Street Cred Magazine - October 2017

The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2017 - Page 17

OCTOBER 2017

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DENCH LETHAL BIZZLE LAUNCHES NEW FRAGRANCE

FE

HM EVENTS B ● Future ● R U TO PLUS: TLC DOES UK And more! ● Y E TL N E B R FO G N LI STIVE GIFT FAIR ● BREIT

Page 18 - The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2017

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Chris Eubank's One Man Show Rolls into Town

B

oxing legend, Chris Eubank will be packing a punch of a different kind when he brings his One Man Show to Wolverhampton this autumn.

Editors note It’s a wild one once again in what was an action packed September!

We’ve got news from everywhere, including some very special tour announcements, impressive fragrance launches, the return of an iconic girl band and much more.

As we’re heading into October, are you all figuring out what you want to be for

The former WBO middleweight and super-middleweight champion whose career spanned from 1985 to 1998 will be giving his fans an ‘up close and personal’ insight into his life, career and those epic battles with ring nemesis Nigel Benn and Steve Collins.

Halloween?

I’m expecting a lot of toilet paper wrapped mummies from some of you lazier party goers, but there are always those that go the extra mile, and respect to you for that.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more information and watch out on YouTube for more amazing video content soon!

Through Metropolis Music, 51-year-old Chris, who hails from Dulwich, in London, and ranked by boxing website BoxRec as the third best British super-middleweight boxer of all time, will host his One Man Show event as he speaks direct to fans when he visits Wulfrun Hall on November 30.

High Flying Birds to Roost in Brum Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Tour is here yes he is back with a third album which is the follow up to the platinum selling Chasing Yesterday Will it be as good as yesterday? Lets see.

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds are coming to Arena Birmingham on 1 May 2018,

FUTURE ANNOUNCES FULL UK DATES!!!

OCTOBER Friday 20th Academy Manchester Sunday 22nd O2 Academy Birmingham Monday 23rd O2 Arena London Setting the pace and changing the game with every subsequent album.

The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2017 - Page 19

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TLC ANNOUNCE THEIR FIRST EVER UK TOUR

F

ollowing their joyouscomeback show in London, the iconic girl-group TLC have just announced their first ever UK tour for Autumn 2017.

Performing live with a full band, horn section, dancers and choir to an ecstatic audience, the big R&B group are back with a brand new album titled ‘TLC’ which has been as the opening lyric of their first single release from the album ‘Way Back’ suggests - “a long, long time coming.”

This is the sound of a band not only reflecting on their sometimes-turbulent roots but also facing forwards, towards a bright future...though their past is truly ground-breaking.

Having sold over 65 million records worldwide, TLC are not only the best-selling American girl group of all time; with 4 Grammy Awards, 4 multi-platinum albums, ten Top 10 singles and four Number 1s, theirs is an influence across music, fashion and female friendship - which defined and continues to define generations.

Get ready for real R&B and that flavour we have missed from the 90's. If you want this sound nobody can do it better. The classics that they will bring to the table are definately to ge excited about.

Breitling For Bentley Introduces Bentley GT Dark Sapphire

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ith an Ultra-light, ultra-strong case made of Breitlight®, an exclusive Breitling advanced material, a Dial pattern echoes new Continental GT diamond-stitched hides, case

Back to Africa Roots Tour

C

atch the new generation of Reggae Roots artists - Randy Valentine, J Boog, Sevana & Black Am I, as they explore the music based journey Back To Africa.

As reggae enjoys a fresh renaissance with a spiritual and roots theme, this tour brings together artists from Jamaica, UK and Hawaii for a night of positivity, love and good vibes.

Based in the UK, Randy Valentine has garnered a strong following across Europe with his quality writing and superb deliv-

ery.

Grammy Nominated J Boog has recently completed touring with Morgan heritage, and his album "Wash House Ting" has seen him elevated to the reggae elite.

Sevana is part of the impressive camp which includes Protoje and producer Winta James and was one of the vocalists on Protoje's hit "Sudden Flight" Part of Damian Marley's team, Black Am I is one of the leading lights in the new roots movement, who has worked alongside Damian for the last four years.

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Page 20 - The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

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The Festive Gift Fair Returns To The NEC!

