BlackCeleb - Issue 5

ver from Black history month to the celebration of Christ's birth or as manywouldcallitChristmas. Forme, thereisnoblackhistorymonthaswe are black all year round and we celebrate our blackness continually. Thisisnever-ending. Sogiveyourself apatontheback. Youarefabulously made.

With that being said, as we head into theChristmasseasonwetaketimeto give thanks for life and reflect on the year past and look at what the year ahead holds. Whatever Christmas means to you it is the celebration .

So, however, you choose to celebrate. Haveablessedandfruitful season.

The New Year can be daunting and forsomeitbringsaboutchange,new years resolutions etc some we keep and some we just cannot maintain. Betruetoyourselfinthisnewyearas weembarkinto2023.Wishingyouthe verybestfortheyearahead.

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

JASON BOOTHE

“For the first advent of our Lord in the flesh, when he was born in Bethlehem, eight days before the Kalends of January [that is, December 25], the fourth day [that is, Wednesday], while Augustus was in his forty-second year, but from Adam, five thousand and five hundred years. He suffered in the thirty-third year, eight days before the Kalends of April (that is, March 25), the day of preparation [that is, Friday] the eighteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, while Rufus and Roubellion were Consuls " Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel, written ca AD 205

There is a saying “The best way to hide something from our people is to put it in a book ” well let’s make a lie out of this particularly as this is right in the center of this Magazine!

It was between 6-4 B C in the Days of Herod the king, a baby would be born 10 kilometers south of the city of Jerusalem and would change the world forever, God comes to earth incarnate to dwell amongst his people, this baby would be known as Jesus of Nazareth, born of a virgin Mary (Matt 1:23, 2:1) Now you may ask why is all this important ? glad you asked Well this is the season we identify as “Christmas” which is the recognised date to celebrate the birth of the God Man BUT we have an aspersion that has been fallaciously cast for years at the beloved Church which says “The Christian Church assimilated to pagan holidays (Saturnalia) for syncretistic and political reasons as well as to acquire more followers

Here are the facts This erroneous idea was propagated by two 17th-18th century scholars, Paul Ernst Jablonski was of the thought to celebrate Christ’s birthday was a diluting of the orthodox apostolic roots seen as no such praxis existed in the 1st century, then Dom Jean Hardouin postulated that the Church appropriated heathen modus operandi yet not demeaning the Gospel!

Now, though it is true that Aurelian the Roman Emperor during 270-275AD inaugurated the Sol Invictus(Birth of the Unconquered Sun)on December 25th, history also shows Hippolytus who lived 170-240AD states this

This shows one of the proofs that before the initial celebration in the 4th century the date was already fixed as the birth of Jesus The Christ and already popular among Christians, for scholars, theologians and philosophers who were on a tenacious quest to find out when to celebrate the crucifixion and resurrection, this was the date concluded because of a jewish belief (not biblical) that Jewish prophets died on the same day as their conception or birth! Based on this early Christians concluded that the conception was on either March 25th or April 6th, March was the conclusion, also known as “The Annunciation” then if you count nine months from that date what do you get December 25th! There were also other dates proposed January 6th being one by Clement of Alexandria(150-215AD)

So the point being made here is this, there is NO historical evidence for the Church plagiarizing, assimilating or borrowing from paganism but from the earliest of Christendom there has been investigations on when to celebrate and honor the most holy days in our faith to show our love and revere for the one who was born, then died, rose on the third day as the exalted Christ who vanquished death!

My peroration is this, though no one can be unequivocal about the Lord’s birthday we can be free in the liberty (Rom 14:5, Col 2:16, Gal 5:1) where Christ has made us free to celebrate this day we called Christmas, the coming of our Savior to earth, redeeming his own from their sin and giving us a guaranteed hope of eternal life in peace with God, this is not about paganism, commercialism but rather the theology and traditions of the early Church, you do the math!

BUILDING YOUR LEGACY

By Ezra Blondel

Over the years property, has proved to be a solid way to create real wealth and is one of the safest investments strategies around Everywhere in the world people need homes. Rents tend to rise over time. Real estate values also tend to increase over time In the UK the widening gap between house prices and incomes, and the tax laws, make investment in property a smart move even with increases in interest rates.

With your rental income you can build a pension pot and improve your quality of life – pay for trips abroad, children’s weddings, an overseas home - knowing that the bricks and mortar remain there and will be worth more when your children are grown You are investing today, enjoying today, and building for the future. What better opportunity?

What can we do now, in our 30’s, 40s, 50s, 60s to help secure a good retirement and a strong financial future for our children? We can keep healthy by boosting our immune systems and adopting healthy eating habits We can provide our children with a good education so they can earn an honest living, compete successfully in the workplace, and make decisions that lead to contentment with their lives. Great! These actions are necessary. But we can do more to ensure that we and our future generation do not have to worry about the cost of living, where we live, when we work, and the age at which we retire. There are many ways in which this can be done but this article suggests building a legacy through investment in property.

You could consider buying a house where your child attends university. They can rent out to other students, so the rental income covers the mortgage payments. After university they could use the equity built up in that house as a deposit to purchase another house

Thinking that being a landlord is a hassle? Luckily in property there are many letting agents who will manage for a fee Choose good ones and set your child up for life. You would like to invest but have only a small amount which is less than a house deposit? No worries. You can partner with another investor to make up the deposit and own the property jointly for some time Concerned about 40% inheritance tax? By planning in advance with a qualified and reputable tax adviser you can provide a solid financial footing for your children and a legacy for future generations

The investment decisions you make now will impact your children and their children While you cannot predict what lies ahead of you there are steps you can take now to plan a comfortable retirement and give your children a valuable head start. You are never too old, and your children are never too young, for you to invest in property.

The investment decisions you make now will impact your children and their children. While you cannot predict what lies ahead of you there are steps you can take now to plan a comfortable retirement and give your children a valuable head start You are never too old, and your children are never too young, for you to invest in property.

Share this article with your friends in the UK and anyone overseas who wishes to invest in UK properties but require feet on the ground. We also assist anyone facing a life crisis like divorce or terminal illness and require assistance with solving a property challenge.

Considering these ideas? We can connect you with specialist property investment professionals

Email ezra.blondel@hotmail.com now.

