Street Cred Magazine - January 2022

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MUSIC FASHION FILM GADGETS HOLIDAY EDUCATION HEALTH AND FITNESS

JANUARY 2022

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DEBUTS HER NEW ALBUM - KEYS - IN DUBAI

Page 18 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2022

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Rock legend Tony Iommi comes face-to-face with his 469 million-year-old fossil

S

ome might already call him an old fossil, but legendary Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has now come face-toface with a pre-historic trace of life named after him.

It comes after heavy metal-loving scientists from Scandinavia were so thrilled to discover a 469-year-old fossil in Russia that they named an entirely new species of conodonts Drepanoistodus Iommii – after their rock hero.

To celebrate the momentous occasion, Westside BID manager Mike Olley set up a surprise

Facetime meeting between Tony, his fossil and lead palaeontologist Mats Eriksson on the Black Sabbath bench in Birmingham.

Tony said: “It was a real shock to hear that a fossil’s been named after me.

“I’ve had a bit of abuse from my friends about it who’ve enjoyed calling me an old fossil, but I think it’s great, a real honour.

This has to be the weirdest thing that’s ever been named after me but I’m really proud of it and I wanted to thank Mats and his team in person for being such brilliant fans.”

Speaking to Tony from his

home in Sweden, Mats said: “What an absolute honour it was to meet you!

“The reason we do this is to have fun and to combine my love affairs with nature and with music. But this is just amazing.

For me to publish academic papers published is fun but talking to you is priceless.”

Mats, who has been a fan of Black Sabbath since he was a boy, was so thrilled by his team’s discovery that he commissioned legendary 'heavy metal painter’, Joe Petagno, to create an honorary painting to mark the occasion.

He added: “I love the painting

that Joe affectionately refers to as ‘Tony Iommi conjuring an otherworldly gargantuan conodont.” The fossil is said to be from an ancient eel-like marine vertebrate known as a conodont – depicted in the painting as a giant, alien-like creature.

Mike Olley, manager of Westside BID, said: “The purpose of having Tony here with us was to celebrate the fact that he’s officially a fossil. I’m delighted we were able to set up the meeting and I want to thank Mats for his fantastic gesture to honour one of Birmingham’s greatest rock heroes.”

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The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2022 - Page 19

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DANCEHALL KING DR LT REV STITCHIE BESTOWED WITH OD

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s an educator, through his messages of determination, righteousness and unity, Dr Lt. Stichie is one of the most respected artistes on the reggae-gospel scene who recently was honoured with a Doctor of Law degree in International Humanitarian Studies from the Dayspring Christian University, Association for Biblical Accountability in Education and Friends for Life Outreach Department of Training and Education for his involvement in outreach work, and other areas, as well as education.

His second honorary doctorate - the first was conferred in 2012 by the Cornerstone Christian University in Orlando, Florida, for his contribution to gospel reggae music - through his music career having performed at benefit shows and events in the role of motivational speaker and participated in programmes to provide prison inmates with scholarships for education.

“I’m representing the Kingdom of God,” real name Cleve Aman Laing says, “as I’m a follower of Christ. I am representing my country and its rich culture,” he continued, “for which the

Stepping Into The Fashion Invasion 2021

responsibility is on my shoulder to let people know that Jamaica is not synonymous with criminality - as some, who don’t know the country, may be made to think.

A volunteer and philanthropist, the king of the dancehall recently received an OD (Jamaica’s Order of Distinction) on the country’s National Heroes Day for his contribution to Reggae and Dancehall Music, Locally and Internationally, according to the National Awards proclamation.

He joins the ranks of other musical legends including U-Roy, Shabba Ranks, Yellowman, Sean Paul and Shaggy.

F

ashion was the name of the game as amazing designers PWR & Purpose, Black Woman, Atuu & Sassy Luxe brought their creations to Fashion Invasion 2021 at the Legacy Centre of Excellence.

With sets from DJ Mexy, Double Impact & JB 'Wassifa' Brown and live performances alongside the amazing fashion and models walking the runway, the night was hosted by the fantastic Merisha Stevenson.

Look out for more from Atuu and the other designers in future publications!

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GAU PASS BRINGING BRAZILIAN REGGAE THROUGH NEW JUBBA WHITE COLLABORATION

B

razilian singer Gau Pass has made another step forward in spreading the gospel of Reggae music throughout her native land and the entire Latin American market with her latest release, a Portuguese version of Jamaican Jubba White’s song ‘You Got Me Going On’.

This is a smooth, romantic, lovecentred song which was originally written and produced by Jamaican singer, songwriter, drummer and music producer Jubba White.

With the assistance of Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Juninho V and Brazilian Reggae Band Unidade 76., Gau Pass adapted the track to Portuguese at the invitation of Jubba himself, for a larger project in which

several singers from around the world recorded their own version.

Regarding this collaboration which has already received praise by fellow musicians and producers for its instrumentation and lyrics, Gau stated: “When I chose to pursue music professionally, I understood that the lyrics of the songs which I chose to record should truly speak to me and be something meaningful for me to express, lyrics that translate my spirit and soul. So, I’m very happy to collaborate with Jubba for this musical project”.

Gau, who also dabbles in Jazz and is able to sing in Portuguese, English, Spanish and Arabic, comes from a musical family with her father being a vocalist and her two brothers being

instrumentalists. Additionally, she has received formal music education, is involved in musical curatorship and currently handles music programming for a Brazilian cultural institution.

The classically trained singing sensation considers her style to be an eclectic fusion as it incorporates elements of Reggae, Jazz, Opera and even music of Middle-Eastern origin.

