Blitz the Ambassador goes airborne during his performance in Brooklyn, NY

What could beat a free block party in Brooklyn, New York thrown by Blitz the Ambassador and featuring French duo Les Nubians, with a film screening of the Sundance hit Restless City, a picnic, and a live DJ on a May weekend afternoon? Not much else, we figured; tack on a chance to nab an interview with Blitz, and off we went! Boy was it worth it. The Ghanaian born hip hop artist has been called the future of African music, and together with his live band he KILLED it at Fulton Park last Saturday May 4th. His brand of music is infused with Afrobeat and highlife influences, and his live performance in itself is just sheer irrepressible energy. The rest of his band seemed like they were ready to rip off the suits they

Les Nubians joined Blitz onstage, but also did their own 90s smash hit “Makeda”

had donned and join Blitz in his freewheeling jumps and fist pumps; it was a party, after all, and they intended to enjoy it. The sizable crowd in attendance danced along, doing his bidding as call-and-response conductor and master of ceremonies. Not only was it a solid show, he graciously granted us an insightful interview as well, the bulk of which we will bring to you on the website. In the meantime take a listen to this young artist speak on his music, his new album, meeting Public Enemy’s Chuck D, African identity, and more. Also, look out for a clip from the show soon! Bless…

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Michael Rose

When comedian Jimmy Fallon introduced Bill Cosby on his late night TV talk show earlier this month, house band The Roots broke into Black Uhuru‘s “Sponji Reggae,” and Cosby came in doing his signature boogie to the popular tune with Fallon following close behind. But drummer Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson had to remind Cosby that the song was played on an episode of the Cosby show almost 30 years ago. For reggae fans it was a great trip down memory lane. At the Howard Theatre last Wednesday, while on tour with the “Black Cinderella” Sister Carol, by the time Black Uhuru’s Michael Rose launched into “Sponji Reggae,” we were in the middle of a more glorious trip; he was already deep into a crucial sampling of the group’s major hits. Sister Carol, clad in African regalia, opened the show at the historic DC landmark rather promptly at 9pm, with “Rastafari is my Savior,” then continued with a string of her familiar hits from the 90s. Michael Rose kicked off his segment with “Shine Eye Gal,” followed by ‘Plastic Smile” and “General Penitentiary.” Billed as the Balance Tour (the idea is apparently to correct the

Sister Carol

imbalance and lack of female representation at reggae live performances) it is now on its eastern US leg, with Rose and Sister Carol having already conquered California, Chicago, North Carolina, and New York. Sister Carol, nominated for a Grammy Award in 1997 for Lyrically Potent, has had a long career as one of the most respected women in reggae, but she’s also an actress, appearing most recently in the Oscar nominated Rachel Getting Married. Known as a “singjay,” she walks the line between roots reggae and dancehall, while constantly delivering socially and culturally conscious messages in her songs. Michael Rose – his distinctive voice still intact – has been on and off again with Black Uhuru since he first left them after their huge success with the grammy-winning Anthem LP, and has also

Sister Carol joined Michael Rose for a rousing version of Black Uhuru’s “Solidarity”

had success as a solo artist worldwide. Carol and Rose both took a little time to chat with Afrofusion TV about their careers, music and their upcoming projects (a longer version will soon be posted on afrofusiontv.com). Before the curtains came down, the artists got together on stage for a rousing rendition of Black Uhuru’s classic hit “Solidarity,” a fitting end to a solid and inspiring live show. Bless…

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Evelyn Beckley founder of EbonyM and Kadiatu Kamara, designer

When EbonyM Magazine founder Evelyn Beckley decided to launch her new society publication, her choice for the cover feature? Former model and new fashion designer Kadiatu Kamara. So it seemed to follow that both young ladies would choose to do a joint debut, with Kadiatu taking the opportunity to introduce a new fashion line from her boutique. A 2008 Mis West Africa UK, Kadiatu moved back to Sierra Leone in 2011 and opened Vivid Emporium, located in the Aberdeen area of Freetown, Sierra Leone. The show, held on December 27th, was an invitation-only event at the Leone Lodge on Freetown’s trendy Lumley Beach Road; it featured comedians, a fire-eater, and an assortment of music and dance performances. And of course, there were the models showcasing Kadiatu’s new line, her second collection called “THAMRO.” Guests were invited to bid on the new magazine and on some of the outfits. Afrofusion put together a slide show of photos from the event. You can check it out below. EbonyM Magazine is published by MITL Publishers, and will be available monthly. Bless…
Click to view slideshow.

