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Afro-Brazilian cinema sets it sights on the mainstream

It wasn’t until the 2002 surprise hit film City of God that the Afro-Brazilian experience finally gained mainstream attention on the big screen.

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Introducing the next Nina Simone

The UK has been slow to cotton on to Kansas City-born singer/songwriter and former busker Krystle Warren. Her sublime soul and jazz influenced folk music has received ample attention in both France (where she now resides) and the US for quite some time. However, it wasn’t until she performed a highly memorable set on ‘The [...]

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Afrobeat No Go Die!

We meet at Cafe Otto in Dalston. Dele’s already there, taking a call. He waves me over with a welcoming smile, and then chastises me for coming late. Apologies fly like bacon at a food fight; I offer a drink in compensation, he accepts a cappuccino, but we have less than an hour, Mr Sosimi [...]

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Black Movie Review: Precious

Director by Lee Daniels – 2010 With: Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey 1987, Harlem, New York. Precious (Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe) is a 16-year-old African-American girl living a life few of us could imagine. Overweight and illiterate, Precious suffers constant physical and mental abuse from her mother and is routinely raped by her [...]

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Film review: The Book of Eli

Directed by the Hughes Brothers – 2010 With: Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman (15) The simple fact that The Book of Eli stars Denzel Washington means you want to like the movie. The charming, noble and unquestionably talented actor is a symbol of pride to black people the world over and his success and achievements [...]

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Johnnie Walker’s Walk with Giants – Oswald Boateng

Johnnie Walker’s ‘Walk With Giants’ is an inspirational series of stories, told by the world’s greatest icons, considered as innovators in their particular fields: Richard Branson, John Hegarty, Lewis Hamilton, or Ranulph Fiennes. These audio-walks can be listened online or downloaded. The podcast that particularly caught our attention was the interview with Oswald Boateng, the [...]

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Black History: Martin Luther King

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”’ Martin Luther King, Jr. on the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Since the day King spoke his [...]

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Review: Nubian Spirit

A beautifully photographed documentary revealing the contribution of Ancient Sudan (Nubia) to the culture, history and spiritual mythology of the people from the Nile Valley. An epic love story, dynastic feuds, foreign invasion, and mythology. Sounds like the perfect ingredients for a Hollywood blockbuster, but Nubian Spirit tells the real and often untold story of [...]

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Material Girl

BBC One presents Material Girl a six-part series about the ascension of a London fashion designer and the company she keeps

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Music: the 2010 hot list

Out with 2009 and in with 2010. We’ve scanned the calendar of music releases for 2010 and plucked out the highlights. We’ve listed the artist, the album name  and the release date (if known) along with the producers and any (rumoured) collaborations. If you think other albums should have been included in the list, then [...]

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From Broadway to the West End

The 5 Broadway shows we’d like to see in the West End

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I want to read more…

5 great books to put on your list! 2009 has been a good year for literature from authors of African descent. We’re reviewed some of the best of the crop. So if your new year’s resolution is to read more this year, you won’t find a better place to start. On Black Sisters’ Street by [...]

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A Word for Haiti

Thursday 28th January 2010 saw the launch of the Black Londoners Appeal, an initiative by the Black Londoners Meetup Group and supported by various London based Afro/Caribbean centric grassroots groups and organisations. The initial focus of the appeal will be a year long appeal for Haiti in 2010 which aims at: •    Raising funds for [...]

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Jazzmo’thology at Bernie Grant Arts Centre

The Bernie Grant Arts Centre (BGAC) will be presenting a fantastic line-up – live on stage! – on December 29, 30 and 31(New Year’s Eve)!

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Afrobeats at the Africa Centre with Dudu Sarr

Over the past few years, African music has become mainstream, with African stars such as Amadou and Mariam from Mali doing gigs with the likes of Damon Albarn -  the infamous Africa Express gigs in 2008 that started out in Bamako, Mali and stopped at Koko in London. We also fondly remember the Double Cub, [...]

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