No newcomer to the Reggae music world, Gau who previously recorded an English-language cover of Jesse Royal’s ‘Rock it Tonight’ has been a fan of the genre for over two decades and will soon release her first album featuring collaborations with composers from Jamaica, Nigeria, Gambia, Morocco and Brazil.

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CEMENTING HERSELF as one of the breakout stars of 2021, Bree kicked off the year shortlisted for BBC Sound of 2021 and ended it with a BRIT Rising Star award nomination.

Single releases from her widely acclaimed 2000AND4EVA Mixtape including, ATM, Gucci and HOT HOT have garnered huge global acclaim with Bree scoring a BET Award for Best New International Act (viewer’s choice) and co-signs from the likes of Doja Cat, Chloe Bailey — whom she cameoed for on “Have Mercy” — Khalid, as well as rap behemoth Cardi B. The Hackney-born singer also featured on Lady Gaga’s Dawn Of Chromatica Remix album released in September, securing what she calls the “feature of a lifetime”.

Last week Bree also received two MOBO nominations for Best Female and Video of the Year for HOT HOT. Sonically, Bree is an enigma, forever evolving global pop into her own contortions, and never one to shy-away from fashion, she’s become a muse for some of the world’s biggest labels - Gucci — synced the star’s song of the same name just days ago.

As she mentions in her 2021 PAPER cover story “It’s beyond the music, it’s a lifestyle.”

Orwell’s satirical masterpiece to receive world premiere at Birmingham REP THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED brand new production of George Orwell’s Animal Farm will receive its world premiere at Birmingham Rep prior to a national tour.

Presented by The Children’s Theatre Partnership and Birmingham Rep, Animal Farm, Orwell’s world-famous, biting political novel was first published in 1945 and tells the story of a revolution and its aftermath.

Re-imagined by an awardwinning creative team, Animal Farm is a dynamic, daring and contemporary take on a timeless story.

This brand-new production is directed and adapted by the multi award-winning Robert Icke (The Doctor, Hamlet, Mary Stuart, Oresteia).

Icke previously worked on another of Orwell’s classics, 1984, which he co-adapted and directed alongside Duncan Macmillan, garnering him his first Olivier Award nomination for Best New Play in 2014, enjoying smash-hit runs in both the West End and on Broadway.

The production also combines the forces of some of UK theatre’s most talented creatives, including designs by the four-

0121 339 5885

time Olivier Award-winning Bunny Christie (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Company, Ink, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), and puppetry by Toby Olié (War Horse, Running Wild, The Grinning Man, Goodnight Mister Tom).

The cast of Animal Farm includes Matt Churcher, Darcy Collins, Enrico D. Wey, Ailsa Dalling, Elisa De Grey, Edie Edmundson, Michael JeanMarain, Rayo Patel, Yana Penrose, Markus Schabbing, Sharon Sze, Ben Thompson and Matt Tait.

The production is produced by Children’s Theatre Partnership (CTP) in association with Birmingham Rep. CTP creates bold and imaginative theatre for young people, engaging new audiences and aiming to inspire a life-long love of theatre.

Animal Farm runs at The Rep from Saturday 22 January – Saturday 5 February 2022. In line with current Government regulations, The Rep is now open to full capacity, but continues to take a number of carefully managed steps and precautions to help audiences feel safe and enjoy their chosen performance.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2022 - Page 21

HANGING OUT WITH HIGGINS

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MONTHLY COLUMN steve@stevehigginsproductions.com www.stevehigginsproductions.com

ROOTZ OF MUSIC

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n Hanover, Jamaica, during the early 1950’s, when he was just three years old, a Harmonica was placed in his tiny hands at Christmas, and he was in Heaven!

Mesmerized by the sound it created by simply blowing into this mouth organ, this child was instantly inspired and began discovering his world in music! Thus began his dream of filling his life with music.

Courtesy of his dad’s hobby, he later got into listening to radio - programs from The USA, Cuba, Bonaire, and Ecuador, and recalls a love of Fats Domino’s & Roscoe Gordon’s music from the age of five!

Having taught himself how to play the Harmonica, Eugene Grey and became increasingly fascinated by music, and was now experimenting with other instruments.

At twelve years old, he became lead instrumentalist for a band formed by his friends attending the Ruseas High School in western Jamaica.

In 1964, this band – The Serenaders-

l Eugene Grey with Ras Mubarak- Member of Parliament, Ghana won first place in the Jamaican Ministry of Culture’s “Pop & Mento competition” – which was THE music competition of the day!

Their prize money? £100! (Recall that in those days, Pounds, Shillings and Pence was legal tender in Jamaica).

This was a big deal and happened during the ‘Vere Johns period’.

(Vere Johns was the Impresario of

note and celebrated radio personality and journalist of the day, who had a massive impact on well-known and successful Jamaican musicians.)

They used the prize money to equip their band with state-of-theart instruments and continued to be inspired by musicians such as Byron Lee, Carlos Malcolm, Sugar Belly with his Bamboo Sax, and the likes of the Bertie King Band, Mapletoft

JAMAICANS.COM

“You can take the man out of the country, but you cannot take the country out of the Man!” This was the greeting from Kingstonians when us countrybumpkins ‘landed’ in the capital city. This rang true as well for Xavier Murphy when he found himself living in the USA without his daily diet of ‘Jamaicanizm’. So, he did something about it!

In 1992, he started monthly print Newsletter, which he called “Nuff Respect”, whose mandate to be the source of things Jamaican, providing a balm to the souls of the homesick and to share information about our beloved homeland. Soon, his newsletter morphed into a different format, and incorporated feedback from his Jamaican readers and the unlikely non-Jamaicans.

