What can I actually say because if you weren’t there and you’re a fan of either Kanye and Jay-Z or both, you missed out on the worlds greatest show.
I said from waking up yesterday morning that I wouldn’t take pictures, tweet, record video, phone folks to show off that I’m at the concert or instagram anything because I didn’t pay my hard earned £££ for a ticket to share my moment with those who had no intention of making the pilgrimage.
No doubt they put on an EPIC show, no doubt it was great to see the rap god J-Hova and Yeezus Christ rocking the stage together as prophet and disciple, as master and apprentice, as sensei and student. It was also apparent to see that whilst Jay-Z had seen it all before, a younger and less experienced Kanye was entering his prime, Jay had done world tours and sold out shows his whole career and wasn’t as fired up as I were used to but Yeezy was full of flame. It was beautiful to see them have a moment where they sat on stage and reflected, performing New Day and Hard Knock Life, I wanted Jay-Z to perform Glory -I somehow knew that that was something I’d have to wait a few years to witness although when he performed Where I’m From I went line for line with him.
Kanye was on fire, words cannot describe how great it was to witness two of my biggest inspirations and role models on the same stage, rocking the same show. Who else can get a diverse crowd of all colours, creeds, races and faiths singing along to Jesus Walks? That was a special moment, it was inspiring in the sense that whilst I were there admiring them, I constantly had a desire to be on the stage beside them -who knows it may happen one day…
There’s nothing Up in The Ear love more than self starters, business people who are passionate about what they’re doing so when I came across this insightful interview there was no doubt in my mind that it would be posted first thing on monday morning…
Acute Promotions is an artist promotions agency based in London. They provide professional, experienced and innovative DJs and MCs for events. As an agency they pride ourselves on prompt, polite and professional customer service, advising and supporting their clients, promoters and artists alike. The Acute mantra is…
Strengthening and retaining professional relationships, helping yours and our progression run smoothly.
Running late and rushing to get from home to Holborn in 20mins, I honestly thought that I’d arrive to see Beaux halfway through her set. As soon as I stepped foot out of Holborn tube station, I went into the maps application on my iPhone and began to follow the route in realtime, concentrating on the blue dot moving ever closer to the red pin, I thought I was going to be held up by around one hundred cyclists who were led by a bunny -similar to Frank in Donnie Darko. As I crossed the road, I heard a heavy bassline from a distance coming from what seemed like a dead end. To my amazement a further hundred cyclists came cruising around the corner led by a cyclist towing a mahooosive sound box, seriously. As he cycled closer, with an army of cyclists cruising behind him my body started to shake from the bass of the speaker box. I don’t know the name of the song, nor what it may have been but it was playing the dirtiest and deepest bassline known to man, woman, and child. The bassline was a weapon of mass destruction, if it was a soundclash the cyclist would easily be able to unleash the speaker box on the unsuspecting sound-youts of their adversaries.
Team Beaux
When I arrived at Traffic I ended up bumping into Team Beaux: Chantelle, Beaux, family and band members, which was bonus because I was able to have a brief exchange of pleasantries and conversation with the entourage. Once inside I held my spot in the corner waiting for Beaux to hot the stage. The DJ was playing some of the most soulful sounds I had heard, underneath a barrage of conversation comparable to being in a crowded exam room and being able to hear everyone’s voices at once as if you could read their minds. If the turnout was for Miss Saunders, she already had garnered a loyal and hefty following, after playing just a few shows.
Talking to Chantelle, Beaux’s manager, I discovered that there’s a few A&Rs from many big record label and independents sniffing around, trying to get their teeth into the next big thing. Chantelle comes across as a genuine individual who believes in her artists. Managing not only Beaux but another producer/mc outfit, Chantelle, and business partner Matt, are dedicated to getting the job done correctly ensuring her artists fulfil their potential. She’s managed Beaux since October 2010 and has teamed her up with producers both in the UK and abroad.
