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THE RETURN
Nubiart has returned to radio production with a show on Ban2 Radio. We will be providing our regular established mix of Afrikan-centered news, views, interviews and music. We would like to invite individuals, groups and businesses running projects and offering services and businesses of interest and benefit to Afrikan people to contact us if they would like to be interviewed or profiled on the show. We are also looking for sponsors for the show and advertisers for the station. Nubiart is on Fridays at 10am-1pm (UK time) on www.ban2radio.com

= NEW CROSS FIRE
The Victims
The names of the 13 fire victims were:
Humphrey Geoffrey Brown (passed January 18, 1981)
Peter Campbell (passed January 18, 1981)
Gerry Paul Francis (passed January 18, 1981)
Andrew Gooding (passed January 18, 1981)
Roseline Henry (passed January 18, 1981)
Patricia Johnson (passed January 18, 1981)
Patrick Cummings (passed January 18, 1981)
Owen Thompson (passed January 18, 1981)
Steve Collins (passed January 18, 1981)
Lloyd Hall (passed January 18, 1981)
Glenton Powell (passed January 18, 1981)
Yvonne Ruddock (passed January 24, 1981)
Paul Ruddock (passed February 9, 1981)

Anthony Berbeck passed away after falling from the balcony of a block of flats in South London on July 9, 1983. He was at the party and became mentally disturbed following the death of his best friends.

Commemoration
The tragedy was commemorated in a number of reggae songs and poems at the time, including Johnny Osbourne’s ‘13 Dead and Nothing Said’, UB40’s ‘Don’t Let It Pass You By’, Benjamin Zephaniah’s ‘13 Dead’ and Linton Kwesi Johnson’s ‘New Crass Massakkah’.

~ THE HAIROINE – Angie Brice Hessbrugge
We played an interview with the Hairoine. She was born in Haiti and has lived in the US, Germany and the UK. She had just returned from a trip to Egypt / Kamit. In Haiti 100% of the population speak Creole but only 10% speak French, these are usually ‘whites’, the elite or people who had university education. Angie noticed that when she was growing up (and even now) it is mainly girls under 10 who wear their hair natural. In the US they say ‘perming your hair is a rite of passage’. Her mother attends a Pentecostal church where all the women dressed ‘natural’ (with no make-up or earrings) apart from their hair which all of them had ‘processed’. It is only with the younger generation in the church that natural hairstyles are becoming prevalent.

Extensions count as natural hair so long as there is natural hair underneath and you don’t chemically alter the shape of your hair. However, if you are wearing a weave your hair should match it but she has noticed in Brixton women had unbelievably fake (and damaged) hair to the point where they didn’t even try to pretend it was close to well looked after Afrikan hair. We asked about the number of hair shops and whether she thought we should support them as examples of Afrikan entrepreneurship. Even though very few give out proper hair care advice but just style hair to cover existing damage. “It’s Black entrepreneurship but using European standards of beauty”.

We then moved on to discuss the lack of prominent Afrikan women in business, entertainment or educational fields who wear natural hair. Apart from the entrepreneur, Lisa P, who is the daughter of the owner of a natural hair care company, most other women go for a variation of ‘processed’ hair. The only natural form that is acceptable is mixed race people, such as Alicia Keys or Jada Pinkett. Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu sported dreadlocks in the early days of their music careers but soon shaved them off and we and the Hairoine questioned whether that was a part of the music machine steamroller at work against independent spirited women. And while there are more woman entering the jobs market with natural hair (and even dreadlocks) there is still that pressure that natural hair is a barrier to promotion. Even where artists brag about how they are ‘getting paid’ and ‘they run tings’ they very rarely use women with natural hair in their music videos and films. That is a true sign of how we have adopted the anti-Afrikan or non-natural images. This led us to enquire why should something unnatural be of more interest or value than something natural? And is there a sisterhood cartel against natural hair?

In Egypt the Hairoine saw that virtually all images of Hatshepsut as Afrikan were removed from history. This meant that the historical images of Afrikan beauty and natural hair were superseded by the Europeanesque ‘Nefertiti’ profile. That makes people continue to think Elizabeth Taylor is the pinnacle of Egyptian beauty and her picture is still used in articles about Ancient Egypt by western media outlets. The Hairoine saw the room of braids and extensions in the Cairo Museum and they were Afrikan.

