EXHIBITION REVIEW
~ PAUL QUASHIE’S ‘AFRICAN IMAGES IN PRE COLOMBIAN AMERICA’. This is a photographic exhibition and slideshow of original images by photographer and historian Paul Quashie is running at the newly opened Portobello Art Gallery under the Westway in London’s Ladbroke Grove. The pictures here are from Mexico, mainly the Vera Cruz region. San Lorenzo (five heads); La Venta (four heads, incl one on the road at the back entrance of Paul’s hotel); Tres Zapotes, South Vera Cruz (two heads), Mexico City & Monty Alban. But Paul also visited: Peru (Machu Picchu, Lima, Cusco, The Nazca Lines and Lake Titicaca: Bolivia (Lake Titicaca); Colombia (Bogota and Medellin); Guatemala; and Belize.
Across south and central America there are a range of heads, terracotta figures, temples and pyramids. The heads are made of basalt rock. Many had jaguar motifs or jaguar heads with human bodies. Priest and Priestess statues were found in Vera Cruz, which is the heartland for the Afrikan presence in Mexico. In La Venta an altar was made on top of a Negroid head. There was also greenish Golden vase.
There are still Afrikans living in Mexico City. Paul was treated ‘like returning royalty’ by the local indigenous people. In Palenque there is an Afrikan priestess who also owns several restaurants where she employs poor people even for short periods of time so they could make some money. She has her own shrine and temple open seven days a week. There is extensive Olmec architecture – often designated as Mayan - in Palenque and the surrounding area is a protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The jungle is a national park with government protection.
The second president, Vincent Guerrero who was of mixed Afrikan and indigenous Indian parentage, was from the area and he freed enslaved Afrikans when Spanish rule ended. However, Paul feels the governments at state level seem embarrassed about the amount of artefacts relating to the Afrikan presence and what they reveal. Most are left abandoned in remote or overgrown areas. Pollution is also causing the outdoor stones to degrade and become pock-marked.
Paul says: “Reading ‘The African Presence in Early America’ and ‘They Came Before Columbus’, books by historian and academic Ivan Van Sertima was what inspired me to visit Mexico and other parts of South America. By circumstance I am a self taught photographer, as being by myself I had to rely on my ability to take the photographs and video footage on my own. But it is thanks to Ivan Van Sertima that I knew there were black people living in ancient and present day South America. The photographs in this exhibition were taken in 2006 and feature West Afrikans in the medieval period. Through this exhibition I hope to expose to others an alternative view of the history of Afrika that is in total contrast to the one that I and many other people of Afrikan descent experienced that related Afrikans as slaves during the Transatlantic Slave Trade.” See below for Gallery Talks with Paul Quashie.
EDITORIAL
THE ASSASSINATION OF COL MUAMMAR GADDAFI, BROTHER LEADER AND GUIDE OF THE LIBYAN REVOLUTION (1942-20 OCT 2011). We will not write a long obituary about the life and times of Col Muammar Gaddafi. His exploits and demise can be read about in other news outlets with varying levels of bloodlust. The National Transitional Council were instructed to assassinate Col Gaddafi who was visibly captured alive in Sirte and summarily killed with a burst of gunfire. Obviously criminal western politicians, corporations and his previous Libyan colleagues who switched sides and formed the anti-Afrikan NTC didn’t want him giving any insight into their previous shady deals.
After the immediate widespread public airing of Osama bin Laden and now Col Gaddafi’s murders it appears that NATO and the UN are now engaged in the wholesale production of war porn and snuff movies with global screening rights. They have been distributing tens of thousands of mobile phones to activists who have varying degrees of legitimate political and social demands across North Africa and the Middle East and facilitating the production of media propaganda and their access to anti-Afrikan companies, politicians and right-wing think tanks. That is what Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad has been saying since the start of the year and why he is fighting hard not be next in NATO’s no-fly zone crosshairs. If you want to know the attitude of the future Libyan government towards Afrikans consider the killings, arrests, rapes and beatings we have been condemning since March and the statement from Namad Macua, the current Libyan Ambassador to Britain on hearing of Gaddafi’s public execution he said, ‘Gaddafi’s Black era has come to an end’. We hope the NTC and the Arab League gain the intelligence and fortitude to discern friends from interests.
Col Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was captured by rebel forces during the battle of Sirte and was flown to a hospital. Moatassem Gaddafi was killed along with his father. Saif al-Arab al-Gaddafi and three of Col Gaddafi’s grandchildren were killed by a NATO bombing in April 2011. Khamis Gaddafi was killed during clashes with the NTC on 29 August 2011. Hana Moammar Gaddafi was murdered at the age of four during US bombing raids in 1986. Col Gaddafi’s second wife Safia Farkash, his sons, Muhammad al-Gaddafi and Hannibal, and daughter, Ayesha, escaped to Algeria. On 30 August a senior NTC official claimed that Al-Saadi al-Gaddafi had made contact to discuss the terms of his surrender, indicating also that he would wish to remain in Libya.
FORTHCOMING NUBIART PROFILES
NUBIART: Focus on arts, business, education, health, political developments and the media.
OCT PROMO
~ BAMBARA MYSTIC SOUL: The Raw Sound of Burkina Faso 1974 – 1979 ‘ (Analog Africa – Out Oct 10) Another absolute gem from Analog Africa. The tracks here are culled from the vaults of the Club Voltaique du Disque (CVD) label and are a mix of Afrobeat, Afro-Latin grooves, Mandingue griot and guitar styles, especially from neighbouring Mali and Guinea indicating a wider West Afrikan influence. Many of those featured here passed through Mali’s Super Rail Band and Les Ambassadeurs and Guinea’s Balla et ses Balladins and Keletigui et ses Tambourinis.
Extensive sleevenotes highlight the precarious nature of surviving as a musician and promoter in Afrika. Most of the recordings were done in Accra, Ghana and Lome, Togo and several of the artists and bands had played in what was at that time the West Afrikan music capital of Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. Track themes range from Mamo Lagbema’s ‘Love, Music And Dance’ to Orchestre CVD’s plea for Afrikan unity, ‘Rog Mik Africa’. There were indications of the political strains which would see the rise of Thomas Sankara with the activist lyrics of Sandwidi Pierre et l’Harmonie Voltaique with ‘Tond Yabramba’. The most well-known artist here Amadou Ballaké quite rightly has six powerful tracks: ‘Bar Konou Moussou’, ‘Renouveau’, ‘Baden Djougou’, ‘Johnny’, ‘Sali’ and ‘Oye Ka Bara Kignan’.
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 production there may be books and films on this list that are worth the extra effort to track down.
~ ‘WOMEN IN THE YORUBA RELIGIOUS SPHERE’ - Oyeronke Olajubu. Foreword by Jacob K Olupona [State University of New York Press ISBN: 978-0-7914-5886-0] An exploration of gender and power relations in Yoruba religion - both Christianity and Yoruba traditional religion based on Olajubu’s PhD thesis. Drawing on a wide range of oral and written sources she shows that women occupy a central place in the religious worldview and life of the Yoruba people. Chapter headings are: Concepts and Theories on Women in Yoruba Religious Sphere; Women in Yoruba Culture and Society; Women in Yoruba Christian Tradition; Identity Power and Gender Relations in Yoruba Religious Traditions; and Women and Rituals in Yoruba Religion.
Olajubu’s background gives her an insight into the different aspect of Yoruba spirituality. She does an excellent job of maintaining the focus of the book which could have become a brick-sized tome while still touching on issues such as: Yoruba cosmological origins; the main orisas and their festivals; Ifa divination; oriki praise poems; the rational, dysfunctions and Christian condemnation of polygamy; patriarchy in the European missionary-led churches; the role of women in Afrikan-led churches such as The Cherubim and Seraphim and the Celestial Church of Christ; the even more strident recently established evangelical churches; the origins and rituals relating to both male and female circumcision, the cultural debate over calling it female genital mutilation and the health and ritual arguments for maintaining male circumcision; relations with neighbouring peoples and nations and those who were drawn into the Yoruba polity just as the society was being convulsed by European colonialism; and the spreading of Yoruba culture into the diaspora.