The latter relished our culture, our tasty dishes and of course, wished to visit our beautiful country! He therefore added Jamaican recipes, Tourist guide tips, lessons on speaking Jamaican patios - and more. The clever introduction of slightly provocative material prompted spirited responses from both sides of any controversial topic, such as the saucy material about the wiles of the Jamaican Man. In 1995, Xavier started a website called- “De Website on Jamaica”, but soon the name became Jamaicans.com. The popularity of this platform was explosive, with engagement from University students of Jamaican heritage and curious non-Jamaicans alike. 1996 saw the expansion of the offerings to include Community Forums –‘posts’ that covered subjects such as relationships, food,

travel and business. This was the social media of the day.

By 1998, The Forum attracted over 28,000 registered folks … all by word of mouth. Jamaicans. com added more researchers and contributors to the team, and as they pursued their mission, they always moved early with technology. Indeed, they added video content, a You Tube channel, social media presence including its Facebook page, overhauled their website and launched two (2) live shows daily on Facebook, meeting folks wherever they were!

Jamaicans.com gained serious traction and in the Diaspora became the protector of our culture, the messenger for our people and one of the great repositories of information on the Jamaican experience, always showcasing the greatness of our country and its people. They

on the Ed Sullivan show!

Eugene has opened for musical giants such as The Mighty Sparrow, Torrie Wynter, Sonny Bradshaw and a host of major acts. He played with bands such as Fab-5 and did regular engagements at the Junkanoo Lounge in New Kingston.

Grey emigrated to the USA in 1975, met with and played for Irving Burgie, Steph DePass and even graced the Apollo Theater in New York. He then opened his recording studio – “Tropic Isles Recording Studio” and recorded many musical greats.

He appeared on The Johnny Carson Show, Miss Teen America Pageant, New York at Nights TV Shows, and has played at the White House!

Today Eugene Grey is an eminent musician; a Jazz guitarist, arranger, composer, and music educator with a fan base stretching from Australia to Ghana, From Argentina to major cities in Europe.

He has been honored by his community in South Florida several times over and consistently gives back through his 501©(3) Foundation “Rootz of Music Inc”.

He teaches musicseveral instruments- to young children and continues to grace the world stage with his eclectic style, cross pollinating multiple genres of music, much to the delight of his adoring audiences….and it all started with a dream of a wideeyed kid!

Visit rootzofmusic.org and get a glimpse of Eugene Grey’s world!

Poulle Orchestra, and the Grandville Williams Orchestra.

The band played everything from “Mento” to “Ska” to smooth music by The Drifters, with Eugene experimenting with multiple instruments.

Indeed, his curiosity and passion led him to teach himself to play the Trombone. He even made a 4-stringed solid body guitar out of cedar wood, then taught himself to play the bass guitar!

After his school friends left Ruseas, Eugene’s next move was to join the band called “The Monarchs” in Grange Hill, Westmoreland. He was invited to appear at major events, as his musical prowess became known within the musical fraternity all over Jamaica, including the likes of Clive Williams & The Aces, as well as the Willie Dixon Band.

The band received a 6-month contract to play at the Bimini Hotel in the Bahamas- his first overseas assignmentand even received an invitation to appear l Eugene with wife, Felicia Grey

even incorporated Jamaicans to tell their updates and tidbits own stories, create on other Caribbean legacy programs for the countries. next generations, create Today, traffic on interesting interactive Jamaicans.com is video content and impressive, with almost provide accurate 900K pages viewed information on Jamaica over the past month! to all! He wishes to (The average is about inspire the younger 500K page views/ generations and to month), 200,000 page leave with them, a keen visits and over 4 million sense of who they are. hits across the world, Special note: Over mostly from Jamaica, the Christmas Season, Canada, Europe, the far there were many East, the UK, & The inquiries on Jamaican USA. recipes! Top recipe In addition to inquiries came in about Facebook (178 thousand Fried dumpling, Curry followers), Jamaicans. chicken, Boiled flour com has presence on dumpling, Jamaican Instagram (94K), You fried chicken (different Tube (28K Subscribers), seasoning) Cornmeal Pinterest (20K), Twitter, porridge and Bully Linked In and Tumbler. l Xavier & Karen Murphy, Founders of Jamaicans.com beef. Also, Rum Punch On average, over twenty and Curry Goat! includes the News Summary on thousand readers receive by the top seven story for Jamaica Visit Jamaicans.com and email, their Weekly Newsletter, and the Caribbean get caught up with everything and over nine hundred listen Xavier’s wish is to continue to Jamaican! to the Weekly podcast, which manage a platform that allows

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Page 22 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2022

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Food & Fine Dining 44 FOODS SAVES CHRISTMAS FOR FAMILIES AFFECTED BY Free Bar Staff At THE FARMDROP Training Coventry Uni COLLAPSE

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Wo r c e s t e r s h i r e based food retailer came to the rescue to save Christmas for families who had Christmas dinner orders cancelled as a result of the recent collapse of Farmdrop.

After the news broke that the farm-to-table company was to permanently close, thousands of customers, some of whom were relying on deliveries due to being in isolation, were left without their crucial festive food shops.

However, thanks to the kindhearted actions of Redditch based retailer 44 Foods, Christmas dinner was still on the menu after they reached out to a number of affected families via social media to offer replacement food bundles,

free of charge.

44 Foods operates in a similar way to Farmdrop - allowing producers to set their own prices and giving consumers a way to shop directly in an ethical and sustainable way. Having launched in January 2021, this is the firm's first Christmas.

