Nubiart - Wed @ 5-7pm / Sat @ 7-9pm on Sound Radio 1503AM. Also on the web at: www.soundradio.info E-mail: afrikanquest@hotmail.com
NB: Nubiart Diary can also be read weekly at www.ligali.org and on the Afrikan Quest website.
NUBIART EDITORIAL:
Editorial Pt 1
“That was one of the main objectives of the show. Not only to tell our story but also to get young unknown community performers; to give them a chance to perform on a big stage and show their talents off.” - Flip Fraser, Director, of ‘Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame’
On midweek Nubiart we played an interview with Flip Fraser, Director, of ‘Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame’. He was originally a record producer and promoter working with artists like Dennis Brown, The Heptones, Fred Locks, Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus and Sharon Forrester.
‘Black Heroes’ was only his second theatre production following a smaller revue show called Caribana. The inspiration came from Flip’s time being in an ‘all-Black’ environment in the 1970’s while studying media at Tennessee State University. He saw a Budweiser poster of King Hannibal of Carthage and thought ‘if I could only get him to talk, or sing or dance it would be really spectacular!’ In 1987 Camden Council in London wanted to do something to mark the centenary of the birth of the Rt Hon Marcus Mosiah Garvey. At first he had Garvey on one of his Black Star Line ships then added other Afrikan heroes and heroines to the crew before realising that it was more than a ship it was a hall of fame.
He was forced to produce and direct it himself as other producers were wary as he did not have a track record of theatre production. It was a sparkling success on its opening at the Shaw Theatre, was the show that reopened Hackney Empire as a theatre and was the first musical from UK-based Afrikans to play in London’s West End at the Astoria. It was then toured all over the UK and the US where Frankie Gaye, played his brother, Marvin. It has an ensemble cast of 50 with over 300 performers having been in the production during its 20 years with some such as Count Prince Miller still there from the original cast.
“When we had our auditions we were just flabbergasted at the level of talent trying to get in to the show... the level of performers that we have now is probably the highest that we’ve ever had...I think we’re going to see probably the best ‘Black Heroes’ we have ever see.”
Flip finished by summing up the ethos of his production, “What we need to understand is that without pride you cannot progress and the whole idea of ‘Black Heroes’ is to fill you with pride so that when you leave the theatre you feel like you can achieve anything that those heroes that you sat and watched in the last two hours achieved. So my message is, youths, come and see that we have always been in a struggle but they are people who struggled and made it and contributed to, not just Black people, but contributed to world progress and you can do it too. Any youth on the street whatever you can think, you can achieve. So once you have pride in your Blackness and you have pride in your culture the next step is the easy step. So we are trying to be the catalyst of that change.”
The show has mainly funded itself through ticket sales but they are looking for sponsors to allow them to keep it on the road. It will be filmed for the first time and a DVD will be made available. ‘Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame is running from 6 Mar until May. See below for a full list of dates, venues and contact details or check: www.blackheroesinthehalloffame.com
Editorial Pt 2
On weekend Nubiart the stories we covered in the ‘Afrikan Worldview News Service’ were: ‘Afrikan Pupils Penalised, Excluded & Miseducated In UK Schools’; ‘British Spies And Their Families Kidnapped In Ethiopia’; ‘21 July Bombs Were Just Hoaxes'; ‘BNP Nail Bomber To Serve 50 Years’; ‘Virginia Lawmakers Apologise For Slavery’; ‘New York City Council Bans The N-Word’; ‘Pirates Seize UN Ship Off Somalia, US Intervenes’; ‘Ugandan Troops In Somalia Not Peacemakers, Says Museveni’; ‘Darfur War Crimes Suspects Named’; ‘Wade Wins Another Five Years As Senegal’s President’; ‘Congo Soldiers Jailed For Deaths’; and ‘Guinea Unions Call Off Strike'. To mark the 50th anniversary of Ghana’s independence from British colonialism we played the announcement by Kwame Nkrumah on Mar 6, 1957. This recording is available on ‘The Voice of Kwame Nkrumah of Africa’ on Elegance Records.
Mediawatch: ‘Batty Man’ – Ch4. Maroon Productions. Presenter: Stephen K Amos; Director: David Matthews; Executive Producer: Paul Blake; TX Time: Tues 27 Feb – 10.30am / Thurs 1 Mar – 9.30am.
“Why are serious issues in the Afrikan community always fronted by comedians, self-appointed leaders or those who have chosen to make themselves ‘outcasts’ and ‘exiles’ to the Afrikan community? David Matthews also made the critically panned ‘Black Like Beckham’ and another programme where he expounded his preference for White women. Why can he get his programmes broadcast and instantly repeated on daytime TV yet sensible stuff is on early in the morning? ‘Batty Man’ was the usual repetitive accusations of reggae dancehall artists and Christianity being responsible for discrimination, deaths and assault on homosexuals ie gay men (not lesbians). Stephen K Amos did not go to any of the gay clubs, pubs or parties in the UK to get their views. People who choose to have casual sexual liaisons in parks and toilets do so out of their own choice, confusion or sexual thrillseeking.
“In Jamaica, why did Amos not go and visit PJ Patterson, the former Prime Minister of Jamaica, who ran the country for 13 years, being re-elected twice. Or friends and associates of the late Peter King who held a party for 400 homosexuals. From all accounts they were behaving flamboyantly and not scared of being videoed. A copy of ‘the tape’ is with the Jamaican Police who refuse to release or show it despite public requests not because they are preparing charges against any of the attendees under ‘buggery laws’ but because they are protecting their rights and anonymity. Why has there never been any news reports of ‘pogroms’ against gays in Jamaica eg 30 people being killed daily? Amos could have gone to the west or north coast resorts, the St Andrew hills or Ruthven Road in the capital, Kingston, and found people more than willing to talk about their homosexual life or the people they have had liaisons with.