~ ‘PYRAMID OF ALLIANCE’ – J A Mukoyogo [HandE Publishers. ISBN: 978-1-906873-30-1] The second book in Mukoyogo’s science-fiction trilogy, following on from ‘Triangle of Alliance’. The Triangle and the Insidious Force face off on a global stage that spans all seven levels as the part seer, part leveller puts Custodis to work for him. The final instalment of the trilogy, ‘Prism of Alliance’, is due for release in the summer of 2012.
NUBIART DIARY
~ BLACK HISTORY STUDIES & PCS PRESENT
- ‘THE BLACK CANDLE’. Dir: M K Asante Jr. Dur: 71 mins. A landmark, vibrant documentary film that uses Kwanzaa as a vehicle to explore and celebrate the African-American experience. Narrated by world renowned poet Maya Angelou ‘The Black Candle’ is an extraordinary, inspirational story about the struggle and triumph of family, community, and culture. Filmed across the United States, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean, ‘The Black Candle’ traces the holiday’s growth from the first celebration in 1966 to its present-day reality as a global holiday embraced by over 20 million celebrants. With NFL Legend Jim Brown, Hip Hop icon Chuck D, Kwanzaa’s founder Dr Maulana Karenga, artist Synthia Saint James and many others. On Mon 24 Oct at 7-9pm at the Walthamstow Library, High Street, Walthamstow, London, E17 4RT. Adm: £4.
- ‘MARCUS GARVEY, WALTER RODNEY AND RASTAFARI’. Who was Marcus Garvey? What did he stand for? Who did he influence? Who did he inspire? What were his legacies? This presentation is an opportunity to learn more about the history of Caribbean activists and politics. On Wed 26 Oct at 6.15- 7.30pm at Ealing Central Library, 103 Ealing Broadway Centre, London, W5 5JY. Adm: £4.
- ‘MALCOLM X: BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY’. Dur: 120 mins. A documentary of Malcolm’s life as a child up to when he was murdered. There will be a discussion after the screening. On Wed 26 Oct at 7-9.30pm at the PCS Learning Centre (Victoria), 3rd Floor, 231 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 1EH. Adm: £4.
- ‘AFRICAN HISTORY BEFORE THE SLAVE TRADE’. A visually stunning presentation that addresses one key question: What history do Afrikan people have before the slave trade started? The lecture discusses the Empire of Mali, the Yoruba Kingdoms, Medieval Sudan, Medieval Ethiopia and the East African Coast. These civilisations have left behind a splendid array of evidence that are all discussed in the lecture. This evidence includes wonderful artefacts, illuminated manuscripts, and impressive architecture. The lecture is based on the book Before the Slave Trade: African World History in Pictures which will be available at the event. On Mon 31 Oct at 7-9pm at the Walthamstow Library, High Street, Walthamstow, London, E17 4RT. Adm: £5.
Tel / Fax: 0208 881 0660. Mobile: 07951 234 233. E-mail: info@blackhistorystudies.com Web: http://www.blackhistorystudies.com
~ PAUL QUASHIE’S ‘AFRICAN IMAGES IN PRE COLOMBIAN AMERICA’. Photographic exhibition and slideshow of original images by photographer and historian Paul Quashie taken in Mexico. Paul says: “Reading ‘The African Presence in Early America’ and ‘They Came Before Columbus’, books by historian and academic Ivan Van Sertima was what inspired me to visit Mexico and other parts of South America. By circumstance I am a self taught photographer, as being by myself I had to rely on my ability to take the photographs and video footage on my own. But it is thanks to Ivan Van Sertima that I knew there were black people living in ancient and present day South America. The photographs in this exhibition were taken in 2006 and feature West Afrikans in the medieval period. Through this exhibition I hope to expose to others an alternative view of the history of Afrika that is in total contrast to the one that I and many other people of Afrikan descent experienced that related Afrikans as slaves during the Transatlantic Slave Trade.”
- Wed 26 Oct at 5.30-7pm. Gallery Talk and Q&A session with the artist. Adm: Free.
- Fri 28 Oct at 5.30-7pm.Gallery Talk and Q&A session with the artist. Adm: Fee.
Exhibition runs until 30 Oct at 1-6pm at Portobello Art Gallery, 6 Thorpe Close, London, W10 5XL. Adm: Free.
~ BTWSC BHM 2011 EVENTS. NARM (Naming And Role Model) consultant Kwaku will deliver an interactive presentation on Afrikan British Civil Rights highlighting activists from the NARM book
- Key Activism & Campaigns. The meeting will highlight campaigns such as the Bristol Bus Boycott, Black People’s Day of Action, and the activism of Eric Irons OBE in Nottingham, Berry Edwards in Manchester, etc. Historian Dr Hakim Adi will deliver a talk on WASU (West African Students Union) and the activism of its members. On Wed 26 Oct at 6.30-8.45pm at Council Chamber, Harrow Civic Centre, Station Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 2UL. Adm: Free.
- Henry Sylvester Williams & Co. The event will focus on Henry Sylvester Williams, who organised the 1990 Pan-African Conference, Dr. John Alcindor, and Samuel Coleridge Taylor, who had local Westminster connections. There will also be an edutainment performance on the theme by Music4Causes rapper Kimba, followed by an open discussion. On Fri 28 Oct at 6.30-8.45pm at Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, Westminster, London SW1E 6QP. Adm: Free.
- The Conscious Music Mini Discussion & Freestyle Session. An open event for parents, young people, artists, promoters, and consumers - this is an opportunity for conscious artists including Kimba and Paradise (57th Dynasty), and fans to discuss how music can be used to highlight significant issues. Performers in the audience will be welcome to join in the closing freestyle session based around the Harrow BHM 2011 theme: ‘Significant British African Achievements Throughout History (outside of Sports and Entertainment)’. On Sun 30 Oct at 2-4.30pm at Gayton Library, 5 St John’s Rd, Harrow On The Hill, HA1 2EE. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 8427 6012. E-mail: akobenawards@gmail.com
E-mail: info@btwsc.com Web: www.btwsc.com/BHM_Projects / www.btwsc.com/NARM.
- They Are There: Highlighting Africans Within British Business & Corporate World. Kwaku and special guests will lead an inter-active, audio-visual presentation highlighting Afrikan business owners, from Ignatius Sancho, a shopkeeper in Westminster over 200 years ago, to contemporary business people and executives who have made significant achievements in the private, public and statutory sectors. There will also be an edutainment performance that speaks to the topic by Music4Causes rapper Kimba, followed by discussion and “golden hand” contributions from the audience. On Thurs 10 Nov at 6-8.45pm at Council Chamber, Harrow Civic Centre, Station Road, Harrow, HA1 2XF. Adm: Free.
E-mail: akobenawards@gmail.com
~ BLACK DEATHS IN CUSTODY PUBLIC MEETING. Government figures show that a disproportionate number of deaths following contact with the police are Afrikan people. Almost half the deaths of people in police custody are mental health service users, and deaths of those detained under the Mental Health Act account for 62% of all deaths in state custody. This public meeting aims to put this issue back on the political agenda in order to ensure that other vulnerable people do not continue to lose their lives in tragic circumstances, which could easily avoided. Speakers include: Matilda MacAttram - director of Black Mental Health UK; Helen Shaw - co-Director of INQUEST; Marcia Rigg and Samantha Rigg–David, Sean Rigg Justice and Change Campaign; Steve Pope, Editor, The Voice Newspaper; Lee Jasper, Race Equality Campaigner, Ken Fero, co-director of the film ‘Injustice’; Frederick Clarke, Director, Mighty Men of Valour; and Olu Alake, President, 100 Black Men of London. On Wed 26 Oct at 6.30-9pm at the Quad, East Building, London School of Economics Students Union, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE. To register email: events@blackmentalhealth.org.uk
~ ‘THE PLACE WE CALL HOME AND OTHER POEMS’. Book launch of renowned Ghanaian poet Professor Kofi Anyidoho’s latest collection is both a lamentation and a celebration, documenting epic events in world history ranging from the abolition of slavery to the tragedy of Sep 11, 2001. Anyidoho tells us that the title of the work came to him more than a decade ago as a collage of voices and memories that he carried with him on his many travels, knowing that there was one place that he could claim as his own, a place of emotional anchor in a haunted, turbulent world. The book is accompanied by two CDs, allowing us to savour the poet’s resonating voice in a powerful live performance. On Thurs 27 Oct at 5-7pm at Rm B102, Brunei Gallery Building at SOAS, Thornhaugh St, London, WC1H 0XG. RSVP to cas@soas.ac.uk Web: www.ayebia.co.uk)
~ BLACK HISTORY WALKS
- ‘Black Power Mixtape’ Community Premiere. Unseen interviews with Angela Davis, Huey P Newton, Bobby Seale, Stokely Carmichael. On Fri 28 Oct at 6.30-9.00pm at Kensington Library Theatre, Phillimore Walk, London, W8 7RX. Online tickets only £8.