Bloom where you are planted

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

At 14 years old I first got my taste of shoe repairing working as a Saturday boy with my brother in Ilford I remember ladies heels were as little 99p and keys were 50p At the time I was attending Rokeby Comprehensive School in Stratford

When I finished school in 1984 I only took 4 exams as I was not the greatest in the class and left school without even knowing what my results were I managed to get a YTS (Youth Training Scheme - it was called back in the day) job via Plessey in Ilford My earnings at the time was only £26 25 so I did not stay there for too long as I wanted to earn real money I went from working at a factory in Bow, tried my hand as a Bus Driver and also worked in a factory in Plaistow

I became a Store Manager at the age of 21 working for the BSC (British Shoe Corporation) in 1989 which was at the same time I had the first taste of radio shows for CRN which was a local community radio station

My experience in the shoe world went from the British Shoe Corporation, Timpson, Sketchley and Fresh Collection

In 2002 I managed to secure a position with James Shoe Care based in Canning Town and from that experience I then managed a store in Canary Wharf 2009 I then got the chance to buy a franchise with was the Barkingside Branch This was a major turning point for me as I never in my wildest dreams thought of being self employed. However, with the support of the James brothers, BNI (Business Network International) and my family I have managed to stay there for 13 years now co-owning A1 ShoeCare in Grays with Micky my business partner

HOSTING / RADIO

Started 1989 with CRN Radio at that time starred djing with Cousins Sound ( Dj Christoss, Lady Sass, Poleto Don, White Wine ) at local party’s and wine bars Now I host and let VIP Boogie or Christoss play the music but enjoy my early morning shows on Gy Radio

LOCKDOWN

For me there wasd only one downfall which iI will not mention but I enjoyed every minute of it This gave me time and space to venture into new avenues such as Zoom parties, connecting with new friends both in London and the Midlands, going back on radio stretching shows after a 12 year break and even luanchin a successful rado station namely, GY Raido Now I am hosting many events and tavelling as much as time allows me to

I an now the proud owner of several business James Shoe Care (Barkindside), A1 Shoe Care (Grays), Get Your Tickets (Online Ticketing Site) and GY Radio (online radio station) One thing I have learned regarding business is that if you love what you do you will not feel like you are working. Discipline is very important and sometimes as a businsess owner you will have to do things you do not want to do My businesses wouldn't florish if I did not have good people around, so choose your company wisely

If I could speak to myself at 21 I would probably say Don’t get involved in music but look to become your own boss as soon as you can Contacts

" you see, not just a load of cobblers"

Tel 07985 118123 hello@MartinWynter com www.MartinWynter.com

FITNESS FOR ALL ‘Walk thisway’

Welcome to my first edition of Fitness for All I’m a Personal Trainer and I’m looking forward to sharing my fitness tips with you all

So the new year is approaching and I am sure that many of you will be thinking about resolutions and I know that fitness and health is usually at the top of the list! But most of the time we do not stick to it Can I tell you a secret? Five years ago, I used to drive to a shop which is three minutes away I literally would drive a whole block to get to that shop Then I discovered the power and beauty of walking Walking not only relieves stress and gets rid of tension, but you can lose weight, boost your energy levels, get better sleep and hopefully have a healthier heart If you walk with a friend, it can allow you to talk and as it’s all about saving the planet and the pennies at the moment, it’s eco friendly and saves money – it’s a win win!

So how does one get started? Before you start you shouldalways warm up first, it’s important to get the blood flowing I usually do some knee lifts and roll my shoulders back and forwards to loosen things up

So how long should one walk for? Obviously, you’ve got to start somewhere, say maybe approximately 10 minutes a day for a few weeks, then increase to about 5 minutes extra per week. If possible it would be good to walk briskly but you need to be able to hold a conversation and you definitely should not be breathless. The aim could be to walk for about 30 minutes but whatever you can do is fine and you could do this for 3 to 4 times a week where possible Slow down if it gets too much and always listen

P e r s o n a l T r a i n e r

S a n d r a E w e r s

to your body. And don’t forget to cool down after with some stretches. You want to bring your heart rate back down and prevent any injury. Very important.

What do you need for this? A good pair of walking shoes / trainers is necessary, a water bottle, some comfortable clothing and walking with a friend / buddy is a good idea, gives you an opportunity to chat also You could even set yourself a small target and have a walking plan All I’m going to say is once you start walking – watch this space at how different you will feel Some days I just put a bit of music on and walk on the spot at home especially if the weather’s bad It means I’m still walking

Finally, remember slow and steady wins the race and don’t forget to check with a health professional if you are unsure about starting to walk As I am writing this, all I can hear is the song ‘Walk this Way’ with Run-DMC and Aerosmith

NL PR - natalie leonna

multi-talented

Former model turned PR and Creative specialist Natalie Leonna is the founder of NL PR

NL PR initially came into fruition in 2011 as Natalie Leonna PR after 6 years of modelling and working behind the scenes in PR, promo and creative direction within the fashion and music industry Natalie was originally headhunted as a model at the official Black hair and beauty show in 2005 by Sleek Cosmetics where her journey into the industry began

Natalie soon teamed up with a model agency HGE headed by Tigerlee , where she worked with artists such as Wiley, Ghetts, Kano and so much more , brands include Ann Summers, Addidas, Apple Ipod Skins, M&S as well as Black Hair and Beauty Magazine and Loreal amongst many more

Natalie found that although her modelling career was taking off she much preferred to work behind the scenes where she built an extensive list of contacts within the industries and formed many lasting great relationships

She soon teamed up with agency HGE to partner up and run the agency offering PR services as an agency as well as a creative agency After 5 great years, Natalie and Tigerlee went their separate ways to pursue their interests which is when Natalie Leonna PR was born Natalie had the necessary contacts and built the knowledge and access needed to succeed in fashion and music and wanted to niche her agency so that it specifically worked with artists and brands that had real talent, but just needed the right direction and talent

Natalie teamed up with now good friend and business affiliate Hakeem Stevens owner of AAA Seminars and USM Media Group a heavy hitters within the industry, where they have worked with brands like Caffe Concerto and Island Records

Working heavily in events also Natalie has worked on events and concerts for artists like Amerie, Lil Wayne, Dipset, Rick Ross, Trey Songz and J Holiday and many more as well as brands like the Luton Arts Council, Debenhams, Toni & Guy and the Super Mothers Ball

