age at which it can be paid, limiting the percentage rises in benefit, increasing fees to attend education facilities to £9,000 a year whereas 30 years ago students were actually given a grant by the state to study. The financial burden of looking after under-25s falls on their parents, other family members, debt and borrowing services and increasing financial and acquisitive crime. The over-25s are facing their own challenges such as council tax benefit being cut so they have to pay a proportion from their income which was previously considered subsistence, rent and benefit caps, bedroom tax, increasing vehicle charges for residential parking, congestion charges and ‘fines’, annual above-inflation increases on trains and energy price rises of over 22%. All this when officially inflation has been around 1% for several years.
FORTHCOMING NUBIART PROFILES
NUBIART: Focus on arts, business, education, health, political developments and the media.
~ Oct 19: Review of ‘Hard Stop’, about the police killing of unarmed Mark Duggan in Tottenham Hale, the community’s response and the judicial rulings. Also ‘3½ Minutes, 10 Bullets’, a documentary about the killing of unarmed Jordan Davis in Florida by a white man who through his prejudice and paranoia imagined Jordan was armed when he was actually the one with a gun.
OCT PROMOS
~ ‘AMPLIFICADOR – Various Artists [Far Out Recordings – Out Now] Far Out have stayed true to their label name as it would be easy to fill a Brazilian compilation with any amount of nuevo bossa and rousing sambas and passed it off as the most happening thing in the country. Instead they have gone for the less obvious but not lacking in quality for any of that. This 17-track album opens with the traditional sounds of Ive Seixas with ‘Cervejas Populares’ and a new take on MPB but across the selection there is a heavy bias towards the Afrobeat end of things which was a pleasant surprise. Abayomy, who formed directly out of a love for Fela’s music, pay tribute to ‘Obatala’. Iconili follow that with their ‘O Rei De Tupanga’. Zulumbi’s self-titled track is a good introduction to what they are about with the added Portuguese rap over the groove. Zebrabeat Afro-Amazonia Orquestra’s ‘Zebrabeat’ mixes the Afrobeat polyrhythms with the regional rhythms of Para state.
Andre Sampaio E Os Afromandinga are clearly inspired more by Ali Farka Toure and Afel Bocoum on their blues ‘Ecos de Niafunke’ but they nail that style so well you can easily picture those great men laying this down in Mali themselves. Luziluzia’s ‘Summertime’ and Fino Coletivo’s ‘Iracema’ are more jazzy and contemplative. The Baggios take the psychedelic rock route with guitar and horn section to the fore on ‘Esturia Leao’. While Burro Morto give the drumkit a good pounding on the instrumental ‘Lucifer Colombia’ which show frevo and forro influences.
DJ Dolores (actually a man) drops ‘O Amor Vai’ a swinging club dance track. It comes from the album ‘Banda Sonora musica para filmes’ so it’s part of the soundtracks being used in the vast Brazilian film industry. Os Sertoes’ ‘Flor de Saudade’ is a ska-tinged number while Aeromocas E Tenistas Russas go even further down that road with ‘Kilimanjaro Dub’ which has hints of Stevie Wonder in his ‘Master Blaster’ / ‘Hotter Than July’ phase in between the other ingredients in the melange. Motormama’s ‘Rio Grande’ is the closer to an album that is more varied in musical styles than originally expected but is a reflection of the diversity of talent and influences that make up Brazil and its music scenes
~ ‘ISLAND RECORDS PRESENTS REGGAE DISCOMIXES’ – Various Artists [Spectrum Records – Out Now] Rocksolid 22-track double-CD compilation from the golden age of roots and rub-a-dub reggae. Island Records deliver up some extended workouts from their vaults and the tracklisting speaks for itself. Truly there are no fillers here:
Disc 1
1. Idle Dog - Hosbah Lawrence & Trinity; 2. In The Midnight Hour / Ya Ya - George Faith; 3. Cool Meditation - Third World; 4. Ku Klux Klan - Steel Pulse; 5. Want Fi Goh Rave - Linton Kwesi Johnson; 6. Children of Sanchez – Rico; 7. Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner - Black Uhuru; 8. Old Broom - Wailing Souls; 9. You Mean The World To Me - The Paragons; 10. Proverbs Extraction - Pablo Moses; 11. Pass The Kouchie / Pass The Knowledge - The Mighty Diamonds
Disc 2
1. Dreadlocks In The Moonlight - Lee Perry; 2. Carry Go Bring Come - Justin Hinds & The Dominoes; 3. Memories - Junior Murvin; 4. Prophecy – Fabian; 5. Civilized Reggae - Burning Spear; 6. We ‘A’ Rockers - Inner Circle; 7. Chatty Chatty - Toots & The Maytals; 8. Fight To The Top - Michael Prophet; 9. Warrior Charge – Aswad; 10. Lovers Rocking & Skanking - Tony Tuff; 11. Cool Down The Pace - Gregory Isaacs
The album kicks off with a tribute to all the artists and musicians who hung out down at Idler’s Rest waiting for a shout from a producer or singer to come to work. Jamaican roots classics come from Burning Spear’s ‘Civilized Reggae’, Wailing Souls, The Mighty Diamonds, Black Uhuru, Third World, Justin Hinds & The Dominoes, Junior Murvin, Michael Prophet and Toots & The Maytals. I’d half forgotten that both ‘Proverbs Extraction’ and Fabian’s ‘Prophecy’ were from the Island stable as I linked them to their release on other labels. There is jazzy-reggae from Rico and yard lovers from the eternally Cool Ruler, Tony Tuff, George Faith and The Paragons. The ‘British’ contingent are not ignored with Steel Pulse, LKJ, and even in this company Aswad’s ‘Warrior Charge’ still sounds as immediate and life-affirming as it did on that first hearing – you can never tire of watching Blue voice out over it in ‘Babylon’, still one of the greatest scenes in cinema history.
