Issue 22  |  September 2010

UKTV acquires Notting Hill Carnival doc

A Don Letts documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Notting Hill Carnival has been acquired by UKTV’s Blighty. Carnival!, made by Brassneck TV, the indie co-owned by Letts, presenter Kelly Cates (née Dalglish) and producer/director John Osborne, was picked up by distributor Electric Sky in the summer.

Read the full story at Broadcastnow

Mandela-to-Be Jennifer Hudson Draws Ire of South African Acting Community

In one of their most searing outbursts since Neill Blomkamp went with CGI prawns in District 9, the Creative Workers Union of South Africa expressed displeasure today over the casting of Jennifer Hudson as controversial former first lady Winnie Mandela. According to the group’s leaders, the Oscar-winner’s enlistment in Winne is merely the latest in a damaging trend of outsourcing some of the nation’s best work to foreigners.

Read full story on Movieline

Sarah Sands: See why diversity works – switch on your set

It has been a rough year for the BBC, but its programmes have never been better. It ends the year with two dramas of towering intent and execution. Tonight (Sun 6 Dec) is the first part of Small Island, adapted from the Andrea Levy novel. For Christmas, hurrah, we have the second series of Cranford. If the BBC had lost its grip on period drama it would have deserved the fury of its critics. But we have Judi Dench back in her bonnet and can rest easy in our beds. Small Island is also first-class drama with first-class acting.

Read the full article on The Independent

Beyonce leads 52nd Grammy nominations

Beyoncé topped the nominations with 10, Taylor Swift garnered eight, and the Black Eyed Peas, Maxwell, and Kanye West each earned six nods. David Guetta, Jay-Z and Lady Gaga received five each; and Colbie Caillat, Michael Giacchino, Kings Of Leon, John Newton, RedOne, Bruce Springsteen, T-Pain, and Keith Urban each received four nominations.

Read the full story at Grammy

Alicia Keys’s new album to stream on Spotify

Spotify has announced Alicia Keys’ new album is to debut early on the online streaming service. Keys’ fourth studio album, “The Element of Freedom”, will be exclusively on Spotify from December 7th. It will be released in the UK on 14 December.

Spotify users across Europe will be able to stream the album in its entirety as of 12pm, Monday. (Source: The Examiner)

Go to Spotify

The first black Otello and opera’s final frontier

For the first time in the UK, a black tenor is performing as Otello. So is opera now colour-blind?

Ronald Samm, born in Trinidad but British-trained and British-based, is the first black singer to perform the part in a UK production. It’s an extraordinarily belated first, yet it’s also one that Samm is trying not to focus on. “There are all sorts of expectations,” he admits, “but in some way I have to get that out of my head. Because the role is hard enough, you know?”

Read the full story at Times Online

Why are Black Americans playing roles meant for Africans?

“Invictus,” a film about Nelson Mandela’s efforts to unify post-apartheid South Africa through rugby, opens Dec. 11. (in the US). The film stars Matt Damon as captain of South Africa’s 1995 rugby team and Morgan Freeman as Mandela. I’ve little interest in seeing this film, but the commercials for it caught my attention when I noticed someone attempting what I considered to be an atrocious South African accent.

Read the full article at Racialicious

Following A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Halle Berry Boards Streetcar?

It seems that the current production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which transfers to the Novello Theatre this week (2 December 2010, previews from 22 November), could be the first of several classics to be staged with an all-black cast.

Read the full story at What’s On Stage

The First official oics from The Karate Kid

Columbia Pictures have released the very first official pics from the new version of The Karate Kid, which stars Jackie Chan, Jaden Smith and Taraji P. Henson. The film opens on July 11th of 2010.

Read the full story and see the pictures

Precious leads the 2010 Independent Spirit Awards

Matt Dillon and Taraji P. Henson were up to announce the 2010 Independent Spirit Awards nominations this morning in LA, and the nominees are making me smile: Precious is represented in almost every major category, with nods for the director, actresses, screenplay, and film.

Read the full story at Buzz Sugar

K’naan’s records official 2010 FIFA song

K’naan comes from a long-line of musical legends – his aunt was one of Somalia’s most popular singers while his grandfather was a respected poet. The accomplished musician also has a storied, tumultuous background, and he’s come through it with flying colours. His latest accomplishment: a remixed version of his song “Wavin’ Flag” will be the official song of this year’s World Cup.

Read the full story at Crave Online

Haiti’s Wyclef And Lauryn Hill Set To Perform Together

It will be a reunion of sorts in New Zealand early in the new year for former Fugees members, Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill. The Haitian Grammy winner and Hill are slated to perform on Jan. 23 at the Ragamuffin Music Festival, in Rotorua, organizers say. It will be the first time in years that the two will share a stage.

Read the full story at Caribworld News

Morgan Freeman on playing Mandela

“I’m playing Nelson Mandela. That I would was a foregone conclusion because he was once asked who he’d someday like to play him and he said ‘Morgan Freeman.’ To become him meant an hour of special makeup every day. They had to build up my top lids because his eyes are hooded. It wasn’t uncomfortable but, sometimes, if we filmed for a long period, I did become aware of it.

Read the full story at New York Post

Spike Lee’s upcoming film Slate

Director Spike Lee talks about some of his rumored/announced upcoming projects. Here’s the rundown from the man himself, on Inside Man 2, Save Us Joe Louis, the James Brown biopic and more.

Read the full story at Latinoreview

Sade to release new album in a decade

Sade are to release their first studio album for a decade in 2010, record company Sony has announced. Soldier of Love is the follow up to the band’s 2000 hit record Lovers of Rock, and is only the sixth studio album in a career that has spanned 25 years.

Read full story at BBC