She uses baking soda and apple cider vinegar on her hair and most of her products are made with ingredients you would find in your kitchen, such as avocado. If you have to buy then she recommends companies like Faith in Nature or Green People. Avoid Sodium Laurel Sulphate. The ‘-cones’ coat your skin. Parabens mimic oestrogen but they use it as a preservative even in companies that claim to be natural such as The Body Shop. Minimise your use of petroleum (Vaseline) which is crude oil and blocks the pores. You can use shea butter instead. A good rule of thumb is if you can’t pronounce it, avoid it!

The Hairoine has short YouTube videos on how to put your hair in natural styles and making the recipes she uses. She can be contacted for consultations and treatments on 07943 767 033 or email: info@thehairoine.com Web: www.thehairoine.com / Myspace.com/the_hairoine

~ BAN2RADIO HAITIAN APPEAL COLLECTION: 44-46 Offley Road, Oval, London, SW9 0LS.

~ UNITED HAITIANS UK EMERGENCY PUBLIC MTG ON HAITI DISASTER:
To Donate: Deposit directly into their charity bank account at:
Account Name: UHUK
Bank Name: HSBC
Account Number: 12288990
Sort Code: 40-25-02
or visit web: www.uhuk.org and click ‘DONATE’

COLLECTION POINTS
North London: Chestnut Community Centre, St. Ann’s Road (Off Seven Sisters), Tottenham, London. Mon- Fri 9am - 9pm Tel: 07852 937 981

The Hut, 379 Seven Sisters Road, Tottenham, London N15 6SE. Mon-Wed (for two weeks) 10am - 4pm

South London: Unit 6 Farrell Court, Elephant Road, London, SE17 1LB. Mon-Sat 10am-6pm

East London: Voice Of Africa Radio, 24 Swete Street, (Off Plaistow High St), Plaistow, E13 OBS. Tel: 020 8471 9111. Web: www.voiceofafricaradio.com

West London: Djed Cultural Bookstore, Adelaide Grove, Shepherds Bush, London. 10-8pm

Follow-up meeting: Sat 30 Jan at 3.30pm at Southwark Town Hall, 35 Peckham Road, London, SE15.

Info: Judith Craig (UHUK) - 07728 437 256. E-mail: info@uhuk.org Web: www.uhuk.org
Omowale, Haiti First, Haiti Now Campaign on 07957 663 260.

~ AFRIKAN CONCEPTS OF CRIME FREEDOM & PRISON
We replayed an Afrikan Quest group discussion which followed an interview with the late Chief Adelekan. Afrikan societies traditionally had lifelong training in values which enabled a person to play a valued part within their society. Because of this system it was rare that solutions to crime or transgressions involved exile or the separation of the perpetrator(s) from their family. The focus was on restitution, reparations and repentance.

People need to be prepared to make informed decisions, knowing what is right and knowing yourself. Some teachers in the modern school system educate children to be stupid and to be alienated from themselves. Societies enshrined honour but today criminals revel in criminality. You are not supposed to take your clan’s blood but today you can kill your whole family, plead temporary insanity and get four years in jail or a mental institution.

The punishment should fit the crime and we still need binding arbitration panels to resolve disputes in Afrikan communities. We looked at the role of women in dispute resolution especially as in many cases justice is considered to be feminine. Woman may lack physical strength but can exert collective authority overcoming men’s ego.

“Everything in life has consequences, it is better to get the consequences of doing good than doing bad.”


FORTHCOMING NUBIART SHOWS - Fri 10am-1pm (UK) on www.ban2radio.com
NUBIART: Focus on arts, business, education, health, political developments and the media.
~ 30 Jan: Dr Shihan de Silva on Afrikans in the eastern hemisphere.


JAN PROMOS
~ ‘Black Rio 2: Original Samba Soul 1971-1979 [Strut - Out Now] If you heard part one then you know what you are going to get here. DJ Cliffy has been raiding the crates and vaults for Brazilian music and artists from the 1970s that may be little known outside Brazil but virtually every track here justifiably deserves wider exposure. The music ranges from funk, through samba to capoeira styles and poetry. Another faultless Strut release.