“‘Bun’ means burn but does not always mean physical burning to death in the same way that ‘kill’ doesn’t mean to physically murder. In Jamaican vernacular they mean to purge impurities out of your system in the way that you would sweat out a cold. It can also mean to desist from supporting a particular behaviour or way of thinking. It is not only Christians and dancehall artists who are opposed to homosexuality. The production company is called Maroon Productions. Why did they not speak to either the Maroons in Jamaica (who have their own justice system separate from central government) or the Kongo in St Thomas and Clarendon who both have retentions of Afrikan traditions?
“Another example of lazy journalism by the production team is that they spoke to Elephant Man then decided what he meant without properly identifying themselves or the purpose of the interview. It’s that type of subterfuge that makes people think gays are ‘tricky’ and playing it both ways. Given that they have money to make a film that involves foreign travel why could they not do a survey of the 100 most hardcore dancehall artists and find out if they have ever killed or assaulted a homosexual. They would find that these artists are more likely to have ‘beef’ with other DJs over ‘pirating’ their lyrics or style or being with their ex-girlfriend.
“Dancehall DJs are social commentators in a society where oral culture is the main means of transmitting values, many people are illiterate, do not have time for reading and where there may not be in-depth exploratory investigative documentaries. But a song should not be taken as strictly autobiographical. The DJ is more concerned with the beats, rhyme and rhythm rather than factual accuracy. Perhaps the producers and presenters should read the works of Kamau Braithwaite, Horace Campbell, Dr Sebastian Clarke, Prof Carolyn Cooper, Kwame Dawes and Dr Lez Henry among others.”
We then moved on to interview Seba Sankhkara Adisa, a Mdw Ntr (Hieroglyphics) teacher from Hackney. His interest was sparked after attending the Afrikan World Studies courses run by Femi Biko in the 1980’s. He then attended Mdw Ntr classes at Karnak House run by Dr Dou Kaya, a Cameroonian, which involved trips to Museums and sites where Egyptian artifacts and inscriptions are held. He originally taught at Nubia Saturday school in south London.
The Seba’s runs introductory, intermediate and advanced classes and people will be able to decipher most inscriptions within that year. The course is mainly linguistic but includes a brief history of Kemet, Mdw Ntr is based on a combination of symbolic, literal, visual meanings and puns which engages all your senses and allows you to make connections across social and spiritual spheres. “The literalisation of various things, including religion, has also shifted everyone who’s for the literal belief systems off key.”
In Europe it is mainly Europeans or Arabs who are considered Mdw Ntr experts and first deciphering it on tombs, stones and papyrus but it is important that an Afrikan presence continues in the discipline as the knowledge system is directly related to living Afrikan cultures today (such as the Nuba, Akan and Yoruba) and only by linking them can the real significance and meaning be completely understood. This is not made clear by the plethora of TV programmes that are shown every week about the Pharaohs, especially Tut-Ankh-Amun, as it is made to look that Egypt was always an Arabised country and is outside the normal Afrikan orbit eg it is classed as being in the ‘Near and Middle East’ or else ‘north Afrika as distinct from sub-Saharan Afrika (‘the starving, corrupt, feckless Afrikans’ in European eyes).
In the Bible, Koran, Torah and Talmud Egypt has been damned as the place of idol worshippers, pagans and the ‘wicked pharaoh’. This has discouraged many Afrikans from really engaging with the traditional Afrikan knowledge coming from the region even though those books state that Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians and lived in Egypt until he was 40 (ie all his formative years). The word ‘Moses’ is Kamitian and means ‘one who is drawn out of water’ from the root word ‘mes’, ‘to give birth’. The Ten Commandments supposedly given to Moses on tablets in written form are only a quarter of 42 Kamitian ‘Declarations of Innocence’ that the spirit must confirm it has lived by on the journey to meet the Creator in the Hall of Justice and Truth. This is where your heart is balanced against a feather to see if you have lived with ‘a heavy heart’.
Kubara pointed out that people are capable of the heights of sophisticated mental gymnastics and blocks so that they don’t read spiritual books or live their lives in a way consistent with a logical worldview. Thus those claiming to be ‘The People of the Book’ actively discourage exploring contradictions and similarities in their texts with ancient Afrikan knowledge and lifestyles leading to people living disjointed, amoral lives with a high degree of psychological problems. “Ultimately, there is no religion higher than truth and truth is something that we are given from a very early age and oriented when we go back to how our parents and foreparents raised us. Those were the fundamental principles that were always driven into us…so in truth we didn’t need a book to follow the truth.”
The Seba then went on to explain that traditionally we came from the divine so we are always connected to divinity. It is love that has sent us into this world. This is opposed by the worldview which claims that we were conceived, born, live and die in sin. The Seba then explained the three Kamitian Creation myths which correspond with each other. In most Afrikan languages there is no term for God it is taken as an incontrovertible fact that God exists. Ra, as the Creator, decided to evolve and self-generated principles, nature, humans and other aspects into the world from out of watery matter. A second version is that the divine multiplied into four pairs of principles considered primeval fathers and mothers out of which came nature, animals, etc. In the third version the divine comes forth with Shu, Tefnut, Nut, Seb, Ausar (Osiris), Auset (Isis), Nephthys and Typhon. These are principles of birth, rebirth, regeneration, light darkness, etc and humans came into existence from these starting with Horus (Heru) and Set (Satan). Animals and humans came in pairs not singly, the principle of the pair and balance are paramount.
Horus is from a positive order and Set negative. There are many stories about Ausar and Auset being sister and brother and husband and wife and people have taken this literally and twisted it. They are to be taken not necessarily as people but as the range of principles a human should live by. The Seba pointed out that this pantheon is no different to the Christian having icons of different saints. However, by being forced to communicate through our colonisers and slavemasters language and worldview we are now unable to really express the concepts that we inherently feel, experience and insperience.
