U.K.: LONDON'S AFRICA CENTRE HOSTS TOURING ZIMBABWEAN SINGER ALBERT NYATHI AND HIS GROUP IMBONGI
Record ID:
472802
U.K.: LONDON'S AFRICA CENTRE HOSTS TOURING ZIMBABWEAN SINGER ALBERT NYATHI AND HIS GROUP IMBONGI
- Title: U.K.: LONDON'S AFRICA CENTRE HOSTS TOURING ZIMBABWEAN SINGER ALBERT NYATHI AND HIS GROUP IMBONGI
- Date: 18th October 2001
- Summary: LONDON, UK (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (PERFORMANCE FOOTAGE MAY NEED TO BE CLEARED WITH RIGHTSHOLDERS BEFORE REUSE/RESALE) 1. VARIOUS OF ZIMBABWEAN MUSICIAN ALBERT NYATHI PERFORMING AT LONDON'S AFRICA CENTRE 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JULIAN OLIVIER "I heard about how London is very a multi-cultural city and I thought that I'd try and find different places in London that played African music and this is one of those places where you can really hear something that's really a part of London. A lot of African people living here so it was really exciting to come by this place." 3. MUSICIANS PERFORMING 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOM BERKLEY "The Africa Centre I have known about, again, for about six years - it's a place where I've just heard some of the most diverse music that I have listened to in the last 10 years. And it's a fantastic place which is in the hub of quite a commercial part of London but it's completely a world apart where you can listen to African music and enjoy." 5. MUSICIANS PERFORMING 6. DIRECTOR OF AFRICA CENTRE DR. ADOTE BING LEAFING THROUGH BOOK 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) Dr. ADOTE BING "If it's a music night here, there'll be a large number of Africans, people who listen to African music or are being introduced to it - it's a mixture of the members of the African community living in the UK, but also the British population." 8. EXTERIOR OF AFRICA CENTRE 9. SHOP 10. PEOPLE LOOKING AT VARIOUS GOODS ON SALE 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANNETTE BAKER-MALPAS "I love Africa and love lots of things about Africa. So to see a shop like this really unexpectedly, really is a little sort of an oasis in the middle of - well, I don't know, in the heart of London! And I am really enjoying sort of seeing all the lovely sort of figures and pictures and things, it's wonderful." 12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOHN BAKER-MALPAS "We have just themed the bedroom that's in an African theme, so we are just looking around and it's hard to find things. And we were on holiday a while back in Mauritius and we stayed in a room that was an African theme and we came back with that idea and we made a bedroom out of it. So we're adding to it all the time, so when we see things we buy things." 13. DR. ADOTE BING LOOKING AT BOOK 14. EXTERIOR OF AFRICAN CENTRE 15. SHOP 16. (SOUNDBITE ) (English) DR. ADOTO BING "There are two things that we need for this negative perception to be finally put to rest - one, is that things in Africa themselves have to change. That's a prerequisite, and the other is that as they change the positive things we speak more about them, and in a sense, that is our role." 17. VISITOR MICHAEL HANDELMAN LOOKING THROUGH SHOP 18. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MICHAEL HANDELMAN "The Africans say that once you have drunk from an African river, you will always return, and Africa gets into your blood." 19. VISITORS LOOKING AT GOODS ON SALE 20. MUSICIANS PERFORMING Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 2nd November 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics:
- Reuters ID: LVA5WWFEKA607HMEY21581SIPQH1
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: London is well-known for its multi-cultural
diversity. Amongst the many treats on offer for those
interested in foreign cultures, is London's Africa Centre.
The centre provides all sorts of African products from food
to books and goods on sale. And on Friday nights, bands
from all over Africa perform for music fans.
Long long long long ago, it used to be nice. We
used to play out in the rain, out in the sunshine, out in
the moonlight - it was nice, it was beautiful, it was
romantic, it was funny?
Albert Nyathi sings emotionally about his Zimbabwean
childhood.
Punctuated with kicks, punches, and gyrating waists,
the power and spirit of Africa emanates from his troop of
singers and dancers.
This explosion of energy is taking place not in
but here in the centre of London -- 38 King Street,
the Africa Centre.
Nyathi's group, Imbongi, is on an eight-month tour
in the United Kingdom - bringing raw African culture to
audiences on the lookout for something new and different.
Julian Olivier says "I heard about how London is
very a multi-cultural city and I thought that I'd try and
find different places in London that played African music
and this is one of those places where you can really hear
something that's really a part of London. A lot of African
people living here so it was really exciting to come by this
place."
The Africa Centre, which is run as a charitable
organisation, hosts popular African bands every Friday
night. Everyone who attends shows like these, at the centre,
is in for a treat.
"The Africa Centre I have known about, again, for
about six years - it's a place where I've just heard some of
the most diverse music that I have listened to in the last
10 years. And it's a fantastic place which is in the hub of
quite a commercial part of London but
it's completely a world apart where you can listen to
African music and enjoy", says Tom Berkley.
Adote Bing who hails from Ghana is the Director of
Africa Centre.
He sees African nights as a crowd puller - Music
being a uniting force for revellers at the centre.
He says "If it's a music night here, there'll be a
large number of Africans, people who listen to African music
or are being introduced to it - it's a mixture of the
members of the African community living in the UK, but also
the British population."
Providing good African music is not the only item
on the center's agenda. There's also a café along with a
bookshop selling a myriad of African titles. The center also
sells a wide range of African goods.
John and Annette Baker-Malpas became interested in
African culture and art after a trip to Mauritius. Finding
the craft shop located at Covent Garden was a bit of a
surprise.
Annette says "I love Africa and love lots of things about
Africa. So to see a shop like this really unexpectedly, really
is a little sort of an oasis in the middle of - well, I don't know,
in the heart of London! And I am really enjoying sort of seeing
all the lovely sort of figures and pictures and things, it's
wonderful."
John says "We have just themed the bedroom that's in an
African theme, so we are just looking around and it's hard to
find things. And we were on holiday a while back in Mauritius
and we stayed in a room that was an African theme and we came
back with that idea and we made a bedroom out of it. So we're
adding to it all the time, so when we see things we buy things."
For director Bing the centre performs another perhaps more
important function. He sees the centre and its programs as an
opportunity to change what he terms as a negative Western
perception of the African continent and its peoples.
He says "There are two things that we need for this negative
perception to be finally put to rest - one, is that things in Africa
themselves have to change. That's a prerequisite, and the
other is that as they change the positive things we speak
more about them, and in a sense, that is our role."
Michael Handelman is an Englishman who lives in
the Kenyan coastal town of Mombasa.
He returns often to the U.K. Once there, his longing for
Africa brings him back to Africa Centre, - again and again.
He says "The Africans say that once you have drunk from an
African river, you will always return, and Africa gets into your blood."
For many - who like Michael, find themselves
stranded in the UK - the Africa Centre may be one the best
places to find the spiritual power and inspiration that only
African culture can provide.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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