Our brief conversation cleared up so much because it managed to fill the gaps in my knowledge. I was wondering how Beaux had managed to achieve such a universal sound so early, so it all made sense to know that someone was there to connect the dots to ensure that someone so gifted becomes someone great. My perception of Idle Management is a place that works towards making dream a reality by putting substance in front of all else. With this mantra at the forefront of their operation, I have no doubt in my mind that Idle Management and their artists will be very successful in the future.
Beaux opening up at around 10 o’clock and had the crowd swaying from the get go. I finally realised who Beaux reminds me of vocally, Melody Gardot, on a real. I think it’s the way her vocals are warm and sultry. Her rendition of the Ignition Remix went down a treat, the place suddenly erupted!!! I witnessed gun fingers in the air, whistles and all sorts. Although Beaux’s set was quite short, she did have everyone singing along and busting moves -surprising as Chantelle told me she’s only had a few shows yet she has a mahoooosive following, I suspect it’s the charming voice and the music in all honesty because it’s got me hooked.
To read Beaux’s Apr 17th Up In The Ear feature click here
Everything was all rosy, I gave a card with my contact details to the photographer so I could get some footage and pictures to use in my future posts and he advised me to stick around because something special was about to happen. I thought to myself whats the harm in staying a few more minutes because you never know what could happen…
And then there was Shean Williams, dude shut it down totally! He’s tore the roof down with uptempo rhythms and hard guitars riff. Hints of light and heavy synths teamed up with heavy basslines ensured Shean Williams’ rhythm section was tighter than a virgin bride, no matter how much lubricant you tried to use, you’d never get past it. The rhythm section was tight, synchronised but it had this groove to it that had you swaying. Shean Williams and the band demonstrated their dynamism wizardry, taking you on a roller coaster ride of rhythms, quantisation and crazy chord shifts. I had never heard of Shean Williams until this late evening in Holborn. His music is a fusion of Funkadelic and Jamiroquai, with roots firmly in gospel music reminiscent of a Kirk Franklin in regards to the way he controls both the crowd and his obedient band who’ve mastered their instruments as individuals to the point where they seem to flow effortlessly as one. It was similar to watch something divine at work because I’ve never seen a tighter band in my life. Each member of the back playing their position to perfection, it wouldn’t surprise me if they all grew up together or landed on earth from the same divine guiding lightsource. I’d deffinately pay to see these guys again, both as instrumentalists, a four piece or playing under Shean Williams. I urge all artists, instrumentalists, producers, and performers to sit and study these guys because Shean Williams and the band is exactly how live music should sound, it’s exactly how music should be executed and presented to the masses. Yea I was bobbing my head from the get go, from the Black and Yellow instrumental cover, yes I was pulling the weird faces upon hearing the rolling basslines over the tightest drum playing in all of the land, I was in awe of these guys. They really were something special, on this day I discovered a diamond.
When I thought they were done for the evening, they returned to the stage for what I think was the final time -I left shortly after for the last train. This time the band hit the stage for an instrumental rendition of Jay-Z‘s Show Me What You Got, if there were any doubts about the tightness or skillet of the band from pending critics, this introduction to part two of the musical onslaught, severed all doubts that floated in the air.
This time the set was more upbeat and included much more covers, everything from Jessie J‘s Do It Like A Dude, to Labyrinth’s Let The Sun Shine. For me personally Do It Like A Dude was far superior but the crown jewel in the cover parade was Rhihanna’s Only Girl In The World, they shut down Traffic, and had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands. The Rhi rendition had every spectator in a trace, I looked around and saw everyone dancing -some out of time and others just let loose. The beginning of the rendition was that Curtis Mayfield/Shaft type of funk; the wah guitar riffs, the basslines rolling smoothly beneath it, the light shuffled hats from the drummer, Shean Williams had everyone guessing because when he had introduced the song he was rather vague, saying something like:
In rehearsals with the band, I told them if we’re going to do this we had to do something different.