During her many years in the industry Natalie could see that there was a disadvantage to black creatives, brands and organisations and focused her business model on elevating and upscaling black British brands and artists

After stepping away from music to focus more on fashion and black community organisations, Natalie Leonna PR went through an entire rebrand to NL PR

Natalie has always had a deep interest in furthering the black community In 2017 Natalie met with now business partner Tricia Blake of Diva Choice as fashion client They formed a fab relationship and fund that they worked really well together working on numerous Diva Choice projects Stamp Abu Dhabi and countless events they have teamed up in a business where they opened Branding buffet Studios, a small content and branding photography studio with 360 machines hire for studio bookings and externally Under the Branding Buffet CIC element of the business, we will be holding countless events and branding workshops for upcoming businesses

Natalie has always had a deep interest in furthering the black community In 2017 Natalie met with now business partner Tricia Blake of Diva Choice as fashion client They formed a fab relationship and fund that they worked really well together working on numerous Diva Choice projects Stamp Abu Dhabi and countless events they have teamed up in business where they opened brandin for stud Buffet countle busines

Creating bi-monthly events with black professional Panelists where we brainstorm and implement solutions to get us to our ultimate goal of creating an independent sustainable black community.

2020 was a great year, where I also established No Bravado a topical debate Facebook Group and LIVE podcast called No Bravado which has really taken off and has seen over 1 6k group members

It was also the year Natalie teamed up with long term good friend and marketing guru Shamele Cato to form a business that had been a long time in the making for both, NAELLE STUDIO (naellestudio.com). Independent black-owned online black hair and beauty supply store, bringing the afro hair and beauty store into the 21 st century, focusing on not only selling black hair and beauty products but educating us on our hair and skin and needs as well as a heavy focus on wellbeing which has taken off and doing really well.

NL PR continues to grow as a PR and Creative Agency providing creative direction offering photography services also working on some great Blaize Pops and Diva Choice campaigns

As men commu y y

Natalie strives for in business and in life and so in 2020 launched the initiative What Next? A community organisation focusing on creating an independent infrastructure in key areas where she feels the black community are not excelling and not supported including:

There are so many great things in the pipeline for NL PR and the other businesses that Natalie continues to work on – all focusing on the elevation of black economics and black business

Website:

nlpronline com

Facebook: NL PR AGENCY NO BRAVADO BRANDING BUFFET STUDIOS NAELLE STUDIO

I grew up in Hornsey, North London in the 1980’s. I embraced New York Hip Hop culture and was a dedicated DJ and graffiti artist. In those days, in my mind, you only had four life choices to make. Rap, breakdance, Graffiti or be a DJ, cutting up breaks on two turntables. I truly believe that those thatembraceditweretrulyblessed in life and I dedicate everything else in this story to Hip Hop, the truefoundationofmylife.

My sister’s Joanna and Nayo would put up with non-stop music and noise in the house. However, they were into it as much as I was, embracingDJ&musicculture at an early age. The Technics SL1200 turntable became my bible and records were my hymns. Back thenifyouwantedtoDJtoan audience you had to be part of a sound system, ours was called Sweetbeat. This was my first sound system, made up from a collective of friends playing at house parties in North London. This was the first time I had speaker boxes and turntables; it was an addictive era. We had red LED lights in the bass speakers that would flash as big basslines dropped Sweetbeat was the beginning My school friend Elliot was a big part of this We spent many hours behind the turntables, practicing and perfectingsetsandmixes Weeven performed once on the turntables during a school assembly at school Elliot’s name was ‘TC’ which stood for Total Control and my DJ name was O-Jay After these early years we enjoyed spending many years working together We had a talented mic man, a school friend called Derek John who would get the crowd going with sweet lyrics and cool raps Derek started to DJ and later became the legendary Jazzie D soon after this period We all embraced the street sound culture

My late father Timothy Baxter was a professor at the Royal Academy ofMusic Inlateryearshewas one of eight professors that travelled the world assessing and markingmusicexamsforthe Associated Board. My mother Rosamund Grant is a food writer andrestauranteur.Shehada restaurant in Crouch End, five minutes’ walk from school. I worked at the restaurant on most nights for many years and had a great induction into Caribbean, West African and Southern American food, preparation and cooking. We appeared on the BBC Hot Chefs programme as Mum and son cooking and I thought ‘this is it’. I am going to be a chef, but it transpires that music and eventswasmydestiny.

MyUnclewasBernieGrantMPand he also had massive influence in myself-beliefandconfidenceto believe that anything is possible. Bernie was an amazing Uncle with a love for football and basketball (as well as politics) which we wouldwatchreligiouslywhileIwas ateenager.

DerekhadacousincalledTerry,DJ Crime Weallbondedsoquicklyas soul brothers, with like for like interests and B-Boy Culture running through our veins. Terry played for one of the biggest sound systems in North London and it wasn’t long before Terry Introduced the three of us to the Funki Dreads of Soul II Soul founded by Jazzie B who became mymusicalgodfatherandmentor. Myself, Derek and Elliot joined Soul 2 Soul and became full time DJ’s. Around the time when Fair Play was released, Soul II Soul’s first single, I decided it was time to setup my first business. One night during service at the restaurant mumcameintothekitchensaying thereissomebodyshewouldlike

metomeet ImetJamesCashin, his company was called Secret Agent He was looking for DJs to join his agency, I told him there couldonlybeone!buttherewas two, myself and Elliot. Secret Agent opened our eyes to the corporate world of DJing in the West End. Many of my future connections were made during this time including DJing for the Marines at the American EmbassyandotherEmbassy’sin London. The business was called ‘SoundsGoodtoMe’.

This was a DJ agency supplying DJs for corporate events I had some of London’s best DJs doing corporate parties for an evolving events industry I was building up my stock holding and getting lots of new clients I then became a BBCcontractor Thiswasabigdeal as a young Black DJ and business owner Thehighlightofthiswasto DJattheTopofthePopsawardsin Manchester and having Kylie and DanniMinoguearguinginfront of me about which one of their records to play During these years I worked for celebrities up and downthecountry Myfavouritewas Lenny Henry, we clicked straight away, I would do wrap parties and events for him I also did his wedding celebration in Cornwall Lenny is also a lover of hip hop culture and often used to beatbox a song in my ear, saying ‘play that onenext’ WorkingforLondon’s finest event planners created an interest in technical event production

My first big production clients were SharonandReggiefromLusterHair Products We had many years of successful shows at the Grosvenor House Hotel which is one of the biggest ballrooms in Central London. During this time, I was the technical supplier for the Afro Hair &Beautyshowwhenitwasat Alexandra Palace for many great years of progress and black excellence. For Afro Hair & Beauty we supplied sound, stage and lighting equipment and one year we did Destiny’s Child with Beyoncé and Kelly Rolland in the WestHallwhichwasoneofmyfirst bigproductionjobsatthetime.