I remember the first Island 12” that I came across was The Meditations ‘Much Smarter’ Pre-Release which belonged to one of my sisters. For years I hunted round all the record shops trying to get my own copy and I assumed the distributors were just stalling me but it turns out that was one of the records - along with The Congos ‘Heart of the Congos’ - that got caught up in the dispute between Lee Perry and Chris Blackwell when Scratch pulled all his content that wasn’t fully released from the label so the 7” version of ‘Much Smarter’ that he put out was not as dread and heavy as the Island pre. Ten years ago I wouldn’t have been happy if Island had put out a discomix compilation and not included that track but with the repress, re-release and download market there’s an easier way to get access to a lot of tunes than traipsing round dusty shops or paying silly amounts of ‘hard-earned’ cash.
~ ‘SALENTO JAMDOWN’ – Sud Sound System [Adriatic Sound – Out Now] Mixtape CD coming out of Italy of modern roots reggae in the first half and dancehall. There are Jamaican and Italian artists here and most of the songs are likewise a mix of the two languages. Luckily it’s not a juggling mixtape where you only get 30 seconds of a track with some selector talking inanities all over the actual track. There’s some quality artists here including Capleton, Anthony ‘Gunshot’ Johnson, Jah Mason, Morgan Heritage and Luciano. While on the upfront line-up is Kiprich, a very impressive vocal style from Miss Trinity, Daddy Freddy (once considered the fastest DJ in the world), Alozade, Esco, General Levy, Bling Dog, Chico, Voicemail, Doctor Evil and TOK. Standout track is easily Luciano’s heartfelt ‘Lampedusa’:
‘This is Luciano in association with Sud Sound System and the Salento family paying homage to the brave pioneers who set sail in treacherous waters seeking for brighter shores…
Though waters are turbulent
Raging hard with the desperate
Brave souls seeking for betterment
Putting their own lives in detriment
Leaving loved ones behind
Hoping that they would find
Even a slice of paradise
Making the ultimate sacrifice…
Row, row, to Lampedusa we go
Go, go, for a better life we row
Row, row, to Lampedusa we go
Go, go, for a better life we row…
Human souls are constantly
Reaching out for survival
Seeking better perpetually
Preserving life is essential.
Though they don’t know
What the future holds
Yet still they go
Searching for better shores
Row, row, to Lampedusa we go
Go, go, for a better life we row
Row, row, to Lampedusa we go
Go, go, for a better life we row.’
NUBIART LIBRARY – OCT MEDIA
We will only review books we have read and DVDs we have seen and that are available at reasonable prices online or in shops or libraries. However, given the nature and current state of Afrikan publishing and film production there may be books and films on this list that are worth the extra effort to track down.
~ ‘ADRIFT: PEOPLE OF A LESSER GOD’. Dir: Dominique C Mollard [Simply Media] ‘God is great, until we die.’ The director Dominique C. Mollard is also the reporter in this documentary about Afrikans leaving the continent searching for a better life and future. Here it is from the Mauritanian / Senegalese coast to the Canary Islands, which although off Afrika’s west coast technically meant they had landed in Spain. The journey takes five days in small pirogues but it is in hostile seas and because of the trade winds without a good navigator your boat could end up in south America months later with skeletons if it doesn’t sink before then. From 2005-2009 60,000 Afrikans made the journey and at least 5,500 bodies were washed ashore. For many Afrikans this was the main way into Europe until the ‘Arab Spring’ opened up the route from Tunisia and Libya to Lampedusa. Since then the instability in the Middle East has opened up the route to Greece and increased traffic on the notorious Balkan route through Turkey into Eastern Europe.
Mollard spent nearly two years interviewing migrants in Mauritania and Senegal - several of whom have attempted the trip already either turning back or having been deported - before undertaking the crossing with 38 Afrikan migrants, among them a five-month-old baby. Reasons for them wanting to leave included the locals fishing fleet being decimated by larger fish factory ships who scooped up all the catch leaving nothing for the small-scale fishermen; the rising militant Islam outlawing activities in various countries; wanting to connect with relatives; hoping for financial success in a pool of increasing poverty; following the wealth and resources that have been exploited and expropriated from Afrika by corrupt corporations and governments; and continued slavery and discrimination in Mauritania despite laws outlawing such practices.