I expected something else, and the band toyed with expectation because they really surprised me, I didn’t even know they what song it was until I heard the light keys, or at least the faintest synth pads before BAM!!!!!!! They went in!!! They had everyone up dancing and on their feet, the guitar solo from the lead guitarist was fucking brilliant!!!! Oh my fucking god!!! Thinking of it I’m like boi…
Carlo Fusiello
Slash who?! Clapton who?! Hendrix who!?… Nah Uh fam!!! Don’t chat shit to me about lead guitarists when you ain’t heard the dapper dan gorgan Carlo Fusiello!!! Know thyself roooodbwoy! Gemme tho famalamadingbizzle!
On a real you lot gotta understand that I can die happily after posting this knowing that I, as someone who loves music, witnessed the greatest show in the world. You’ve heard Motown backing bands, you’ve heard all the old soul and jazz records but let’s face it, you revere them oldies because they’re either dead or prominent for the era that they create and changed a whole culture. People like Shean Williams, The Band -I think they’re called or I shall call them ‘The Don Daddas’, and Beaux Saunders, and I’ll call her band ‘The Frenchies’ after French and Saunders, are the future. Shean is there, his band are ready to take on any contenders -whether it be Questlove, Slash, Stevie, Muddy Waters (Tryna think of a bassist), because they are fucking ill!, and Beaux is shutting it down after only a few shows so she’ll grow if she continues to be guided by an amazing team, whilst learning from Shean and The Daddas.
Tonight was powerful and I’d like to thank Beaux’s manager, Chantelle for inviting me to Traffic because had she not had invited me, I would never have discovered the diamond that is Shean Williams and The Don Daddas. I’ve already put the 14th May Traubadour show in my diary and now Shean joins the likes of Beaux on the Up In The Ear radar.
I pledge my allegiance to great artists and good music.
If any of you ever misplace my card just ensure you add the email to the mailing list so I know when the next show, release, or visual needs broadcasting.
(Written in the venue between sets, and on my way home -really wanted to mention that because I’m so fucking amped after hearing such amazing live music.)
And by the way… This is a fucking tune!!!!!! Selekta HAUL AND BOMBOCLAAART PULL IT UP LIKE A MILLION TRILLION TIMES YA ZIMME!!!
My friend Lauren is the biggest Adele fan and when she asked if I wanted to go on a pilgrimage to see Adele in Birmingham with a few friends, I agreed. I refused to listen to the new album because everyone I spoke to told me the album was emotional and made them cry to the point that some of them were sitting on kitchen floors bawling their eyes out. I myself thought faaaark that, I refused to be sucked into that emotional whirlpool or be forced to think about all the heartache the average human goes through in a decade or so of adolescent to adult relationships…
Anywho I went on a road trip to see Adele with three oestrogen driven ladies who insisted on playing all the tearjerking ballads under the sun. I was terrorised, poked and interrogated -being the only man, ladies always seem to try and gain answers to the questions women always want to know so they return to their respective partners with a detailed insight into the male mind. Not being one to betray the members of my specie, I kept my lips zipped.
As I didn’t have time to write about the concert the day after, as I travelled to the middle east, I have decided to feature a post from the Footprints On my Vans blog, authored by Lauren Francis -a dear friend.
Enjoy
“After driving 120 miles north, being dragged through a shopping centre, standing in a queue for hour and a half, finally… I was there.
Standing I’d say about six people from Adele.
Her keyboard player took the stage first playing a tune on the keyboard and floated into ‘Hometown Glory”… We heard Adele before we saw her.
As soon as I heard her voice, I shook.
My heart stopped, my eyes filled with tears.
I couldn’t believe I was in the same room, the same vicinity as Adele, the person behind the music that corresponds and tells my life, my future, my heart.
Throughout the first song I had to hold on to my friends shoulders, I was so moved.