T

he Festive Gift Fair, the fabulous Christmas Shopping Fair is coming back to the NEC in Birmingham from the 16-19th Noveber with even more new and exciting stalls than ever!

Christmas means gifts for your loved ones, hanging decorations on the tree, excitement on children’s faces, party games, movies by the fire and a table fit for a festive feast…!

Often the most time-consuming part is finding clever presents. There’s no need to be stuck for ideas, start with a trip to the Festive Gift Fair and you’ll see how fun and easy Christmas shopping can be!

From the moment you arrive, you’ll be caught up in the excitement of the day, exploring 350 stalls overflowing with thousands upon thousands of cracking gift ideas and decorations that don’t cost the earth.

The variety is HUGE, with presents for all ages – from babies to teenagers, and parents to grandparents.

When your bags are full, you

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can drop them off at the Present crèche and continue to shop, or stop for a bite to eat in one of the four sparkly catering/entertainment areas, where you can enjoy watching a great line-up of live musical acts – to get you rocking round the Christmas Tree!

No wonder The Festive Gift Fair is one of the most popular

Christmas shopping events in the UK! We’ve teamed up with the Festive Gift Fair to give away 10 pairs of tickets to the event to our lucky readers.

For your chance to win a pair, get your Christmas brain into gear and answer the question in the box below via email!

COMPETITION

For your chance to win one of 10 pairs of tickets to The Festive Gift Fair at the NEC Birmingham, just answer this simple question!

Which Famous Reindeer had a very shiny nose? a) Prancer b) Blitzen c) Rudolph Just email your answer, with your name, address and contact number to competitions@thephoenixnewspaper.com with the subject “Festive Gift Fair Competition”. Competition closes at 23.59 on 3rd November 2017. There is no cash alternative.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2017 - Page 21

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Agony Aunt

BIGScreen

review

A Rose Between Thorns

l Dr Saroj ‘Rose’ Duggal

I

don’t really know why I’m writing this, but I hope that you will be able to help me.

Me and my girlfriend moved to University at the beginning of the month.

I’d like to say this was a great thing and everything was brilliant, but she is in Bournemouth and I’m in St Andrews, pretty much as far apart as you can get!

We’ve been together for 2 years now, and everything seemed fine before we left for Uni but now she is very distant and seems like she doesn’t care about me or the relationship anymore.

What can I do to make her know that I still love her despite the distance and that I want to make things work between us.

I had even considered proposing to her before we went to Uni, so that we had that bond and connection when we left.

She’s on a male-dominated course, Computer Science and is one of the only girls in a class of over 50.

I’m not the jealous type, I trust her more than anything, but how she is acting is starting to worry me.

What I can do? ~Jamal, Bourneville Dear Jamal, Long distance relationships are difficult at the best of times, and for young love, especially through all the stresses and strains of university, sometimes it can be the kiss of death for a relationship.

Unless you fight for it for all the right reasons, you may see this slip away. I’m glad you never got to proposing before you left as I think it may have done more harm than good.

Let her know how you feel, and try to schedule regular video calls so that you can maintain a face to face relationship as much as possible.

Good luck, both with your girlfriend and your first year at Uni! Don’t forget you can contact me by emailing your queries in to rose@thephoenixnewspaper. com. I look forward to hearing from you!

W

hen their headquarters are destroyed and their entire network decimated in a single horrifying blow, the surviving members of the Kingsman must seek aid from an allied spy organisation located in The United States of America, known as the Statesman.

Together, these two elite organisations must join forces to fight a ruthless enemy who has the lives of millions of people in their hands.

If you thought Kingsman: The Secret Service was unapologetic for its wildly over-the-top and brilliantly ridiculous riff on 007 movies, then to quote Samuel L Jackson's character from Jurassic Park, "hold on to your butts" because it's about to get a whole lot more ridiculous.

The Golden Circle takes the over-the-top approach of the original, multiplies it, feeds it some mind altering drugs and then multiplies it a few more times, resulting in unprecedented levels of absurdity.

There's a quirky villain with the impossibly enormous hideout, insane gadgets, genetically modified henchmen, robot guard dogs, physics-defying escapades on a mountain range and...Elton John.

BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY

October 01 Lorde 04 Pretty Vicious 04 The Strypes 05 Papa Roach: Crooked Teeth Tour 07 Mo Gilligan 07 Definitely Mightbe 08 Dru Hill 10 Flyte 11 DragonForce 12 Jehst 12 Brother Strut 14 Dua Lipa 19 Collie Buddz 20 Dizzee Rascal 21 Train 22 Bars and Melody 23 London Grammar 26 Jake Clemons 27 Weezer 28 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Yes, the actual Elton John.

And not just in a brief cameo - he's actually pretty integral to the plot and yes, it's every bit as ludicrous as it sounds.

It's all utter nonsense but, much like the original, it knows exactly what kind of movie it is and doesn't try to be anything else.

In fact, The Golden Circle basks in its total preposterousness and takes pride in being the silliest blockbuster of the year and for that, if nothing else, it kind of commands respect.

The plot is not unlike the first movie, in which an impossibly rich and eccentric villain has been distributing a seemingly harmless product across the globe with Earth shattering ulterior motives.

So, it's hardly original, but aside from the villainous story-arc, The Golden Circle is a very different movie, preventing it from feeling like a carbon-copy retread of its predecessor.

The returning cast members are great, with Mark Strong in particular working his way in to your heart with his charming wit and dead-pan humour.

Taron Egerton remains fun and likeable as the loveable rogue Eggsy and he's also given some welcome and surprising character development here, making Eggsy a lot more well-rounded

O2 INSTITUTE

October 02 Kip Moore 04 Mabel 06 Tom Grennan 07 JP Cooper 08 Jessie J 09 Nick Mulvey 11 Gary Numan 13 Melvins 13 Lethal Bizzle 15 James TW 18 Seether 21 Charlie Sloth 23 Over Atlantic 25 Dodie 26 Sleaford Mods 27 Tom Zanetti & K.O Kane 28 Bugzy Malone 30 Konvict Kartel with Akon

NEC

October 04-08 Horse of the Year Show 11-15 Grand Designs Live Birmingham 13-14 The National Franchise

than he was before and, of course, if you've seen the trailers then you'll know that Colin Firth is also back, even though he took a bullet to the head in the original.

But inexplicably bringing a dead guy back to life is probably the seventh most ridiculous thing that happens in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, so the convoluted explanation behind his resurrection won't even seem like an issue in the grand scheme of things.

However, why they chose to reveal his return in the promotional material is baffling, because in the film itself, the reveal is played for shocks, but it's the least shocking shock of all time because the whole world already knew Firth was back.

It's very odd. Anyway, we are also introduced to the Kingsman's allies from across the pond known as the Statesman, who are comprised of a whole array of A-list megastars.

There's Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, Julianne Moore and everybody's favourite stripper-turnedactor, Channing Tatum.

While they're all very welcome additions to the cast and impact the plot in varying ways, none of them are in it anywhere near as much as the promotional material would have you believe, so if you're only going because you're

Exhibition 17-22 The Motorhome and Caravan Show 2017 21-22 DIVE 2017 26-29 BRICKLIVE Birmingham 27-29 The Vaper Expo – The Return 2017 28 GCCF Supreme Cat Show

ARENA BIRMINGHAM October 07 I Love The 90’s 09 Lady Antebellum 12 Impractical Jokers 13 Neil Diamond 14 J. Cole 18-29 Disney On Ice presents Passport to Adventure

GENTING ARENA October 13 Little Mix 14 Legends Live 15 Neil Diamond 22-23 BPM | PRO 2017 25 Emeli Sandé

wORDS by antony brown

in love with Channing Tatum and his chiselled torso, you may feel a little betrayed.

Pedro Pascal, whom you may know as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones or Javier Peña in Narcos, is quite easily the best new addition to the cast as a Statesman agent with the code name "Whiskey".

He's funny, he's charming, he's loud, he's brash, he's obnoxious - he's the stereotypical Southern American with a twang in his voice and a crook in his brow; oh and he's highly skilled with his super high-tech lasso that essentially acts as a Lightsaber, resulting in some fantastic action sequences.

Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kickass) returns to the director's chair and brings his trademark, imaginative and frenetic action with him.