Spain has various agreements with Afrikan countries about coping with the migrants. An agreement with Mali was that any Malians who reached the Canaries would be deported back to Mali. While people in boats on the high seas expect to be picked up by ships and handed over to the Spanish marine patrol or civil guard but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way, by accident or design, and instead people are handed over to the Moroccan navy. This also means being deported back to their country of origin or to the points of embarkation, ie Mauritania or Senegal, to try again as soon as enough money has been raised or the next favourable crossing time comes along. If political stability, economic development and a fairer share of the resource wealth are not forthcoming then the situation on the continent will continue to reflect what one person said in ‘Adrift’: ‘Africa is dying a slow death, assisted by the rest of the world.’
Nubiart Diary
We welcome feedback on any event you have attended that was listed in Nubiart Diary. It helps us with the selection of future listings and is also info we can pass on to the event organisers where appropriate. ~ RAS EVENTS
- ‘Democracy in Africa’. On Mon 5 Oct at 6.30-8.30pm at the Brunei Suite, SOAS, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG. The launch of Democracy in Africa, a comprehensive overview of the history of contemporary democracy across Afrika. During this event the author Professor Nic Cheeseman and a panel of experts will explore some of the most important questions facing Africa and democracy today in the wake of recent events in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
- ‘Activism in the Niger Delta: Reflections on the past, present & future’. On Wed 7 Oct at 7.30-9.30pm at the Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG. Over the last few decades, several movements and activists have protested against resource exploitation and environmental damage in the Niger Delta. This event, held in memory of two activists, Ken Saro Wiwa and Oronto Douglas, leading human rights attorney who founded Environmental Rights Action, will reflect on what has been achieved in the last twenty years, as well as the challenges that remain for the country’s new administration.
- ‘King of Kings - The Triumph & Tragedy of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia’. On Mon 2 Nov at 6.30-8.30pm at Khalili Lecture Theatre, SOAS, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG. Haile Selassie I was a descendent of King Solomon and a forerunner of African unity and independence. He fought with the Allies against the fascist Axis powers during the Second World War and was a reformer and an autocrat, who was assassinated in a communist coup. Haile Selassie is brilliantly portrayed in King of Kings by his great-nephew Asfa-Wossen Asserate. Join us for a stimulating evening focusing on one of Afrikan history’s most important figures.
~ TATE BRITAIN SPOTLIGHT ON SANKOFA FILM & VIDEO. The Autumn season of screenings at Tate Britain continues its spotlight on the visionary collective Sankofa Film and Video. It was established in 1983 by five aspiring filmmakers – Martina Attille, Maureen Blackwood, Robert Crusz, Isaac Julien and Nadine Marsh-Edwards, focused on the production of new black subjectivities and introducing audiences to black feminist theory and the politics and poetics of self-representation.
- ‘The Passion of Remembrance’. On Mon 5 Oct at 7-9pm. Co-directed by Blackwood and Julien, the first full-length feature film by Sankofa Film and Video (1986) offers a radical and necessary interrogation into what constitutes ‘post-colonial’ identity at a time of political and social restlessness in Britain. Set within an isolated desert landscape contrasted with recognizable scenes of the intensity of family life, this vanguard work demonstrates the richness and variety of the black experience. Featuring British-born Maggie Baptise, The Passion of Remembrance is a poetic and hard-hitting commentary on the complexities of race, gender and sexuality. The screening is followed by film curator Karen Alexander in conversation with the audience.
- ‘Martina Attille: Dreaming Rivers’. On Mon 2 Nov at 7-8.30pm. This 30 minute short, shot in 16mm, in director Attille’s own words ‘illustrates the spirit of modern families touched by the experience of migration.’ Winner of Film Ducat at 1988 Mannheim Festival and other awards, this rarely seen work evocatively weaves together fragments of a solitary present, ambition-fuelled dreams and memories of the past. Caribbean-born Miss T.’s wake serves as the site for lyrical recollections from both those who live on and from Miss T. herself. The screening will be followed by artist Sonia Boyce MBE, Professor in Fine Art at Middlesex University (and set designer on Dreaming Rivers) in conversation with and Dr Amna Malik, Senior Lecturer in Art History and Theory at Slade School of Fine Art.
Both screenings at Clore Auditorium, Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1. Adm: £5 / concessions available.