Many thanks to Claire Jackson for recognising me and giving me this opportunity. I was DJing at events and looking at the lighting and sound systems and thinking that I could do better. My biggest event in those days came via a great friend and influence, Steve Leslie Lewis from the Mobile Music Company. He was one of the first black DJs playing on the corporate circuit that took corporate event DJing to the highest levels Legend has it, that he played for her late majesty the Queen The event was the festival ofspeedatGoodwood Ithinkthis was this biggest dancefloor I had ever played for It was for 2,000 people; the event organiser came up to me five minutes before I was due to start and asked what wasmyfirstsonggoingtobe This continued to be a question I was asked throughout my DJ career I did the opening night at Pacha London for the BBC and was askedthesamequestion

Sounds Good to Me was a great business, but I lacked business knowledge, so I did a course at City and East London collegebusiness studies. This gave me a great foundation to take my companytothenextlevel.Whileat college we started a movie hire service - on video cassette. (This was before blockbusters I may add) We used to even do our own trailersforthefilmsyoucouldrent! The entrepreneurs were all around me As digital music started to evolve and DJs started to use CDs, DJs became their own managers anddidn’tneedagencieslikemine tofindwork,soIdecidedtosellthe company and join forces with David Graham and Sound Division which at the time was the UK’s biggest DJ equipment retail store

My answer was simply, “I will go with flow and read the crowd” A DJ can start to read the audience while playing background music I would thunder big tunes all night andkeepthedancefloorspacked These were great years My Soul 2 Soul days also contributed to this period as Pops and Daddy Harvey part of the Soul 2 Soul family, would express to me how important the equipment was as partoftheeventprocess.

I stayed on to run the hire department and fell in love with equipment ownership, hire and production During these years I met and married the love of my life Maxine and we were blessed with two wonderful daughters, Rebecca and Ella-Louise After 11 loyal years at Sound Division, we parted company and I decided to set up on my own 2007 was the startofRockitEventProductionLtd Rockit started with a small loan and a safe store garage In the early years we excelled and won key contracts to allow investment into equipment and grow the company to what it is today, 15 yearslater

I believe that success is determined by the people you surround yourself with. I have talkedalotaboutmusicandDjing. Music is like a treasure chest of lyricaldialogue.Lyricsarestoriesof love, adventure and situations. I find myself reflecting on lyrics of songs every day in life. With a strong family and supportive friends, you just have to believe in yourself and in my case, believe in the music and everything starts to fallintoplace

I think that everybody in life should experience being their own boss. Living with your decisions and learning from bad decisions is really important. Being patient, kind and consideratewasmyapproach tolifeandbusiness Ihavealways trusted my own judgement and encourage younger generations todothesame Youareincontrol of your destiny if you can have foresight and belief If you make the right decisions your business will grow and you will succeed After 15 years I am very happy with life and business, although the reality is that I still have mountains to climb The struggle andfightstill goeson,there’sjustlesspressure with experience Years of experience gained from mentors and people that had done it all before is a key factor to business growth

In future years I hope to continue to drive forward investing in equipment and growing my businessinto a bigger and better version of its current self. Rockit supplies technical equipment and services for the events industry. We specialise in suppling sound, lighting, video, staging and power distribution for corporate events, marketing agencies and brands across LondonandtheUK.

Rockit was named after a Herbie Hancock record from my old school days and is a true reflection of me as a person I went to see Herbie Hancock perform Rockit live at HammersmithPalacebackinthe daywithGrandmasterDSTliveon the turntables This lived with me forever so it was only just that I named the company after that experience ‘Big Up’ my Uncle Leyland for taking me to that concert I hope to continue to grow, expand and give value to theEventsandMusicIndustry

I would like to thank my family and friends that have supported me over the years Thank you to musical mentors Norman Jay MBE, Trevor Nelson MBE and the late Paul ‘Trouble’ Anderson for beingsuchaninspirationtome

Looking forward to many more successful years and creative influence

ChrisBaxter

DirectorofRockitEvent ProductionLtd

The Neo Soul Advocates

AwarmseasonalintroductionfromClaudzakaMissOuch–MusicColumnistatBlackCelebMagazine. ‘Hello, a very warm welcome is extended to all our readers! The Neo Soul Advocates section of BlackCeleb magazine consists of an ever-growing set of discreet yet like-minded, online platforms, DJ’s, Public Relation agents,Promoters,AwardsCeremonyandChartShowHosts,andlastlyRemixSpecialists We come together viaawideplethoraofavenues,tohelpraisetheprofileofArtists,ingeneral,theveryintriguingandengaging sounds of Neo,Independent,andIrregularSoul music making pleasurable waves on the music scene both here in the UK, across the Atlantic, and beyond You are invited to get used to typing the following hashtag #theneosouladvocates into your search engine on the various social media outlets to find us, in order to keep abreast of what we are all up to in an attempt to keep you entertained and informed about the music onanongoingbasis.

ClaudzakaMissOuch

DJ Colonel, this happygo- lucky, approachable and friendly gentleman began his incredible musical career as a selftaught musician playing bass guitar for a Lover’s Rock version of the

popular song ‘The Way We Were’ .

With the music flowing fluidly through his veins after the end of the band’s activities, Colonel joined the street sound called Scorpion Studio as a DJ specialising in Soul Music , playing at mainly house parties, honing and developing his skills as a selector.