Oftentimes, you'll be left wondering how they actually achieved certain set pieces and you'll be debating with yourself whether it was a stunt team, CGI, a combination of both or some new fangled approach we aren't familiar with yet.

Either way, if you're judging Kingsman: The Golden Circle on action alone, then it's great. Unfortunately, we aren't, and there are some missteps along the way.

First of all, the pacing is bizarre.

At 2 hours and 21 minutes, The Golden Circle should have more than enough time to tell its relatively simple story, yet you constantly feel like you're being

28-29 HelloWorld 30 Metallica

TOWN HALL & SYMPHONY HALL

October 04 Empirical(SH) 05 Justin Hayward (TH) 06-07 SQUEEZE plus special guests 9 Below Zero (SH) 07 Tubular Bells For Two (TH) 08 Beverley Knight (SH) 09-10 Greg Davies (SH) 10 Basel Symphony Orchestra Beethoven’s Seventh (TH) 11 At Home With Joe Lycett & Jess Phillips MP (TH) 13-14 Henning Wehn (TH) 13 The Musical Box - The Black Show (SH) 15 The Pretenders (SH) 15 Simon Amstell (TH) 16 Michael Kiwanuka (SH) 16 Shane Filan (TH) 17 Marc Almonf (SH) 21 John Mayall (TH)

rushed from one place to the next and sometimes, it's just for a throwaway gag and then we're rushing off somewhere else.

In itself, this issue isn't enough to ruin the film, however, when so much time is wasted on proceedings that aren't integral to the plot, it's difficult not to feel let down when they could have used that time to breathe more life in to their characters.

There are a lot of missed opportunities in The Golden Circle and almost all of them are on an emotional level, with the aforementioned pacing problems contributing to them.

Without venturing too far in to spoiler territory, some very serious things happen in The Golden Circle, sometimes to characters we care about, but the movie is in such a rush to get where it wants to go that these events never have time to marinade with the audience before it's off to the next fun set piece or silly joke.

One may argue that the Kingsman series isn't designed for emotional investment, but you could also argue that making us care more about the characters and events transpiring on screen has never made a film worse.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is bigger, louder, more spectacular and a whole lot sillier than its predecessor...but it isn't better.

It falls short of surpassing the original, but sequels rarely do, and the most you can hope for is a solid follow up that retains everything you loved about the original, while building and expanding upon the already established world, and The Golden Circle more than delivers in that department.

22 2017 PCA Midlands (TH) 22 Myths and Legends (SH) 28 Sean Kelly & The Stars of Storage Hunters 31 Halloween Silent Movie Special

SLADE ROOMS, WOLVERHAMPTON

October 06 Arcane Roots 07 Rebecca Downes 08 Andy McKee 10 Amber Run 13 Broken Witt Rebels 14 Kirvana & Pearl Scam 19 Frank Iero & The Patience 20 Cabbage 21 Hostile Plus Ram & Disarm Goliath 22 Andrew Lawrence: Happy Accident Tour 23 Francesca Martinez 26 Liam Fray 27 The Professionals 28 Ginger Wildhearts Halloween Hootenanny IV

Page 22 - The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

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NEC Group International to Invest in New Bradford Odeon

I

t’s been announced that NECGI (the NEC Group International) has been chosen as the operating partner for the Bradford Odeon.

Bradford Live announced that the NEC Group, which runs the UK’s largest conference and exhibition centre and two of the country’s busiest arenas, will take a 30-year lease on the building and invest £2m towards the conversion costs.

NECGI has exciting plans to use the building to its full poten-

tial, bringing live music, comedy, Bollywood shows, and other live performances to the biggest ‘midsize’ venue in the country outside London and putting Bradford firmly back on the national live music touring circuit.

Alongside the city’s existing arts and entertainment venues, the Odeon will help to secure an enviable cultural offer for Bradford’s residents and visitors.

The plan to re-open the building as a music venue has been welcomed by some of the country’s

top bands.

The Kaiser Chiefs said: “We’ve played a lot of great old theatre venues. Beautiful old buildings are perfect for rock ‘n’ roll shows – it can make a real difference performing in these characterful rooms compared to plain black box type venues.