~ BRITISHBLACKMUSIC.COM/BLACK MUSIC CONGRESS PRESENTS
- ‘Managing A No. 1 Artist With Former Emeli Sande Manager Adrian Sykes’. On Tues 6 Oct at 6.30-8.30pm at Harrow Mencap, 1st floor, 3 Jardine House, Harrovian Business Village, Bessborough Road, Harrow, HA1 3EX. E-mail: editor@BritishBlackMusic.com Web: www.BritishBlackMusic.com Extra-BBMM Q&A session with well-seasoned music industryite
- ‘2000 Years of British Black Music’. On Thurs 8 Oct at 5.30-7pm at Woolwich Library, London, SE18 6HQ Tel: 020 8921 5750. This audio-visual assisted presentation of black music making in the British Isles over two millennia, will also show its engagement with patronage and the music industry
- ‘2000 Years of British Black Music’. On Tues 13 Oct at 6.30-8pm at Battersea Library, London, SW11 1JB Tel: 020 7223 2334. This audio-visual assisted presentation of black music making in the British Isles over two millennia, will also show its engagement with patronage and the music industry
- ‘British History 50:70 / Is Jesus White?’ On Sat 24 Oct at 5-8pm at Clapham Common Methodist Church Hall, Nelson’s Row, London, SW4 7JR. An audio-visual presentation by history consultant Kwaku on Christian iconography which puts Jesus and Christianity into a historical context that links to the present. It covers religion, art, identity and impact of the usual portrayal of “whiteness” against the seldom portrayal of the “other” or “blackness” within Christian iconography.
- ‘Look How Far We’ve Come Community Talk - Is Jesus White?’ On Wed 28 Oct at 6.30-9pm at Croydon BME Forum, CR0 3PB. An audio-visual presentation on Christian iconography by history consultant Kwaku, which puts Jesus and Christianity into a historical context that links to the present. It covers religion, art, identity and impact of the usual portrayal of “whiteness” against the seldom portrayal of the “other” or “blackness” within Christian iconography.
- ‘Look How Far We Have Come’ Film Screening and Discussion. On Thurs 29 Oct at 5pm at Tate South Lambeth Library, London, SW8 1QP. Tel: 020 7926 0705. History consultant Kwaku examines the question of racial equality in Britain for young people 14+ (& parents/family).
- Taking From Eric Williams’ ‘Capitalism & Slavery’. On Mon 2 Nov at 6.30-8.30pm at Harrow Mencap, 1st floor, 3 Jardine House, Harrovian Business Village, Bessborough Road, Harrow, HA1 3EX. E-mail: editor@BritishBlackMusic.com Web: www.BritishBlackMusic.com / http://bit.ly/1dD4QyL Presentation and discussion led by Cecil Gutzmore.
For BBM/BMC events e-mail: editor@BritishBlackMusic.com Web: www.BritishBlackMusic.com
~ THE NEW BLACK FILM COLLECTIVE AND BLACK HISTORY STUDIES PRESENT ‘CIVILISED CINEMA: THE FIGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS ON SCREEN’. The New Black Film Collective’s Black History Month 2015 programme features this inspirational series of films and events commemorating 50 years since the passing of the British Race Relations Act, voting rights in the US, the assassination of Malcolm X and the 25th anniversary of the release of Nelson Mandela which led to the abolition of apartheid.
Black History Studies screenings:
- Double Bill: ‘Grove Roots’ & ‘Africa’s Black Star - The Rise And Fall Of Kwame Nkrumah’ (U). On Fri 9 Oct at 7.30pm. In ‘Grove Roots’ eight young west Londoners document the history of their local area and traces the evolution of Ladbroke Grove from the 1958 race riots to the present day. The film looks at the major milestones, historical flash points and social landscaping of the area to capture the unique story of Ladbroke Grove. ‘Africa’s Black Star’ tells the political rise and fall of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s and Afrika’s first independent president after colonial rule. Through testimonies from Ghanaian historians and social commentators, Nkrumah’s contemporaries and his family members, audiences learn about his fascinating life. The film covers Nkrumah’s phenomenal rise to power, Africa’s independence movement, his successes and losses, the internal and external enemies, the 1966 coup and the continuation of his legacy in Ghana and Africa. This is a ground-breaking documentary with beautiful visuals of the country and unprecedented access from family members, friends, politicians and historians from Ghana, the UK and the USA.
- ‘Looking For Claudia Jones (U). On Fri 16 Oct at 7.30pm Enemy of the state, visionary, freedom fighter - just who was Claudia Jones? This compelling documentary reveals one of history’s most dynamic civil rights activists. With a directorial debut by writer Nia Reynolds and narration by actor Josette Simon (Cry Freedom), ‘Looking for Claudia Jones’ is the fascinating life story of a true rebel with a cause. The film documents the influence of Claudia Jones, a towering figure in politics in the second half of the twentieth century in the USA and UK. Claudia was a campaigner for freedom, through her communist beliefs. She founded Britain’s first Black newspaper, The West Indian Gazette and Afro-Asian Caribbean News, in 1958. And she was one of the founders of the Notting Hill Carnival, as a community led response to the Notting Hill race riots of 1958.