The Seba read excerpts from E A Wallis Budge’s ‘The Book of Coming Forth By Day and By Night’, which is commonly called the ‘Egyptian Book of the Dead’, but this is not the name or concept given to it by the Kamitians. Budge admits it in his introduction and chose the ‘Dead’ name, (and it has persisted) as a way of excluding Afrikans from their own knowledge and allowing Europeans to dominate the field. The Seba felt that with the growth of Afrikan studies classes it is changing and more people are being brought into a knowledge of ancient Afrikan wisdom. It is important for Afrikans to be aware of the morality and problem solving nature that we are imbued with and bring it into practice to address the issues we face today. The knowledge spanned the whole Nile Valley from the Mediterranean to Kenya and Tanzania but those with the knowledge have to keep it in a more underground format due to the steamroller effect of Christianity and Islam. In places such as Meroe in northern Ethiopia they claim that they originated from ‘the Mountains of the Moon’ – Mount Kilimanjaro.
Mdw Ntr is the divine language of Kemet and the Seba ran through concepts and principles such as Ka, Ba (soul, represented by a bird), Ra (sun, creator, life-force), Khu, Ren (name), Sahu (shadow), Ma’at (truth, balance, justice, reciprocity. Daughter of Ra), Ab (the spiritual heart), Djehewty (Thoth / Tehuti. Divine word, writing, the divine script), Geb / Seb (earth -male), Nut (sky - female). There were two other forms of writing in ancient Kemet, demotic and hieratic, which were used for business transactions, more day-to-day communication and as a form of shorthand.
During the show we played tracks from Soliman Gamil’s album ‘The Ankh’. It contains music from Egypt spanning 5,000 years played on traditional instruments. It is available on Touch Records. The Seba will return in the future to expand on the discussion. Mdw Ntr classes on Thurs at 6-9pm at Muatta Books, 58 Clarence Road, Clapton, London, E5. Tel: 07944 798 702. E-mail: sankhkara@hotmail.com
Full copies of the shows and track playlists are available from Afrikan Quest at the address below.
FORTHCOMING NUBIART SHOWS:
NUBIART 1: Every Wed at 5-7pm. Focus on arts, education, business, sport and health.
- Mar 7: Ayo Obe, Independent National Electoral Commission; Former President, Civil Liberties Union, Nigeria.
NUBIART 2: Every Sat at 7-9pm. Focus on political developments and the media. (Inc. Afrikan Worldview, Nubiart’s half-hourly weekly news round-up of stories affecting Afrikans worldwide.)
- Mar 10: Chukwudum Ikeazor, Nigerian commentator and author of ‘Nigeria 1966: The Turning Point’.
MAR PROMO:
~ ‘Ariwa 81 Sessions’ – Various Artists [Ariwa Sound Studio – Out Now] Pick of the early recordings from the Mad Professor’s front room. Includes ‘Kunta Kinte’, ‘Lonely / Love on a Mountain Top’ and ‘Stylers’.
NUBIART LIBRARY – MAR MEDIA:
We will try to recommend books we have read and DVD / videos we have seen and that are available in shops or libraries. However, given the nature and current state of Afrikan publishing and production there may be books, games and films on this list that are worth the extra effort to track down.
~ ‘Nigeria 1966: The Turning Point’ – Chukwudum Ikeazor [New Millennium ISBN: 1-85845-151-5] 1966 was the turning point in Nigeria because it was the first time a military coup had replaced a civilian government bringing in a cycle of excessive military involvement in politics. It also saw the introduction of mass killings as a form of political discourse; the first attempts at secession; the first mass exodus of Nigerians internally and abroad; the legitimisation of political and military assassinations; and the impunity of corrupt politicians who are on the gravy train conveyor belt.
~ ‘Ethiopia and the Origin of Civilization’ – John G Jackson [Black Classic Press] Good introductory primer to Afrikan history research from one of the foremost scholars in the field.
~ ‘When We Ruled’ – Robin Walker [Every Generation Media ISBN: 0-9551068-0-X] We decided to leave this on the library list from last month given its essential value to all Afrikans. Comprehensive study of Afrikan life and customs from prehistory to 20th century. Also contains chapters on the Afrikan diaspora including primary research on Iraqi-based Afrikan skeletons and linguistics by Fari Supiya.
NUBIART DIARY:
*EDITORIAL POLICY: Nubiart is a factually-based Africentric arts and current affairs radio programme. We do not accept that the ‘slave trade’ or Afrikan chattel enslavement was abolished by Britain in 1807 in Afrika, the Americas, Caribbean or anywhere else. We therefore request everybody sending info to us publicising events, articles, TV or radio programmes relating to the 200th anniversary of 1807 to make this clear when submitting info. We will amend items submitted to reflect this historical fact.
~ Women In Dialogue forum on ‘Leadership and Diversity’. A panel of women from four different faith and cultural backgrounds, will debate how faith & culture influences their priorities, leadership and connections with other cultural groups. They will put forward ideas for strengthening understanding of working in alliances with other cultures. At 9.30am–2pm on Mon 5 Mar in Committee Rm 2, Civic Suite, Catford Rd, London, SE6. For more info contact: Griot, c/o Isis, Kings Court, 1 Harton St, London, SE8 4DD. Adm: Free. Women only. Tel: 020 8691 7201, E-mail: griotonline@hotmail.com
~ Ghana @ 50. Organised by SOAS students union, Friends of Africa, Africa Society, African Caribbean Society and Kwame Nkrumah Students Society. Afrikan Cultural Night with films, speeches, cultural show, dance, poetry and stalls on Mon 5 Mar at 6-9pm at Brunei Gallery, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, London, WC1. Contact Phyllis on 07958 399 955 or 07903 240 302.
