My favourite pieces are from Bestow Elan and Chichia London. The former offers pieces that are effortless and chic, while the later showcases warm colours and prints that pay homage to East Africa.

I really liked the opener for Bestow Elan, a blue jersey dress I can only describe as complex-simplicity.  The overall effect of the cut-out detailing across the chest and left shoulder with the draping at the hem, allowed the dress to move comfortably against the model’s body, while subtly accentuating her shoulders and legs. Also, the blue tailored trousers with a cream (or was it a very pale yellow) blouse and the white tailored trousers with a black top made me want to reach for my purse.  Designer Erzumah Ackerson’s takes great care in framing the neck, collar bone and back creating a focal point worthy of a double-take.

Christine Mhando of Chichia London won me over with her use of vibrant colours and prints. Her signature blend of Khanga, a traditional East African printed cotton fabric, and modern shapes fall in line with catwalk trends for Spring/Summer ’10. The eye-catching beige and chocolate print dress with unexpected pops of blue, green and pink piping was fun and flirty. The closing look is a great example of mixing prints and colours effectively. At first glance one might be confused by the pairing, but somehow it works.  A word of caution, attempt to recreate this combination at your own risk; there’s a science to it!

Talking about the track, Jamie says: “There’s a real science to choosing covers.”

“I did Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ the day after it was released but soon enough, everyone was doing it. With ‘Don’t Stop The Music’ it was the lyric that grabbed me. It is such a sexy lyric. And I was able to transform the song into something totally new sounding.”

via Clickliverpool

Our list of hot albums released this year

– The Guardian —

Read more reviews from the BBC, The Independent, Spin Magazine and more after the jump!

– BBC Music —

Whenever an artist describes their latest work as “a journey”, invariably the only journey a listener wishes to embark on is the one to the off switch. But Keys’ canny ability to fox and beguile make The Element of Freedom an unexpected pleasure.

Love Is Blind opens the album and is fairly characteristic; it’s like a more melodic version of Kanye West’s Say You Will.  This Bed (with Keys on Moog bass) is the greatest lost Philadelphia International Records’ love song you’ll hear in a long while; Beyoncé appears and duets on the bright and clattering Put It in a Love Song. The album closes with Keys’ own version of Empire State of Mind, building on her vocal refrain and bridge from her collaboration with Jay-Z. If ever a song was awaiting a Broadway show to be written around it, this is it. With the rap removed, its straight, literal descriptions of New York and elegant grand piano mean this is the only time the album strays fully into cliché.

The lasting impression of The Element of Freedom will be the disconnect between the prettiness of the songs and the enormity of the beats. Alicia Keys has just made the US diva album for those who can’t abide US divas.

Full review: Daryl Easlea, BBC Music

– The Independent: 3/5 stars —

The Element of Freedom, her fourth studio effort, starts promisingly. Opener “Love Is Blind” makes inventive use of left-to-right stereo panning and sudden drops into a capella, and hopes are high that Keys and coproducer Kerry “Krucial” Brothers are dropping a game-changing opus, a female answer to Kanye’s 808s and Heartbreaks. It doesn’t take long, however, before the first warning signs rear their ugly heads: track two, “Doesn’t Mean Anything”, lazily resorts to the trite and trusted.

Tracks drift by disappointingly, anodyne and indistinguishable. (I genuinely had to keep checking the LCD display to see if we were still on the same track.)

At times, it’s like being force-fed bowl after bowl of semolina. We’re joltedout of the sugar-coma by a shouted greeting “Hey, yo B!/What up, A?”, the cheesily chummy intro to the Beyoncé duet –andtherefore, by law, future single – “Put It in a Love Song”. It’ll be everywhere, although the dreamy, sun-dazed production of the following track “This Bed” is far more deserving of the attention. When the penultimate track “How It Feels to Fly” begins, you can place a bet as to exactly when the choir will come in and how it will be deployed, and you’re probably right.

Keys is that most frustrating of things: a stunning talent who’s too happy to give the world more of which it already has a surfeit. Maybe next time she’ll push herself further.