- ‘Miracle at Santa Anna’ (15) Black World War Two troops in heroic action movie never released in this country .Starring Laz Alonso, Michael Ealy, Derek Luke and directed by Spike Lee. See it on the big screen with Q&A afterwards. Also at 11am on the same day Afrikan British RAF War Hero Cy Grant, who was also an actor, will be featured on the big screen with a two hour review of his biggest films plus Q and A with those who knew him. On Sat 29 Oct at 11am-1pm and 2-5pm at BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, London, SE1. Adm: £5. E-mail: info@blackhistorywalks Web: www.bfi.org.uk
~ STOPWATCH AND THE PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES UNION (PCS) PRESENTS ‘STOP AND SEARCH - WHERE ARE WE NOW?’ It has been 30 years since the Brixton uprisings rocked London; when antagonism between communities and the police reached breaking point. In August 2011, we once again found parts of Britain scarred by broken windows and battened crowds. The violence has erupted from marginalised communities, many of whom point to stop and search and oppressive policing as a factor in triggering the disturbances. StopWatch marks the first anniversary since the Reverend Jesse Jackson launched our campaign in Oct 2010. In the past year, we have seen regulations weakened and further evidence that Afrikan people are targets of excessive police attention.
The evening will feature an update on stop and search and StopWatch activities with Kamaljeet Gill, Monique Lane and Zin Derfoufi; the premier of a short film, ‘Profiles of the Profiled’, a presentation from comedian and activist Mark Thomas and a panel discussion Chaired by the BBC’s Kurt Barling. Featuring: Lord Adebowale, Turning Pint; Chris Baugh, Open Society Youth Initiative; Leroy Logan, National Black Police Association; Craig Mackey, Association of Chief Police Officers; Phil Pavey, Equality and Human Rights Commission; Dr Victor Olisa, Metropolitan Police Service; and Dr Michael Shiner, London School of Economics. On Fri 28 Oct at 5.30-9pm at the PCS Headquarters, 160 Falcon Road, Clapham Junction, London, SW11 2LN. Tel: 020 7377 9222. E-mail: kam@runnymedetrust.org Web: www.stop-watch.org
~ OUR HAIR - CONNECTING WOMEN OF COLOUR – GLOBALLY. International Black Hairitage Month (IBHM) has been created to show that there is so much more to Afrikan hair than just…hair, it’s a cultural, political, and increasingly, powerful economic movement. Unshaken by the global economic dip, Afrikan hair is still booming business worldwide. In the USA, the Afrikan American hair industry is worth a cool $9bn! LA filmmaker Regina Kimbell produced the film ‘My Nappy Roots: A Journey Through Black Hair-itage’ (2007) it looks at the legacy of Afrikan hair-care through cultural identity, and also highlights societal and economic issues. The idea for IBHM stemmed from conversations Regina had with audiences that viewed her film in various countries. UK events sponsored by Tangle Teezer www.tangleteezer.com)
- Sun 30 Oct at 2.30-7.45pm at Tricycle Theatre, London. Series of short-films on Afrikan hair and identity followed by paneled discussion with Margot Rodway-Brown, owner of Adornment365 Natural hair salon, filmmaker Regina Kimbell, Angie Le Mar and LA celebrity Stylist Anthony Cherry. Event includes a Natural Hair workshops and hair & make-up stalls. The event is sponsored & brought to the theatre by - Images of Black Women. E-mail: images.blackwomen@btinternet.com Web: www.imagesofblackwomen.com plus MEE and The Village Production Int’l: www.meevillage.com
For all UK Media enquiries contact Denise Brooks at Onecircle Communications. Tel: 07985 213 636.
E-mail: denise@onecirclecomms.com Web: www.internationalblackhairitagemonth.com
~ BETTER THAN GOOD PRESENT ‘FROM BRONZE TO GOLD’ EXHIBITION. Ever since the departure of the Benin bronzes and other works of art from the Yoruba people and the pivotal historical event that took place in 1887, that saw the introduction of Afrikan art into the European psyche an on-going bitter and controversial debate of cultural identity has ensued. We have come to understand the importance of the influences that these artefacts have had on western art and European thinking. The richness of these unique objects of terracotta, bronze and ivory have become as precious as gold in the hands of their abductors. But what of the influence, impact, value and meaning, that these artworks have had on those who are still culturally and religiously aligned? What are the views of artists and activists of the Diaspora, what are their stories, associations and remembrances of these great works?
“From Bronze to Gold” presents the views, stories and thoughts of four artists that explore these intriguing works which have captured the imagination of the world. Forerunner of the Black British arts movement ‘Fowokan’ George Kelly and leading artists Alvin Kofi, Ken McCalla, Jennifer Lewis and Eli Anderson document their own relationships to these works and present the story of those individuals who have never stood up and voiced their views. They will exhibit sculpture and words that represent the spirit of those original artefacts, using modern materials, paintings, lino cut prints and digital media which borrow from the traditional style of the Benin plaques. This exhibition promises to be revealing, thought provoking, exciting and wonderfully bold, leaning on the legacy of works of art from the ancient Kingdom of Benin.
- Artist Workshop: ‘In conversation with’ and spoken word special performance on Sun 30 Oct at 12–3pm. The artists take the audience on a journey. They integrate the accepted historical records and present an alternative narrative behind the artefacts. Adm: £8 adv / cons £5. (Tickets from Rich Mix. Box Office: 020 7613 7498).
Exhibition runs until 30 Oct at Rich Mix, 35–47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA. Contact: Alvin Kofi - 07943 437 619 or Clem Richards - 07802 486 191. E-mail: betterthangoodart@yahoo.co.uk Web: http://www.alexandragalleries.com/pages/event.php#bronze
~ ‘THE STORY OF LOVERS ROCK’. Dir: Menelik Shabazz. Dur: 96 mins. Lovers Rock, often dubbed ‘romantic reggae’ is a uniquely Afrikan British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of riots, racial tension and sound systems. Live performance, comedy sketches, dance, interviews and archive shed light on the music and the generation that embraced it. Lovers Rock allowed young people to experience intimacy and healing through dance at parties and clubs. It developed into a successful sound with national UK hits and was influential to British bands. These influences underline the impact the music was making in bridging the multi-cultural gap that polarized the times. The film sheds light on a forgotten period of British music, social and political history. For venues across Britain check: http://www.loversrockthefilm.com
~ WEAVING THE THREADS OF LIVELIHOOD: THE AESTHETIC AND EMBODIED KNOWLEDGE OF BERBER WEAVERS. The Sirwa is situated at the junction of the High Atlas and the Anti Atlas mountain ranges in Morocco. The Berber weavers of the Sirwa are renowned for their wide range of textiles and their technical knowledge and artistry. In addition to embroidery and sprang (an ancient precursor of knitting), female Sirwa weavers master several weaving techniques: tapestry weaving, twinning, brocading and knotting, which they use individually or in combination. Since the 1980s weaving production has complemented subsistence agriculture. The central piece of the exhibition will be a special 19th century cloak, the akhnif, (loaned by the British Museum) a garment unique to Morocco that has inspired the production of a new type of carpet in the 1990s. Visitors will be able to watch as the Sirwa weavers demonstrate their technical skills on equipment especially brought from Morocco and can even try their own hand at weaving. A one-day international conference on Moroccan textiles will take place in conjunction with the exhibition. Until 17 Dec at 10am-5pm at Brunei Gallery, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, London, WC1H 0XG. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7898 4046. E-maik: gallery@soas.ac.uk Web: www.soas.ac.uk/gallery https://www.facebook.com/Soas.Brunei.Gallery
~ ‘THIN BLACK LINE(S): THE LEGACY OF BLACK WOMEN ARTISTS’
Put together by Tate curator Paul Goodwin and artist Lubaina Himid, MBE, ‘Thin Black Line(s)’ presents a selection of pieces drawn from three major exhibitions of Afrikan and Asian women artists curated by Himid in the early 1980s: ‘Five Black Women’ at the Africa Centre (1983); ‘Black Women Time Now’ at the Battersea Arts Centre (1983-84); and ‘The Thin Black Line’ at the Institute for Contemporary Art (1985). The display includes works by Sutapa Biswas, Sonia Boyce, Lubaina Himid, Claudette Johnson, Ingrid Pollard, Veronica Ryan and Maud Sulter. Drawings, paintings, sculptures and photographs are showcased alongside a video documentary on the ‘Black Art’ scene and archival documents comprising of exhibition posters, invitations, letters, etc. In Britain, the Caribbean Artists Movement (1966-72) and the Black Art (1980s) have enabled Afrikan artists and intellectuals to retain ownership of the discourse on their arts and cultures. Until 18 Mar 2012 at Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7887 8888.
