Yve Ngoo
June 2005 - Transatlantic Slavery Gallery, Sudan's music scene
It's turning out to be balmy summer and Africa on Your Street is positively sizzling!
- Africa 05
- Transatlantic Slavery Gallery
- Sudan's music scene
- Nuevocastillo
- Whitby Musicport
- Yve Ngoo's Recommended CDs
Africa 05
At last, the sun is shining with gusto, in between torrential cloud bursts, and my African friends have finally cast off their winter blues and agreed (begrudgingly) that it’s HOT HOT HOT in the city! I’m sure some of this heat is being generated by the sizzling programme of musical events across the region – from a visit by the Godfather of Funk himself, Mr James Brown, to the BBC celebrations for Africa 05.
And talking of Africa 05, you can’t have failed to notice the billboards, TV and radio trails reminding us that Africa Lives on the BBC; but what’s it all about – and what does it actually mean to Africans and people of African descent living in the UK?
Transatlantic Slavery Gallery
Whilst looking for meaning and inspiration amongst the wealth of events for Africa 05, I decided to visit the Transatlantic Slavery Gallery at the Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool. OK, I know this is not exactly an entertaining experience, but it did give me the strength and enthusiasm to welcome wholeheartedly, all that Africa 05 is and will be – and embrace our future with a sense of optimism and pride.
Now, I’m not going to review the exhibition – each visitor to the museum comes away with something very different and personal. However, I can say the life-sized facsimile of the bowels of a slave ship was particularly memorable. The Gallery examines transatlantic slavery and seeks to increase understanding of what has happened to people of African descent in the modern world.
Between about 1500 and 1900, Europeans forcibly uprooted millions of people from throughout West Africa and West Central Africa and shipped them across the Atlantic in conditions of great cruelty. To refer to the Africans who were enslaved only as 'slaves' strips them of their identity. They were, for instance, farmers, merchants, priests, soldiers, goldsmiths, musicians. They were husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. They could be Yoruba, Igbo, Akan, Kongolese.
European slavers dispersed them across the Americas to lead lives of degradation and brutality, without thought for their personal lives. Millions died in the process. As a result, people of African descent are spread throughout the Americas and Western Europe, creating the African Diaspora, therefore, each and everyone one of us, with the slightest drop of African blood, is part of the greatest family in the world! (Just, to big you up!!!)
The Merseyside Maritime Museum is open every day from 10am-5pm and entry is free. It may mean a day trip to Liverpool, maybe as a group – or one your own, but it's well worth it, and you will view the African and Caribbean community of Liverpool, its architecture and culture in a very different light. Liverpool is a warm, welcoming and pleasant city with a lot of pride despite its founding wealth was as a result of transatlantic slavery.
Sudan's music scene
But back to the music – and I’ve been doing a lot of ‘discovering’ this month. Following on from my obsession with the pop-tastic Algerian Elvis aka Khaled, I decided to seek out more North African vibes, and came across the latest compilation by Rough Guide.
This time the spotlight is on Sudan, highlighting the diverse and rich music that has emerged from Africa's largest country, from desert rhythms echoing a camel's stride to savannah woodland harmonies. This album offers an overview of a flourishing musical culture - including trance drumming, hip-hop, orchestral music, Arabic love songs and spicy horn sections - and incorporates influences from Egypt to Congo and from the White Nile to the Blue Nile.
One of the big ‘selling points’ of this eclectic, informed compilation is Emmanuel Jal, the former child soldier who was adopted by British aid worker Emma McCune. Emmanuel Jal's song 'Gua' went to number 1 in the Kenyan KTN Top 10 chart. Emmanuel is now the spokesman for the Campaign to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers and one of Africa's hottest young rappers.
Featured artists include (the late) Tarig Abubakar & The Afro Nubians and the Henna artist, also known as Setona, who is much loved and was visited by the artist formerly known as Prince – though no musical influences seem to have been exchanged. (They’re both pretty good artists in their own rights – actually!)
If you like Tinariwen, or Arabic, Rai, Souk and Blues you’ll love this. Then again – if you’re into anything influenced from Egypt to the Congo – you'll be well happy.
The record will make you feel good in many ways: it's hip and happening without being worthy, great to kick back to, and constantly challenges whatever you may have thought about North African music. Very nice indeed.
Nuevocastillo
But why sit in the house listening to music when you can be out and about, enjoying the sunshine whilst listening to some great African inspired sounds and maybe even learning a few new moves.
Nuevocastillo, Newcastle's own Afro-Cuban band is running a series of dance classes giving you the opportunity to learn some folkloric Afro-Cuban dance.
The classes are free , thanks to the generosity of the Arts Council and the Newcastle City Arts Development Team, and are open to everyone between the ages of 3 and 103 (under 7s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian). The classes will be to live music from Nuevocastillo.
For a list of dance class venues contact Tim Rowley on: Tel: 0191 2341821 E-mail: ritmo@tiscali.co.uk
Nuevocastillo are also on an exhaustive regional tour, and their infectious festive sound will have you literally dancing in the streets.
Sat. 6th Aug - Ashington Street Theatre Festival
Sun. 7th Aug - Fiesta, York's Latin Quarter
Sat. 13th Aug - Ashington Miner's Institute
Whitby Musicport
Regular visitors to Africa on Your Street are always first in the know when something great is happening in their region, so be ahead of the crowds with this advance mention of the line-up for the 2005 Whitby Musicport World Festival (21st-23rd October 2005). (For more info: Whitby Musicport )
Musicport is a showcase of the very best in world and roots music - with a strong African vibe. So far, acts such as Daby Toure , Imbongi and Mthombeni have been confirmed, (though there are a still a few gems to add to the bill). There's also a strong African flavour to the fringe events that run throughout the festival, solo acoustic sets in the café, foyers and if the weather's kind - outside the venue. Tickets are selling out fast, so make good use of this inside information. I'll be at Musicport 2004 - so do come and say hello!
Until next time,
Bisou x
Yve
Yve Ngoo's Recommended CDs
Julien Jacob - Cotonou
Suzzana Owiyo - Mama Africa
Check out my recommended CDs this month in the CD Reviews section or go to Music Search to look at our archive of recommended CDs.