With his well-rounded style and love of all genre's he was soon booked by various promotors to play at events around London as well as at well attended weekenders around the country This has led to him entertaining crowds at huge annual events, both at home and abroad including The Notting Hill Carnival, The St Lucia Jazz Festival, Soul Village Barcelona and The Rotterdam Carnival to name just a few. He was one part of a duo Fatman and Colonel and well known particularly in and across London

Colonel can now be heard entertaining and engaging with listeners of Cruize Radio. There he hosts an impressive 3 shows per week, incorporating his highly popular ‘Battle of The Artistes’ feature. You can find Colonel on the information provided below

DJ Colonel has appeared on The Neo & Indie Musical Shoot Out Show with James KMT Leng which clearly demonstrated that he has a sound knowledge of the genre, so do check him out to see how he merges this wonderful music into his sets on the radio etc

DJ EMAI AKA LIFE CHANGER

DJ Emai is remarkably and indisputably passionate about music, period! He is a renowned and respected creative within the UK music scene as a wholly talented DJ,MasterofCeremony(MC),Wordsmith andProducer

DJEmai,originallyreigningfromBrixtonis a disciple of Sir Frano B Sound and formally from the street Sound Latest Edition. Emz started collecting records at thetenderageof7,andatjustaged15he started his music career in a local sound system with some of his cousins called Firehouse. At 18 he joined another South London sound called Mellows Mobile Studio

He then pursued his journey as a radio presenter on several platforms namely Star FM, Powerjam, Lightning Radio, Juice UK, TheRock926 and Injection Radio where he covered various styles and genres of music with a firm focus on RnB, House, Dancehall, Hip Hop, Neo Soul & Lo-Fi.

He has now rebranded himself as Emz The Life Changer as he continues to deliver and make music in a unique, edgy and informative way.

He is the joint CEO with James KMT Leng of a highly popular and sought-after online show called ‘Dons of The Lab’. This is a platform which showcases a group of Producers who have an exceptional ear for music. Each of the Dons featured have their own distinct style of remixes, refixes and productions. When they come together the entertainment is like no other and it commands a loyal in inquisitive audience including many DJs. DJ Emai currently MC’s professionally for the talented female DJ Lolly in and around London and much further afield.

You can find him online on Mixcloud every Friday night for his late-night show ‘Team No Sleep’ where he showcases his array of musical knowledge and the infamous lab works

Emz began creating his own remixes in 1991 which are a hybrid of the music he plays and he has not stopped until this day He can be foundweeklystreamingonMixcloud, Twich & YouTube. He has also been a guest on The Neo and Indie Musical Shoot Out show Please do stay abreast of this talented individualonthelinksbelow

ChrisRydaisaproductoftheSoundSystemCultureofthelate70’sandearly 80’s Alongwithhiscousins,theybuiltaSoundcalledJaegerHighPowerfrom ColdharbourLaneinBrixton

ThesoundallowedChristotravelacrosstheUK,wherehegainedawealthof experienceplayingtoavastarrayofrevellers

Notcontentwithjustplayingthemusic,hereleasedmusic,thiswasinorder that their sound could stand out. Their mission was to be different and to sound different. His mind dabbled with ideas at home and he began recording himself on ‘instrumental riddims’ thus creating their own dubplates

Chrishadanaturaltalentforsingingonlytofindoutlateroninlife,thathis fatherwasaveryactivesingerinthe1960’sand1970’s,performingatmany weddingsandsocialevents ItisevidentwhereChris’stalentstemmedfrom

Chris Raya

His love of the Sound System Culture brought him to join ArrowsSyndicate and Dub Natty Sound moving forward Still recordingandimprovinghiscraft,thecrowd’sreactiontothesedubplatesfuelledhisinterestfurther,andwiththeaddition ofafewfriendsnamely‘20hzProductions’Chrisstartedwritingandproducingmaterialandbroadeningthegenrewhich nowincludesthegenresofSoulandJazz.

In 2003, he appeared on the Niteflyte Album release U-turn, writing and singing Sunshine He and the songstress Jill Francis feature together on the song ComeBack The album also features a Jean Carne remix called Do You Believe (producedby20hz)

Overtheyears,familycommitmentsmayhavesloweddownthemusicalprocessbuttheloveandhungerisstillheretoday, whichisevidentintheDonsOfTheLabseriesonYouTubecurrently

You can catch Chris Ryda at www.donsofthelab.com and YouTube showcasing his productions skills alongside his fellow Dons BandcampnowhasanEPcourtesyofMrRydawhereyoucanreachoutatchrisryda@yahoocom Finally, a new Friday monthly social event called ‘SipNSmile’ has commenced which is held at ThePost, 159 High Street, Penge,SE207DS,whynotcomedown!!

RawSoulRadioLive–The‘ChargedForSoul‘show11pmto1am Thursdays -www.rawsoulradiolive.com Facebook-https://facebook.com/chris.mcdonald.9404 IG-https://www.instagram.com/ryda236/ WebsiteDonsOfTheLab-https://www.donsofthelab.com/

AsanextensiontotheonlineshowTheArtistInjectionhostedbymyselfbi-monthly,I doliketoshowcaseartists,professionalsandingeneralpeopledoinggreatthingsin ourcommunityinrelationtoMusic,TheArtsandEntertainmentoverall. In this issue we start off with a fitting tribute to a late great multitalented British Artist and follow on with two extremely influential and pioneering individuals who broke the mould, stereotypes and glass ceiling for many people of colour by simply and organically beingthemselvesandhavingthegutstobedifferent!

ASincereTributetoNoelMcKoy–RIP

Ironically, Eton Blake one of the band members of the infamous British Reggae group Matumbi, was married to Noel’s sister and this is how he got further into music, playing musical instruments initially. He then met Dennis Bovell (who additionally was a member of the group Matumbi and he also released Dub- Reggae records under his own name). Over time this connection led to Noel presenting Matumbi on tours and travelling across the UK periodically, which was a very exciting time for him. (source - live interview with Shaq D DJ )

Noel McKoy, originally from South London and born in the early 1960’s, has been a prominent, brilliant, dignified and hugely important public figure in Black British Music for a generation. He was a well-loved Singer, Song & Screen Writer, Instrumentalist, Producer, Engineer and dear friend to numerous people in the industry.

Unknown to many, he started his music career in the genre of Lovers Rock when he was still a Spencer Park secondary school pupil in their school band called The Albians (1975). They were later signed to the Studio 16 record label; they wrote and recorded their own material and had a number 2 Lovers Rock hit called ‘Princess’ The band were signed to Decca records via K&K records and went on to record 6 singles.