~ ‘On My Way’ – Mada Nile [MAK Productions – Out Now] In the Nubiart archive we try to have music by Afrikans from every country and region globally so we were pleased to pick up our first recording from the Virgin Islands. This is Mada Nile’s second release and it is conscious roots reggae in the style of Queen Ifrica and Queen Omega. The album shows that there is a thriving reggae scene in St Croix.


NUBIART LIBRARY – JAN MEDIA:
We will try to recommend books we have read and DVD / videos we have seen and that are available in shops or libraries. However, given the nature and current state of Afrikan publishing and production there may be books, games and films on this list that are worth the extra effort to track down.

~ ‘Black Talk’ - Ben Sidran [Payback Press. ISBN: 086241-537-3] Jazz, blues, R&B, gospel or soul ‘Black Music’ has always expressed its oral Afrikan heritage. This book examines the social function of Afrikan-American music as part of religious ritual, its importance during enslavement in work songs and as a description of the cry of the ‘underground’ revolt.

‘Black Talk’ breaks down how jazz developed from church and marching bands among the extended family system established in places like New Orleans. Rural blues met organised band musicians to create early jazz from the refusal, rejection, alienation and disenchanted Afrikan-American community whose musicians were able to capture and give a voice to a community whose families had been dismembered during slavery. The first solo blues singers came to the fore with the migration north - ‘The Great Exodus of 1879’ - which supported artists in a form of ujamaa. The spiritual and financial support given to greats like Bolden and King Bolden’s Band influenced the direction of the music. Within years music progressed from a vocation to an industry.

One of the drawbacks of ‘Black Talk’ is its concentration on contrasting the Afrikan-American experience with that of white America. It is also aligned closer to Du Bois’ ideology not recognising the longevity of Garvey and his vision. However, it is still a useful read for insights in to how environmental forces and adverse circumstances push communities and cultures to develop.
~ ‘The Night James Brown Saved Boston’ [Fremantle Media Enterprises – Out Now] Double DVD set with the Godfather front and centre as he prepares for a concert on April 5, 1968, the night after Martin Luther King was assassinated by a white supremacist. With demonstrations of grief and militancy convulsing America the Mayor of Boston wanted to cancel the show over concerns about Afrikan-Americans being in central Boston. In the end it was decided to broadcast the gig live on TV and radio with the resulting concert being looped for those returning after the show. The tension is palpable as Boston’s notoriously racist and Irish-dominated police seek to uphold the racist order while Mr Brown proves himself to be not only the consummate showman but also a peacemaker revered by Afrikan-Americans and whites who knew about quality music. The second DVD is the entire concert footage and there are also bonus interviews with James Brown’s manager, Charles Bobbit, the Rev Al Sharpton, Dr Cornel West, Rickey Vincent, Dr Robert Hall and the JBs. This is a serious piece of social history that reflects the underlying cancer that is wrapped in the flag of ‘the American Dream’. Essential viewing.
~ ‘The Parliament of Idiots: Tryst of the Sinators’ – Tayo Olafioye [Africa World Press ISBN: 1-59221-352-9] Nigeria is never far away from consideration by us here at Nubiart as it is a microcosm of the best and worst of the Afrikan personality and the dysfunction of nation-states. Tayo’s second poetry collection concerns ‘its constituency of offenders and those who by tacit or explicit commission participate in this particular scandal under review and / or any other lapses not yet exposed’. The anthology is divided into three sections – ‘The Sky Can’t Keep Its Secrets’, ‘The Soul Is Forever Longing’ and ‘Whoever Despises Small Things Has Never Stepped On A Scorpion’ covering politics, business, poverty, health provision, friends, inspirations, Yoruba traditions and relationships.

NUBIART DIARY
~ THE HAIROINE HAITI FUNDRAISER The Hairoine shows you how you can help Haiti: Due to the devastating earthquake which hit Haiti, our Hairoine Expo event is now a charity event. When you buy a Hairoine product, all profits will go to the Haitian earthquake relief effort. The Hairoine Founder, Angie (originally from Haiti) and her husband will also match every Franc / Euro / Dollar raised on the night with their own funds. On Sun 24 Jan at 3pm at The Hairoine HQ, Paquis, Geneva, Switzerland. Tel: 076 414 5456. If you would like to make a contribution go to: www.thehairoine.ning.com

~ ‘DO YOU REMEMBER OLIVE MORRIS? Exhibition of illustrations, films and photos of the legendary south London women’s activist. At 12-6pm until 24 Jan at Gasworks, Vauxhall St, London, SE11. Tel: 020 7582 6848.