~ ‘Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame’. 20th anniversary return of 5000 years of Afrikan history in one night.
Mar 6-10: Hackney Empire. Tel: 020 8985 2424 Web: www.hackneyempire.co.uk
Mar 11: Colston Hall, Bristol. Tel: 0117 922 3686 Web: www.colstonhall.org
Mar 15: De Montfort Hall, Leicester. Tel: 0116 233 3111 Web: www.demonforthall.co.uk
Apr 25: Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham. Tel: 0115 989 5555 Web: royal-concert-nottingham.co.uk
May 2-5: Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon. Tel: 020 8688 9291 Web: www.fairfield.co.uk
Web: www.blackheroesinthehalloffame.com
~ Private view of ‘Hawkins & Co’ exploring the legacy of Sir John Hawkins, England’s first trans-Atlantic slave trader. This group show features six contemporary artists - Larry Achiampong, Jean-Francois Bocle, Kimathi Donkor, Corrine Edwards, Joelle Ferly and Tam Joseph.
Kimathi Donkor’s UK Diaspora is a composite portrait that will achieve both its completion - and its destruction - when the individual subjects have been purchased and dispersed. Tam Joseph will exhibit paintings centred on his personal interpretation of the fraught relationship between Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. Larry Achiampong’s Alternative School Story is a multimedia installation that takes a sharp look at the contemporary after-shocks of enslavement.
At the Elspeth Kyle gallery on Thurs 8 Mar at 6-9pm at 233 Blackfriars Rd, London, SE1 8NW. On 9-30 Mar. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm and Sat 11am-5pm. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7261 9527.
~ With the African community under threat from gun violence, and our young people being murdered, there is no better time to learn and use Non-violent Communication. The situation is urgent. The solution is now. Free introductory evening on NVC on Tues 6 Mar and Wed 21 Mar at The Nub, 25 Clarendon Road, Walthamstow, E17. For more details visit: http://www.thenub.org.uk or http://tinyurl.com/ywjm33
- Improving Relationships / Improving Communication two-day workshop led by Zhana, author of ‘Success Strategies for Black People’. On Sat 31 Mar & 14 Apr at 3-8pm at The Nub. For details and bookings contact Hylton Estates on 020 8690 8397 or 07725 762 784 or e-mail: healing_links@getresponse.com or info@blacksuccess1.com.
~ Pan-Afrikan Society Meetings: At 5:30pm at London South Bank University, London Road Building, Elephant & Castle Campus, London, SE1. For more info call: 07908 204 788.
Tues 13 March - Dr Steven Ssali. HIV – man-made vs natural disease
Tues 20 March - Sister Sophia. Ethical tourism and fair trade in Gambia + poetry
Tues 27 March - Paul Obinna. Psychohistory
~ Premiere of new documentary on diaspora self-help, ‘A Homecoming for Jobs in Africa’. What they did then? 200 years ago, Olaudah Equiano and Ignatius Sancho’s ‘The Son’s of Africa’ was the first NGO in the Afrikan diaspora working to abolish the slave trade…
What we are doing now? Come and witness what today’s generation of ‘Sons and Daughters of Africa’ are doing to help Africa through SEEDA (Supporting Entrepreneurs and Enterprise Development in Africa) Programme. ‘A Homecoming for Jobs in Africa’ a compelling 30min documentary, directed by Ishmahil Blagrove of Rice‘N’Peas, tells the powerful story of how Sierra Leonean entrepreneurs are given a hand-up (not handouts) from Afrikans in the diaspora working with them as business advisors, friends & mentors. Q&A chaired by playwright and actor Kwame Kwei Armah. Panel includes returned Diaspora Resource People Ife Piankhi and Angela Kiire; documentary maker Ishmahil Blagrove and AFFORD Executive Director, Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie.
‘A Homecoming for Jobs in Africa’ London Premiere on Mar 16 at 7–9pm at the Tricycle Cinema, 269 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6. Adm: £10. Tricycle Box Office: 020 7328 1000. Contact: Onyekachi Wambu, AFFORD, Tel: 020 7587 3905. E-mail: onyekachi@afford-uk.org
~ Following a meeting on Mon Feb 12 in Peckham the Afrikan community will come together on Mar 17 at the Heartbeat International Community Venue. At this conference called ‘Our Solutions’ attendees will discuss current service providers outcomes; community-based providers resourcing; responsibilities regarding all our youth; what we need to be put in place, 2 safeguard our children’s future. This is a collective community response to deliver remedies for our collective condition. If you want to help organise this event call Kenyasue on 07770 300 220. E-mail: iletocpn@yahoo.co.uk for bookings.
~ 100 Black Men of London present ‘Black Women Run the World’, ‘The Yaa Asantewa Story’ and ‘The Shirley Chisholm Story’ on Sat 17 Mar at 12-5pm;
- ‘Slave Catchers, Slave Resisters’ on Sun 25 Mar at 2-3.45pm.
- ‘African Women Resistance Fighters’ on Thurs 29 Mar at Swiss Cottage Library, London, NW3
Adm: Free. For more info contact: etf@100bmol.org.uk or visit: http://www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk/3.html
~ Ligali will be screening their film ‘The Maafa’ at 12-6pm at the Rose Green Centre, Bristol on Sun Mar 18 and at Castle Lecture Theatre, London South Bank University, London Road, London, SE1 on Sat Mar 31. Contact: 07868 707 932. E-mail: mail@ligali.org Web: www.ligali.org or www.truth2007.org
~ Nu-Beyond present a commemorative conference ‘2007-2012 Remembering The Past To Safeguard The Future’ on Sun 25 Mar 2007 at the Civic Suite, Catford, London, SE6. Tel: 020 8480 8068. E-mail: info@nubeyond.com or check: www.nubeyond.com
Contact: 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
NB: Nubiart Diary can also be read weekly at www.ligali.org and on the Afrikan Quest website.
