East African fundraiser
Charity concert featuring Samputu from Rwanda and Jose Chameleone from Uganda and more to take place in London on 7 September 2007.
On Friday, 7 September 2007, a fundraising concert for Rwandese refugees and in celebration of East African Community Expansion featuring Rwandan musician JP Samputu , Ugandan Jose Chameleone , UK-based Ugandan group Da Twinz and Rwandan traditional dancers, is to be held at Caesars Night Club, 156-160 Streatham Hill, London SW2 4RU, from 7pm to 3am.
The East African event is organised by the Rwandese Community in UK, in collaboration with Imizi UK and the African Welfare Association. Recently there has been an influx of Rwandese refugees who have been living in neighbouring countries for many years. Most of these refugees are currently housed in overcrowded refugee camps inside Rwanda, where they are facing acute lack of facilities such as adequate shelter, medical care, water and sanitation. All funds raised on the day will be sent to Rwanda to assist these returnees with shelter. The event will attract members of the East African community resident in UK, which now includes Rwanda and Burundi, joined by their friends and the general British public.
J.P. Samputu - or Jean Paul Samputu or just Samputu for short - is a survivor of the genocide in Rwanda and now travels the world as a cultural ambassador for Rwanda, bringing to his audiences not only traditional African singing, dancing, and drumming, but also a message of peace and reconciliation. Samputu is a singer with a strong, clear and beautiful voice, which harmonizes and leads in soaring passages, and whispers in quiet ballads. His versatility testifies to his command of many African styles, genres and traditions beyond Rwanda such as Afrobeat and Soukous. He sings in sweet tenor and alto voices, in falsetto, as well as in low baritone growls, an airy South African style, and in the pygmy (intwatwa) style of southern Rwanda. In 2003 he won a Kora award for Best African Traditional Artist and in 2007 he was named the first place winner of the International Songwriting Competition (World Music Category).
An artist popular all over East Africa is Ugandan-born Jose Chameleone . He has so far released five albums. Chameleone has spent a lot of time in Kenya too, where he worked with the famous Nairobi-based production team, the Ogopa DJs, and it was in Nairobi where he linked up with Uganda's Bebe Cool and Kenya's Redsan. In 2006 he was nominated for a Mobo Awards 2006 (African category) in the UK. He is also involved in various charitable causes; for instance he is a member of the Musician's Community, a coalition of musicians set out to use their fame to help fight poverty and create HIV/AIDS awareness campaign. But Chameleone doesn't come without controversy and he has even been the subject of several diss songs by other artists.
Listen: Mama Mia by Jose Chameleone
Support comes from UK-based Ugandan group Da Twinz as well as Rwandan traditional dancers .
Tickets are £20 for adults, £10 for children above 10 (strictly no children under 10). For VIP tickets a minimum donation of £50 will be required which includes refreshments. Ticket outlets include Salabed North London, 69 West Green Road (020 8880 2421), Salabed North London, 847 Totenham High Road (020 8801 3185), Salabed East London, 318 Romford Road (020 8503 0010), Salabed East London, 29 Wakefield Steer, East Ham (020 8472 6633), Salabed South London, 68 Monarch Parade (020 8685 0755), Salabed Hounslow West, 324-326 Bath Road (020 8572 0709) and 805 Restaurant, 805 Old Kent Road (020 7639 0808). For further information call 079 7378 7229, 079 5754 9666 or 078 7771 1275 or email rwandashelteappeal@yahoo.co.uk.