Catch a Vibe: You are often referred to as ‘the people’s DJ’ and ‘the DJs’ DJ’. You’ve played for celebrities and students alike. Why do you think your music appeals to so many different groups of people?
Norman Jay MBE: Well, it’s not just the music, is it? I would like to think that the stuff that I play encourages social interaction. Music breaks down barriers, and that is what I consciously strive to create: an atmosphere that is inclusive, breaks down barriers and, above all, is welcoming. Frankly, for the most part, the type of black music I play has to have those ingredients.

CAV: You’ve received a MBE, had a documentary made about you and you have played around the world. Is there anything left you’d like to achieve?
Norman Jay: There is loads I haven’t achieved yet. But, you know, when I embarked on this path many years ago I didn’t set myself goals, I was never that ambitious, I guess up till recently. When I was growing up, the idea of DJ’ing for a living wasn’t something you would consider doing. I have just been very fortunate, very blessed. It has been for me a series of happy accidents, being at the right place at the right time, being surrounded by the right people doing the right thing. And I’ve guess I’ve always had an instinct for that. I’ve never really followed trends or anything in that way. I am aware, always aware of what’s going on around me, taking influences from things that interest me, but it is never just about music. For me personally, it’s the whole human emotion. It’s music, fashion, art, lifestyle, vibe, attitude. The music is the soundtrack to everyday’s lives. That’s the context in which I view it, love it and appreciate it, and play it.

CAV: You said your life has been a series of happy accidents, but surely along the line you must have thought …
Norman Jay: Yeah, but I can’t describe any other way because I am the first generation of those DJs. There was no rule book, so we made up the rules as we want along.

CAV: About the NYE party: what is it going to be like?
Norman Jay: New Year’s Eve, we’re basically going back to our original warehouse party roots, long before we played the clubs and festivals, we did warehouse parties. Back in those days they were as cheap as chips, people were allowed to bring their own beer, bring their own drink. They were pretty spontaneous affairs, again there were no rules pertaining to music, just anything goes, so it gave me the artistic freedom to play loads of great black records, mix the music up in the original mash-up style. I mean, people are familiar with that now because they’ve got iPods, and it is the randomness of iPods.

CAV: What kind of music will you be playing at the party? What can people expect?
Norman Jay: They’ll expect an eclectic mix of my, and their, favourite stuff. House music – new and classic, loads of drum and bass, hip hop, reggae, original disco, soul, jazz, afro and the occasional pop. If it fits, or goes with the mood, it will go.

CAV: You are known for bringing US acts and DJs to the UK audiences. Is it going to be the same for this NYE party?
Norman Jay: No, we won’t be having any guests or big name draws, celebrity type DJs. The whole ethos of what we are doing this year is back to our roots. We started the original parties in the mid-80s when Britain, London really was in austere times and it is almost like the wheel has turned full circle and we are in hard times now. People don’t have jobs, money is tight and people are picking and choosing carefully where they go and spend their leisure time. In saying that, in my experience, not just in work, but a couple of times over the years, that in relation to London club culture, when the country is going through austere times is when the club culture is at its creative and most exciting best. Yeah, it is basically people sticking up two fingers at their everyday lives and going “You know what, I’m going to go out and enjoy this”, almost partying like it’s their last.

So we kinda tapping into that part, but the wider picture is, at the moment, and it has been for several months and it will continue until this country gets out of recession, that when times are hard people celebrate all things retro, they hark back to better times in their lives, or what they perceive to be a better time in their lives, which is probably why the 80s revival is so massive, the back to ’92 raves have never been bigger. That’s the mood of the nation at the moment, so given that, we felt it was time to bring back the original spirit, show this generation how we started. Long before there was cosy little night clubs with all glitter and lights, and wonderful parties in the field, we were taking over abandoned factories, railway stations, patrol stations, car washes, and I was doing parties at all these sorts of places, so they always had that edge, an air of uncertainty. It was a lot easier to do it in those days. Now everything is heavily regulated. Back then we could take over a space, I would bring in my sound system, my mates would bring in their sculptures and their paintings, put in art installations and we’re off. It wasn’t just music, it was visual stimulates as well. Creative arts and creative things going on.