Adele talked the crowd through the show, waving, chatting, and questioning some woman who screamed she wanted her babies – “But one of us needs a penis!!?”
The comment that made my night was:
“Me & my ex are tryna be friends now
*crowd boo’s*…
But, he’s still a cunt”
After telling the crowd she couldn’t believe she was wearing a cigarette stained black top, that her doggy Louie was next door and playing classics from 19 such as Chasing Pavements & Right As Rain the pinnacle of the night, for me, was her performance of Make You Feel My love.
The lighting was simple and perfect as she sang this song, the whole crowd stood in awe. As she reached the end of the song she was so overcome with emotion she apologised to the crowd before going backstage to await her encore.
The crowd did not stop cheering, clapping, stamping their feet in anticipation for more!
Adele took the stage once more, picked up her guitar and sang the first verse of Someone Like You… There was not a dry eye in the house.
I stood again, in awe.
Adele finished the show with an amazing version of Rolling In The Deep and ended in jumping down from the stage to give a fan a hug, that she had promised to do earlier in the show because if she had done it before, she never would have been able to get back up! Haha.
Simply,
This was the best concert I have ever been to.
I couldn’t even speak about it after without crying I was so overcome by how magical and intimate the show was.
I will never, ever forget this moment in time.
Adele, I love you.
Ps. Totally embarrassed ourselves when Adele mentioned Finsbury Park… The whole crowd just stared at us like WTF.
So William and Kate tied the knot in an elaborate display of royal pageantry whilst you were sipping Earl Grey on the sofa with a scone or two, meanwhile i met with Left brain from Odd Future and got word that the wonderful soulstress Beaux Saunders is doing a show in Holborn.
Get to know Beaux Saunders in advance by refreshing yourselves here
Traffic Bar, Victoria house, Vernon place, WC1A 2EP
After my failed attempt to see the Kids Of Grime x Y’OH exhibition at Pure Evil Gallery because of a street party, I casually encountered Left Brain, from Odd Future, casually chilling in Shoreditch before the show at Village Underground.
Left Brain repping Up In The Ear
Left Brain is a real quiet and humble dude, considering he’s a member of the most outspoken and controversial Rap group to hit Hip Hop and Popular Culture since N.W.A. Left Brain expressed his excitement to be travelling to Amsterdam after Village Underground and his love for posh British women in frilly top socks. Also Left Brain mentioned his visit to the capital last november, and his fondness for the British ladies.
MellowHype is a alternative hip hop duo of Hodgy Beats and Left Brain from the collective OFWGKTA. They have released two albums, YelloWhite and BlackenedWhite, both of which are available for free download from the Odd Future website. On February 16th, 2011, Hodgy Beats (along with Tyler the Creator) performed the song “Sandwitches” on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. A remastered version of BlackenedWhite will be released summer 2011 by Fat Possum Records.
Last month I stumbled upon a Grime obsessed designer and intellectual by the name of Kara Messina. I was scrolling through my twitter and read a retweet with a link to an article about a designer who was currently working on a menswear collection to be launched on 280411. I started following both Y’OH and Kara after reading an interview which housed this image on March 18th. After various twitter exchanges on the beauty of Air Max 1s, I learnt that Kara Messina was a accomplished pattern cutter who worked in high fashion for 6 years, with a background working for award winning footwear designer John Richmond, as well as pattern-cutting for designer labels Basso & Brooke and Aquascutum.
Her skills as a pattern cutter allowed her to cut the collection herself so even the fit of the garments aren’t stereotypical to what’s around at the moment. She describes the silhouette as having a 90s feel to it “No skinny looks, Big Up oversize!”.
For Y’OH I’ve NOT used any checked fabric. There’s no point in rehashing another version of something that is already great as it is. Instead I’ve selected an existing cloth that has the potential to function as a “new classic”. Yeah it’s bold so I’m expecting some people might find it objectionable (hence the collection title) but it’s also a very beautiful fabric so if men can appreciate that, it can’t fail. What makes it so original is the context in which it is presented, which is streetwear.