Hattie Castelberg from London was overwhelmed by the company’s generosity after she received a bundle containing everything needed for a Christmas beef dinner for 6.

The bundle included a 21-day matured Scotch beef joint from Stirlingshire based JW Galloway, organic seasonal vegetables from Mudwalls Farm in Redditch and premium duck fat and gravy from Wiltshire based Potts.

Hattie says: “After my Farmdrop order was cancelled

and with the family all coming to mine on Christmas Day, I really didn’t know what I was going to do. I couldn’t believe it when 44 Foods got in touch to see if they could help “I just want to say a massive thank you to 44 Foods. I’m totally overwhelmed! It’s so kind and means a huge amount to us.”

Managing Director of 44 Foods, Hannah Anderson, said: “We were really sad to hear about the collapse of Farmdrop, not least because much like our offering, it gave consumers access to top quality, ethically produced products.

"We wanted to do everything we could to help Farmdrop customers and were delighted that we were able to bring a bit of festive cheer after what’s been another difficult year for many.”

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY offering free training for bar staff to help customers feel safer Coventry University is offering free training to bar staff in the city to help them identify harassment, spot drink spiking and make nights out safer. The Girls Night In campaign saw women in the UK boycott nightclubs earlier this year to highlight the issue of drink spiking and called on clubs to deliver welfare training.

Case Manager Amber Taroni, who specialises in harassment and hate incidents, had already planned to work with university bar Square One to deliver training on how to spot, report and tackle harassment and spiking before the boycott. She has just delivered a pilot session at Square One and to widen the training to help more venues across Coventry, Amber is developing a 15-minute training webinar that can be provided free of charge.

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T Aimèe Helps To Continue The Magic Of Pantomime WEST END STAR, Aimée Fisher from Wolverhampton has joined the Grand Theatre pantomime company and is ready to step in and protect the magic of panto at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre this festive season.

Aimée is currently in the UK tour of Waitress, covering the roles of Jenna and Dawn, which resumes performances in 2022. She found herself back on stage sooner than expected, covering roles in the Grand Theatre’s panto Cinderella, to ensure pantomime can continue uninterrupted - part of The Grand’s COVID-19 contingency planning.

Aimée has previously covered the roles of Elphaba and Nessarose in the West End production of Wicked and Fantine in the West End

production of Les Misérables.

She will return to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre in Waitress from 28 June – 2 July 2022 and said; “I’m delighted to be home and helping to keep the magic of pantomime well and truly alive at the Grand Theatre.

“Audiences here are among some of the most receptive and supportive in the country and the welcome by the theatre has been wonderful.

"The magic of pantomime has been truly missed over the past year and to play my part in helping to keep it going for the many families who are looking forward to seeing the show is an absolute honour.”

Tickets for Cinderella (until Sunday 9 January 2022) and Waitress (from 28 June – 2 July) are on sale now.

The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2022 - Page 23

ENTERTAINMENT

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he world of music mourned the death of internationallyrenowned reggae bassist Robbie Shakespeare who helped move the genre into new before-unheard of territory and whose presence was hugely prominent on classic works by the likes of Black Uhuru and Peter Tosh, to Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger.

His death was announced on Twitter by Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment & Sport, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange.

Of his death, Black Uhuru’s Michael Rose said: “Nobody sounds like Robbie. He had the wickedest bass. You’ll never find nothing like that again. This is a big, big loss.”

As half of the prolifically renowned rhythm section Sly & Robbie, with long-time friend and collaborator Sly Dunbar on drums, he was rooted in the deep, rootsrhythms of his native Jamaica.

As a progressive duo, they were never afraid of trying different sounds, as they were forever moving their sound into even more styles.

Their syncopated, electronicdriven sounds became evident on classic singles like ‘Pull Up to the Bumper,’ by fellow-Jamaican legend Grace Jones.

Born and raised in East Kingston, Robbie was a protégé of bass legend Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett before, in 1973, he was invited to hear Sly play at a reggae club. In an interview, Dunbar said: “The first time we played together it was magic.

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Paying Tributes To Legendary Bassist Robbie Shakespeare “We locked into a ‘groove’ immediately. I listen to him and he listens to me. We kept it simple.”

The pair became members of Channel One studio house band, the Revolutionaries, who pioneered the heavily syncopated reggae offshoot - known as ‘rockers’.

They then went on to start their own production company and record label ‘Taxi’.

Known as the Riddim Twins, during the mid-Seventies, they appeared on classic albums by Tosh and also recorded with nearly every major reggae act, including Gregory Isaacs, Dennis

Brown, and Barrington Levy.

Sly & Robbie reached greater success when they joined one of reggae’s biggest bands, Black Uhuru. They hooked up with Island Records head Chris Blackwell, who recruited them for Grace Jones’ genre-smashing Nightclubbing LP in 1981.

The duo was incorporating more computer-generated rhythms and sounds into their tracks and in 1985, the first year the Grammys included a category for Best Reggae Anthem, the award went to Black Uhuru’s Anthem, produced by Sly and Robbie.

Also produced music for movie

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soundtracks, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Poetic Justice, they were nominated for 13 Grammy Awards.

Paying his tribute, Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness said on Twitter: "When it comes to Reggae bass playing, no one comes close to having the influence of Robbie Shakespeare."

A cause of death was not immediately disclosed, but the musician was said to have recently been hospitalised for kidney damage. He was 68.

Page 24 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2022

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Aquel J releases new Soca track ‘Breed Yuh’ NEW YORK CITY-BASED artiste Aquel J has released his latest Soca contribution entitled ‘Breed Yuh’.