~ AFRICAN FEVER: PERFORMING ‘AFRICA’ IN EUROPE: In 2008, a number of Afrikan-themed circuses were touring Europe. ‘African Fever; performing ‘Africa’ in Europe’ is a collection of photographs from one of those tours, taken by photographer Jessica Kendall who spent three months with an African-themed circus tour that took her through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy - first as a PhD researcher, and then as an employee of the circus itself. Ms. Kendall became intrigued by the differences between the ‘Africanized’ aesthetics of the show, and the lives of the performers off-stage. On Tues – Sat at 10.30am-5pm until 27 Mar at Brunei Gallery, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H. Adm: Free. Tel: 020 7898 4046 Fax: 020 7898 4259. Contact Jessica at
E-mail: cirquebella@yahoo.com E-mail. gallery@soas.ac.uk Web: www.soas.ac.uk/gallery

~ BLACK HISTORY FILMS AND TALK
- 30 Jan: Saturday School Careers Day
- 31 Jan: Black troops, 1790-1948. Why Fight for Britain?
- 7 Feb: Small Island plus Q & A with producer
Tel: 020 7928 3232. Web: www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk

~ EVER YOUNG: JAMES BARNOR STREET AND STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY Autograph ABP and the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute jointly present the first exhibition in the US of photographer James Barnor’s work. It features a range of archival photographs from a seminal collection that includes street and studio portraits with elaborate backdrops, fashion shoots in glorious colour, and social documentary images from the late 1940s to the 1970s depicting a burgeoning modernity as the Gold Coast becomes Ghana and London becoming a cosmopolitan, multicultural metropolis. Alongside the photographic display, we present the award-winning Black Audio Film Collective feature film Testament (1988), directed by John Akomfrah, an experimental narrative of exile, diaspora and dispossession. From 28 Jan - 26 May at Rudenstine Gallery, W.E.B. Du Bois Institute, Harvard University, USA

- Film Screening: ‘Limbo’ by Admas Habteslasie until 30 Apr at The Autograph ABP Photo Lounge, Rich Mix, London

- Exhibition: Santu Mofokeng from 23 Jan - 20 Mar at Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Wales.

Contact: Autograph ABP, Rivington Place, London, EC2A 3BA. Tel: 020 7729 9200. Fax: 020 7739 8748. E-mail: info@autograph-abp.co.uk Web: www.autograph-abp.co.uk

~ UK CHAGOS SUPPORT ASSOCIATION AGM. The guest speaker will be David Snoxell, co-ordinator of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Chagos and former High Commissioner to Mauritius. He will talk about progress in 2009 and prospects for 2010. On Sun 31 Jan at 2pm at Pizza Express, 46 Moreton Street, Pimlico, London, SW1V 2PB. E-mail: celiawhittaker@chagossupport.org.uk

~ MOYO WA TAIFA warmly invites you to their upcoming Afrikan Liberation Day (ALD) Culture & Heritage 10 day Tour to Ghana. Tour highlights include: Celebration of Afrikan Liberation Day in Ghana; Educational tour of Accra, capital city of Pan Afrikan politics; Cultural tour of Kumasi, capital city of ancient Ashanti Kingdom; Pilgrimage to Cape Coast & Elmina, sites of the Afrikan Holocaust; Explore Akosombo in the Serene & Scenic Eastern Region; and Historical commemoration of Kwame Nkrumah Centenary. From Sat 22 – Mon 31 May 2010. For info & enquiries tel Sis Njeri: 44 (0) 7958 660 061. Web: www.moyowataifa.org

Contact Details

Kubara Zamani, Afrikan Quest International, PO Box 35165, London, SE5 8WU. Tel: 07811 494 969. E-mail: afrikanquest@hotmail.com Web: www.southwark.tv/quest/aqhome.asp