So this is a designer who understands that it’s better to find your own niche rather than jump on to something that’s already been accomplished, similar to Missoni and their signature knitwear, Levi’s emphasis on denim, Nike’s emphasis on sport shoes. All brands just mentioned all respect their specialities, all have their signature ‘stock’ products which almost never change, whilst they may introduce a product to the market or reproduce a product under their brand, the question is: What gap is Kara going to fill, with no press shots of the collection, everything is pretty much a mystery unless you’re apart of her inner circle of creatives, family, friends, collaborators, and creatives.
Cut in three colours, one of which is printed fabric
Y’OH will consist of outerwear, shirts and non-jersey tshirts. The context of the printed fabric used in the collection is set to blow your minds. Inspired by comparing Hip Hop to Grime; Mens transition from youth to adult; 90s Fashion; Subcultural affiliation to brands and functional performance garments. The market level is in between luxury and streetwear and will be sold on the online Y’OH store. The collection itself intrigues me because Hip Hop and Grime are basically the father and son when it comes to Culture and Sub Culture. Also many of the grime kids go on to become pop stars on music that is much slower in pace and closer to Hip Hop. Whether this transition is so one can tap into the global phenomenon of it’s father or artists leave grime behind because they don’t believe in its commercial viability is unknown but when mentioning Hip Hop, or their progression, a whole host of these artists use the terminology ‘growth, progression, and transition’. Does this indicate that when MCs were making grime they were young, sub culture, but when they grew to adults -not indicative of age- and made Hip Hop, father culture?
Either way, I’m intrigued to see how well Kara straddles the line between the two in order to plug the gap, and whether she answers the questions raised in the form of her collection ‘Heads Ain’t Ready’.
The concept for the first collection “Heads Ain’t Ready” came about though contemplating the popularity of the checked shirt. The much-loved garment that is timeless and unrestricted in that it crosses over into different generations and subcultures (Hip Hop, Skaters…) The checked shirt is considered such a classic, that regardless of the number of colours, wearing it is almost like wearing black. It performs in the same way that it pretty much goes well with everything. Camouflage print also functions in the same way.
Judging by this in depth and revealing interview with Full Frontal Fashion, Kara seems to aiming to take something that is already a classic garment and innovate in a contemporary forward thinking context. Kara knows that trend cycles come around every so often, but iconic designs such as the checkered shirt shall forever remain -most notably the Burberry print which has lasted several generations and still remains a staple house in chequered shirt design, or its lesser known but cult rival, the Aquascutum print, or even the Lumberjack checkered designs and those by Pringle (Argyle) to an extent.
My interpretation of Kara’s collection would be what Ralph Lauren did ,in the early ’90s, with the Oxford (candy) Striped shirt. The Oxford shirt rivalled that of Burberry’s iconic check which was created in the 1920s, first used as a lining in it’s military trench coats. After Polo dropped the ‘candy stripes’, Ben Sherman resurfaced out of nowhere to become the brand of choice after RL and Burberry for a checkered -oxford style shirt.
Shirt Fusing: 1 is the top collar, 1 is the underneath collar (a little smaller), 1 is the collar stand
The more interviews I read was the more the anticipation for the collection grew, I began to realise that Y’OH is more than a street label, it’s more than clothes, cuts, garments, and image. Y’OH is a philosophy of contemporary sartorialism, it’s not just about the aesthetics of an item, but whether its ergonomics are conducive to both user and lifestyle. Not only was Kara research trends, styles, cuts of clothes but she was going further afield by delving into cultural anthropology, semiology and semantic, social studies, esoterica and attending the free afternoon lectures at the LSE to see if there was anything she could apply for her craft.
I’m also a fan of the free lectures at the London School of Economics. My job is to find out what is missing and provide it. I am at an age where I don’t strive to be unique — or, to be more specific, to go out of my way to be different.