Written by Aquel J and produced

by DJ Jr. Cruiza it’s a tune for the wining queens frequently seen on the global fete scene. In the song, Aquel J colourfully communicates how one such girl’s gyrations may entice him to immediately expedite the stages of their budding relationship.

Much like the song title, the danceable track’s lyrics are rooted in distinct Caribbean jargon.

Regarding the lyrics in this song, Aquel J shared: “I got lyrically inspired by the way we people of Caribbean decent communicate via slang, picong etc. We have a direct, raw way of speaking that can come off comical, flattering or off-putting depending who we’re speak to, yet we have a ‘take me

as I am’ demeanour that people tend to love.”

This provocative new track has also spawned an accompanying music video which has been turning heads and creating a buzz online for its out of the box storytelling and risqué nature.

The music video, which gives a nod to the 1996 movie ‘Set It Off’, as well as an episode of the 90’s sitcom ‘Martin’, combines intensity, sexiness and humour and has thus far been regarded by several viewers as eye-opening, unexpected and even mindblowing.

The first-generation TrinidadianAmerican who also operates the virtual World Wingz Restaurant and Soca Kitchen TV, plus music label WE Muziq Entertainment and event promotion company WE Vibe NYC, holds firm to his West Indian roots.

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Pop Superstar A Keys Debuts New Album 'KEYS' in Dubai at Expo 20 S

uperstar Alicia Keys debuted her new album live in front of a packed crowd at the Expo 2020 world’s fair in Dubai. It was a lively performance full of soaring vocals and piano solos.

“We can live on the air,” she serenaded from beneath the vast shimmering Al Wasl dome at Dubai’s Expo, a fortified stage ringed by captivated and COVID-19 vaccinated fans bouncing, grooving and nodding to the beat. “Baby, baby, we gonna rock forever.”

Keys, 40, strolled onstage in a glittery gold bodysuit, her hair

in a tight bun, and unveiled her eighth studio album along with old classics, exuding unadulterated confidence and enthusuam.

“Tonight I want you to let everything go, let everything go, and come with me on this journey,” she told revelers. “I never want this night to end.”

Her jazzy songs under the dome’s projected starry sky, set to percussive piano harmonies created a kind of ceaseless, dreamy atmosphere through the Expo grounds as the warm winter night hung over Dubai. Keys twirled, grooved int the crowd and sometimes sat alone while hitting those vocal sprano notes while skillfully playing the piano.

The 15-time Grammy Awardwinning singer’s sprawling double album, “KEYS,” includes two versions of each

By Delroy Constantine-Simms song: “Originals,” produced by Keys, and “Unlocked,” produced

by Keys and Michael Williams II, who goes by Mike Will Made-It. " Her piano-driven “Originals” consists of emotional, intimate soul tunes oozing with love and longing, while “Unlocked” showcases upbeat, more pop versions of the same tracks.

She presented the album's premise to the crowd as an experiment on Friday night.

“Tell me which version you like better,” she said before performing starkly different versions of the same track, one swooning and one synthesized, asking for the audience’s preferences through their cheers.

Her Dubai set also featured hits like “Girl on Fire," “Empire State of Mind" and “New Day,” booming anthems to which the audience danced and sang along

wholeheartedly.

Much of the new material maintains her characteristic R&B backbone and themes of soulsearching, desire and devotion.

But the “Unlocked” tracks offer a surprisingly distinct and stylized twist.

Keys’ previous album “Alicia,” released in the thick of the pandemic last year, focused on more topical and raw themes, with vulnerable confessions and references to virus-battered health workers and ordinary people’s struggles to scrape by.

Keys has said she felt the new tracks ushered her into more confidence and clarity, describing the album once as feeling just completely “comfortable in my skin.”

Over the dizzying past two decades of her career, Keys has become a global pop and R&B icon — as well as a bestselling memoir author, actress, activist, entrepreneur, Grammy host,

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Elvis Costello & The Imposters Drop New Song ‘Paint The Red Rose Blue’

Alicia w

E

lvis Costello & The Imposters' new song ‘Paint the Red Rose Blue’ is now out . ‘Paint the Red Rose Blue’ is the second song to be released from 'The Boy Named If' out January 14th 2022, the new album of urgent, immediate songs with bright melodies, guitar solos that sting and a quick step to the rhythm.

According to Costello, the song is "The account of someone who has long-courted theatrical darkness, only for its violence and cruelty to become all too real. In its wake, a bereft couple learn to love again, painting a melancholy blue over the red of romance.”

Elvis will return to the UK in June 2022 with The Imposters (Steve Nieve keyboards; Pete Thomas - drums; Davey Faragher - bass & backing vocals) along with Charlie Sexton for an extensive UK run of dates. Ian Prowse will be opening the show, performing songs from his upcoming album.

‘One Hand on the Starry Plough’ will be released 11th February, 2022.

020 philanthropist and pioneer of a #nomakeup in public trend. She's also a mother, as she reminded the crowd when she invited her two small sons to the stage to accept flowers and plant kisses on their heads.

Before singing her closing crowd-pleasing classic, “If I Ain't Got You,” she left the captivated audience with a final uplifting message from the piano bench.

“Don't wait to tell the people ... you love that you love them,” she said. “This is dedicated to you. I love you so much.”

Keys, who is also an actress, an author and an activist, is gearing up for a summer world tour in 2022.

In March, she will release “Girl On Fire,” a graphic novel based on her hit of the same name.