CAV: For people who have never been to your parties: why should they come? What should they bring?
Norman Jay: They should bring a smile, bring the right kind of attitude, leave the bad one at the door or leave it at home. There is always an edge and excitement, and remember it’s not just music, we are not relaying on hi-tech, in actual fact we are going very low-tech, very low-fi. If you want the glitz and the snob of the West End, don’t come. If you want to stand behind a rope and gawk at a celebrity, don’t come. If you want to live the champagne high life, go to the West End, don’t come. But if you are up for a shared communal experience and an enjoyment of celebration of people and music, then you’re welcome.

CAV: Any plans/big events for 2010?
Norman Jay: I guess we’ve all got plans for 2010. Tomorrow is promised to no one, so, you know, saying that, things we plan to do, we’re conducting this interview here at William IV, Harrow Road. This pub is going to be an unofficial home, headquarters for Good Times [Norman Jay’s soundsystem]. We are going to do three or four sets here. We’ve got one coming up in the end of February. A lot of festivals on the horizon, some in this country, some abroad. I hope to be at Glastonbury for the first time this year as it’s their anniversary as well. And obviously Big Chill. There is a great festival in Antalya, in Turkey which is happening in April, the Sun Splash, I’ll be there for that. I’ll be there for Jazzy B’s Antigua Fest, I think that’s in March/April, There is a great series of international things coming up and I hope to be in South Africa for the World Cup at some stage.

Loads of great music and creative arts, I will also be curating a 80s warehouse party at an event called Vintage down in Goodwood in August. That will be massive and I’m really, really hyped about that, looking forward to doing that.

CAV: You said you life has been a series of lucky events, if things weren’t so lucky, what would you be doing now?
Norman Jay: Not a lot actually. No idea, I mean, no one is going to give me a job now, I’m not going to sell selling insurance I am? Or be an estate agent. I would have probably been, if I wasn’t into music, I would have probably been in fashion, I guess, or something to do with creative arts.

Pics (c) Jerry Barnett. On location at William IV on Harrow Road, NW10
blackandwhitebritain.com

WIN FREE ENTRY FOR 2 PEOPLE at Norman Jay’s NYE Party on Thu 31 Dec

Good Times Warehouse Party, Thu 31 Dec: the complete listing

For more info on parties like this, sign up to our newsletter

* Have you ever been to a Good Times party? Are you a fan of Norman Jay? use the form below and let us know your opinion of “the people’s DJ” *

Amelia IDeh of Put Me On It

On a Wednesday afternoon, I meet fresh-faced Amelia Ideh at Market Place, a bar where the young woman holds regular events. Ideh is that rare breed: a female event organiser who understands the power of social media to promote her events and share the music she champions: hip hop, soul, boogie, funk, electro and alternative beats… Her blog Put Me On It has a big fan base and her tweets are followed by more than a 1000 people.  Amelia tells us more about Put Me On It and that all important New Year’s Eve party.

CAV: How did you get into promoting?
Amelia Ideh: I went out a lot [laughs]. I kind of got obsessed with going to live gigs for a while. I went to DJ nights as well. I just met a lot of people through that really.

Catch a Vibe: You seem to be one of very few female promoters.
Amelia Ideh: Yeah, it seems like it but there’s actually quite a lot of female promoters/organisers who are more like behind the scenes. I think a lot of the time they may not be DJ’s. And unless you are behind the decks, nobody knows that you are actually doing anything, unless you work hard at promoting yourself.

CAV: Something that you do really well is putting the name/brand “Put Me On It” out there.
Amelia Ideh: That’s actually recent. I have been promoting for two years and haven’t put my name to things before. I started to realise people didn’t really understand that I was working on stuff and they would show up and go “Oh, is this your event?” I thought I might as well let them know.

You recently won the BBC Urban Music Talent Awards. How did that happen?
Amelia Ideh: I put the info on my blog and was thinking about which artists I knew could apply and a friend of mine who won it a couple of years back got me to apply. It’s amazing but it’s really a long-winded process. It took a couple of months.  [With the funding awarded I’m going to] redevelop the blog. That’s coming in the next couple of months. After that, it’s kind of all about the events. We’ve got exciting stuff coming up next year but I can’t talk about it because I don’t want to jinx it [laughs].

What about your NYE party?
Amelia Ideh: It’s at the Big Chill House. Livin’ Proof is going to be downstairs and they are real kind of jump up hip hop. Upstairs we’ve got Pause with Eric Lau which we’ve been doing for a while at Market Place, but we’re going to charge it up with Eglo.  It’s going to be a really good night. Upstairs is going to be a little bit more mixed in terms of the music that we play. It will be definitely hip hop with loads of soul, electronic stuff, we might jump from Ludacris to Dam Funk, it’s that kind of vibe. Alex Nut is one of my favourite DJ’s in the world so I’m really happy  that he’s going to be there on the night.