~ PECKHAM SPACE
- Closing Party, 15 Nov at 6-8pm. Last chance to see ‘Network’, Sonia Boyce’s specially commissioned film which explores how forms of social communication such as mobile phones and social networking sites have become the most popular ways for youths to maintain relationships with friends and family.
Exhibition runs until 19 Nov at 11am-5pm (Tues-Fri) and 11am-4pm (Sat) at Peckham Space, 89 Peckham High Street, London, SE15 5RS. Tel: 020 7358 9645. E-mail: info@peckhamspace.com
~ AFRIKABA 2011 (UK) – AFRICA, LIFE & SOUL. With Nana Tsiboe Supa Hi-Life + Zara McFarlane. On Sat 29 Oct at 7.30pm at Sussex Coast College, Station Approach, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1BA. Adm: £12 / £10 (concs) / family ticket, £35. Tel: Hastings Information Centre - 01424 451 128.
~ THE CARAF CENTRE & OMEGA RADIO 104.1FM Present ‘DON’T BE NAIVE!’ Guest Speakers: Cristia Esimi-Cruz, Community Gangs Prevention Worker; Jenavi Omoma, Addaction; & Davis Williams. Youth crime and gang activity is now a national concern! On Sat 29 Oct at 3-5pm at the Unity Centre, Church Road, London, NW10. Tel: 020 7284 0030.
~ ‘I HAVE A DREAM’ (PLAY). August 1963, USA: Martin Luther King prepares to deliver a speech that will change the course of American history forever. But Yolanda, his daughter, isn’t happy that her dad never has time for her. 48 years later, and Raheem is at home in south London. Life seems so unfair: not only is his mum a teacher at his school, she is now applying for the job of head; this is sure to ruin his reputation! But when Raheem falls asleep, he finds himself transported back to the 60s, face to face with Yolanda King. Their friendship takes them on a journey of discovery across decades and continents in this powerful and inspiring production written by Levi David Addai. Until 29 Oct at 6pm at Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, London, SW19 1SB. Tel: 020 8543 4888. Adm: £12 / £8. Entry to talk: Free. Web: www.polkatheatre.com
~ FINDYOURVOICE PRESENTS: A NATURAL LOOK AT FIBROIDS. Presented by Dr.Llaila O Afrika, a doctor of Naturopathy, lecturer and author, including the best selling ‘African Holistic Health’, as well as a pioneer in African Science; and Dr Melanie Stevenson, also a Naturopath, has over 10 years experience as a holistic practitioner and is a gifted teacher in this field of health. On Sat 29 Oct at 11am– 3.30pm at Stamford Hill Library, Portland Avenue, London, N16 6SB. Tel: 020 8356 1964. Adm: £6. Tel: 07960 239 493.
~ CORINNE SKINNER CARTER AT WORD POWER BLACK LITERATURE FESTIVAL. Book reading and an Evening with Corinne Skinner Carter (star of ‘Empire Road’, ‘Eastenders’ and ‘Amen Corner’). Corinne will read from her memoir, ‘Why Not Me? From Trinidad to Albert Square via Empire Road’ and discuss her 50 year acting career. On Sun 30 Oct at 6-9pm at Centreprise, 136 Kingsland High Street, Hackney, London, E8 2NS. Tel: 07598 195 050. E-mail: oralstory@gmail.com Web: www.oralhistoryproject.org
~ DARK MATTER CONFERENCE: IS MELANIN THE GOD SUBSTANCE? Dr Llaila Afrika and his co-presenter, Dr Melanie Stevenson, headline this melanin research and activation conference. Dr Afrika is a world authority on all aspects of health relating to people of Afrikan origin. Assisted by Patrick Montague, Stephen Ssali of Mariandina and Derin Bepo, founder of Health Restore. On Sun 30 Oct at 11am-6pm at Centerprise, 136 Kingsland High Street, London, E8 2NS. Adm: £20 / £15 concs. Bookings: 020 7254 9632. E-mail: eamevor@centerprisetrust.org.uk Web: www.centerprisetrust.org.uk
~ THE ROYAL AFRICAN SOCIETY AND SOAS PRESENT FILM AFRICA. Showcasing more than 50 of Afrika’s best films, past and present, Film Africa 2011 highlights the wealth of emerging talent from across the continent, and features the work of some of Afrika’s most renowned filmmakers. It also presents a dynamic programme of Q&As with leading filmmakers, lively panel discussions and workshops, and nine nights of infectious grooves and electric performances from some of London’s most exciting musicians and DJs. Film Africa 2011 highlights include: The best of contemporary Afrikan fiction, documentary and experimental film, with 15 UK premieres; Eight short films from the continent and its diaspora competing for The Silver Baobab Award for Best Short African Film; Lively discussions with some of Africa’s leading filmmakers and actors; A special focus on Africa’s foremost women filmmakers, such as Sarah Maldoror - the first woman to make a feature film in Africa; Film Africa LIVE!, with performances guaranteed to get your spirits soaring; and a rich selection of films looking at North Africa and Revolution, Migrations and Returns, and Afrikan music. Tel: 020 3073 8337. E-mail: info@filmafrica.org.uk Web: www.filmafrica.org.uk
~ PASCF TRIBUTE TO GERONIMO PRATT, AFRIKAN FREEDOM FIGHTER (BLACK PANTHER PARTY). Keynote tribute to be delivered by: Professor Linn Washington (Temple University), the world’s leading authority on the case of Death Row Black Panther Party Mumia Abu Jamal. On Fri 4 Nov at 6.30pm at The West Indian Ex-Servicemen’s Association, 161-167 Clapham Manor St, London, SW4 6DB. Adm: Free. Tel: 07944 204 955. E-mail: pascfevents@gmail.com; Web: www.pasf.org.uk
~ THE INSPIRED COLLECTIVE PRESENT ‘BE INSPIRED!’ A day of wealth creation for the next generation with seminars from relationship coach Des O’Connor; social entrepreneur Alim Kamara of ATG Empire Ltd; Olayinka Bandele, non-executive director of Nubian Natural and founder of Black Ankh Publications; dance troupe CEREBO; and DJ Crocodile. On Sat 5 Nov at 12.30-6pm at Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Tottenham, London, N15. Adm: £5 / £2.50 (concs). Tel: 07842 286 791. E-mail: admin@inspiredcollegctive.org Web: www.inspiredcollective.org
~
~ SISTA CIRCLE presents ‘Black Women & The Truth About the Menopause’. Exploring ancient & modern solutions to womb health. On Sun 6 Nov at 2-6pm at Navarino Community Hall, Dalston Lane, London, E8 1AJ. Adm: £5. Tel: 07947 838 729 / 07956 134 370.
