Bring The Noise
Amma Donkor previews the British Council initiative which brings Emmerson, Johnny Ragga and many more to London.
To kick start the Black History Month season in the UK, an exciting initiative of the British Council titled Bring The Noise will feature a number of promising musicians and visual artists from Sub-Saharan Africa alongside their UK counter-parts to link up in a ground-breaking sound and image collaboration.
Taking its name from the Public Enemy track featured on their seminal album ‘It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back’, the Bring The Noise project will offer the artists involved the opportunity to confront the realities of the relationship between the UK and Africa in the new millennium and to celebrate and highlight the sounds of contemporary African music genres such as Hip-Hop, Reggae, Gospel, Jazz and Electronica which is often given a wide berth by World Music aficionados.
The musicians hailing from East and West Africa include Hip-Hop musician Kunta Ali (Cameroon), Reggae singer Johnny Ragga (Ethiopia), Gospel singer OJ (Ghana), MC Muthoni Ndonga (Kenya), Hip-Hop artist MI (Nigeria), MC Keyti (Senegal), singer Emmerson (Sierra Leone), singer/songwriter Lisa Shakir (Sudan), traditional musician Paul Ndunguru (Tanzania), reggae musician Ragga Dee (Uganda), musician/producer IG Culture (UK) and drummer Paul Clarvis (UK).
Digital artists such Em’Kal (Cameroon), music video maker Abdulai Awudu (Ghana), animator Alfred Muchilwa (Kenya), graphic artist Akinwale Ekundaya (Nigeria) and film maker and photographer Fatoumata Kande (Senegal) will be joining forces with the musicians to create this unique experience.
The artists were given the time-frame of two weeks with which to write, create and practice their material under the guidance of Ghanaian music director Ivor Placca and VJ artist Kelly Budge of YourMum Visuals and the exercise will culminate in a live show at Shunt in London. The UK debut will be the first in a series of performances across sub-Saharan Africa between November 2007 and March 2008.
As well as bringing a new kind of visual experience to live performances for audiences in Africa, Bring The Noise also aims to establish new and exciting creative partnerships with musicians and artists across Africa and the UK.
Saturday, 6 October 2007, Shunt (Lounge and Shunt vaults entrance is a little door on Joiner Street in London Bridge tube station, London SE1), Tel: 020 7378 7776, Doors: 8pm, Tickets: £5 - no advance purchases (free to Shunt Lounge members).