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Hugh Masekela and Sibongile Khumalo (Photos courtesy Kennedy Center)

Listening to Hugh Masekela speak on art, music and politics would make you think he is the eternal pessimist. But that would be only when it comes to politics. The 73 year-old trumpeter, composer and singer recently performed Songs of Migration at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC together with Sibongile Khumalo and a cast of singers, dancers and musicians. He took a moment to sit down with Kwame Fitzjohn from The African World on MHz to rap about his new show, politics, mines in South Africa, and what he optimistically calls “Heritage Restoration.” Songs of Migration, produced by Sibojama Theatre and directed by James Ngcobo, is Masekela’s tribute to late 19th century migrants from all over Africa heading to work in Johannesburg’s mines. Backed by a five-piece band, it is an effervescent display of song, dance

Hugh Masekela and his cast in Songs of Migration

and a bit of theatre, representing what Masekela calls an effort at bringing heritage back through entertainment, “showing the world the excellence of African peoples.” His dream of setting up an Arts center and cultural village has evolved, he says, into what Sibojama Theatre is now, an academy of young professional artists who will produce the kind of fare that Hugh Masekela hopes will spur the creation of not just more musicals, but physical spaces that will in turn become centers of learning and teaching of African culture, arts and history. Above is just a portion of his conversation with Kwame Fitzjohn. Special thanks to Alexzandra Bardwell-Morgan for stepping in to shoot the interview. You can find the full interview with Hugh Masekela on Afrofusion TV, and watch out for it on MHz. Bless…

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Ruby Johnson, Miss Sierra Leone USA 2012, with runners-up Fatmata Barrie and Adiatu Bangura

With most of the Washington, DC area still reeling from last Friday’s killer storm that caused widespread power outages, you had to have some sort of sympathy for the organizers of the 5th Ms. Sierra Leone USA Pageant on Sunday July 1st. The original venue was still without power, so a last-minute change had to be phoned, emailed and tweeted out to patrons and invited guests alike. Event organizer Fuambai Ahmadu and former winner Natasha Beckley had to make do with a smaller atrium at the local county civic center, and switch MCs and judges around in an effort to keep the show on schedule. The scaled-down event ended up featuring only eight ladies representing various regions in Sierra Leone, but in that sweltering atrium – fan cooled because power had to be supplied by generator – that was more than enough to keep the excitement going among patrons. Ms. Freetown, a 21-year-old Virginia Tech mining engineering student named Ruby Johnson, won the whole thing, with strong competition from runners-up Adiatu Bangura, a 20-year-old Biology student at Staten Island College, and Fatmata Barrie, who will be attending the University of Maryland this fall.

The eight contestants of the Ms. SL USA Pageant 2012

The pageant has given out thousands of dollars in scholarships to previous winners, and encourages contestants to start their own non-profits and charities. The biannual event was sponsored by the Wellbody Alliance, Johns Hopkins, University, and NOSLINA (National Organization of Sierra Leoneans in North America. Wellbody’s Goodwill Ambassador Selita Ebanks was unable to headline the event as planned, but Tiffany Persons of Shine On Sierra Leone, the NGO that initially got Ms. Ebanks involved in health issues in Sierra Leone, was on hand to talk about their activities. Sierra Leone musician Freddy “Shabaka” Cole co-MCeed the event. Check out Afrofusion’s gallery/slide show of photos from the show below. Bless…

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Ziggy Marley performs at the newly renovated historic Howard Theatre in Washington, DC

Ziggy Marley, the eldest son of reggae icon Bob Marley, is on a Wild and Free Tour through the USA and Canada. And on Wednesday June 13, the five-time Grammy Award winner lit up the stage at Washington, DC’s historic Howard Theatre with a mix of songs from his own repertoire and a sprinkling of his father’s classics. The tour takes the name of his latest studio album, which was released last June, and features guest appearances from the late Heavy D and Ziggy’s own son Daniel. Media were given a three-song limit of time to shoot photos and video; I arrived late but managed to squeeze off a few shots before security located me and I fled with my camera. I returned to enjoy the rest of the show, of course, in time to see Ziggy Marley launch into his eighties hits “Tomorrow People” and “Look Who’s Dancing.” And even as the crowd sang, danced  and chanted along, the vibe in the theatre was still unmistakably mellow; you could say it was more of a love fest than anything, with Ziggy frequently smiling and shaking hands with the lucky fans up in front of the stage. Aptly, then, he closed the show with the title track of his Grammy winning “Love is My Religion.” You can peep the other photos below that we took at the show. Bless…