NUBIART EDITORIAL:
Editorial Pt 1
“That was one of the main objectives of the show. Not only to tell our story but also to get young unknown community performers; to give them a chance to perform on a big stage and show their talents off.” - Flip Fraser, Director, of ‘Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame’
On midweek Nubiart we played an interview with Flip Fraser, Director, of ‘Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame’. He was originally a record producer and promoter working with artists like Dennis Brown, The Heptones, Fred Locks, Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus and Sharon Forrester.
‘Black Heroes’ was only his second theatre production following a smaller revue show called Caribana. The inspiration came from Flip’s time being in an ‘all-Black’ environment in the 1970’s while studying media at Tennessee State University. He saw a Budweiser poster of King Hannibal of Carthage and thought ‘if I could only get him to talk, or sing or dance it would be really spectacular!’ In 1987 Camden Council in London wanted to do something to mark the centenary of the birth of the Rt Hon Marcus Mosiah Garvey. At first he had Garvey on one of his Black Star Line ships then added other Afrikan heroes and heroines to the crew before realising that it was more than a ship it was a hall of fame.
He was forced to produce and direct it himself as other producers were wary as he did not have a track record of theatre production. It was a sparkling success on its opening at the Shaw Theatre, was the show that reopened Hackney Empire as a theatre and was the first musical from UK-based Afrikans to play in London’s West End at the Astoria. It was then toured all over the UK and the US where Frankie Gaye, played his brother, Marvin. It has an ensemble cast of 50 with over 300 performers having been in the production during its 20 years with some such as Count Prince Miller still there from the original cast.
“When we had our auditions we were just flabbergasted at the level of talent trying to get in to the show... the level of performers that we have now is probably the highest that we’ve ever had...I think we’re going to see probably the best ‘Black Heroes’ we have ever see.”
Flip finished by summing up the ethos of his production, “What we need to understand is that without pride you cannot progress and the whole idea of ‘Black Heroes’ is to fill you with pride so that when you leave the theatre you feel like you can achieve anything that those heroes that you sat and watched in the last two hours achieved. So my message is, youths, come and see that we have always been in a struggle but they are people who struggled and made it and contributed to, not just Black people, but contributed to world progress and you can do it too. Any youth on the street whatever you can think, you can achieve. So once you have pride in your Blackness and you have pride in your culture the next step is the easy step. So we are trying to be the catalyst of that change.”
The show has mainly funded itself through ticket sales but they are looking for sponsors to allow them to keep it on the road. It will be filmed for the first time and a DVD will be made available. ‘Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame is running from 6 Mar until May. See below for a full list of dates, venues and contact details or check: www.blackheroesinthehalloffame.com
Editorial Pt 2
On weekend Nubiart the stories we covered in the ‘Afrikan Worldview News Service’ were: ‘Afrikan Pupils Penalised, Excluded & Miseducated In UK Schools’; ‘British Spies And Their Families Kidnapped In Ethiopia’; ‘21 July Bombs Were Just Hoaxes'; ‘BNP Nail Bomber To Serve 50 Years’; ‘Virginia Lawmakers Apologise For Slavery’; ‘New York City Council Bans The N-Word’; ‘Pirates Seize UN Ship Off Somalia, US Intervenes’; ‘Ugandan Troops In Somalia Not Peacemakers, Says Museveni’; ‘Darfur War Crimes Suspects Named’; ‘Wade Wins Another Five Years As Senegal’s President’; ‘Congo Soldiers Jailed For Deaths’; and ‘Guinea Unions Call Off Strike'. To mark the 50th anniversary of Ghana’s independence from British colonialism we played the announcement by Kwame Nkrumah on Mar 6, 1957. This recording is available on ‘The Voice of Kwame Nkrumah of Africa’ on Elegance Records.
Mediawatch: ‘Batty Man’ – Ch4. Maroon Productions. Presenter: Stephen K Amos; Director: David Matthews; Executive Producer: Paul Blake; TX Time: Tues 27 Feb – 10.30am / Thurs 1 Mar – 9.30am.
“Why are serious issues in the Afrikan community always fronted by comedians, self-appointed leaders or those who have chosen to make themselves ‘outcasts’ and ‘exiles’ to the Afrikan community? David Matthews also made the critically panned ‘Black Like Beckham’ and another programme where he expounded his preference for White women. Why can he get his programmes broadcast and instantly repeated on daytime TV yet sensible stuff is on early in the morning? ‘Batty Man’ was the usual repetitive accusations of reggae dancehall artists and Christianity being responsible for discrimination, deaths and assault on homosexuals ie gay men (not lesbians). Stephen K Amos did not go to any of the gay clubs, pubs or parties in the UK to get their views. People who choose to have casual sexual liaisons in parks and toilets do so out of their own choice, confusion or sexual thrillseeking.
“In Jamaica, why did Amos not go and visit PJ Patterson, the former Prime Minister of Jamaica, who ran the country for 13 years, being re-elected twice. Or friends and associates of the late Peter King who held a party for 400 homosexuals. From all accounts they were behaving flamboyantly and not scared of being videoed. A copy of ‘the tape’ is with the Jamaican Police who refuse to release or show it despite public requests not because they are preparing charges against any of the attendees under ‘buggery laws’ but because they are protecting their rights and anonymity. Why has there never been any news reports of ‘pogroms’ against gays in Jamaica eg 30 people being killed daily? Amos could have gone to the west or north coast resorts, the St Andrew hills or Ruthven Road in the capital, Kingston, and found people more than willing to talk about their homosexual life or the people they have had liaisons with.