Noel’s vocals can be heard on a track called ‘Who’s Gonna Love Me ‘with The Albians at the tender age of 14 He verifies this fact as written in the comments on this YouTube video link –https://youtu be/yQxymgU7dGc where many moons ago he quoted ‘wow that’s me on the vocals aged 14 and the rest of my school friends’

Noels 2nd band was called SW11+ It was put together by Noel for a friends play which featured the band so after the play the band decided to do a few shows and then called it quits

Noels 3rd band was called Impak and they were a reggae fusion band

Noels 3rd band was called Impak and they were a reggae fusion band.

Noel was perhaps more widely known for his exceptional journey in Soul Music His musical journey become more prominent when he and his siblings released the songs "I'm Lucky" and "Family" in 1989 His first album, Full Circle – Within A Social Soul was released in 1993, followed four years later by Mind Is the Keeper. In 1998, he owned his own record label, Right Track Records, and released his third album, Please Take This Personal. His fourth solo album, Brighter Days, was released in 2009 on the soul label TriSound, and featured the singles "Jealousy" as well as the title track. As recently as 2021, he teamed up with exUB40 sax player, Brian Travers, and reggae-fusion trumpet player Patrick Anthony Tenyue to release the selfpenned track, "Liberation", for TEK2 Productions. His was a collection of soul, gospel, funk and Northern soul

l l e t i n

McKoy created, produced and presented the Dutch Pot new artist nights in London – which ran for five years

Over 300 artists including Hill St Soul, Shaun Escoffery, Michael Jackson (writer), and Jeffrey Williams gave early performances at these nights – which proved to be pivotal to their later careers. International names topping the bill included Omar, Lynden David Hall, and Def Jam's Tashan ( source of this paragraph Wikipedia)

McKoy cited his influences as The Beatles, Dennis Brown, Chaka Khan, Martin Luther King Jr , and Nelson Mandela [3]

Albums

Full Circle – within a spiritual social soul (1993) (as 'McKoy')

Mind Is the Keeper (1997) Please Take This Personal (1998) Brighter Day (2009)

Cut From The Same Cloth (2013) (as 'McKoy') People Make Change (2019)

The

Later projects and activities –

, this phenomenally

group was formulated with Noel,

Lyefook MBE, Don E McClean, Junior Giscombe and it is said that this was essentially Noel’s idea !”

British Collective

popular

Omar

Noel was found to have stated directly on The British Collective website, the following - “From the moment we got together, I knew this was going to be something special. The energy and love for what we do, just comes so naturally This real chemistry is both creative and fulfilling. Our individual journeys have now become a collective one. British soul deserves its rightful place in music history ” (See link below)

Tributes have been pouring in for Noel since his untimely death in November 2022 from all across social media from Artists, Family, Friends, Musicians and fans alike. A point was made of contacting DJ Elayne (a good friend of Noel’s) in order to pull this article together, I also liaised with some members of The British Collective during this very busy and emotional period for all concerned

They have had this to say between them – ‘Noel was such a talented individual, and extremely multifaceted, for example he was making music, involved in plays, events, facilitating the community with his studio, working with young up and coming talent and even with all of that going on, he always remained a very humble guy, which we have always admired’’

The members of the group have known Noel for a very long time with Junior who has known Noel from birth, whilst Don E was with the same recording management company called ‘Jago’ back in the 90’s ( ‘Unbreakable Times’ states Don E ) They went on to say ‘’We saw a lot of each other and worked on various projects.

Things become more serious in 2013, when we got together as the British Collective and recorded an album, Noel was an integral part of the group; he brought so much to the table, he was our big little brother.’’

The group released their take on the song ‘Love Me Tonight' originally recorded in a Lovers Rock version by Trever Walters in the 1980’s , which was well received by all who heard it .

‘‘Love Me Tonight was his idea’’! they said , ‘’He started singing it over some chords I was playing for a track Lee John brought in! The rest is history"

Junior said ‘’He was a friend, a brother, and a humanist who believed in people and chose to help those in the arts; be it drama, music, production, engineering or song writing ’’

‘’He was a creative force, immense in his field and as left a void in the hearts and minds of those who knew him His work will live on for generations to come and those memories we shared as part of The British Collective are etched firmly in our hearts and minds’’

They ended by saying ‘‘We had so many plans for the group, Noel’s passing has left a void for sure, we won’t be getting over this any time soon, we love and miss him so much’’

Finally, Noel ran studio sessions every Sunday with his old school mate called ‘Tony’, they started a record label called Foundation Recordings in support and to develop young up- andcoming artists, they indeed worked alongside established artists in this capacity too They recorded many of the old Studio One and Lovers Rock classics, they then would utilise the dubs to record new songs often with new lyrical content They now have produced approximately 40 tracks to date, all on 7-inch vinyl. I understand that they have released 2 to date (to be confirmed) Noel then went on to work on a Reggae album most recently, which is the genre where he started as afore mentioned

A ’3 CD Album’ simply called TRIO was planned to be released in May 2023, consisting of various genres namely Reggae, Dance and Soul It is hoped that his plans and legacy will be kept alive in the forthcoming months and years . Links to this new music will be shared in the next Edition of BlackCeleb Magazine if they transpire

A personal note from me ‘Noel, thanks so much for always embracing everyone, with no ego or hierarchy. You made even everyone feel so equal and you made time each person regardless of rank in the music industry. I echo the sentiments that you will be sorely missed I have had the pleasure of covering both Don E and Omar through my work, and we were in discussions about covering you which did not materialise unfortunately I will however endeavour to keep your music alive in my shows, and wanted to feature you in this forum as you certainly deserve it. Thank you for the fabulous music. RIP King’’ Claudz x

A sincere ‘thanks’ to DJ Elayne, The British Collective & Colin Brown for contributing & supporting this tribute. Please do check out Noel’s music and influence below

Links - Noel McKoy

The British Collective Website - The British Collective Facebookhttps://www facebook com/noel mckoy 54 Twitter - https://twitter com/noelmckoy

IGhttps://www instagram com/creativemc50/? hl=en

https://www instagram com/noelsamuelmckoy /?hl=en

YouTube - https://www youtube com/results? search query=noel+mckoy

Applehttps://music apple com/gb/artist/noelmckoy/5575893

Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/1DG9SecxFUW pI9U8jxWpwj Bandcamp

https://bandcamp com/search? q=noel%2Bmckoy&item type Discogs

https://www discogs com/artist/28525-NoelMcKoy

https://www discogs com/artist/4260528-TheBritish-Collective

Links – The British Collective

The British Collective FBhttps://www facebook com/BritishCollective The British Collective Managementtania@umcmanagement.co.uk

The British Collective Apple Musichttps://music apple com/gb/artist/the-britishcollective/923018767

The British Collective perform LIVE on Leathon Lacrette’s platform during the Covid 19 periodhttps://www.facebook.com/leathon.lacrette/v ideos/1063938537622218

(this went viral)

A fitting tribute to Noel McKoy held at The Grand in South London after his death–performance by The British Collective and vocalist Trevor Walters ( who released the original Lovers Rock version of ‘Love Me Tonight‘) -

https://www facebook com/claudette thornton 5/videos/1189516314992902

N E S M I T H A K A D J E L A Y N E

Elayne Smith, better known as DJ Elayne, is an incredibly beautiful and talented individual ‘who deserves credit for her admirable dedication to media, entertainment and music’. Say's Zak CEO LWR Radio.