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Why is President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf still the only female head of state in the whole of Africa? The answer to that question stumps Sengbe Kona Khasu director of the documentary No More Selections, We Want Elections. His film featured recently at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, Maryland, as part of the New African Films Festival, sponsored by TransAfrica Forum and Afrikafe. That’s where Afrofusion caught up with Khasu and his father James E. Roberts, co-Executive Producer of the documentary.  The film chronicles the events leading up the momentous election of Johnson Sirleaf in 2005 but, that historic win notwithstanding, the filmmakers tried to focus the narrative on the process rather than on any one particular candidate. Indeed, most of the people interviewed in the film characterized the runoff election between Sirleaf and former football (soccer) star George Oppong Weah as one between political experience and immaturity. More important for them, and especially the filmmakers, was for Liberia to be able to come together after years of civil strife and hold peaceful, legitimate democratic elections, the first since the military coup of 1980. Still, according to Roberts, Liberia has a legacy of firsts in Africa that sometimes goes unacknowledged. He is proud not only of the film, but of the Liberian people’s resolve in sticking to the democratic process. 

The New African Films Festival showed another election film,  Jarreth Merz’s An African Election, about the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana. In similar fashion, the focus of the film was more on the fragility of the democratic process than on any one particular candidate. Although the filmmakers seemed to spend a great deal of time with former President Jerry Rawlings as he campaigned for his party’s candidate Prof. John Ata-Mills, it provided a balanced, wholesome view of the nail-biter that ended with Ata-Mills as the victor. The re-election of Johnson Sirleaf has provided fodder for a sequel that Khasu is working on, and he will soon return to Liberia to complete filming. You can watch Khasu and his dad talk to Afrofusion about their film, and about women and politics in Africa after the jump. For more information on the film, including upcoming screenings, click here. The New African Films Festival continues this week. Bless…

The Filmmakers discuss their documentary at AFI Silver after the screening

Executive Producer James E. Roberts, Director Kona Khasu and TransAfrica Forum's Mwiza Munthali at AFI after the screening of the film

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Do the cast members of the hit broadway musical Fela! ever get  a breather? Even while on tour with the show, many of them take time out to do work in the community. US-based Life Giver Entertainment has been sponsoring a tour of master workshops and dance classes run by some of the cast members as they go from city to city. Having just left Washington, DC, the show is now on a week-long run in Atlanta, and they are heading to Connecticut next week. Afrofusion TV was able to catch two of the cast members as they ran a workshop at Howard University’s Dance Studio in Washington, DC. As djembe drummer Talu Green kept the rhythm going with his hands, Guinean dancer and instructor Ismael Kouyaté led the class through some basic West African dance steps and sequences. Talu Green, who travelled with the Broadway cast to Nigeria this past April 2011, explained to us the experience of performing for thousands of Nigerian fans at the shrine of Femi Kuti, Fela’s son and heir apparent. And Ismael, who also teaches dance for a living, talked about the joy of sharing his art with students of all nationalities. If you haven’t seen the show yet, you still have multiple chances. This is actually a great week for all things Fela; his birthday falls on Friday October 14. In Nigeria, there’s a super celebration going on: the original Felabration, a weeklong fête of concerts, workshops and other activities in and around the shrine. But on the actual day of his birthday, the Felabration goes worldwide; from Italy, London, Paris and Birmingham, to venues in the US – from New York City to Oakland, from DC to Atlanta. So if you can’t catch the actual show, you can still experience some sort of Felabration. Could be a party. But perhaps even better, a master class from one of the masters. For more on these workshops, check out Life Giver Entertainment’s Facebook page. You can watch a promo for Fela! the musical after the jump. Bless…

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Nadia Denton

For any artist who is part of a community, networking and sharing information become somewhat second nature. When former film festival director Nadia Denton decided to write her first book, the idea of what to write about came to her quite quickly.

“It just occurred to me that there was a need for a reference manual for black filmmakers, and this is a particular area that I had a fair amount of expertise in because of my relationship with filmmakers in terms of the work that I’ve done,” she says.

Some of that work involved founding and running the film club for Black Filmmaker Magazine, which she did for 7 years, holding film screenings, working with institutions such as the US Embassy and the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, and then serving as director of the BFM International Film Festival in 2008 and 2009. A lot of what she learned working in the industry is what she’s sharing in the new book, entitled The Black British Filmmaker’s Guide to Success. It features interviews with 42 key black filmmakers and decision makers from around the world, including Ryan Harrington of the Tribeca Institute, US actor and director Tim Reid, and Congolese filmmaker Djo Tunda wa Munga. The book will be available as a free download starting October 1st 2011. You can find out more information on Nadia Denton and her new book here.