It tells the story of 14-year-old Lolo Wright who discovers she has telekinetic powers while protecting her brother from a cop who pulls a gun on him.

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ENTERTAINMENT

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF POSITIVE NEWS

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PANTO IS BACK! AND BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE!

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eturning the Birmingham Hippodrome main stage after a year away due to the pandemic, Matt Slack once again leads an all-singing, alldancing over the top fantastic cast in Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

From the very beginning, an opening number promising that you’re about to witness “the greatest show on earth” set to a standout light display and pyrotechnics, to Slack’s heartfelt closing speech, the audience is taken on a wild ride of ups and downs, deep belly laughs and more than a handful of double entendres.

Panto legend Matt Slack is this year joined by Panto debutant Jason Donovan, which may be confusing for many considering the long list of musicals and performances he has been a part of over the years, and both do a wonderful job, with Donovan, the Count Ramsay of Erinsborough, constantly reminded of his Australian

TV beginnings on Neighbours.

As always, pantomime is more than just the story, and this year is no different, under the guise of a circus, the acts performing as part of the show fit in perfectly, with an amazing mix of death-defying motorcycle feats from Peter Pavlov and the Globe of Speed, juggling with laser diabolos from Pierre Marchand, and genuinely mindboggling illusions provided by Phil Hitchcock as the Magical Mysterioso.

Doreen Tipton and Andrew Ryan return to the Hippodrome this time as Doreen the Lazy Lion Tamer and Panto Dame Betty Burnham respectively, aptly supporting Samantha Dorrance as Goldilocks and Alexia McIntosh as Candy Floss rounding off the cast.

It was wonderful to see pantomime back at the Hippodrome, and in his final farewells at the end of the night, you could hear in Matt Slacks voice just how much it meant to him, and no doubt all the cast and crew, that people

had turned out to support not only the panto, but Birmingham Hippodrome and theatre in general too.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears runs until the 30th January, so make sure you don’t miss it!

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The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2022 - Page 27

ENTERTAINMENT

Tunnel Club creates perfect Alethea vibe for Jazz Funk All-Dayer unleashes new EP Christmas Reunion Party

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by Steve Williams

unk, Jazz-Fusion, Broken-Beats and Deep House were the order on a night when some of the legendary DJs of today and yesteryear gathered for the second edition of the Powerhouse Jazz Funk All-Dayer Reunion, with legends including Colin Curtis, Chris Reid and E Double D leading a host of DJs who recreated what was a unique club experience once again.

Following on from the first – preCovid – edition - in 2019, Tony ‘Frenchie’ Quaile made sure, again, that this ‘Tribute to The Birmingham Powerhouse Jazz Funk All-Dayer 2nd Anniversary Christmas Reunion Party’, was to be the ‘Jam’ of all ‘Jams’ for a generation of people whose mantra remains: “It’s All About the Music”.

With just that – music – wall-towall at the Tunnel Club, from late at night, through to the early hours of the morning light, it proved, yet again, to be the perfect antidote for the worldwide ills and worries of today.

“The 2nd Anniversary Powerhouse Reunion Party took 2 years to come to fruition,” Frenchie said, “and, with a combination of Covid restrictions

and government policies, I wanted to share a special ‘Thank You’ to Jazz DJs Killer Jim, Perry Louis plus Guest DJ Fitzroy the Soul Survivor.”

DJs also included E Double D, Sean McCabe, Deli G, Lord Byron, Neil Pinnock and many more who each helped to create a vibe and energy that remained upbeat throughout. DJs in the Main Room included Robbie J, Kenny B, Fitzroy Soul Survivor and The Mexx.

“A special ‘Thanks’ for the inspirational support provided by the staff and team at The Tunnel Club,” Quaile added.

2022 brings a brand-new start for Powerhouse Reunion Party 3 with a special summer date lined up with details and announcements soon to be shared.

POP/ROCK STAR Alethea Beharry (known simply as Alethea) is fulfilling her creative destiny while simultaneously taking a major step on her journey of inspiring and connecting with others through her musical stories with the launch of her first EP, ‘Ode to My Younger Self’.

Alethea, who is based in Trinidad (also spending some of her formative years in the US and Australia) embraced and excelled in singing and playing the keyboard from a tender age.

With a professionally trained vocalist mother and supportive father, she pursued a path that has ultimately led to the release of her first solo project.

The 6 track EP ‘Ode to My Younger Self’ was written by Alethea, with added instrumentation by Zach Carpenter, Aaron Lowchewtung and Noah Rahman.

The collection of songs musically chronicles the first of many chapters of her life and journey of self-discovery.

Blue Plaque Unveiled For 2-Tone Legends The Specials’ Recording Of Ghost Town A SPECIAL PLAQUE is in placed at site where 2-Tone legends The Specials recorded their iconic ‘Ghost Town’ track in 1981. The plaque was unveiled on Woodbine Street, in Leamington, to mark it being the original site of the Woodbine Street Recording Studio.

As the Coventry band’s most successful single, the hit single, which addressed themes of poverty and violence in inner cities, spent three weeks at No.1 in the charts. With riots breaking out in cities across British the song – the song was the last single recorded by the original seven members of the group - was far more hard-hitting and poignant.

The studio - purchased by

producer John Rivers in 1973 who converted the living room and cellar into a fully functioning recording studio - became increasingly successful during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The studio’s reputation grew dew to Rivers’ reputation as a producer who cared about artists and the music they wanted to make. It moved location to more spacious surroundings in St Mary’s Crescent in the mid-1980s but retained the original name.

Former bass player Horace Panter, recalled: “Woodbine’s growing reputation fitted the bill.