“The Bradford Odeon would make a brilliant venue for the north, especially as there isn’t a room of that size in either Leeds or Bradford. It’d be a regular on the touring circuit.”

Lethal Bizzle Dench Fragra Launch

The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2017 - Page 23

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S

e Stay rance T

he master of grime hits and comical youtube videos has always been a smart businessman.

In this country Lethal Bizzle as he says himself has been the most successful act in the urban music scene and admits to making millions off the grime genre.

His hit song Pow that was released 16 years ago is still the track that gets the party lively and even had Jay Z spit a verse on the beat at one of his concerts.

Did you forget that he also secured a massive contract with KFC and even has Dame Judy doing the Pow Skank.

Bizzles success is second to none and lately his Dench clothing brand is now a fragrance. It seems that he is taking this brand very serious and not only he

is but other major celebrities are too.

No-one has quite done it like Lethal and must say he is really ahead in the game right now.

Here are pics from his Stay Dench Fragrance launch party attended by Skepta Chipmunk Lisa Maffia of So Solid to name but a few..

This guy is ready to take it to those Diddy levels of business.

Pics courtesy of foxberryboys.co.uk - Foxberry Boys is an urban collection of contemporary snapbacks. providing a made to order service which includes stand out seasonal and limited edition pieces underpinned by their core classics.

Look out for a feature on Foxberry Boys in the next edition!

affiyah Khan’s photograph went viral worldwide this year and put Birmingham’s record of authentic diverse communities in the spotlight.

Now Punch Records presents Saffiyah Khan's own photographs for the first time, documenting young South Asian people coming together with others in the heart of the city.

Punch commissioned Saffiyah Khan to document its Desi Moves summer music programme; showcasing young people on a journey that began in youth centres and ended on stage at the Birmingham Mela with audiences reaching up to 40,000 per day .

Desibition is a witness to the vibrant street-level culture of South Asian young people in Birmingham’s inner-city wards and how south Asian youth want to make and present music Saffiyah Khan said “Youth engagement is so important. I worked with Punch Records over ten weeks making this photo documentary. Desi Moves gave a platform to young talent. It's super-important that young voices are heard.”

Ammo Talwar MBE, CEO of Punch Records, said "Punch is committed to continuing to support new Brit Asian audiences.

These photographs by Saffiyah Khan highlight the passion and potential of young artists from these communities. ”

ENTERTAINMENT

Saffiyah Khan Launches Her First Solo Exhibition Desi Moves was also a key element of UTSAV - Birmingham’s year of South Asian culture, and part of the response to the closure of The Drum - the arts venue which served these inner-city communities.

The launches will take place at: Concord Youth Centre 5-7pm Sparkbrook, B11 1LF on Wednes-

day 4th October.

Lighthouse Centre 6-8pm Aston, B19 2LN on Thursday 5th October.

All are welcome to check out the exhibition throughout the month of October during Black History Month.

Page 24 - The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2017

SPOTLIGHT

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Ackee Tree Still Standing Firm

T

hey come and they go, on the great metropolis that is Slade Road, but, as long as the food is of the highest, uniquely delicious standards it sets out to be, then Ackee Tree Cuisine Caribbean Takeaway will remain supreme in the world of diners and takeaways.

Up against a plethora of likewise businesses – of varying cultural tastes – on the ever-busy thoroughfare, in Erdington, in Birmingham, after 7-years still standing supreme, you still have to go far and wide to get anywhere near equalling this particular eatery.

Proprietor, Everton ‘Bubbles’ Taylor remains on top of his game, in this field and, with the constant stream of customers there-and always growing-it’s recommended that you too treat your tastes buds to some of the best food you are unlikely to find elsewhere.

From his succulently sweet-tasting rice & peas and jerk chicken – a customer favourite – ackee

& salt fish, salmon, or escoveitched, washed down with his special blend of Guinness punch, or ‘sexy,’ once you’ve been there, you’ll be a regular for ever.

“After all these years I’m still

passionate about my food,” said the ever-energenic Taylor. “The reason I’m still here, whilst others fall, is that everything at Ackee Tree Cuisine is geared around great taste and friendly customer service. Once you keep those at the highest standard, you’ll always go a long way.