~ REEL TRINI fortnightly screenings. The new rendezvous for local film aficionados on Sundays at 5pm at Trevor’s Edge in St Augustine, Trinidad. Tel: 744-4956. E-mail: caribbeinginc@gmail.com
Kubara Zamani, Afrikan Quest International, PO Box 35165, London, SE5 8WU. Tel: 07811 494 969. E-mail: afrikanquest@hotmail.com Web: www.southwark.tv/quest/aqhome.asp
External Links
Afrikan Quest International
~ PAUL QUASHIE’S ‘AFRICAN IMAGES IN PRE COLOMBIAN AMERICA’. This is a photographic exhibition and slideshow of original images by photographer and historian Paul Quashie is running at the newly opened Portobello Art Gallery under the Westway in London’s Ladbroke Grove. The pictures here are from Mexico, mainly the Vera Cruz region. San Lorenzo (five heads); La Venta (four heads, incl one on the road at the back entrance of Paul’s hotel); Tres Zapotes, South Vera Cruz (two heads), Mexico City & Monty Alban. But Paul also visited: Peru (Machu Picchu, Lima, Cusco, The Nazca Lines and Lake Titicaca: Bolivia (Lake Titicaca); Colombia (Bogota and Medellin); Guatemala; and Belize.
Across south and central America there are a range of heads, terracotta figures, temples and pyramids. The heads are made of basalt rock. Many had jaguar motifs or jaguar heads with human bodies. Priest and Priestess statues were found in Vera Cruz, which is the heartland for the Afrikan presence in Mexico. In La Venta an altar was made on top of a Negroid head. There was also greenish Golden vase.
There are still Afrikans living in Mexico City. Paul was treated ‘like returning royalty’ by the local indigenous people. In Palenque there is an Afrikan priestess who also owns several restaurants where she employs poor people even for short periods of time so they could make some money. She has her own shrine and temple open seven days a week. There is extensive Olmec architecture – often designated as Mayan - in Palenque and the surrounding area is a protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The jungle is a national park with government protection.
The second president, Vincent Guerrero who was of mixed Afrikan and indigenous Indian parentage, was from the area and he freed enslaved Afrikans when Spanish rule ended. However, Paul feels the governments at state level seem embarrassed about the amount of artefacts relating to the Afrikan presence and what they reveal. Most are left abandoned in remote or overgrown areas. Pollution is also causing the outdoor stones to degrade and become pock-marked.
Paul says: “Reading ‘The African Presence in Early America’ and ‘They Came Before Columbus’, books by historian and academic Ivan Van Sertima was what inspired me to visit Mexico and other parts of South America. By circumstance I am a self taught photographer, as being by myself I had to rely on my ability to take the photographs and video footage on my own. But it is thanks to Ivan Van Sertima that I knew there were black people living in ancient and present day South America. The photographs in this exhibition were taken in 2006 and feature West Afrikans in the medieval period. Through this exhibition I hope to expose to others an alternative view of the history of Afrika that is in total contrast to the one that I and many other people of Afrikan descent experienced that related Afrikans as slaves during the Transatlantic Slave Trade.” See below for Gallery Talks with Paul Quashie.
EDITORIAL
THE ASSASSINATION OF COL MUAMMAR GADDAFI, BROTHER LEADER AND GUIDE OF THE LIBYAN REVOLUTION (1942-20 OCT 2011). We will not write a long obituary about the life and times of Col Muammar Gaddafi. His exploits and demise can be read about in other news outlets with varying levels of bloodlust. The National Transitional Council were instructed to assassinate Col Gaddafi who was visibly captured alive in Sirte and summarily killed with a burst of gunfire. Obviously criminal western politicians, corporations and his previous Libyan colleagues who switched sides and formed the anti-Afrikan NTC didn’t want him giving any insight into their previous shady deals.
After the immediate widespread public airing of Osama bin Laden and now Col Gaddafi’s murders it appears that NATO and the UN are now engaged in the wholesale production of war porn and snuff movies with global screening rights. They have been distributing tens of thousands of mobile phones to activists who have varying degrees of legitimate political and social demands across North Africa and the Middle East and facilitating the production of media propaganda and their access to anti-Afrikan companies, politicians and right-wing think tanks. That is what Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad has been saying since the start of the year and why he is fighting hard not be next in NATO’s no-fly zone crosshairs. If you want to know the attitude of the future Libyan government towards Afrikans consider the killings, arrests, rapes and beatings we have been condemning since March and the statement from Namad Macua, the current Libyan Ambassador to Britain on hearing of Gaddafi’s public execution he said, ‘Gaddafi’s Black era has come to an end’. We hope the NTC and the Arab League gain the intelligence and fortitude to discern friends from interests.
Col Gaddafi’s son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was captured by rebel forces during the battle of Sirte and was flown to a hospital. Moatassem Gaddafi was killed along with his father. Saif al-Arab al-Gaddafi and three of Col Gaddafi’s grandchildren were killed by a NATO bombing in April 2011. Khamis Gaddafi was killed during clashes with the NTC on 29 August 2011. Hana Moammar Gaddafi was murdered at the age of four during US bombing raids in 1986. Col Gaddafi’s second wife Safia Farkash, his sons, Muhammad al-Gaddafi and Hannibal, and daughter, Ayesha, escaped to Algeria. On 30 August a senior NTC official claimed that Al-Saadi al-Gaddafi had made contact to discuss the terms of his surrender, indicating also that he would wish to remain in Libya.
FORTHCOMING NUBIART PROFILES
NUBIART: Focus on arts, business, education, health, political developments and the media.
OCT PROMO
~ BAMBARA MYSTIC SOUL: The Raw Sound of Burkina Faso 1974 – 1979 ‘ (Analog Africa – Out Oct 10) Another absolute gem from Analog Africa. The tracks here are culled from the vaults of the Club Voltaique du Disque (CVD) label and are a mix of Afrobeat, Afro-Latin grooves, Mandingue griot and guitar styles, especially from neighbouring Mali and Guinea indicating a wider West Afrikan influence. Many of those featured here passed through Mali’s Super Rail Band and Les Ambassadeurs and Guinea’s Balla et ses Balladins and Keletigui et ses Tambourinis.
Extensive sleevenotes highlight the precarious nature of surviving as a musician and promoter in Afrika. Most of the recordings were done in Accra, Ghana and Lome, Togo and several of the artists and bands had played in what was at that time the West Afrikan music capital of Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. Track themes range from Mamo Lagbema’s ‘Love, Music And Dance’ to Orchestre CVD’s plea for Afrikan unity, ‘Rog Mik Africa’. There were indications of the political strains which would see the rise of Thomas Sankara with the activist lyrics of Sandwidi Pierre et l’Harmonie Voltaique with ‘Tond Yabramba’. The most well-known artist here Amadou Ballaké quite rightly has six powerful tracks: ‘Bar Konou Moussou’, ‘Renouveau’, ‘Baden Djougou’, ‘Johnny’, ‘Sali’ and ‘Oye Ka Bara Kignan’.
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 production there may be books and films on this list that are worth the extra effort to track down.
~ ‘WOMEN IN THE YORUBA RELIGIOUS SPHERE’ - Oyeronke Olajubu. Foreword by Jacob K Olupona [State University of New York Press ISBN: 978-0-7914-5886-0] An exploration of gender and power relations in Yoruba religion - both Christianity and Yoruba traditional religion based on Olajubu’s PhD thesis. Drawing on a wide range of oral and written sources she shows that women occupy a central place in the religious worldview and life of the Yoruba people. Chapter headings are: Concepts and Theories on Women in Yoruba Religious Sphere; Women in Yoruba Culture and Society; Women in Yoruba Christian Tradition; Identity Power and Gender Relations in Yoruba Religious Traditions; and Women and Rituals in Yoruba Religion.
Olajubu’s background gives her an insight into the different aspect of Yoruba spirituality. She does an excellent job of maintaining the focus of the book which could have become a brick-sized tome while still touching on issues such as: Yoruba cosmological origins; the main orisas and their festivals; Ifa divination; oriki praise poems; the rational, dysfunctions and Christian condemnation of polygamy; patriarchy in the European missionary-led churches; the role of women in Afrikan-led churches such as The Cherubim and Seraphim and the Celestial Church of Christ; the even more strident recently established evangelical churches; the origins and rituals relating to both male and female circumcision, the cultural debate over calling it female genital mutilation and the health and ritual arguments for maintaining male circumcision; relations with neighbouring peoples and nations and those who were drawn into the Yoruba polity just as the society was being convulsed by European colonialism; and the spreading of Yoruba culture into the diaspora.