- ‘Divided By Race. United In War And Peace’ (U). On Fri 23 Oct at 7.30pm. A powerful documentary about race relations in Britain during and after the Second World War. At its core are the testimonies of 14 surviving veterans, particularly those West Indian and Afrikan men and women who volunteered to join the war effort and soon afterwards returned to live in Britain. They risked their lives to serve under the Union Jack in time of war, then faced a second battle for the right to remain under that flag as British Citizens. Until now their stories have not been fully heard. Nor has the contribution they made been properly recognised, both in helping to win the war and in changing the face of British society. This film, brought to you by The-Latest.Com, Britain’s first dedicated citizen journalism website, seeks to both redress that balance and explore the sometimes painful evolution of our multi-cultural society. After the screening there will be a Q&A with the Director Marc Wadsworth
- ‘Fast Girls’ (PG). On Friday 30th October 2015 at 7.30pm. When sassy streetwise Shania (Lenora Crichlow) meets ambitious, middle class Lisa (Lily James), their two worlds collide on the athletics track with explosive results. As the fast girls strive to qualify for a major world athletics championship, they battle adversity and rivalry on their dramatic, heart-warming and inspirational journey.
All screenings at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town Hall Approach Road, Tottenham, London, N15 4RX. Adm: Free. Tel / Fax: 020 8881 0660. Mobile: 07951 234 233. E-mail: info@blackhistorystudies.com Web: http://www.blackhistorystudies.com
The New Black Film Collective screenings below are all in the Stratford / Bow area of London:
- ‘Grove Roots’ (U), ‘Malcolm X: A Day In Smethwick’ (U) & ‘Selma’ (U). On Tues 6 Oct at 6pm & 8pm at the Genesis Cinema, London.
- ‘Malcolm X: A Day In Smethwick’ (U). On Thurs 8 Oct at 6.30pm at the Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London.
- ‘Selma’ (PG). On Thurs 8 Oct at 8.30pm at Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London.
- ‘Africa’s Black Star - The Rise and Fall of Kwame Nkrumah’ (U). On Thurs 15 Oct at 6pm at Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London.
- ‘Masterclass: Race and the Law in the UK’. On Thurs 15 Oct at 6.30-7.30pm at University Square Stratford, London.
- ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’ (12A). On Thurs 15 Oct at 8.30pm at Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London
- ‘Looking for Claudia Jones’ (U) & ‘Selma’ (15). On Tues 20 Oct at 6pm & 8pm at Genesis Cinema, London.
- ‘Masterclass: Black Political Narratives - Black Sections: past, present and future’. On Wed 21 Oct at 6-7.30pm at University Square Stratford, London.
- ‘Grove Roots’ (U). On Thurs 22 Oct at 6pm at Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London.
- ‘The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution’ (12). On Thurs 22 Oct at 8.30pm at Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London
- ‘Looking for Claudia Jones’ (U). On Thurs 29 Oct at 6pm at Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London.
- ‘Masterclass: The Aliveness of Black Film’. On Thurs 29 Oct at 6.30-7.30pm at University Square Stratford, London.
- ‘Njinga (Nzinga), Queen of Angola. On Thurs 29 Oct at 8.30pm at Stratford Picturehouse, Stratford, London.
Adm: Free. Tel: 020 8470 0692 / 07860 613 246. E-mail: priscilla@tnbfc.co.uk Web: www.tnbfc.co.uk
~ CONTEMPORARY ARTS RESEARCH SEMINAR SERIES, SCHOOL OF ARTS, SOAS ARTISTS’ SYMPOSIUM: ‘ART & COLLABORATION’. This one-day symposium brings together six leading artists in conversation about the role of collaboration in their practice. What happens when artists collaborate? What are the challenges and potentials of working together? How can collective action help us rethink notions of learning, identity, art and politics?
11am-1pm: Atta Kwami and Jacob Jari discuss ‘Networks’ and collaboration in the context of their own work, but also as a mode of learning in the artists’ workshops they established in Ghana and Nigeria. Based on the Triangle model, these workshops brought together a broad community of artists, enlivening practice by sparking a series of creative networks.
2-4pm: Joy Gregory and Peterson Kamwathi discuss ‘Power’. Joy Gregory’s practice explores a long-running concern with politics, history and social difference, most recently in a body of research about language endangerment. Peterson Kamwathi’s recent work explores the formation of alternative communities in the face of political power, and through his 2009 series ‘Sitting Allowance’, indicts the role of institutions in the 2007-8 post-election violence in Kenya. Together they discuss the potential of creativity and collaboration as modes of resistance to power. Introduced by Touria el Glaoui, Director of 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair
4.30-6.30pm: Sonia Boyce MBE and Samson Kambalu discuss ‘Play’. Both use collaboration as a method in their visual practice. Boyce has worked with a series of performers since the turn of the millennium and Kambalu’s short films, collectively titled ‘Nyau cinema’, are often produced in acts of spontaneous collaboration on city streets. Together, they discuss the creative potential of ‘play’ in these largely improvised encounters.
6.30-8pm: Book launch for ‘Making Art in Africa 1960-2010’, edited by Polly Savage (Lund Humphries, 2014), a major new book which brings together the voices of 69 artists and curators to narrate key moments of art making across Anglophone and Lusophone Africa since independence.
On Sun 11 Oct at 11am-8pm in Djam Lecture Theatre, SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG. Adm: Free. E-mail: info@lundhumphries.com to reserve a place.
~ AFRICAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF THE UK MARY KINGSLEY ZOCHONIS LECTURE. Dr Peace Medie will deliver the lecture on ‘Women, Security, and Justice: Enforcing Gender-Based Violence Laws in Post-Conflict African States’. She is a research fellow in the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD) at the University of Ghana. Her research and teaching interests include international relations, gender and international security, and civilian protection. On Thurs 15 Oct at 6-7pm at the Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, SOAS, University of London, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG. Adm: Free. RSVP: secretary@asauk.net Web: www.asauk.net
~ ‘LATE AT THE LIBRARY: FELABRATION!’ A spectacular live showcase tribute to the life and music of Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Felabration marks the birthday of Fela Anikulapo Kuti (1938-1997), the defining creator of the funk, jazz and rhythmic force that is Afrobeat, which emerged in Nigeria in the 1970s. As well as a composer and multi-instrumentalist genius, Fela was a human rights activist and defiant political and social maverick whose influence continues to reverberate throughout Africa and beyond.
The supercharged tribute to the man and his music is led by Dele Sosimi and his 16-piece Afrobeat
Orchestra. Dele Sosimi played keyboards as part of Fela’s Egypt 80 band from 1979 to 1986 and created the Positive Force band with Fela’s son, Femi Kuti, with whom he performed from 1986 to 1994.
Another Fela associate taking part is drummer Tony Allen who was instrumental in the creation of
Afrobeat. He was an original member of Fela’s Koola Lobitos highlife-jazz band and later of Fela’s Africa 70 band (1968-1979). Line-up includes: MTV, MOBO, BET and KORA awards winner 2face Idibia; Laura Mvula; Shingai Shoniwa, vocalist and bassist for the UK indie rock band Noisettes; Terri Walker; The Floacist from Floetry; Nigerian acoustic jazz-folk singer and songwriter Bumi Thomas; West African singer Audrey Gbaguidi, grime MC Afrikan Boy; and musician, historian and writer Ed Keazor. Special guests will be the Trinity College Afrobeat Ensemble, all recent graduates from Trinity College in London, Fela’s alma mater. On the decks will be London-based Japanese-born DJ Kochi Sakai.
On Fri 16 Oct at 8pm at the British Library (Entrance Hall), 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. Adm: £25. Tel: 01937 546 546. E-mail: boxoffice@bl.uk Web: http://www.bl.uk/events/late-at-the-library-felabration Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1613604392221958/
- ‘West Africa: Word, Symbol, Song’ exhibition opens on the same day at the PACCAR Gallery, British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. Adm: £10 / Under-18s – Free / Concs available. Tel: +44 (0)1937 546 546. E-mail: boxoffice@bl.uk Web: http://www.bl.uk/events/west-africa-word-symbol-song
‘West Africa - Mission from cape’
An exhibition of literature and music – from the great African empires of the Middle Ages to the cultural dynamism of West Africa today using beautiful manuscripts, sound, film and more, tracing the written and oral cultural history of West Africa for the past three centuries. ‘Late at the Library: Felabration!’ includes free access (until 10pm) to the exhibition.
Fascinating stories from the region’s 17 nations show how West Africans have harnessed the power of words to build societies, drive political movements, sustain religious belief and fight injustice. Hear the myth of the founding of ancient Mali in recorded performance. See the influence of religion through colourful fabric and the saddlebag Qur’an. Celebrate writers and artists including Africa’s first Nobel prize winner, Wole Soyinka, and internationally acclaimed musician and human rights activist Fela Kuti.
- ‘Talk with Nigerian artist and graphic designer Lemi Ghariokwu’. On Fri 16 Oct at 6.45-8pm at the Conference Centre, British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. Adm: £5. Tel: 01937 546 546. E-mail: boxoffice@bl.uk Web: http://www.bl.uk/events/lemi-ghariokwu-art-and-afrobeat The artist for many of Fela’s iconic sleeves for most of Fela Kuti’s albums, and their close personal and artistic relationship, which gave him an instinctive, complex and highly creative response to the music and its social and political messages.
- ‘Finding Fela’ screening of Alex Gibney’s 2014 documentary, followed by live conversations with Fela’s manager Rikki Stein, as well as Dele Sosimi, Lemi Ghariokwu, 2face Idibia and Tony Allen. On Sat 17 Oct at 2pm at the Conference Centre, British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. Adm: £8. Web: http://www.bl.uk/events/finding-fela-plus-qanda
~ BASSEKOU KOUYATÉ: UK LIVE DATES + NEW VIDEO. Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba’s fourth album ‘Ba Power’ is a striking, career defining record marked by mesmerizing songs, razor-sharp riffs and full-throttle emotions. ‘Ba Power’ contains all the swagger, precision and wide-eyed excitement that the title implies. It is the album where Bassekou’s music engages with the world in ways he could have only imagined 10 years before. It is the album where he confirms his status amongst the 21st century’s most relevant musical artists. ‘Musow Fanga’ (meaning ‘Power of Women’) is the second single taken from the album, and with it in hand.