It was here that I began to respect Kara rather than just admire her for being an accomplished pattern cutter who was in the process of creating her very first solo collection which she had conceptualised, illustrated, designed and cut herself rather than outsource the work to outsiders, it’s a purely individual effort. Y’OH to me already signifies individualism and style before fashion, and the more importantly a lifestyle because Kara is at the helm of all activity and decision making, working to her strengths and showing strengths in outsourcing the sewing and assembling of the garments to local factories. it’s at this point, before anything has been seen that you respect Kara for supporting her local factory rather than taking the cheaper, less hands on approach and sending it to some sweatshop in a third world country. I’d support the brand purely on the basis that she cares enough for her local economy and the quality of her garments, as well as making the garments ready to order to make sure all items are fresh rather than piled up in an asbestos riddled attic being eaten by dust mites.
I see my work as providing a service, especially being a young female designing menswear. I am very careful to be thorough in my research. Hence images alone won’t suffice, and I spend a large proportion of my time reading cultural textbooks on subjects from music to advertising through to religion.
This is the front of a shirt (pattern) before it gets cut out & sewn up
I support what Kara is doing because she’s immersed herself in a subculture that people often forget and leave behind when they progress into the charts. For me, this is not just clothes, it’s the resurgence of a culture, a rebirth of something which formed an integral part of my life as well as many others. This is the rebirth of that which, had I not had it whilst growing up, I would never have learnt some of the most valuable lessons, and I would never have had a creative outlet for all of my teenage angst, and adolescent rage. Had it not been for Grime, I would never of had a dream, I would never of had something to keep me on the straight and narrow because of my firm belief in turning a negative circumstance into something positive. Besides, the emphasis of the collection is transition, and Kara seems to be attempting to cater for the gap in between boys to men -a demorgraphic which grime caters to because of its unadulterated energy. Maybe Kara is saying that Grime is not just for one particular demographic with this new collection she has made the choice to build her foundation in the gap between the childs innocence of eye, Grime, and its much worldly ancestor, Hip Hop.
Will the Y’OH collection be the catalyst of change, if Kara has immersed herself in the Grime subculture will she become the Dame Vivienne Westwood of our beloved culture, will this encourage other creatives as well as those who have already been a part of the culture, in some shape or form, to take more of an active roll in pushing it forward?
I don’t have the answers, I doubt she has either, but I believe that the stars only align themselves once so if your in the London area on 280411 make your way down to Pure Evil Gallery in Shoreditch and see for yourself.
Here’s a lil teaser… I was thinking the same when I saw this it was cleverly put together by Beatrice Alessio
Stayed tuned because now I’ve dealt with the culture’s Vivienne Westwood in a part 1/2 feature, I will do a spread on Grime’s Annie Leibovitz in the near future…
This election caused quite a stir in Uni last month. There was a whole lot of slanderous propagation and widespread student-lecturer panic. There were also some voting discrepancies that caused for a revote but when you take other factors into consideration, I can’t help but feel the whole thing was orchestrated to benefit the motives of those higher up in hierarchy. As much as this sounds like a big conspiracy theory, it’s just my observational point of view. I was out there speaking to candidates, getting to the root of things. I heard the whispers, and witness the widespread panic on a much smaller level than that of politics on a global scale. Moral of the story: politics is a pantomime filled with characters, it’s entertaining from a far yet it affects us all in many ways… Anyway, I know who I voted for and I know who I gassed, I know who kept their word and was sincere, I also know who cheesed for the most votes. My solution would be for all the candidates to come together and form a coalition of students because ‘We all we got’. It seems like the winner will be the ones favoured by those higher up rather than those who would like to make a difference, fair enough as I refused to vote Lib Dem in the last election because it was a wasted vote. Look what you gullible twats got us into: cuts, cuts, broken promises, cuts, job losses, cuts!!! It’s probably the reason why so many students march and turn nasty to smash things up because they all got spun round and fucked in the ass by Citizen Clegg because he aligned himself with Citizen Cameron, and held two shit stained middle finger up at the have-nots with hope of social and financial mobility. We are faced with a future of cuts, media manipulation to cover up the cuts, and desperate attempts suppress the minds of the masses -continually numbing their senses by desensitising their emotions…
Better the demon you know rather than the one you don’t
The funny thing about these marches is the marchers outnumber the pigs by several miles, think how different it’ll be if these people had nothing to lose i.e. If they were from an estate after they cut off all the benefits, all the resources, everything. People from the inner city areas wouldn’t think twice about bodying pigs or becoming martyrs because they have nothing to lose, these people already have a mind state where they accept death at the next step, whether it be from the rival dealer on the estate or the next gang across the borough who need more stripes.