Ghost Town was a great piece of

music, with a different sound due, in part, to the studio in it was recorded in and the engineering skills of John (Rivers).”

The official unveiling of the plaque was carried out

by Leamington Mayor Susan Rasmussen and was the 34th to be unveiled in the Warwickshire town.

Send your stories in to newsdesk@thephoenixnewspaper.com

Page 28 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2022

ENTERTAINMENT MOTORS

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A New “First Of Its Kind” Prototype Beneath The Modena Skies

AN EARLY PROTOTYPE of the new MC20 convertible has left the gates of the historic Modena plant.

This time, Maserati has selected a new look for its camouflage, featuring a cloud motif; after all, it is a convertible.

Like the MC20 coupé, the new model remains one of a kind, daring in every way and designed for perfection.

The body is made of carbon fibre and composite materials in its entirety, an identical solution studied for all the configurations to come: coupé, convertible and, in the future, electric.

LOTUS COMMEMORATES THE LAST OF THE ELISE, EXIGE AND EVORA SPORTS CARS T he trio were photographed on site with many of the Lotus team who contributed to the design, engineering, assembly and sales of the cars.

Between these three model lines and over the course of 26 years, a total of 51,738 cars will have come off the production line.

Combined, they represent almost half of the total production of Lotus in its 73-year history. In

addition, 9,715 sports cars were built for Lotus’ third-party clients, including GM and Tesla.

From 1996 to 2000, the firstgeneration Elise and Exige sports cars were built in a small assembly hall at Hethel alongside the Lotus Esprit.

The current assembly lines, which were installed in 2000, will be dismantled and replaced with all-new state-of-the-art facilities in support of the all-new Emira

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factory.

Full Emira production begins in the spring, after the prototype and test phases currently underway are completed, taking Lotus sports car production into an exciting, high-tech and semi-automated era, and increasing capacity up to 5,000 units per year on a single shift pattern.

The last examples of the Elise, Exige and Evora models are reserved for Lotus’ growing

heritage collection.

Joining the collection will be the last Elise, a Sport 240 Final Edition finished in Yellow and the last of 35,124 cars; the last Exige, a Cup 430 Final Edition in Heritage Racing Green – number 10,497; and the last Evora – a GT430 Sport finished in Dark Metallic Grey – the last of a production run of 6,117.

The Elise and Exige sports cars are built around the Lotus

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‘small car platform’. On the same platform, and also manufactured

by Lotus at Hethel were the Opel Speedster / Vauxhall VX220 (7,200 cars built between 2000 and 2005) and the Tesla Roadster (2,515 cars built between 2007 and 2012). Therefore, including the Lotus 340R, Europa, 2-Eleven and 3-Eleven cars, this brings the total Lotus small car platform production volumes to 56,618 cars.

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SUNDERLAND TOGETHER IN ELECTRIC DREAMS

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elebrating 35 years of production at the Sunderland plant, Nissan has commissioned a very special conversion of the Nissan Bluebird – the first car off the factory’s production line in 1986.

Called ‘Newbird’, the oneoff project car is powered by the 100% electric drivetrain of a Nissan LEAF, the pioneering mass-market EV that kickstarted the global trend towards electrification of mobility.

The ‘Newbird’ connects 35 years of manufacturing heritage at Sunderland, as Nissan

From Britain To The World

FIRST DELIVERIES of Mini Remastered, Oselli Edition are underway, with the first bespoke model delivered to a customer in Scandinavia.

In the coming months, customers in North America, Asia and across Europe will receive their vehicles as the brand's global growth accelerates.

Each Mini Remastered, Oselli Edition is made totally bespoke and this particular model has had over 1,400 hours of dedicated precision at the hands of David Brown Automotive’s expert artisans. accelerates towards an electrified future through Ambition 2030, the company’s long-term plan to empower mobility and beyond.

Alan Johnson, Vice President, Manufacturing, at Nissan Sunderland Plant, said; “The ‘Newbird’ represents all that is great about our plant – past present and future – as we celebrate 35 years of manufacturing in Sunderland.

“We have a rich heritage of building great cars, right from the original Bluebird model, and our fantastic team is now leading the way as we drive towards an exciting electrified, carbon neutral, future.”

Aston Martin Cheltenham Delivers Christmas Cheer

l Aston Martin Cheltenham Delivers Christmas Cheer to Royal Gloucestershire Hospital ASTON MARTIN Cheltenham, operated by the H.R. Owen Group has brought a boot-full of Christmas cheer to its local hospital, with a special delivery of presents in an Aston Martin DBX. Making use of its 632 litres

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of boot space, the Aston Martin Cheltenham team filled up the DBX with toys requested by the play specialists at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital children’s ward to ensure that the presents they receive are age appropriate and sensory for

Andrew Humberstone, Managing Director, Nissan Motor GB Ltd., added; “There’s a huge pride in our dealer network that so many of the cars we sell have started life right here in the UK. Nissan’s Sunderland plant has produced ‘home-grown heroes’ for millions of UK customers with models like the Juke, Qashqai and LEAF amongst the country’s best-sellers.

This ‘Newbird’ project is a wonderful tribute to the enduring presence of high quality manufacturing that Nissan has enjoyed in the UK for more than three decades.” educational and health purposes.

The presents provide something to open over the Christmas period, as well as a bank of gifts for the coming year.

Aston Martin Cheltenham is working with the Pied Piper Appeal, which celebrates its 30th anniversary next year.

Pied Piper was formed to build a new Children’s unit for the sick children in the county, which opened in 2004. With outpatients, A&E and the unit itself 20,000 children now pass through each year.