“‘Bun’ means burn but does not always mean physical burning to death in the same way that ‘kill’ doesn’t mean to physically murder. In Jamaican vernacular they mean to purge impurities out of your system in the way that you would sweat out a cold. It can also mean to desist from supporting a particular behaviour or way of thinking. It is not only Christians and dancehall artists who are opposed to homosexuality. The production company is called Maroon Productions. Why did they not speak to either the Maroons in Jamaica (who have their own justice system separate from central government) or the Kongo in St Thomas and Clarendon who both have retentions of Afrikan traditions?
“Another example of lazy journalism by the production team is that they spoke to Elephant Man then decided what he meant without properly identifying themselves or the purpose of the interview. It’s that type of subterfuge that makes people think gays are ‘tricky’ and playing it both ways. Given that they have money to make a film that involves foreign travel why could they not do a survey of the 100 most hardcore dancehall artists and find out if they have ever killed or assaulted a homosexual. They would find that these artists are more likely to have ‘beef’ with other DJs over ‘pirating’ their lyrics or style or being with their ex-girlfriend.
“Dancehall DJs are social commentators in a society where oral culture is the main means of transmitting values, many people are illiterate, do not have time for reading and where there may not be in-depth exploratory investigative documentaries. But a song should not be taken as strictly autobiographical. The DJ is more concerned with the beats, rhyme and rhythm rather than factual accuracy. Perhaps the producers and presenters should read the works of Kamau Braithwaite, Horace Campbell, Dr Sebastian Clarke, Prof Carolyn Cooper, Kwame Dawes and Dr Lez Henry among others.”
We then moved on to interview Seba Sankhkara Adisa, a Mdw Ntr (Hieroglyphics) teacher from Hackney. His interest was sparked after attending the Afrikan World Studies courses run by Femi Biko in the 1980’s. He then attended Mdw Ntr classes at Karnak House run by Dr Dou Kaya, a Cameroonian, which involved trips to Museums and sites where Egyptian artifacts and inscriptions are held. He originally taught at Nubia Saturday school in south London.
The Seba’s runs introductory, intermediate and advanced classes and people will be able to decipher most inscriptions within that year. The course is mainly linguistic but includes a brief history of Kemet, Mdw Ntr is based on a combination of symbolic, literal, visual meanings and puns which engages all your senses and allows you to make connections across social and spiritual spheres. “The literalisation of various things, including religion, has also shifted everyone who’s for the literal belief systems off key.”
In Europe it is mainly Europeans or Arabs who are considered Mdw Ntr experts and first deciphering it on tombs, stones and papyrus but it is important that an Afrikan presence continues in the discipline as the knowledge system is directly related to living Afrikan cultures today (such as the Nuba, Akan and Yoruba) and only by linking them can the real significance and meaning be completely understood. This is not made clear by the plethora of TV programmes that are shown every week about the Pharaohs, especially Tut-Ankh-Amun, as it is made to look that Egypt was always an Arabised country and is outside the normal Afrikan orbit eg it is classed as being in the ‘Near and Middle East’ or else ‘north Afrika as distinct from sub-Saharan Afrika (‘the starving, corrupt, feckless Afrikans’ in European eyes).
In the Bible, Koran, Torah and Talmud Egypt has been damned as the place of idol worshippers, pagans and the ‘wicked pharaoh’. This has discouraged many Afrikans from really engaging with the traditional Afrikan knowledge coming from the region even though those books state that Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians and lived in Egypt until he was 40 (ie all his formative years). The word ‘Moses’ is Kamitian and means ‘one who is drawn out of water’ from the root word ‘mes’, ‘to give birth’. The Ten Commandments supposedly given to Moses on tablets in written form are only a quarter of 42 Kamitian ‘Declarations of Innocence’ that the spirit must confirm it has lived by on the journey to meet the Creator in the Hall of Justice and Truth. This is where your heart is balanced against a feather to see if you have lived with ‘a heavy heart’.
Kubara pointed out that people are capable of the heights of sophisticated mental gymnastics and blocks so that they don’t read spiritual books or live their lives in a way consistent with a logical worldview. Thus those claiming to be ‘The People of the Book’ actively discourage exploring contradictions and similarities in their texts with ancient Afrikan knowledge and lifestyles leading to people living disjointed, amoral lives with a high degree of psychological problems. “Ultimately, there is no religion higher than truth and truth is something that we are given from a very early age and oriented when we go back to how our parents and foreparents raised us. Those were the fundamental principles that were always driven into us…so in truth we didn’t need a book to follow the truth.”
The Seba then went on to explain that traditionally we came from the divine so we are always connected to divinity. It is love that has sent us into this world. This is opposed by the worldview which claims that we were conceived, born, live and die in sin. The Seba then explained the three Kamitian Creation myths which correspond with each other. In most Afrikan languages there is no term for God it is taken as an incontrovertible fact that God exists. Ra, as the Creator, decided to evolve and self-generated principles, nature, humans and other aspects into the world from out of watery matter. A second version is that the divine multiplied into four pairs of principles considered primeval fathers and mothers out of which came nature, animals, etc. In the third version the divine comes forth with Shu, Tefnut, Nut, Seb, Ausar (Osiris), Auset (Isis), Nephthys and Typhon. These are principles of birth, rebirth, regeneration, light darkness, etc and humans came into existence from these starting with Horus (Heru) and Set (Satan). Animals and humans came in pairs not singly, the principle of the pair and balance are paramount.
Horus is from a positive order and Set negative. There are many stories about Ausar and Auset being sister and brother and husband and wife and people have taken this literally and twisted it. They are to be taken not necessarily as people but as the range of principles a human should live by. The Seba pointed out that this pantheon is no different to the Christian having icons of different saints. However, by being forced to communicate through our colonisers and slavemasters language and worldview we are now unable to really express the concepts that we inherently feel, experience and insperience.