Listen I could go on all day but I just wanted to show you some of the candidates, and some of their attempts to gain support in the election. This really did get nasty beneath the surface, I really wished the three brothers done a rap song, the four sisters made pop, and jade did some sort of deranged crazy hardcore/drum and bass number.
I can’t help but find all politicians annoying, however these students all want to make a change. I really hope that whoever gets in will give their running mates some sort of responsibility or counsel.
The Faculty Music and Media team have spent the past month planning two mahooosive fundraising events, one fell at the first hurdle due to technical problems, the other will culminate into something epic!!! *drumroll please…
We’ve taken the initiative to organise a benefit fundraiser, to be held on Wednesday 6th of April at the Area51, University of Westminster‘s Harrow Campus, in honour of all those who lost their lives and in the face of the Earthquake and resulting Tsunami on March 11th 2011. Please come along and show your support for all those affected by the disaster.
Click For More Info
On the night there’ll be some great acts, a raffle with a prize draw where you’ll stand a chance of winning: festival tickets, signed merchandise from your favorite artists and bands; t-shirts, vinyl records, CDs, posters, fine art prints, and all manner of other goodies. There is no door charge but donations are more than welcome.
Headlining the fundraiser will be GHOSTPOET, who has been described by the Guardian as having “lullabies to hypnotise”. Ghostpoet is signed to Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings where he released his debut single – ‘Cash & Carry Me Home’ – on 24th January 2011, a remix featuring Kano arrived shortly after, before releasing his debut album ‘Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam’.
Cornelia
Few artists can count the likes of Lykke Li and Bjork as both contemporaries and friends, whilst fewer artists have received a co-sign from the legendary Flying Lotus, Cornelia has gained respect from all three because she brings something daring & different to the table. Cornelia has a soft sweet vocals and charming Swedish cool, her music instantly envelopes the listener, and when partnered with Cornelia’s hushed croon and immaculate harmonies, she manages to comfort and intrigue the listener.
Butcher of the Beats
The DJ on the night will be, Rinse Fm’s finest, Funk Butcher who’ll be playing nothing but the best party anthems to keep you on your feet! As ravers, House, and Dance followers worldwide know Funk Butcher is known for butchering the beats. Watch out for The Dutch Effect dropping soon, april 25th on Swamp.
Other supporting acts on the night will be Adaggio, internationally renown classical violinist on the verge of releasing his own mixtape entitled M.I.T.O, Boy, Ben Willis, and Smoke Radio compares will host the night whilst their DJs create the party atmosphere between bands.
Here’s the donation link: http://www.justgiving.com/facultyfundraising Every little helps
“The exhibition features the work of those artists, writers and musicians who acknowledge the need to reach a heightened or ‘altered state’ in order to create their work. We are concerned with the mystery of the creative act. Not the inexplicable ’spark’, aka inspiration, but the fire; the non-doing before the doing, the summoning up of elemental spirits from within, or without, during the preparation of some visual or musical work, some theory or idea. This welling-up or ‘possession’, this ‘fever in the heart of man’, this spirit, this spell, might sometimes be referred to as Voodoo.”