Full review: Simon Price, The Independent

– Spin: 2.5/6 stars –

Alicia Keys’ 2007 smash “No One” launched this once-precocious R&B singer to U2-level save-the-world-with-song status. So you can’t really blame her for carbon-copying its charms in “Doesn’t Mean Anything,” the openly anthemic lead single from Keys’ fourth studio set. (Also unsurprising: the tune’s plodding similarity to “With or Without You.”) Yet on an album called The Element of Freedom you may wonder where all the freedom went: In most of these dozen tracks (not including a ponderous intro regarding the necessity of risk and a slow-jam sequel to Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind”) Keys seems uninterested in breaking new ground, snooze-controlling her way through a series of familiar piano-soul platitudes. A couple of nifty exceptions brighten things up, such as “Love Is Blind,” an 808s & Heartbreak-style future-funk jam, and “Put It in a Love Song,” which features the always dependable Beyoncé. But The Element of Safety might’ve been a more accurate title.
Mikael Wood, Spin

Chris Rock was awarded the Best International Comedian gong but unsurprisingly was not in attendance. Young white comic Kevin J was recognised as Best Newcomer and also performed. He killed the audience with laughter about his tales of being a white boy growing up with Nigerians.

But the night belonged to double award winner Slim (Best Male Comedian and Best T.V Performance), he let us know on a serious note that he had been through some personal problems in the past year, so congratulations to him on coming out on top on the night.  Unfortunately the winner of Best Female Comedian, Glenda Jaxson, was announced when she was not even in the building. However, not one to be denied the spotlight she took to the stage later in the evening and had her moment. The award for Outstanding Contribution was given to pioneering black comedy show the Real McCoy; the organisers have to be praised for acknowledging the work of such an important programme in Black British television history.

Whilst a number of well known faces such as Richard Blackwood, Rudolph Walker, Yolanda Brown and MTV base producer Jasmine Dotiwala were in attendance, there was a notable absentee. Bill Bellamy was the face of the awards so it must have been a disappointment for those expecting his presence to not to see him show up. The promoters Harmony Productions were fair and honest stating they were ‘doing their best’, which with all the bad luck they had was all they could do on the night. Although it may not have been the fault of the promoters the audience may have left feeling a little short changed.

(c) Jerry Barnett

On Friday 30th October, London’s Notting Hill was treated to Mama Africa, a world music showcase, courtesy of WOM@TT – World Of Music At The Tabernacle. The evening showcased eight female singers performing a breathtaking set lasting over four hours; providing high quality music and a perfect upbeat atmosphere.

The show was opened by stage virgin Nadine Shaw, who sang and played acoustic guitar, showcasing well her sweet but powerful voice and lyrics. Next up was Francine Luce of Martinique, accompanied by Nikki Yeoh on keyboard, mixing a homegrown creole style with classic jazz-style vocals. She was followed in turn by Brown Sugar, winner of Groovy Soca Monarch 2009, who brought an upbeat Trinidadian flavour to the evening with a Soca set.

After a DJ break hosted by DJ Debbie and Africathy, Doreen Thobekile, former lead singer from Trans Global Underground, lifted the energy levels higher with her unique Zulu/London sound, backed by her band and her backing vocalist (who also doubles as her daughter).

If Doreen appeared to be a hard act to follow, we needn’t have worried: the high standards that had already been set for the evening were maintained by every act that was to follow. Akima Paul, former winner of the National Calypso Monarch of Grenada, took the mic next, backed by Brown Sugar. Her songs included hard messages, particularly one entitled The Audacity Of Despair, which raised the idea that “Britain Will Never Have An Obama”.

Now the music reached a new high as Helen McDonald took the stage with her five-piece band, blasting out a classic jazz/blues style, with songs such as Big City Blues lifting the audience to their feet.

Helen made way as DRC native Mimitah took the mic, singing a PA including a rendition of Swahili classic Malaika, her tribute to Mama Africa herself, Miriam Makeba. A new edge of excitement was added as Toli Nameless from New York danced her way from the back of the audience to the stage, holding her trombone, before singing and dancing her way around (and off) the stage.

Finally, Helen returned for a final set, accompanied by Toli on trombone. For the finale, all of the acts joined in singing or dancing the final minutes to midnight, when the music had to cease.

Mama Africa proved to be a perfect evening for lovers of African and diaspora music.

The programme of the festival is quite exciting but with so many films and documentaries to see, I’ve decided to share with you my favourite films. Click on Read more to see my Top 5 movies.