That’s why no-one can doubt my food.”

“The food at Ackee Tree is fantastic,” one customer endorses. “I come from all the way from Tamworth, in Staffordshire, and am never disappointed. The service is with a smile and now I make sure I get my Caribbean food from there as often as possible.”

“Big respect to Caribbean food,” says Bubbles. “And ‘Big Respect’ to people like the legendary Bing who set the bench-mark for great food from the islands for as long as he has.

His longevity is proof that there’s a great ‘want’ out there, as I am proving here.”

The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2017 - Page 25

ENTERTAINMENT

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Gareth launches GIANT panto in Wolverhampton!

W

o l v e r hampton G r a n d Theatre launched a GIANT of a pantomime at Dudley Zoological Gardens with leading man Gareth Gates.

The pop-star and musical theatre favourite will be taking the title role in Jack And The Beanstalk which also stars Lisa Riley, Doreen Tipton, Graham Cole, Ian Adams and Adam C Booth at the Grand Theatre from 9

‘Atlanta’ Glover Makes Emmy History

December 2017 – 14 January 2018.

Gareth Gates rose to stardom in 2002 as runner-up in the UK’s first Pop Idol.

In a phenomenal career which followed he has sold more than 3.5 million records in the UK, released three albums and had four UK number one singles.

Alongside his pop career Gareth has been seen on ITV1’s Dancing on Ice and The Big Reunion 2014 for ITV.

D Afro Celt Sound System + The Dhol Foundation

F

ormed by Grammy-nominated musician and record producer Simon Emmerson, Afro Celt Sound System is a European and African based collective who’ve been a ground-breaking force in music ever since they started.

With sales now topping one and a half million albums and two Grammy nominations to date, Afro Celt Sound System celebrated their 20th Anniversary with a stunning new album, ‘The Source’ released in 2016 on ECC Records described as a “colossus of an album” by fRoots.

The Source is undoubtedly their most ambitious album yet and one that takes their cross-cultural collaboration and acclaimed live performances to another level.

The collective provide a live music spectacle featuring a host of outstanding musicians, every bit as energetic and captivating as the album. They played to packed houses on tour last year and delighted audiences at festivals around Europe. They will be supported by their friends The Dhol Foundation who will themselves release a brand new studio album ‘Basan’t later in the year.

TDF deliver a now legendary wall of sound, global rhythms and thumping contemporary beats with the effervescent Johnny Kalsi, the UK’s most celebrated player of the Punjabi dhol drum, at the heart of their live show.

Touring the UK this autumn, catch Afro Celt Sound System at a venue near you.

onald Glover made Emmys history when he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, making him the first Black director to ever win the category.

The actor/director was nominated for directing the ‘B.A.N.’ episode of American comedy-drama ‘Atlanta’ which was, in essence, a show within a show (complete with its own commercials) and really displayed Glover's unique sense of humour.

In his acceptance speech, Donald, in typically unconventional fashion, joked: “I want to thank (President) Trump for making Black people number one on the most-oppressed list. He’s probably the reason I’m up here.”

He then received a second award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. It's been 32 years since a Black person won this award and he beat two-time defending champion Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent) and other comedic heavyweights including Anthony Anderson (Black-ish), Aziz Ansari (Master of None), Zach Galifianakis (Baskets), and William H. Macy (Shameless).

The 32-year-old, who can be seen in the Hollywood block-buster ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ was also nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy and Outstanding Comedy Series (for Atlanta), but lost both those categories.

Glover is in both the upcoming untitled Star Wars Han Solo film and The Lion King.

DO YOU FOR YOU

T

aneisha Deans is a young Birmingham artist, mark-making in a range of materials and working with spoken word.

Taneisha is also experimenting with video and digital media. She says; "My artwork aims to express

my love for creating and experimenting.

“It’s what is felt in the heat of a TANEISHA DEANS is creative a young spark, Birmingham artist, mark-making in a range of materials and with the continuous aim to do better than last time. working with spoken word.

Taneishaofispaintings also experimenting with video and digital media.