I called up Ms. Denton to congratulate her, and decided to do a quick telephone interview. I asked her about her noble effort to share her knowledge and expertise with emerging black filmmakers in the Diaspora. Here’s an extract of what we talked about:

Afrofusion Lounge: What is the status of Black British Filmmaking? A lot of black filmmakers in the United States struggle to find funding and distribution for their films. How would you compare the two, is it the same kind of struggle?

Nadia Denton:  I would say yes, in a sense. I think some of the differences I’ve noted – and I’ve tried to highlight in my book – is that there’s a small niche of filmmakers who basically have an attitude of not really caring about the establishment in the sense that they’re not looking to the establishment for acclaim in terms of the aesthetic of their work and in terms of the politics of their work. And they’re quite happy to raise finance for their projects privately. And these filmmakers seem to be garnering quite a bit of success, one because they’re quite independent minded about how they’re getting their money. Many of them do other types of work, and the filmmaking may be part of an expression of the politics or views they want to put out. Also, they tend to have quite a keen understanding of their audience. So because they are sort of taking alternative methods in terms of making films and getting the finance, they tend to make films that have a higher degree of social currency or relevance, so many of them get good returns in terms of self distribution with their DVDs, and in terms of screenings and so on.

AL: How important do you think it is for Black British Filmmakers and Black American Filmmakers to work together with other Diaspora Filmmakers?

ND: Certainly one of the things that I found – to my dismay – is that I’m not sure that there’s enough sharing of good practice among filmmakers. What I’ve observed is that people sort of tend to get together and enjoy the camaraderie and the socializing, and you know, having fairly peripheral conversations about their craft and their product. And maybe a few of them will sit down and go a bit deeper, but I tended to find in my one-to-one conversations with the filmmakers that it’s very clear what they’re doing and why some are more successful than others. And it sort of baffled me why some of the other filmmakers haven’t been able to observe this, and from what I’ve seen standing on the sidelines I’m not certain that when they’re all together they necessarily ask the right questions or if people are prepared to open up. Whereas I think because I have had these one-to-one relationships with many of these filmmakers, perhaps they were quite prepared to tell me things that maybe they wouldn’t normally talk about in a public forum. So yes, certainly I do feel that there’s a great amount of good practice and expertise and techniques that filmmakers have been picking up at their different environments. In fact I think the information sharing is probably more valuable than the money or the fundraising, which is what people tend to focus on.

Nadia Denton introduces director Tim Reid at the British Film Institute earlier this year

AL: That brings me to my next question, which is that I know you cover almost the whole spectrum, from financing to distribution. Is there one area you think Black filmmakers should be focusing on?

ND: Well, I think it makes an overall collective picture, but if I were to choose particular tools that they should have in their toolbox I think filmmakers need to surround themselves with information sources. So they need to be surrounded by structures, whether it’s organizations or individuals, whether it’s even just books or attending courses that are going to help them gather the information. I’ve noticed that the filmmakers who have a strong infrastructure to rely on – whether it’s, for instance, Owen Alik Shahadah who made 500 Years Later and Motherland, he has the organization Halaquah Media, or whether it be someone like Ishmahil [Blagrove] from RiceNPeas Films who had his journalistic background and his organization RiceNPeas, where they did community development work – these filmmakers who’ve been able to sort of fall back on another structure and sort of get information in a different way seem to have been a bit more successful. I find sometimes filmmakers can focus too much on one particular aspect, so they can focus a lot on perhaps what kind of technology they have or equipment they have, or the ideas – which are great, you definitely need brilliant ideas – but the fact is there are a lot of filmmakers who’ve made quite a bit of money and they didn’t have particularly riveting ideas; their ideas were actually quite straightforward. It’s just that it had a particular relevance to an audience.

AL: What’s next for you after the book?

ND: Well I’m actually planning to write an international version. Obviously I’m very conscious of the fact that all of my references in this book exceptionally are Black British. I have interviewed filmmakers in the past which were from other backgrounds, for instance I’ve interviewed Tim Reid who’s obviously African American. I have a number of African and Caribbean filmmakers who are included as well. But I am looking with the next book to focus specifically on Europe, in terms of Black people in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, obviously the States, and I’m even also interested in Australasia, so activities in places like Australia and Micronesian communities.

AL: You’re offering the book as a free download; is it going to be available in any other format?

ND: At the moment, no; it will only be available as an e-book, CF version, but if I get sponsorship then it’s likely that there might be some limited editions printed up into hard copy. So those would be free, this book is a free book.

AL: Well thank you very much, Nadia, for talking to Afrofusion Lounge!

ND: Thank you, you’re welcome.

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