CAV: What would you tell people who’ve never attended a Put Me On It event to get them to come for NYE party?
Amelia Ideh: I would tell them that regardless of what kind of music you are listening to, the vibe at my parties is always the same. We might be playing the most obscure, eclectic stuff but it’s always really good. It’s a real party vibe. Whether you know the tune or not, it’s going to make you dance. No matter what you listen to, it doesn’t matter the vibe is there. The people are really lovely and open-minded. It’s all about the music, they don’t care about the fashion. They don’t care about being cool and being seen. They’re literally just there for the music.

CAV: Where would you be if you were not at your own party:
Amelia Ideh: I probably wouldn’t be in England. I’m getting older and to be honest with you, I kind of feel like I’d like to be on a mountain somewhere… Something elemental… Feeling quite connected with the rest of the world, not necessarily in a party.

Pics (c) Denise Arthur, taken on location at Market Place, W1

More info on Livin, Proof / Pause NYE, Thu 31 Dec @ Big Chill House

For info on parties like this one, sign up to our newsletter

* Are you a fan of Put Me On It events? Use the comment form below and let us know why you love Put Me On It parties *

The first Progressive Entertainment night was held at bar/restaurant Manjaro’s in North London. Success quickly followed. Five years on, PE is still going on strong, despite the recession that forced some promoters out of the business. To fight off the credit crunch blues, PE decided to diversify and create more events, each following the bulletpoof formula of entertainment and after-party but offering a new experience: comedy with Funny Business at Cottons, which is an after work mixer with laughs provided by the big names of Black British (Richard Blackwood) and US comedy (Willie Robo); while Think Blu delivered live jazz in the plush surroundings of No 10 in West London.

The last three Progressive Entertainment New Year’s Eve parties were packed and this year should be no different. A mixed crowd of “Americans, Trinidadians and Londoners” will dance the year away to “party music, from funky house to old school r&b and the hottest thing Jay-Z is coming up with”. On other floors there will be soca for a good part of the night and also zouk, the more chilled-out genre from the French West Indies. Mr Smith will be at the door most of the night, to ensure that everyone is having fun. It may not sound like rocket science, but for PE, it’s all about customer satisfaction: “If people leave my event and go and recommend it to their friends, then I’ve done my job”.

Pics © Jerry Barnett
Taken on location at Grace Bar, W1

Details of Progressive Entertainment’s NYE Party + WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO THE PARTY

Progressive Entertainment website

For regular info on parties like this, sign up to our newsletter

* Are you a regular to Progressive Entertainment or a newbie? Whatever your “status”, let us know why you like their lifestyle events *

Dudu Sarr (c) Joel Chant

For Dudu Sarr, music consultant, world music DJ and one of the personalities of the Afro scene in London, African music is not just a fad. Sarr has just launched Motherland Music , an agency that supports up and coming African musicians and helps them achieve their full potential in the international circuit.” The artists on his roster are “Suzanna Owiyo who is Kenya’s number one female artist and a young and very talented guy from Senegal by the name of Carlou D. Both artists are making inroads in the world music circuit. Carlou D’s album will be released in Spring 2010 and Suzanna Oyiwo’s shortly after that. They will both be touring Europe next summer so I am sure you will get a chance to see them.”

Another aspect of Dudu Sarr’s work is to provide corporate entertainment services to companies like UBS. Sarr also travels the world to promote African music and acts as a “programming consultant for a festival like Territorios in Sevilla, Spain. I was also jury member for this year’s Womex which the main industry event for the world music community”.

Dud Sarr’s take on this renewed interest in African music is that “it’s here to stay. The latest trend is part of the fact that the general public is becoming more and more aware of Africa as a whole. South Africa hosting the world cup means that the spotlight will be more than ever on anything African and music is the biggest pull.”