~ ‘PYRAMID OF ALLIANCE’ – J A Mukoyogo [HandE Publishers. ISBN: 978-1-906873-30-1] The second book in Mukoyogo’s science-fiction trilogy, following on from ‘Triangle of Alliance’. The Triangle and the Insidious Force face off on a global stage that spans all seven levels as the part seer, part leveller puts Custodis to work for him. The final instalment of the trilogy, ‘Prism of Alliance’, is due for release in the summer of 2012.
NUBIART DIARY
~ BLACK HISTORY STUDIES & PCS PRESENT
- ‘THE BLACK CANDLE’. Dir: M K Asante Jr. Dur: 71 mins. A landmark, vibrant documentary film that uses Kwanzaa as a vehicle to explore and celebrate the African-American experience. Narrated by world renowned poet Maya Angelou ‘The Black Candle’ is an extraordinary, inspirational story about the struggle and triumph of family, community, and culture. Filmed across the United States, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean, ‘The Black Candle’ traces the holiday’s growth from the first celebration in 1966 to its present-day reality as a global holiday embraced by over 20 million celebrants. With NFL Legend Jim Brown, Hip Hop icon Chuck D, Kwanzaa’s founder Dr Maulana Karenga, artist Synthia Saint James and many others. On Mon 24 Oct at 7-9pm at the Walthamstow Library, High Street, Walthamstow, London, E17 4RT. Adm: £4.
- ‘MARCUS GARVEY, WALTER RODNEY AND RASTAFARI’. Who was Marcus Garvey? What did he stand for? Who did he influence? Who did he inspire? What were his legacies? This presentation is an opportunity to learn more about the history of Caribbean activists and politics. On Wed 26 Oct at 6.15- 7.30pm at Ealing Central Library, 103 Ealing Broadway Centre, London, W5 5JY. Adm: £4.
- ‘MALCOLM X: BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY’. Dur: 120 mins. A documentary of Malcolm’s life as a child up to when he was murdered. There will be a discussion after the screening. On Wed 26 Oct at 7-9.30pm at the PCS Learning Centre (Victoria), 3rd Floor, 231 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 1EH. Adm: £4.
- ‘AFRICAN HISTORY BEFORE THE SLAVE TRADE’. A visually stunning presentation that addresses one key question: What history do Afrikan people have before the slave trade started? The lecture discusses the Empire of Mali, the Yoruba Kingdoms, Medieval Sudan, Medieval Ethiopia and the East African Coast. These civilisations have left behind a splendid array of evidence that are all discussed in the lecture. This evidence includes wonderful artefacts, illuminated manuscripts, and impressive architecture. The lecture is based on the book Before the Slave Trade: African World History in Pictures which will be available at the event. On Mon 31 Oct at 7-9pm at the Walthamstow Library, High Street, Walthamstow, London, E17 4RT. Adm: £5.
Tel / Fax: 0208 881 0660. Mobile: 07951 234 233. E-mail: info@blackhistorystudies.com Web: http://www.blackhistorystudies.com
~ PAUL QUASHIE’S ‘AFRICAN IMAGES IN PRE COLOMBIAN AMERICA’. Photographic exhibition and slideshow of original images by photographer and historian Paul Quashie taken in Mexico. Paul says: “Reading ‘The African Presence in Early America’ and ‘They Came Before Columbus’, books by historian and academic Ivan Van Sertima was what inspired me to visit Mexico and other parts of South America. By circumstance I am a self taught photographer, as being by myself I had to rely on my ability to take the photographs and video footage on my own. But it is thanks to Ivan Van Sertima that I knew there were black people living in ancient and present day South America. The photographs in this exhibition were taken in 2006 and feature West Afrikans in the medieval period. Through this exhibition I hope to expose to others an alternative view of the history of Afrika that is in total contrast to the one that I and many other people of Afrikan descent experienced that related Afrikans as slaves during the Transatlantic Slave Trade.”
- Wed 26 Oct at 5.30-7pm. Gallery Talk and Q&A session with the artist. Adm: Free.
- Fri 28 Oct at 5.30-7pm.Gallery Talk and Q&A session with the artist. Adm: Fee.
Exhibition runs until 30 Oct at 1-6pm at Portobello Art Gallery, 6 Thorpe Close, London, W10 5XL. Adm: Free.
~ BTWSC BHM 2011 EVENTS. NARM (Naming And Role Model) consultant Kwaku will deliver an interactive presentation on Afrikan British Civil Rights highlighting activists from the NARM book
- Key Activism & Campaigns. The meeting will highlight campaigns such as the Bristol Bus Boycott, Black People’s Day of Action, and the activism of Eric Irons OBE in Nottingham, Berry Edwards in Manchester, etc. Historian Dr Hakim Adi will deliver a talk on WASU (West African Students Union) and the activism of its members. On Wed 26 Oct at 6.30-8.45pm at Council Chamber, Harrow Civic Centre, Station Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 2UL. Adm: Free.
- Henry Sylvester Williams & Co. The event will focus on Henry Sylvester Williams, who organised the 1990 Pan-African Conference, Dr. John Alcindor, and Samuel Coleridge Taylor, who had local Westminster connections. There will also be an edutainment performance on the theme by Music4Causes rapper Kimba, followed by an open discussion. On Fri 28 Oct at 6.30-8.45pm at Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, Westminster, London SW1E 6QP. Adm: Free.
- The Conscious Music Mini Discussion & Freestyle Session. An open event for parents, young people, artists, promoters, and consumers - this is an opportunity for conscious artists including Kimba and Paradise (57th Dynasty), and fans to discuss how music can be used to highlight significant issues. Performers in the audience will be welcome to join in the closing freestyle session based around the Harrow BHM 2011 theme: ‘Significant British African Achievements Throughout History (outside of Sports and Entertainment)’. On Sun 30 Oct at 2-4.30pm at Gayton Library, 5 St John’s Rd, Harrow On The Hill, HA1 2EE. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 8427 6012. E-mail: akobenawards@gmail.com
E-mail: info@btwsc.com Web: www.btwsc.com/BHM_Projects / www.btwsc.com/NARM.
- They Are There: Highlighting Africans Within British Business & Corporate World. Kwaku and special guests will lead an inter-active, audio-visual presentation highlighting Afrikan business owners, from Ignatius Sancho, a shopkeeper in Westminster over 200 years ago, to contemporary business people and executives who have made significant achievements in the private, public and statutory sectors. There will also be an edutainment performance that speaks to the topic by Music4Causes rapper Kimba, followed by discussion and “golden hand” contributions from the audience. On Thurs 10 Nov at 6-8.45pm at Council Chamber, Harrow Civic Centre, Station Road, Harrow, HA1 2XF. Adm: Free.
E-mail: akobenawards@gmail.com
~ BLACK DEATHS IN CUSTODY PUBLIC MEETING. Government figures show that a disproportionate number of deaths following contact with the police are Afrikan people. Almost half the deaths of people in police custody are mental health service users, and deaths of those detained under the Mental Health Act account for 62% of all deaths in state custody. This public meeting aims to put this issue back on the political agenda in order to ensure that other vulnerable people do not continue to lose their lives in tragic circumstances, which could easily avoided. Speakers include: Matilda MacAttram - director of Black Mental Health UK; Helen Shaw - co-Director of INQUEST; Marcia Rigg and Samantha Rigg–David, Sean Rigg Justice and Change Campaign; Steve Pope, Editor, The Voice Newspaper; Lee Jasper, Race Equality Campaigner, Ken Fero, co-director of the film ‘Injustice’; Frederick Clarke, Director, Mighty Men of Valour; and Olu Alake, President, 100 Black Men of London. On Wed 26 Oct at 6.30-9pm at the Quad, East Building, London School of Economics Students Union, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE. To register email: events@blackmentalhealth.org.uk
~ ‘THE PLACE WE CALL HOME AND OTHER POEMS’. Book launch of renowned Ghanaian poet Professor Kofi Anyidoho’s latest collection is both a lamentation and a celebration, documenting epic events in world history ranging from the abolition of slavery to the tragedy of Sep 11, 2001. Anyidoho tells us that the title of the work came to him more than a decade ago as a collage of voices and memories that he carried with him on his many travels, knowing that there was one place that he could claim as his own, a place of emotional anchor in a haunted, turbulent world. The book is accompanied by two CDs, allowing us to savour the poet’s resonating voice in a powerful live performance. On Thurs 27 Oct at 5-7pm at Rm B102, Brunei Gallery Building at SOAS, Thornhaugh St, London, WC1H 0XG. RSVP to cas@soas.ac.uk Web: www.ayebia.co.uk)
~ BLACK HISTORY WALKS
- ‘Black Power Mixtape’ Community Premiere. Unseen interviews with Angela Davis, Huey P Newton, Bobby Seale, Stokely Carmichael. On Fri 28 Oct at 6.30-9.00pm at Kensington Library Theatre, Phillimore Walk, London, W8 7RX. Online tickets only £8.