She is a female who defied all the stereotypes and with her energy and exuberance, catapulted herself into the forefront of radio in the 1980’s She commanded the LWR breakfast show which afforded her a massive audience which numbered around 2 million listeners

This was the beginning of an illustrious career that subsequently took Elayne's talent show that later evolved into the ‘291 Club Variety Show’ to both LWT and Channel 4 for 3 series Further success followed with an A&R Manager appointment at EMI records, giving her the distinction of being the first woman to hold that position in the UK Whilst at EMI Records, Ms Smith teamed up with the Voice Newspaper and created the showcase album series Flyfreshnphat.

The story does not end there, as Elayne went on to present Top of the Pops and join B Sky B for some of their landmark shows including “Rage,” “Global Jukebox,” and the “Chart Show ”

Elayne has presented radio shows for LWR, Choice FM, Rockers FM, TSOG-Grenada, Jump268-Antigua and Colourful to name a few.

(DJ)Elayne is currently presenting syndicated shows on LWR Radio, Jump268, Fly Fresh N Phat whilst compiling Fly Fresh N Phat Showcase album VOL 2.

Watch out for the next 291Club Talent finding Show "I am so pleased to announce the teaming of MediaNet, the Original 291Club and Fly Fresh n Phat". Elayne explains with enthusiasm "The three companies will produce and broadcast the audition section of 'The Original 291Club talent search' on MediaNet's platform called 'The Stage is Yours' for more details please go to https://www theoriginal291club com/

Elayne's mum passed 13/3/2022 Iris, Pear, May Ramsay arrived in the UK in the late 50s. Ms Pearl worked as a machinist Ms Pearl often said "If it wasn't for my piece work as a machinist I don't know how I would survive.

With mum's memory in mind Elayne started a GoFund me page in order to build a Sewing Room for Young Girls and Single Mothers, in honour of her late mother, who always talked about young people having a trade that they can always turn their hands to. Please follow the link to learn more about this worthy cause and to donate All donations is greatly apprciated https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfun ding/elayne-smith-1? utm term=wGJ2jB2jr

her. "Maybe my other single friends will find partners too". "It'll have a house party vibe" she said thoughtfully "Yes I'll Introduce the dance card feature from, my 'Him & Her Ology' entity!!!, elayne said, now prancing around the room; "this will increase everyone's chance of getting a much needed dance with someone nice and can dance.

I'll employ Passion PR and make it the start of 'Him & Her Ology' events. I'll create the himandherology.com dating site where the singles & Couples community can grow from People will meet at my events as a way of getting to know each other".

Elayne's face lit up "JEEEEEZZZZZEEE I can quite easily give away a wedding to a couple(s) who are ready to be married!!!!"

We can also look forward to Elayne's autobiography, 'The Story So Far',

"I am ready to be coupled up with my perfect person who is a King and has the attributes of a King". she thought standing to face her curvaceous nakedness in her bedroom mirror "I am about to be a 61 year young, GORGEOUS Queen, AND, I deserve a party, not just to celebrate me, but to round up eligible bachelors and bacholoretts". Elayne thought "mmmm yes, that's what I'll do; I'll make my birthday party a 'Singles & Couples' birthday Party" Ms Smith announced out loud to her reflection beaming back at her.

PAUL CHARLTON AKA PC MISTRI

THEMISTRI?

aul Charlton aka PC Mistri – is a firm and highly respected pioneer in the British music scene from the 1980's to present and he has made some outstanding contributions to shape and maintain the social scene and the way we listen to music today Mistri quite rightly received a Lifetime Achievement Award- for Leading Black Advancement in the Music Industry’ at the Annual Legacy Gala in 2016 He has firmly and consistently driven the music scene for more than a generation and become a household name well over 3 decades ago It is fair to say that there are few mature party goers who have not experienced his creative delivery of music coupled with his distinctive unique witty and charismatic voice over the mic

Mistri has hosted countless prestigious events and radio shows over the decades, in the early days he worked closely with a gentleman called Michael Gittens (pictured above with Mistri) They arranged New Year’s Eve Parties as partners way back form 1979 The tariff was a remarkable £5 00 entry with drinks all night and evidently was a well-attended event as it went on for years!

Mistri has always particularly supportive of others, and has been warmly embraced by the general public and many highly influential people and artists

As stated in the Legacy Gala Magazine all too often his efforts to galvanise his peers onto a unified force to better secure a physical place in the U K’s most iconic entertainment locations have fallen on deaf ears ‘

Mistri has travelled far and wide on his musical journey, playing his creative sets He remains current and his high regard is unchanged in the music industry by his peers, and listeners on the radio as well as on the social scene

Mistri continues to put on well attended events, and is involved with Mi-Soul Radio presently where he remains committed to supporting the next generation as they seek to express themselves through music

M

istri was invited to talk about his full journey in music on the Set The Trend Podcast’ only 3 years ago – A platform which documents those who have helped to shape the STREETSOUND CULTURE It is hosted by three further highly acclaimed pioneers in the business namely Junior Banton aka Sweet Vibes of the infamous 5th Avenue Street Sound, Michael Fountain aka Mr Eastender of Soul Motions Promotions and Reggie Styles -DJ, Presenter and Radio Plugger This podcast alone received over 7 5K views – such is the interest this wonderful approachable individual is still able to attain

"FULLJOURNEYINMUSIC"The full Set The Trend Podcast podcast can be seen here -https://www youtube com/watch? v=oDv2zFOy7eA

I urge you all to watch this to the end as there quite simply isn t sufficient space to write about this great man with the detail he deserves within this article, it s an enjoyable watch and ever so inspiring!!