After a 10 year DJ residency at London’s exclusive restaurant Momo, where he’s been organising the highly successful Afrotronic nights, Sarr is starting a new night called Hi Life at the iconic Africa Centre, the first one being the New Year’s Eve party that “promises to be a great night celebrating the vast range of Afro inspired music. The Africa Centre was the launch pad of many African Artists coming to London and the notorious Jazzie B Back to Life sessions so it’s only fit that we hold our Hi Life parties there.” Expect “a round the world music trip” with coupe-decale (Ivory Coast), zouk (French West Indies), ndombolo (the Congo), kuduro (Angola), kwaito (South Africa), hip life (Ghana),  afrobeat (Nigeria & world) soul and r&b.  This inclusive music policy attracts an equally diverse and open-minded crowd:  “We believe in the right mix. Variety is the spice of life. “

More details on Hi Life @ The Africa Centre, Thu 31 Dec 2009

WIN FREE ENTRY FOR 2 PEOPLE! See our COMPETITIONS page for more details

Dudu Sarr on Motherland Music

For more info on events like this, sign up to our newsletter

Left to right: Iris de Brito, Danilo, JV

Salsa seems to have been the dance craze of the past decade, taking London by storm, with classes and parties sprouting all over the capital. Samba, the dance from Brazil, was a strong contender and found home in the Guanabara in Covent Garden. Quietly but steadily, kizomba, a dance originating from Africa, has been making its mark too. And it’s down to the work of passionate people such as Kizomba UK, promoters of Afro-Latin cultural events in London and around the UK.

Kizomba, is “the first dance” two time UK Salsa champion Iris de Brito has learned: “Kizomba is originally from Angola and it is danced with a partner. It’s a mix between semba from Angola and French zouk. When I was growing up only Angolans would dance it, now, Portuguese do it, most Palop countries (African countries that speak Portuguese) and the rest of Europe is catching on”.

Kizomba is also a music genre, a sensuous sound derived from zouk, a music style from the French Caribbean islands. The parties organised by Kizomba UK are an energetic mix of kizomba, livened up with zouk, kuduro (Angola), funana (Cape verde), coupe-decale (Ivory Coast) and r&b. The nights gather “people from everywhere, from Ghana to Malaysia, anyone who enjoys the music is made to feel welcome.” Newcomers can also attend an introduction class before each party, in order to learn the few essential steps that they will be able to practise all night. As the promoters state: “It’s all positive vibes. It’s about feeling good, having a laugh, meeting people. Almost like a massive house party. I think that’s what people like the most at Kizomba UK parties. “

This New Year’s Eve, Kizomba UK are organising a Grand Africa Ball, that should deliver the good vibes and fun atmosphere they are renowned for. JV, Iris and Danilo will be in the crowd, dazzling a few people or two with their skills. Asked where they would be if they were not throwing this NYE bash, they give an answer that matches the spirit of their parties: “Catching good vibes with the rest of Kizomba UK team, our family and closest friends, at home!”

www.kizombauk.com

More details about the Grand African Ball on New Year’s Eve + check our COMPETITIONS page WIN FREE ENTRY for 2 people!
For info on events like this, sign up to our newsletter

* Do you love kizomba, semba or kuduro? Share your passion with us: use the form below and leave a comment *

Club until 4 am with resident DJ Marito + Guests. Plus showcases from up & coming acts each month!

Every 3rd Friday of the month.

The Elbow Room is a Pool Bar & restaurant in Angel.

It really is a simple equation:
*SOUL MUSIC
**GOOD PEOPLE
****FREE ENTRY
***** NORMAL PUB DRINKS PRICES

Music Policy: soul, neo soul, rare groove, funk, nu jazz, credible hip-hop & r&b, Latin, afrobeat, reggae, soca, samba, salsa, roots & other beats from
across the globe.

First up on stage was Fola, who warmed up the crowd with a selection of tracks taken from her debut album “folathemusic”, which also included a perfectly sung rendition of Prince’s all time classic hit “Purple Rain”.

By the time Adelaide McKenzie, a Soul-D-Out regular, took to the stage, everyone was up on their feet. Performing tracks from her forthcoming album “Daily Progress”, McKenzie gave a passionate performance, embracing the crowd, and at one point even calling for people to join her in singing!

Elisabeth Troy effortlessly kept the vibe alive, lifting the pace with tracks including “Midas Touch” and classic garage anthem “Crazy Love” which stormed the garage charts back in 2000.

Imaani, of Incognito fame was the last artist to grace the microphone. She gave a powerful performance of “Resolution”, a track taken from her new album out later this year. Imaani wowed the crowd as she ended with a heartfelt rendition of the classic Ray Charles hit “Rainy Night in Georgia”.

As the night drew to a close, everyone danced out to rare groove and classic soul tracks from back in the day played by DJ Maurice. Soul-D-Out definitely deserves the tag “live” music session.