The Seba read excerpts from E A Wallis Budge’s ‘The Book of Coming Forth By Day and By Night’, which is commonly called the ‘Egyptian Book of the Dead’, but this is not the name or concept given to it by the Kamitians. Budge admits it in his introduction and chose the ‘Dead’ name, (and it has persisted) as a way of excluding Afrikans from their own knowledge and allowing Europeans to dominate the field. The Seba felt that with the growth of Afrikan studies classes it is changing and more people are being brought into a knowledge of ancient Afrikan wisdom. It is important for Afrikans to be aware of the morality and problem solving nature that we are imbued with and bring it into practice to address the issues we face today. The knowledge spanned the whole Nile Valley from the Mediterranean to Kenya and Tanzania but those with the knowledge have to keep it in a more underground format due to the steamroller effect of Christianity and Islam. In places such as Meroe in northern Ethiopia they claim that they originated from ‘the Mountains of the Moon’ – Mount Kilimanjaro.
Mdw Ntr is the divine language of Kemet and the Seba ran through concepts and principles such as Ka, Ba (soul, represented by a bird), Ra (sun, creator, life-force), Khu, Ren (name), Sahu (shadow), Ma’at (truth, balance, justice, reciprocity. Daughter of Ra), Ab (the spiritual heart), Djehewty (Thoth / Tehuti. Divine word, writing, the divine script), Geb / Seb (earth -male), Nut (sky - female). There were two other forms of writing in ancient Kemet, demotic and hieratic, which were used for business transactions, more day-to-day communication and as a form of shorthand.
During the show we played tracks from Soliman Gamil’s album ‘The Ankh’. It contains music from Egypt spanning 5,000 years played on traditional instruments. It is available on Touch Records. The Seba will return in the future to expand on the discussion. Mdw Ntr classes on Thurs at 6-9pm at Muatta Books, 58 Clarence Road, Clapton, London, E5. Tel: 07944 798 702. E-mail: sankhkara@hotmail.com
Full copies of the shows and track playlists are available from Afrikan Quest at the address below.
FORTHCOMING NUBIART SHOWS:
NUBIART 1: Every Wed at 5-7pm. Focus on arts, education, business, sport and health.
- Mar 7: Ayo Obe, Independent National Electoral Commission; Former President, Civil Liberties Union, Nigeria.
NUBIART 2: Every Sat at 7-9pm. Focus on political developments and the media. (Inc. Afrikan Worldview, Nubiart’s half-hourly weekly news round-up of stories affecting Afrikans worldwide.)
- Mar 10: Chukwudum Ikeazor, Nigerian commentator and author of ‘Nigeria 1966: The Turning Point’.
MAR PROMO:
~ ‘Ariwa 81 Sessions’ – Various Artists [Ariwa Sound Studio – Out Now] Pick of the early recordings from the Mad Professor’s front room. Includes ‘Kunta Kinte’, ‘Lonely / Love on a Mountain Top’ and ‘Stylers’.
NUBIART LIBRARY – MAR MEDIA:
We will try to recommend books we have read and DVD / videos we have seen and that are available in shops or libraries. However, given the nature and current state of Afrikan publishing and production there may be books, games and films on this list that are worth the extra effort to track down.
~ ‘Nigeria 1966: The Turning Point’ – Chukwudum Ikeazor [New Millennium ISBN: 1-85845-151-5] 1966 was the turning point in Nigeria because it was the first time a military coup had replaced a civilian government bringing in a cycle of excessive military involvement in politics. It also saw the introduction of mass killings as a form of political discourse; the first attempts at secession; the first mass exodus of Nigerians internally and abroad; the legitimisation of political and military assassinations; and the impunity of corrupt politicians who are on the gravy train conveyor belt.
~ ‘Ethiopia and the Origin of Civilization’ – John G Jackson [Black Classic Press] Good introductory primer to Afrikan history research from one of the foremost scholars in the field.
~ ‘When We Ruled’ – Robin Walker [Every Generation Media ISBN: 0-9551068-0-X] We decided to leave this on the library list from last month given its essential value to all Afrikans. Comprehensive study of Afrikan life and customs from prehistory to 20th century. Also contains chapters on the Afrikan diaspora including primary research on Iraqi-based Afrikan skeletons and linguistics by Fari Supiya.
NUBIART DIARY:
*EDITORIAL POLICY: Nubiart is a factually-based Africentric arts and current affairs radio programme. We do not accept that the ‘slave trade’ or Afrikan chattel enslavement was abolished by Britain in 1807 in Afrika, the Americas, Caribbean or anywhere else. We therefore request everybody sending info to us publicising events, articles, TV or radio programmes relating to the 200th anniversary of 1807 to make this clear when submitting info. We will amend items submitted to reflect this historical fact.
~ Women In Dialogue forum on ‘Leadership and Diversity’. A panel of women from four different faith and cultural backgrounds, will debate how faith & culture influences their priorities, leadership and connections with other cultural groups. They will put forward ideas for strengthening understanding of working in alliances with other cultures. At 9.30am–2pm on Mon 5 Mar in Committee Rm 2, Civic Suite, Catford Rd, London, SE6. For more info contact: Griot, c/o Isis, Kings Court, 1 Harton St, London, SE8 4DD. Adm: Free. Women only. Tel: 020 8691 7201, E-mail: griotonline@hotmail.com
~ Ghana @ 50. Organised by SOAS students union, Friends of Africa, Africa Society, African Caribbean Society and Kwame Nkrumah Students Society. Afrikan Cultural Night with films, speeches, cultural show, dance, poetry and stalls on Mon 5 Mar at 6-9pm at Brunei Gallery, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, London, WC1. Contact Phyllis on 07958 399 955 or 07903 240 302.