- ‘Miracle at Santa Anna’ (15) Black World War Two troops in heroic action movie never released in this country .Starring Laz Alonso, Michael Ealy, Derek Luke and directed by Spike Lee. See it on the big screen with Q&A afterwards. Also at 11am on the same day Afrikan British RAF War Hero Cy Grant, who was also an actor, will be featured on the big screen with a two hour review of his biggest films plus Q and A with those who knew him. On Sat 29 Oct at 11am-1pm and 2-5pm at BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road, London, SE1. Adm: £5. E-mail: info@blackhistorywalks Web: www.bfi.org.uk
~ STOPWATCH AND THE PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES UNION (PCS) PRESENTS ‘STOP AND SEARCH - WHERE ARE WE NOW?’ It has been 30 years since the Brixton uprisings rocked London; when antagonism between communities and the police reached breaking point. In August 2011, we once again found parts of Britain scarred by broken windows and battened crowds. The violence has erupted from marginalised communities, many of whom point to stop and search and oppressive policing as a factor in triggering the disturbances. StopWatch marks the first anniversary since the Reverend Jesse Jackson launched our campaign in Oct 2010. In the past year, we have seen regulations weakened and further evidence that Afrikan people are targets of excessive police attention.
The evening will feature an update on stop and search and StopWatch activities with Kamaljeet Gill, Monique Lane and Zin Derfoufi; the premier of a short film, ‘Profiles of the Profiled’, a presentation from comedian and activist Mark Thomas and a panel discussion Chaired by the BBC’s Kurt Barling. Featuring: Lord Adebowale, Turning Pint; Chris Baugh, Open Society Youth Initiative; Leroy Logan, National Black Police Association; Craig Mackey, Association of Chief Police Officers; Phil Pavey, Equality and Human Rights Commission; Dr Victor Olisa, Metropolitan Police Service; and Dr Michael Shiner, London School of Economics. On Fri 28 Oct at 5.30-9pm at the PCS Headquarters, 160 Falcon Road, Clapham Junction, London, SW11 2LN. Tel: 020 7377 9222. E-mail: kam@runnymedetrust.org Web: www.stop-watch.org
~ OUR HAIR - CONNECTING WOMEN OF COLOUR – GLOBALLY. International Black Hairitage Month (IBHM) has been created to show that there is so much more to Afrikan hair than just…hair, it’s a cultural, political, and increasingly, powerful economic movement. Unshaken by the global economic dip, Afrikan hair is still booming business worldwide. In the USA, the Afrikan American hair industry is worth a cool $9bn! LA filmmaker Regina Kimbell produced the film ‘My Nappy Roots: A Journey Through Black Hair-itage’ (2007) it looks at the legacy of Afrikan hair-care through cultural identity, and also highlights societal and economic issues. The idea for IBHM stemmed from conversations Regina had with audiences that viewed her film in various countries. UK events sponsored by Tangle Teezer www.tangleteezer.com)
- Sun 30 Oct at 2.30-7.45pm at Tricycle Theatre, London. Series of short-films on Afrikan hair and identity followed by paneled discussion with Margot Rodway-Brown, owner of Adornment365 Natural hair salon, filmmaker Regina Kimbell, Angie Le Mar and LA celebrity Stylist Anthony Cherry. Event includes a Natural Hair workshops and hair & make-up stalls. The event is sponsored & brought to the theatre by - Images of Black Women. E-mail: images.blackwomen@btinternet.com Web: www.imagesofblackwomen.com plus MEE and The Village Production Int’l: www.meevillage.com
For all UK Media enquiries contact Denise Brooks at Onecircle Communications. Tel: 07985 213 636.
E-mail: denise@onecirclecomms.com Web: www.internationalblackhairitagemonth.com
~ BETTER THAN GOOD PRESENT ‘FROM BRONZE TO GOLD’ EXHIBITION. Ever since the departure of the Benin bronzes and other works of art from the Yoruba people and the pivotal historical event that took place in 1887, that saw the introduction of Afrikan art into the European psyche an on-going bitter and controversial debate of cultural identity has ensued. We have come to understand the importance of the influences that these artefacts have had on western art and European thinking. The richness of these unique objects of terracotta, bronze and ivory have become as precious as gold in the hands of their abductors. But what of the influence, impact, value and meaning, that these artworks have had on those who are still culturally and religiously aligned? What are the views of artists and activists of the Diaspora, what are their stories, associations and remembrances of these great works?
“From Bronze to Gold” presents the views, stories and thoughts of four artists that explore these intriguing works which have captured the imagination of the world. Forerunner of the Black British arts movement ‘Fowokan’ George Kelly and leading artists Alvin Kofi, Ken McCalla, Jennifer Lewis and Eli Anderson document their own relationships to these works and present the story of those individuals who have never stood up and voiced their views. They will exhibit sculpture and words that represent the spirit of those original artefacts, using modern materials, paintings, lino cut prints and digital media which borrow from the traditional style of the Benin plaques. This exhibition promises to be revealing, thought provoking, exciting and wonderfully bold, leaning on the legacy of works of art from the ancient Kingdom of Benin.
- Artist Workshop: ‘In conversation with’ and spoken word special performance on Sun 30 Oct at 12–3pm. The artists take the audience on a journey. They integrate the accepted historical records and present an alternative narrative behind the artefacts. Adm: £8 adv / cons £5. (Tickets from Rich Mix. Box Office: 020 7613 7498).
Exhibition runs until 30 Oct at Rich Mix, 35–47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA. Contact: Alvin Kofi - 07943 437 619 or Clem Richards - 07802 486 191. E-mail: betterthangoodart@yahoo.co.uk Web: http://www.alexandragalleries.com/pages/event.php#bronze
~ ‘THE STORY OF LOVERS ROCK’. Dir: Menelik Shabazz. Dur: 96 mins. Lovers Rock, often dubbed ‘romantic reggae’ is a uniquely Afrikan British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of riots, racial tension and sound systems. Live performance, comedy sketches, dance, interviews and archive shed light on the music and the generation that embraced it. Lovers Rock allowed young people to experience intimacy and healing through dance at parties and clubs. It developed into a successful sound with national UK hits and was influential to British bands. These influences underline the impact the music was making in bridging the multi-cultural gap that polarized the times. The film sheds light on a forgotten period of British music, social and political history. For venues across Britain check: http://www.loversrockthefilm.com
~ WEAVING THE THREADS OF LIVELIHOOD: THE AESTHETIC AND EMBODIED KNOWLEDGE OF BERBER WEAVERS. The Sirwa is situated at the junction of the High Atlas and the Anti Atlas mountain ranges in Morocco. The Berber weavers of the Sirwa are renowned for their wide range of textiles and their technical knowledge and artistry. In addition to embroidery and sprang (an ancient precursor of knitting), female Sirwa weavers master several weaving techniques: tapestry weaving, twinning, brocading and knotting, which they use individually or in combination. Since the 1980s weaving production has complemented subsistence agriculture. The central piece of the exhibition will be a special 19th century cloak, the akhnif, (loaned by the British Museum) a garment unique to Morocco that has inspired the production of a new type of carpet in the 1990s. Visitors will be able to watch as the Sirwa weavers demonstrate their technical skills on equipment especially brought from Morocco and can even try their own hand at weaving. A one-day international conference on Moroccan textiles will take place in conjunction with the exhibition. Until 17 Dec at 10am-5pm at Brunei Gallery, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, London, WC1H 0XG. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7898 4046. E-maik: gallery@soas.ac.uk Web: www.soas.ac.uk/gallery https://www.facebook.com/Soas.Brunei.Gallery
~ ‘THIN BLACK LINE(S): THE LEGACY OF BLACK WOMEN ARTISTS’
Put together by Tate curator Paul Goodwin and artist Lubaina Himid, MBE, ‘Thin Black Line(s)’ presents a selection of pieces drawn from three major exhibitions of Afrikan and Asian women artists curated by Himid in the early 1980s: ‘Five Black Women’ at the Africa Centre (1983); ‘Black Women Time Now’ at the Battersea Arts Centre (1983-84); and ‘The Thin Black Line’ at the Institute for Contemporary Art (1985). The display includes works by Sutapa Biswas, Sonia Boyce, Lubaina Himid, Claudette Johnson, Ingrid Pollard, Veronica Ryan and Maud Sulter. Drawings, paintings, sculptures and photographs are showcased alongside a video documentary on the ‘Black Art’ scene and archival documents comprising of exhibition posters, invitations, letters, etc. In Britain, the Caribbean Artists Movement (1966-72) and the Black Art (1980s) have enabled Afrikan artists and intellectuals to retain ownership of the discourse on their arts and cultures. Until 18 Mar 2012 at Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7887 8888.