The Eye
“When slaves from West Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and the Gambia were taken by Europeans to the West Indies, many were destined for Haiti (Hispaniola). As they mingled on the tiny island, no groups’ influence was greater than that of the Yoruba and Fon people who ruled the huge kingdom of Dahomey which sprawled across most of the countries today known as Benin, Togo and Nigeria. The majority of the Haitian slaves were taken from Dahomey.
Embroidery and Acrylic on US Army Marpat (Marine Pattern) Rucksack Recycled to Pyramid / 46 x 36 x 33cm.
“The core function of Vodoun – the Fon-Ewe word for spirit – is to attempt to explain the forces of the universe, influence those forces, and thereby influence human behaviour. Permitted by Haiti’s 1987 constitution, books and films published in that country have sensationalized the practice as black magic based on animal and human sacrifices. Today in West Africa, the religion is estimated to be practised by over 30 million people. Vodoun became the official religion of Benin in 1996.”
A majority of people fail to understand that monotheism such as Christianity and Islam were not the original religious practices of our ancestors, if like me you are of afro-caribbean decent, they were enforced through crusades, invasions and slavery. Spiritualism in West Africa is as diverse and popular as it was pre slavery. People often practice both belief systems side by side as they do in Brazil with Candomblé.
“Candomblé, Umbanda, Batuque, Xango, and Tambor de Mina, were originally brought by black slaves shipped from Africa to Brazil. These black slaves would summon their gods, called Orixas, Voduns or Inkices with chants and dances they had brought from Africa. These cults were persecuted throughout most of Brazilian history, largely because they were believed to be pagan or evensatanic. However, the Brazilian republican government legalized all of them on the grounds of the necessary separation between the State and the Church in 1889.
In current practice, Umbanda followers leave offerings of food, candles and flowers in public places for the spirits. Candomblé terreiros are more hidden from general view, except in famous festivals such as Iyemanja Festival and the Waters of Oxala in the Northeast.
From Bahia northwards there are different practices such as Catimbo, Jurema with heavy Indigenous elements. All over the country, but mainly in the Amazon rainforest, there are many Indians still practicing their original traditions. Many of their beliefs and use of naturally occurring plant derivatives are incorporated into African, Spirtitualists and folk religion.”
I’ve witnessed this first hand upon my travels into West Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Our perception to religion and spiritualism, collectively throughout society, is very elitist, ignorant and snobbish. When you travel further outside of the western culture you begin to witness spiritualism as a way of life, there’s no line between the two, it’s a totally different set of guidelines, there’s no co existing either, it’s servitude to the most high and the divine spirits throughout the cosmos which grants some explanation to someones existence…
Maybe it’s time to reconnect with the spiritual practices of our ancestors.
My views aside, I just wanted to share this rucksack with you and the conception behind the idea. If you are interested in reading up on the exhibition, artwork, designers, and history behind the concept, click here.
Went to see this exhibit in London a few months ago. This was by far my favorite portrait, if it were up to me Wafa would of been first place because this portrait pretty much summed up the whole of 2010.
I love this portrait because it’s like a modern day Mona Lisa, seriously. I think it’s the reason Wafa was the main face of all advertising because this image is by far the most endearing, not to mention intriguing. I could stare at this portrait in awe every day of my life, trying to work out what Wafa is thinking, feeling, about to say or do. It’s a very powerful portrait that continues to resonate in my mind, hours and days after laying eyes upon it.
I’ve decided to purchase a print of this portrait, if I could get my hands on one, because it summed up the whole year and beyond, as i said previously it really is a Mona Lisa of the new millenia. I feel that a few hundred years from now people would be sat in front of ‘Wafa’ trying to figure out what’s behind the facial expression, eyes, slight smile, posture, and body language.
Felix Carpio’s portrait of Wafa is simply endearing, and beautifully intriguing. This portrait is an inspration and a big incentive to pick up Trigger (my DSLR) and hit the road capturing images that resonate within and externally within others.