~ ‘Black Heroes in the Hall of Fame’. 20th anniversary return of 5000 years of Afrikan history in one night.
Mar 6-10: Hackney Empire. Tel: 020 8985 2424 Web: www.hackneyempire.co.uk
Mar 11: Colston Hall, Bristol. Tel: 0117 922 3686 Web: www.colstonhall.org
Mar 15: De Montfort Hall, Leicester. Tel: 0116 233 3111 Web: www.demonforthall.co.uk
Apr 25: Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham. Tel: 0115 989 5555 Web: royal-concert-nottingham.co.uk
May 2-5: Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon. Tel: 020 8688 9291 Web: www.fairfield.co.uk
Web: www.blackheroesinthehalloffame.com
~ Private view of ‘Hawkins & Co’ exploring the legacy of Sir John Hawkins, England’s first trans-Atlantic slave trader. This group show features six contemporary artists - Larry Achiampong, Jean-Francois Bocle, Kimathi Donkor, Corrine Edwards, Joelle Ferly and Tam Joseph.
Kimathi Donkor’s UK Diaspora is a composite portrait that will achieve both its completion - and its destruction - when the individual subjects have been purchased and dispersed. Tam Joseph will exhibit paintings centred on his personal interpretation of the fraught relationship between Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. Larry Achiampong’s Alternative School Story is a multimedia installation that takes a sharp look at the contemporary after-shocks of enslavement.
At the Elspeth Kyle gallery on Thurs 8 Mar at 6-9pm at 233 Blackfriars Rd, London, SE1 8NW. On 9-30 Mar. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm and Sat 11am-5pm. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7261 9527.
~ With the African community under threat from gun violence, and our young people being murdered, there is no better time to learn and use Non-violent Communication. The situation is urgent. The solution is now. Free introductory evening on NVC on Tues 6 Mar and Wed 21 Mar at The Nub, 25 Clarendon Road, Walthamstow, E17. For more details visit: http://www.thenub.org.uk or http://tinyurl.com/ywjm33
- Improving Relationships / Improving Communication two-day workshop led by Zhana, author of ‘Success Strategies for Black People’. On Sat 31 Mar & 14 Apr at 3-8pm at The Nub. For details and bookings contact Hylton Estates on 020 8690 8397 or 07725 762 784 or e-mail: healing_links@getresponse.com or info@blacksuccess1.com.
~ Pan-Afrikan Society Meetings: At 5:30pm at London South Bank University, London Road Building, Elephant & Castle Campus, London, SE1. For more info call: 07908 204 788.
Tues 13 March - Dr Steven Ssali. HIV – man-made vs natural disease
Tues 20 March - Sister Sophia. Ethical tourism and fair trade in Gambia + poetry
Tues 27 March - Paul Obinna. Psychohistory
~ Premiere of new documentary on diaspora self-help, ‘A Homecoming for Jobs in Africa’. What they did then? 200 years ago, Olaudah Equiano and Ignatius Sancho’s ‘The Son’s of Africa’ was the first NGO in the Afrikan diaspora working to abolish the slave trade…
What we are doing now? Come and witness what today’s generation of ‘Sons and Daughters of Africa’ are doing to help Africa through SEEDA (Supporting Entrepreneurs and Enterprise Development in Africa) Programme. ‘A Homecoming for Jobs in Africa’ a compelling 30min documentary, directed by Ishmahil Blagrove of Rice‘N’Peas, tells the powerful story of how Sierra Leonean entrepreneurs are given a hand-up (not handouts) from Afrikans in the diaspora working with them as business advisors, friends & mentors. Q&A chaired by playwright and actor Kwame Kwei Armah. Panel includes returned Diaspora Resource People Ife Piankhi and Angela Kiire; documentary maker Ishmahil Blagrove and AFFORD Executive Director, Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie.
‘A Homecoming for Jobs in Africa’ London Premiere on Mar 16 at 7–9pm at the Tricycle Cinema, 269 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6. Adm: £10. Tricycle Box Office: 020 7328 1000. Contact: Onyekachi Wambu, AFFORD, Tel: 020 7587 3905. E-mail: onyekachi@afford-uk.org
~ Following a meeting on Mon Feb 12 in Peckham the Afrikan community will come together on Mar 17 at the Heartbeat International Community Venue. At this conference called ‘Our Solutions’ attendees will discuss current service providers outcomes; community-based providers resourcing; responsibilities regarding all our youth; what we need to be put in place, 2 safeguard our children’s future. This is a collective community response to deliver remedies for our collective condition. If you want to help organise this event call Kenyasue on 07770 300 220. E-mail: iletocpn@yahoo.co.uk for bookings.
~ 100 Black Men of London present ‘Black Women Run the World’, ‘The Yaa Asantewa Story’ and ‘The Shirley Chisholm Story’ on Sat 17 Mar at 12-5pm;
- ‘Slave Catchers, Slave Resisters’ on Sun 25 Mar at 2-3.45pm.
- ‘African Women Resistance Fighters’ on Thurs 29 Mar at Swiss Cottage Library, London, NW3
Adm: Free. For more info contact: etf@100bmol.org.uk or visit: http://www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk/3.html
~ Ligali will be screening their film ‘The Maafa’ at 12-6pm at the Rose Green Centre, Bristol on Sun Mar 18 and at Castle Lecture Theatre, London South Bank University, London Road, London, SE1 on Sat Mar 31. Contact: 07868 707 932. E-mail: mail@ligali.org Web: www.ligali.org or www.truth2007.org
~ Nu-Beyond present a commemorative conference ‘2007-2012 Remembering The Past To Safeguard The Future’ on Sun 25 Mar 2007 at the Civic Suite, Catford, London, SE6. Tel: 020 8480 8068. E-mail: info@nubeyond.com or check: www.nubeyond.com
Contact Details
Contact: 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
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