- On Mon 19 Oct at 8pm at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (Music Room), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Hope Street, Liverpool L1 9BP. Adm: £16. Web: http://www.liverpoolphil.com/17931/events-contemporary-music/bassekou-kouyate.html
- On Tues 20 Oct at 8.30pm at The Lantern, Colston Hall, Colston Street, Bristol, BS1 5AR. Adm: £16.50. Web: http://www.colstonhall.org/shows/bassekou-kouyate-and-ngoni-ba/
- On Thurs 22 Oct at 8pm at Firth Hall, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield University, Sheffield S10 2TN. Tickets: £14 adv. (Conc. £12 / Students £5) / £16 on the door (Conc. £14 / Students £6)
NB: A TalkingGigs where Bassekou will be discussing his music and life with Andy Morgan, interspersed by musical interludes (solo / duet, etc). Web: http://concerts.sheffield.ac.uk/whats-on/global-soundtracks-bassekou-kouyate
- On Fri 23 Oct at 7.45pm at Howard Assembly Room, 46 New Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 6NU. Adm: £17.50 (Conc. £14.50 - £15.75) Web: http://www.operanorth.co.uk/howard-assembly-room / http://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/bassekou-kouyate-sings-the-blues
Bassekou Kouyaté: http://bassekoukouyate.com/
Twitter: @Bassekou http://twitter.com/Bassekou
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bassekou-Kouyat%C3%A9/39291943354?fref=ts
Glitterbeat Records: http://glitterbeat.com/
Twitter: @Glitterbeat_Rec https://twitter.com/Glitterbeat_Rec
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Glitterbeat
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/glitterbeattv
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/glitterbeat
~ EQUIANO SOCIETY CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PAUL BOGLE (1820 – 24TH OCTOBER 1865) COMMEMORATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ‘DEATH’. There will be a screening of ‘Catch A Fire’, Menelik Shabazz’s biography of Paul Bogle. On Sat 24 Oct at 3.30-5.30pm at Karibu Educational Centre, 7 Gresham Road, London, SW9 7PH.
~ MARIAN GOODMAN GALLERY PRESENTS WILLIAM KENTRIDGE’S ‘MORE SWEETLY PLAY THE DANCE’ includes two immersive multiscreen film installations, monumental ink-on-paper paintings, sculptures and drawings. The upper gallery is dedicated to the show title, More Sweetly Play the Dance’, an eight-screen processionary danse macabre. But, beyond the medieval notion of dancing as a means of staving off death, as this 40 metre, life-sized, circular caravan traverses around us, one senses that it’s as much a cortege of those who have been deprived of a fully realised life – yet another procession of refugees fleeing a skirmish or warlord. Most of the itinerants are filmed holding up silhouettes transcribed from enlarged Kentridge drawings as they march. Kentridge’s long-time collaborator Dada Masilo brings up the rear, dancing en pointe with a rifle to the last strains of their canticle, as if single-handedly “hold[ing] the hope and disillusion together”.
Downstairs, Kentridge presents ‘Notes Towards a Model Opera’, a three-screen film installation that grew from his research for a recent exhibition at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing. He found himself repeatedly drawn to Madame Mao’s Eight Model Revolutionary Operas, which conflated vainglorious folklore, jingoistic re-presentations of military victories, martial arts and ballet. The soundtrack for the piece, arranged by the composer Philip Miller, is based on various elaborations of the communist anthem ‘The Internationale’ ranging in style from period 1950s colonial dance bands to South African toyi-toyi chanting protest marches. Until 24 Oct on Tues-Sat at 10am-6pm at Marian Goodman Gallery, 5-8 Lower John Street, London, Tel: Charlie Dunnery McCracken on 020 7099 0088. E-mail: charlie@mariangoodman.com
~ TIWANI CONTEMPORARY PRESENTS ‘THE MIRROR BALL CONSTELLATION’ EXHIBITION Since the early 1980s, Theo Eshetu has combined the formal components of film with anthropological ideas to examine the notion of culture itself. His manipulation of time and light leads to work that draws on themes and images from the artist’s dual European and African background. As one of the first artists to work exclusively with video art, Eshetu has contributed significantly to the medium’s recognition within the context of fine art. Eshetu’s long form essay-films and multiscreen video installations have gained him international recognition at numerous film festivals and museums. Tiwani Contemporary will show Eshetu’s acclaimed 2014 work Anima Mundi, an immersive multimedia and video installation, as well as the five-screen video installation Meditation Light (2006) and works from the photographic series The Mirror Ball Constellation (2013-2015). Theo Eshetu was born in 1958 in London and grew up in Addis Ababa, Dakar and London before establishing himself in Rome. He currently lives and works in Berlin. Exhibition continues until 31 Oct on Tues-Fri at 11am-6pm and Sat at 12-5pm at Tiwani Contemporary, 16 Little Portland Street, London, E-mail: info@tiwani.co.uk Web: www.tiwani.co.uk
Syd Shelton, Bagga, vocalist with
Matumbi, Hackney, London, 1978
~ AUTOGRAPH ABP PRESENT ‘SYD SHELTON: ROCK AGAINST RACISM’. The first major exhibition of Syd Shelton’s photographs capturing one of the most intriguing and contradictory political periods in British post war history. Between 1976 and 1981, the Rock Against Racism (RAR) confronted racist ideology in the streets, parks and town halls of Britain. RAR was formed by a collective of musicians and political activists to fight fascism and racism through music. Under the slogan ‘Love Music, Hate Racism’, it showcased reggae and punk bands on the same stage, attracting large multi-cultural audiences. At a time when the fascist attitudes of the National Front were gaining support, RAR marked the rising resistance to violent and institutionalised racism. Shelton photographed performers such as The Clash, Elvis Costello, Misty in Roots, Tom Robinson, Au Pairs and The Specials as well as the audiences at RAR gigs and carnivals across England. He captured the history-making RAR Carnival at Victoria Park, London in 1978, and demonstrations such as the Anti National Front Demonstration in Lewisham in 1977. Shelton also took contextual social and cultural images that informed the politics of the movement across England and Ireland. Until 5 Dec on Tues, Wed & Fri at 11am–6pm, Thurs at 11am–9pm and Sat at 12–6pm at Autograph, Rivington Place, London, EC2A 3BA. Adm: Free. Tel: +44 (0)20 7729 9200. Fax +44 (0)20 7739 8748. E-mail: info@rivingtonplace.org
Hula dancers from the Hālau Nā
Kipuʻupuʻu group, Kaʻauea, Hawaiʻi,
Hawaiian Islands, 2011.