BlackCeleb Page 26

Paul has always understood the importance of innovation, marketing, sales, partnerships and reinvesting in his community

multiple generations creating a space for others and helping to motivate and inspire youths seeking economic freedom through the expression of music as a DJ and Sound System man

Family I am so proud of you as I know so many of us from South East London are too You are a pioneer and a real trouper Continue the great works Sending blessings to you King’’) source – Facebook

Mistri remains very active , and can be heard on MiSoul Com and Mi- Grooves Radio every Saturday and Sunday 1- 4pm for a Music Elevation experience – with more music less chat !! You can also catch Mistri playing music live every 3rd Friday of the Month at The Railway Telegraph alongside DMac from 8pm to 1 30am – please follow on the social media links below for further details LinksMi-Grooves Radio - https://mi-soul.com/mi groovesradio/ IG https://www.instagram.com/mistr1entertainment/? hl=en& https://www instagram com/mistr1entertainment/ & https://www instagram com/mistripaul/ Facebook https://www facebook com/mistri Twitter - https://twitter.com/mistripaul Mistri Events Page FB https://www facebook com/mistripaul

Youngpreneur

When I was around the age of 10 I was always

interested in acrylic nails. Unfortunately, I was too young to go to the nail shop and get them done professionally, so I would always go to Primark with my friends and get stick on nails and pretend they were real acrylics to get the feel of them.

2017 was the time I got my first-ever acrylic set and fell in love From then I never looked back I always got them done every holiday because I was in love with looking at the process of getting my nails done in the salon. Unfortunately, on January 29th, 2020 Covid started and we were in lockdown I was extremely bored and didn't know what to do with myself, as this was the first ever pandemic I have experienced... During this time, staying at home 24/7 I was always on my phone scrolling through Instagram looking for the latest updates in the nail industry, when I came across a nail technician doing an Instagram live tutorial on how to do acrylic nails. I would sit on my phone all day and watch her until I made a decision to start my own business to become a nail technician

At the age of 14 I started off getting ideas from Youtube on what to get for a beginners Nail Technician and that really helped me start off buying the basics.

I also spoke to friends and family about my idea and everyone gave me motivation and encouragement to begin my journey. I then bought all the essentials I needed and started teaching myself everyday

Throughout the process I thought it was a little bit of a struggle as this was all very new to me, so my parents then paid for a 1-1 teacher to show

In the beginning

me step by step on what to do when I started to deal with with clients face to face basis. She taught me how to do a manicure, how to prep the nail, beading, and application of the acrylic and so on

I had a lot of time as I was training during lockdown and I was so determined to accomplish my goal.

It was definitely a struggle for me because I had a lot of things going on, and of course I was only 14 the time but because I was so interested and ambitious nothing could stop me

I was at a point in my nail journey where I wanted to give up because I was in a rush to be perfect not realizing it takes practice to improve. With the help of my nail teacher and parents, I felt independent enough to practice on people and teach myself new things. With all the practice I began to see the improvement and never gave up because I had faith in myself and knew I could go far.

Now I am proud to say I obtained my Diploma became a qualified Nail Technician in 2022. I have improved so much, much more than I expected and I am so grateful to have come this far. I came from struggling to getting great feedback about my work from people I don't even know

I have now set up my booking website on my Instagram page called nailedbypaige4l

In a couple of years, I would like to have opened up a business of my own, for people just like me with aspirations to extend their business in beauty. Further, to diversify the my salon to include waxing, massage and nails If this goes to plan, hopefully I could travel to different countries and have clients globally booking mobile appointments

And now!

By Paige Nicholas

Back To My Roots!

I was born on the edge of the Caribbean sea. The island was rugged, tiny and super green! I lived there with my grandparents. When I was seven years old I moved to England to join my parents and my little sister, who I met for the first time.

England was quite a contrast. The houses were joined up, it was cold and there were toy shops! Most of all, there was Epping Forest Just a few steps from the front door I was into the forest It was a great place for me to explore I used to spend most weekends there and just about all summer holidays exploring the forest, climbing trees, wading through rivers and streams and checking out the numerous ponds I loved learning about the wild plants and trees that grew in the area At that time I was extremely shy, so the forest was a great place to be alone I'd spent so much time there that my interest in plants continued to grow

When I was a out ten years old, one of my teachers, Miss Osmond, realised that I was interested in growing plants, so, she decided to give me her garden to develop. It was a hundred feet long and the width of the house. I grew flowers, vegetables, planted a conker tree and made a rockery. It was so much fun having that experience. When I think back, Miss Osmond was really important on getting me started with my gardening career. I'm so grateful that she gave me that opportunity.

Eventually, I studied horticulture at Capel Manor in North London I became more fascinated to learn how plants grow and how they can be used to make an area more beautiful, practical and peaceful When I'm surrounded by greenery, by natural surroundings, I feel tranquil, so, I thought it would be a great idea to do that for others

My biggest project to date is un Central London, where I designed and installed a memorial garden for Mary Seacole She was a nurse who helped injured soldiers in the Crimean War My next big project will be on my home island, where I'll create a botanical garden with a difference Something really unique! Wat h this space!

Einstein said "look deep into nature, then you will understand everything better " Well, I looked many times and very deeply The little green glow that began in Dominica was ignited on arrival in England. It fuelled my passion for plants, nature and everything green.

I'm currently located in London where I'm busily engaged in my landscaping business. I also facilitate community vegetable growing and run foraging and Nature Immersion sessions in the local countryside...any excuse to be in fresh air, in nature. The responses I get from those who participate in these activities is overwhelming and brings me so much joy...as it does for them. Being involved in these extra activities has proven to be much more than I originally envisaged. Participants say it has aroused a greater curiosity within them a out the natural world. They've started to notice things which they would ordinarily walk past. It's also given them a greater sense of community. Growing their own food is very satisfying for them and knowing that it can contribute to their health and well-being. With the current high and increasing prices of good food, it's a great opportunity for them to save money

In the near future I intend to relocate to Dominica where I hope to offer unique experiences in nature The idea is to help people reconnect with nature, themselves and others

Happy Independence 44th Dominica