“A sequence telling ning of my journey with words." the story of Noah’s Ark scattered

Taneisha is a graduate of Punch’s around my then Grade 2 classroom 2016 Gallery 37 youth residency walls aims in Jamaica, was perhaps She says; "My artwork to express my lovethe for programme, creating andand experimenting.

It’s has been awarded beginning of my journey with ima Move On Up what is felt in the ages. heat of a creative spark, with the continuous aimmicro-commission to do better than from Punch to continue her work. “ "I wonder why the wind The Do You, For You exhibition last time. A sequence of paintings story blows..." was the telling 1st line the of one of of Noah’s Ark scattered around my is not centered around one subject my 1st poems.

I remember being the beginning of my journey with then Grade 2 classroom walls in Jamaica, was perhaps but instead explores the theme of laughed at, but this was the beginembracing whatever makes you

happy.

This exhibition shows that it is okay not have it all together. Artwork is accompanied by pre-recorded spoken word pieces, accessible to visitors through their own mobile technology. In this way, the audience is able to interact in with the artwork and have something to take away.

Taneisha believes in doodles.

Inspiration comes to her in flashes and ideas like these come to life.

Do You, For You is the story of a journey combining painting with poetry.

Mediums range from acrylic to watercolour, with poetry in both “This piece is what inspired me to go English and Patois. Da Vinci forward with the painting and poetry wrote “Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetryidea.” is painting that is felt rather than seen”. Do You, For You is both.

DO Y

PAINTING, DRAWING AND SPOKEN WORD ART EXHIBITION BY TANEISHA DEANS

Who is TANEISHA DEANS?

PAINTING, DRAWING AND SPO

images."I wonder why the wind blows..." was the �rst line of one of my �rst poems. I

Roses Are Beautiful

Page 26 - The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2017

TEEN FLAIR

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WHAT CAN I LOOK FORwARD TO? Welcome to another edition of Teen Flair!

M

usic has become one of the most popular way young people can connect, from rapping to song covers to popular dance videos online.

I can proudly say I am a massive music lover, which I believe stemmed from growing up in church, and when finally gaining the confidence I made use of social media to upload my music and share it.

So what’s actually changed on the music scene?

Music does not only connect people, but it can also give teens a chance to express themselves, their stories, and the hard trials that they’ve been through or going through.

So I wondered.. What I could write about for this month and then I came across ‘7E youth academy’. One thing I admire is those that go out of there way to help the youth of today, and 7E focuses on, those teenagers who did not really get a second chance, and seeks to help them build up their creative skills.

7E Youth Academy: The Power of Music

“The Power of Music is a project run by 7E Youth Academy in Birmingham. They’re a community organisation working with some of the most at-risk young people in the city.

The young people who join projects at 7E often have very low self-esteem and feel excluded from society, with few educational or employment opportunities.

A high number of participants have recently arrived in the UK, and many are living in hostels with little or no adult supervision or guidance.

These challenges in turn leave them more susceptible to peer pressure, and at increased risk of getting involved with gangs, or even being targeted as recruits by extremist groups.”

The Power of Music offers young people aged 11-18 the chance to write lyrics and poetry, play instruments and learn to use recording studio equipment. The project also provides weekly mentoring, and supports young people to work towards Arts Award qualifications.” positive message to everyone listening.

Would you say music is the best form of expression?

Yes. Kids are so influenced by what rappers singers their idols are saying, I think it can be taken the wrong way sometimes but I hope to change it.

I

want to introduce you to a close friend of mine who goes by the name Amiri, who is aged 17 and is one person I know who uses a lot of his personal life, opinions to express himself through music.

What does music mean to you?

JOBS

The world. I just wanna spread

What’s your advice for someone who’s afraid to share their music?

7 out of 10 young people that 7E Youth Academy works with have been involved (or at risk of being involved) with anti-social behaviour, gang violence or extremism.

One of the key aspects of 7E’s work is the pastoral support they offer young people alongside creative music-making. At every studio session there’s an engineer, producer and music leader, plus a mentor who the young people can talk with if they want to.

“Depending on the type of young person and the issues they’re facing, we assign them a mentor that’s right for them,” says Keith. “They can say anything to the mentor and we’ll do our best to support them.”

and his wife’s sister had a child named amir just before I was born and he died and my birth name was Amiri (pronounced Amareye) so when he died they asked my mom to change my name to his What do you think? Tweet your thoughts hashtag #Teamflair

Just do it, you may think you’re not ready but trust me once you do it you’ll feel like you’ve achieved.