A Good Day to be Black and Sexy, Sat 7 Nov, 8.45pm @ BFI Southbank
My favourite film of the bunch. It’s a bold and sexy movie that’s bound to surprise and delight! Perfect for a date or for a girls’ night out. Read my interview with filmmaker Dennis Dortch.

Herskovitz at the Heart of Blackness, Mon 9 Nov, 8.45pm @ BFI Southbank
A documentary on anthropologist Melville J. Herskovitz (1895-1963) who became the leading voice on African-American studies.  It’s a clever, well-paced and edutaining film; more fun than the title suggests.

Good Hair, Fri 6 Nov, 8.45pm + Sun 8 Nov, 2pm @ BFI Southbank
Both screenings for Chris Rock’s documentary are sold out but  there might be returns or cancellations.  Good Hair is a hugely entertaining documentary, well worth the hype.

Something Is Killing Tate, Sun 8 Nov, 2pm @ ICA
A young black man, Tate, tries to kill himself.  Friends and family take turns at his bedside, trying to understand what pushed him to such extremes. Even though the subject matter is very dark, the movie is never depressing but instead very moving.

Soca Power in Trinidad & Tobago, Mon 9 Nov, 7pm @ Rich Mix
A documentary for soca lovers but also for anyone who’s ever jumped up and down the streets of Notting Hill during Carnival. Full of energy, the film features an appearance by soca king Machel Montano.

Check the bfm Film Festival (6 – 10 Nov) official website for the full programmes

CAV: How did your relationship with Jamaica start?
Jerome Laperrousaz: I made a film called Third World Prisoner on the Streets with the acclaimed reggae group Third World in 1979 which played at the Cannes Film Festival in 1980. It became a cult movie in two years. I have had a relationship with the island ever since. Part of my family is also Jamaican.

CAV: What is it about the country that fascinates you?
Jerome Laperrousaz: To me Jamaica speaks to people very loudly through music on an emotional level. Jamaica is a microcosm of what all the poor in the world are going through. Despite its culture it has a universal appeal – freedom, equality and tolerance. Demands for social equality and justice in Jamaica resonate with other cultures and societies worldwide.

CAV: Why is music so important in Jamaican culture?
Jerome Laperrousaz: Jamaica reflects all the world’s struggles through its music. Through its nation’s talent and creativity and ability to express it through song and music it acts as a voice for a voiceless society.

CAV: What was the inspiration for making Made in Jamaica?
Jerome Laperrousaz: Reggae has been around for over 40 years. No film to date has looked at what reggae has become to a contemporary audience or the emergence of dancehall.

CAV: You can tell this isn’t a straightforward documentary from the cinematography. How much of this film is staged? Why take this approach?
Jerome Laperrousaz: I cast it as a feature film through the eyes of the artists, which means that each star would provide a part of the answer that I wanted them to bring. I knew that I would be able to do this as I know the artists well personally and that they would come up with something, whether it was through the lyrics of their songs or their interviews. Everything was rigorously prepared. But my vision and my understanding of Jamaica is told through them, through what they have been through.

CAV: There are two very different musical styles in the film – roots reggae and dancehall. Do you make any distinction between them, or do you feel they are both expressions of the same national struggle?
Jerome Laperrousaz: They are. But with reggae their generation approaches things by expression through political lyrics. But dancehall is more complicated. The struggle is often expressed as a form of street poetry by dancehall artists akin to hip hop. Sometimes it is more explicit and direct.

CAV: What would you say to criticism of dancehall’s violent and sexual lyrics?
Jerome Laperrousaz: I would say that some of the lyrics are magnetic in terms of poetry and what they say about Jamaica’s struggle. But it does raise the question of gun culture which then leads us on to the question of who provides the guns and the drugs. As Bunny Wailer says in the film: “The chains that our ancestors had on their wrists and ankles have been transformed into the shape of guns on the hips of their children.” In other words, don’t be a gun slave.

CAV: Do you hope the film will produce converts to reggae, or was it made for aficionados like yourself?
Jerome Laperrousaz: I am certain that the film will appeal to a wider audience than reggae or dancehall fans. I have seen the reaction from audiences at different festivals around the world.

Made in Jamaica is at the ICA from 23^rd October to 5^th November. A Q&A with the director will follow the 6.30 showing on 25^th October. It is also showing at Rio Dalston on 24^th October.

You can read our review of Made in Jamaica here