Vice Chair Julie Kent said ‘We are thrilled that Aston Martin Cheltenham and H.R. Owen have got involved with the Toy Appeal this year as the list was pretty large – and what a way for the gifts to arrive, too. The children have had fewer visits from outside entertainers this year.

Even Father Christmas couldn’t make it last year, but the staff work hard to make their time in hospital as much fun as possible, and this visit certainly helped.

The children that could come out to see it were very excited, and plenty of the nurses!’

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ENTERTAINMENT

Southside Calls For Urgent Support For Hospitality Sector BIRMINGHAM’S Southside District has added its voice to calls for urgent support for the hospitality sector, as a survey of businesses reveals that 41% fear they are facing collapse.

Southside BID represents over 270 businesses in one of Birmingham’s most vibrant and diverse districts, including leading hospitality and entertainment venues, from The Hippodrome and Birmingham Royal Ballet to The Glee Club and the O2 Academy, alongside a wealth of independent bars, restaurants and nightclubs across both Chinatown and the Gay Village.

A survey of businesses across the district has shown that 90% have faced a loss of customers since the government’s Plan B was announced last week, with 70% of those in the hospitality sector affected by booking cancellations.

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GET READY TO CELEBRATE THE REP’S 50TH BIRTHDAY GALA

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n Saturday 5 February 2022 Birmingham Repertory Theatre will be hosting a spectacular Gala Dinner to celebrate 50 years on the city’s famous Centenary Square.

The award-winning theatre opened in the square in October 1971 and since then the theatre has welcomed countless stars and acclaimed new productions to its stage. Join award winning actor Adrian Lester CBE and friends for a wonderful celebration of Birmingham and its internationally renowned producing theatre alongside an extraordinary menu devised by renowned chef Glynn Purnell.

Often called the ‘Yummy Brummie’ Glynn Purnell started cooking professionally at the age of 14. After training with top chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Gary Rhodes and Claude Bosi, he went on to launch ‘Jessica’s’ in 2003, which was awarded Birmingham’s first Michelin star in 2005. Glynn is now the proud owner of two establishments in Birmingham, ‘Purnell’s’, which was awarded a Michelin star

in 2009, and ‘Purnell’s Bistro & Ginger’s Bar’.

Glynn has become a household name after winning The Great British Menu twice and then later appearing on the show as a mentor.

He can regularly be seen hosting Saturday Kitchen on BBC1.

Glynn said “I am absolutely thrilled to be involved in this fantastic celebration. It is such a wonderful achievement to be celebrating 50 years of a Birmingham institution. Purnell’s is 14 years old, so we still have a long way to go to catch up."

Birmingham born Adrian Lester CBE, Trustee of the Board at The Rep added “The Rep was one of the main reasons I applied to drama school. It was the first theatre I visited as a child and the first theatre I ever performed in."

This special Gala event promises to be a truly memorable evening of fantastic food, stellar entertainment and an auction of unmissable items and experiences that will help to raise vital funds to secure the future of The Rep.

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Page 32 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2022

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Hippodrome announces new Artistic Director and Chief Executive

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irmingham Hippodrome has announced Jon Gilchrist as its new Artistic Director and Chief Executive follows the departure of Fiona Allan to Opera Australia.

Jon has been Executive Director of HOME - the multi-arts venue which is the most visited attraction in Manchester welcoming over 900,000 people annually since 2018.

Glenn Howells, Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust Chair, announced the appointment saying: “We are delighted that Jon will be joining us in Spring 2022 and leading Birmingham Hippodrome as it embarks on the next chapter of its evolution.

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“Covid has had a profound effect on the organisation, but our future plans remain as exciting and ambitious as ever – particularly as we look forward to welcoming the Commonwealth Games to the region.

“Jon brings the experience, creativity, vision and enthusiasm we need to progress the Hippodrome’s future plans and deepen our levels of engagement with the people of our region. On behalf of everyone here at Birmingham Hippodrome, we look forward to welcoming Jon to the team.”

Gilchrist was recently elected Joint President of UK Theatre, a role which he will take up in 2022.

He is also on the boards

of the Edge Theatre in Manchester and HighTide Theatre in Suffolk.

Previously he worked as Executive Director of the Bush Theatre between 2014 and 2018. Before this he worked in marketing roles at theatres across the North-West for ten years, including The Lowry in Salford, the Octagon Theatre Bolton, and the Dukes in Lancaster.

Jon Gilchrist said: “I have always admired the Hippodrome as one of the UK’s best theatres.

Now, as the team continue the path to recovery from the pandemic, it is even more important to provide people with some much-needed joy in these challenging times.

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Global DJ Jonas Blue to bring 'Electronic Nature' tour to Birmingham Mill JONAS BLUE’S career has been felt the world over with singles like "Fast Car", "Perfect Strangers", "Rise", "Mama" & "Polaroid" collectively having been certified platinum over 120 times around the globe.

With over 14 billion global streams, over 69 million singles sales, Jonas has cemented his name as a main stage DJ and pop powerhouse, and he brings his electrifying tour to the UK next January/February.

The tour is a celebration of the growth and expansion of Jonas Blue's record label Electronic Nature.

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Blue says: “I always had the dream of Electronic Nature being very active in the live events space and curating line ups to play alongside me featuring talent from the label family. After recent times and the huge impact that has had on night life, I can’t wait to get back out there in the UK bringing my label and artists along for the ride too”.

Other artists from Electronic Nature that will be seen across the tour include: Punctual (London), Jerome Price (Newcastle and Glasgow), and TCTS (Manchester).