Photography: Dino Morrow.
~ BRITISH MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS ‘SHIFTING PATTERNS: PACIFIC BARKCLOTH CLOTHING’. A selection of textiles from the Pacific used to wrap, drape and adorn the body in a myriad of styles and designs, these garments demonstrate the long history of barkcloth, and its ongoing relevance today. In the islands of the Pacific, cloth made from the inner bark of trees is a distinctive art tradition its designs reflect the histories of each island group and the creativity of the makers. Spanning the region from New Guinea in the west to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the east, the exhibition will show a selection of 77 garments, headdresses, masks and body adornments from the Museum’s collection dating from the 1700s to 2014, including those worn as everyday items and ceremonial costumes linked to key life cycle events such as initiation and marriage. Barkcloth is generally made and decorated by women, but garments intended for ritual purposes may be made by men. Until Sun 6 Dec at Room 91 at the British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC2. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7323 8181.
~ ‘AFRICAN THREADS, HACKNEY STYLE: 400 YEARS OF TEXTILES JOURNEYS FROM AFRICA TO HACKNEY’. This exhibition explores Hackney’s historic ties with Africa through fabric and fashion. Uncover their influence on the local area, from 17th century trade with West Afrika by Hackney merchants to the presence of Afrikan communities and textiles in Hackney today. Discover how textiles were produced in different regions of Afrika and the meaning behind some of their bold designs. The exhibition features stunning costumes, photographs and local people. At Hackney Museum, Technology And Learning Centre, 1 Reading Lane, London, E8 1GQ
~ ‘NO COLOUR BAR: BLACK BRITISH ART IN ACTION 1960-1990’. Exhibition of the archive of the Guyanese campaigners and publishers Eric and Jessica Huntley. Until Sun 24 Jan 2016 at Mon-Sat at 10am-5pm and Sun 12-4pm at Guildhall Art Gallery, Guildhall Yard, London, EC2V 5AE. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7332 3700. Twitter: @NoColourBar Web: www.nocolourbar.london
~ JENGBA MEETINGS. JENGbA campaigners can deliver lectures to Law, Criminology, Media, Sociology, Youth Studies departments as well as school children. On the second Tues of every month at 7pm at Edward Woods Community Centre, London, W11 4TX. Tel: 07709 115793 / 07725 727520 (Media Enquiries). New office: Office A, Norland House, Queensdale Cresent, London, W11 4TL. E-mail: JointEnterpriseInfo@Gmail.com / JengbaMedia@Gmail.com
~ BUNDU DIA KONGO (BDK). African cultural and spiritual group, working towards the spiritual and psychological growth and development of Africans all over the world. Let us make a positive change now. Our story pre-dates Egypt and continues today. Come and learn about African prophets, African history and African spiritual practices at our weekly Zikua.
- Sun at 1.30–4.30pm at 108 Battersea High Street, London, SW11 3HPTel: Makaba - 07951 059 853. E-mail: moyomakaba9@gmail.com
- Sun at 12.30–3.15pm at Malika House, 81 George Street, Lozells, Birmingham, B19 1Sl. Tel: Mbuta Mayala – 07404 789 329.
~ THE AUSAR AUSET SOCIETY GI GONG CLASSES. Every Monday at 7.30–9pm at Hazel Road Community Centre, Hazel Road, Kensal Green, London, NW10 5PP. Adm: £5 per class. Tel: 07951- 252-427. E-mail: Tauinetwork.europe@gmail.com
Contact: Kubara Zamani, Afrikan Quest International, PO Box 35165, London, SE5 8WU. Tel: 07811 494 969. E-mail: afrikanquest1@hotmail.com
Afrikan Quest International
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