~ PECKHAM SPACE
- Closing Party, 15 Nov at 6-8pm. Last chance to see ‘Network’, Sonia Boyce’s specially commissioned film which explores how forms of social communication such as mobile phones and social networking sites have become the most popular ways for youths to maintain relationships with friends and family.
Exhibition runs until 19 Nov at 11am-5pm (Tues-Fri) and 11am-4pm (Sat) at Peckham Space, 89 Peckham High Street, London, SE15 5RS. Tel: 020 7358 9645. E-mail: info@peckhamspace.com
~ AFRIKABA 2011 (UK) – AFRICA, LIFE & SOUL. With Nana Tsiboe Supa Hi-Life + Zara McFarlane. On Sat 29 Oct at 7.30pm at Sussex Coast College, Station Approach, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 1BA. Adm: £12 / £10 (concs) / family ticket, £35. Tel: Hastings Information Centre - 01424 451 128.
~ THE CARAF CENTRE & OMEGA RADIO 104.1FM Present ‘DON’T BE NAIVE!’ Guest Speakers: Cristia Esimi-Cruz, Community Gangs Prevention Worker; Jenavi Omoma, Addaction; & Davis Williams. Youth crime and gang activity is now a national concern! On Sat 29 Oct at 3-5pm at the Unity Centre, Church Road, London, NW10. Tel: 020 7284 0030.
~ ‘I HAVE A DREAM’ (PLAY). August 1963, USA: Martin Luther King prepares to deliver a speech that will change the course of American history forever. But Yolanda, his daughter, isn’t happy that her dad never has time for her. 48 years later, and Raheem is at home in south London. Life seems so unfair: not only is his mum a teacher at his school, she is now applying for the job of head; this is sure to ruin his reputation! But when Raheem falls asleep, he finds himself transported back to the 60s, face to face with Yolanda King. Their friendship takes them on a journey of discovery across decades and continents in this powerful and inspiring production written by Levi David Addai. Until 29 Oct at 6pm at Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, London, SW19 1SB. Tel: 020 8543 4888. Adm: £12 / £8. Entry to talk: Free. Web: www.polkatheatre.com
~ FINDYOURVOICE PRESENTS: A NATURAL LOOK AT FIBROIDS. Presented by Dr.Llaila O Afrika, a doctor of Naturopathy, lecturer and author, including the best selling ‘African Holistic Health’, as well as a pioneer in African Science; and Dr Melanie Stevenson, also a Naturopath, has over 10 years experience as a holistic practitioner and is a gifted teacher in this field of health. On Sat 29 Oct at 11am– 3.30pm at Stamford Hill Library, Portland Avenue, London, N16 6SB. Tel: 020 8356 1964. Adm: £6. Tel: 07960 239 493.
~ CORINNE SKINNER CARTER AT WORD POWER BLACK LITERATURE FESTIVAL. Book reading and an Evening with Corinne Skinner Carter (star of ‘Empire Road’, ‘Eastenders’ and ‘Amen Corner’). Corinne will read from her memoir, ‘Why Not Me? From Trinidad to Albert Square via Empire Road’ and discuss her 50 year acting career. On Sun 30 Oct at 6-9pm at Centreprise, 136 Kingsland High Street, Hackney, London, E8 2NS. Tel: 07598 195 050. E-mail: oralstory@gmail.com Web: www.oralhistoryproject.org
~ DARK MATTER CONFERENCE: IS MELANIN THE GOD SUBSTANCE? Dr Llaila Afrika and his co-presenter, Dr Melanie Stevenson, headline this melanin research and activation conference. Dr Afrika is a world authority on all aspects of health relating to people of Afrikan origin. Assisted by Patrick Montague, Stephen Ssali of Mariandina and Derin Bepo, founder of Health Restore. On Sun 30 Oct at 11am-6pm at Centerprise, 136 Kingsland High Street, London, E8 2NS. Adm: £20 / £15 concs. Bookings: 020 7254 9632. E-mail: eamevor@centerprisetrust.org.uk Web: www.centerprisetrust.org.uk
~ THE ROYAL AFRICAN SOCIETY AND SOAS PRESENT FILM AFRICA. Showcasing more than 50 of Afrika’s best films, past and present, Film Africa 2011 highlights the wealth of emerging talent from across the continent, and features the work of some of Afrika’s most renowned filmmakers. It also presents a dynamic programme of Q&As with leading filmmakers, lively panel discussions and workshops, and nine nights of infectious grooves and electric performances from some of London’s most exciting musicians and DJs. Film Africa 2011 highlights include: The best of contemporary Afrikan fiction, documentary and experimental film, with 15 UK premieres; Eight short films from the continent and its diaspora competing for The Silver Baobab Award for Best Short African Film; Lively discussions with some of Africa’s leading filmmakers and actors; A special focus on Africa’s foremost women filmmakers, such as Sarah Maldoror - the first woman to make a feature film in Africa; Film Africa LIVE!, with performances guaranteed to get your spirits soaring; and a rich selection of films looking at North Africa and Revolution, Migrations and Returns, and Afrikan music. Tel: 020 3073 8337. E-mail: info@filmafrica.org.uk Web: www.filmafrica.org.uk
~ PASCF TRIBUTE TO GERONIMO PRATT, AFRIKAN FREEDOM FIGHTER (BLACK PANTHER PARTY). Keynote tribute to be delivered by: Professor Linn Washington (Temple University), the world’s leading authority on the case of Death Row Black Panther Party Mumia Abu Jamal. On Fri 4 Nov at 6.30pm at The West Indian Ex-Servicemen’s Association, 161-167 Clapham Manor St, London, SW4 6DB. Adm: Free. Tel: 07944 204 955. E-mail: pascfevents@gmail.com; Web: www.pasf.org.uk
~ THE INSPIRED COLLECTIVE PRESENT ‘BE INSPIRED!’ A day of wealth creation for the next generation with seminars from relationship coach Des O’Connor; social entrepreneur Alim Kamara of ATG Empire Ltd; Olayinka Bandele, non-executive director of Nubian Natural and founder of Black Ankh Publications; dance troupe CEREBO; and DJ Crocodile. On Sat 5 Nov at 12.30-6pm at Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Tottenham, London, N15. Adm: £5 / £2.50 (concs). Tel: 07842 286 791. E-mail: admin@inspiredcollegctive.org Web: www.inspiredcollective.org
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~ SISTA CIRCLE presents ‘Black Women & The Truth About the Menopause’. Exploring ancient & modern solutions to womb health. On Sun 6 Nov at 2-6pm at Navarino Community Hall, Dalston Lane, London, E8 1AJ. Adm: £5. Tel: 07947 838 729 / 07956 134 370.
~ REEL TRINI fortnightly screenings. The new rendezvous for local film aficionados on Sundays at 5pm at Trevor’s Edge in St Augustine, Trinidad. Tel: 744-4956. E-mail: caribbeinginc@gmail.com
Afrikan Quest
Contact Details
Kubara Zamani, Afrikan Quest International, PO Box 35165, London, SE5 8WU. Tel: 07811 494 969. E-mail: afrikanquest@hotmail.com Web: www.southwark.tv/quest/aqhome.asp
External Links
Afrikan Quest International
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