What can we look forward to for your music in the future?

Thats a secret ;)

What’s the meaning behind your stage name?

My grandads wife re married

Accessorize - Applicants should have a “can do” attitude and be excited about the Accessorize brand. Please send CV to the shop. (Bullring Birmingham) Starbucks - Please email us a PDF copy of your CV and for any further information you can ring us on 01215022805.

Birmingham REP - Theatre & Sales Assistant - Salary: £8.60 per hour (24 hours per week) - To provide customer service across box office, reception and front of house

Psalm 105:2 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.

YCP is for any young person interested in composing aged 14-18. We define ‘composing’ as ‘creating a new piece of music’. We enjoy working with a diverse range of students with different levels of composing experience. Whether you create songs, write instrumental music, or improvise we want

to hear from you! We recommend students are based in the Midlands due to travel but are happy to consider students from further afield.”

You can also contact them directly at: birminghamyoungcomposers@gmail.com

Go and check out new twitter page #TEAMFLAIR twitter page! To keep updated

with activities, polls and more, do not forget to hashtag #Teamflair

KEEP IN TOUCH As we are all aware there is power in social media, I will be using these networking sites, to promote this newspaper page, and #TEAMFLAIR which will not only advertise, but will promote what to look forward to in the newspaper.

I’m not only hoping to create just another column, but a movement, for young people of all races.

Young people will also have the opportunity to see what jobs are hiring; jobs create independence and not only jobs but free online educational courses, that young people could access.

The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2017 - Page 27

T

op Welsh rally legends will be honoured during next month’s Dayinsure Wales Rally GB (26-29 October), Britain’s prestigious round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

Tribute will be paid to a number of high-achieving sporting luminaries including both drivers and co-drivers.

The impressive roster features World and British Champions as well as much-admired national heroes and multiple Rally GB winners.

All will be present on the event, renewing old friendships and rekindling past memories with photo and autograph opportunities.

The special celebration was announced at the Dayinsure Wales Rally GB Media Preview hosted at Cholmondeley Castle and endorses the Welsh Government’s own ‘Year of Legends’ campaign, overseen by Visit Wales.

The roll of honour is topped by two World Championship winning co-drivers. Phil Mills from Newtown, Powys guided Petter Solberg to the 2003 WRC title, as well as no fewer than four consecutive Rally GB victories between 2002 and 2005.

David Richards CBE from Ruthin, Denbighshire took the 1981 crown with Ari Vatanen and more recently founded

www.streetcredmagazine.com prominent motor sport company Prodrive – the crack team behind Subaru’s many WRC successes.

Richards also found time to run the Benetton and BAR F1 operations and to be Chairman of Aston Martin.

Wales’ most successful performer at World Championship level, though, is Nicky Grist. Hailing from Ebbw Vale, he joined forces with Juha Kankkunen and Colin McRae to win 21 rounds of the WRC, including triumphs on Rally GB in 1993 and 1997.

Neil Wilson from Corwen, Denbighshire is another Rally GB winning co-driver – his moment of glory came in 1985 when sitting alongside the late, great Henri Toivonen in one of Lancia’s fearsome Delta S4 Group B monsters.

A quartet of Welsh-born British Champions – Howard Davies (Machynlleth), Gwyndaf Evans (Dolgellau), David Llewellin (Haverfordwest) and Phil Pugh (Tywyn) – are also among those being honoured next month, along with fans’ favourite Phil Collins (Pontrilas).

Mills, Grist, Davies, Collins, Llewellin, Wilson and Pugh were in attendance at the Cholmondeley Castle preview where they were joined by Ken Skates AM, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and Infrastructure, Welsh Government.

Welsh Rally Legends Honoured At World Championship Event l Phil Pugh, Howard Davies, Phil Mills, Nicky Grist, Neil Wilson, Phil Collins and David Llewellin

China and Germany Planning Further Electric Options

C

hina, the world's biggest car market, plans to ban the production and sale of diesel and petrol cars and vans, whilst in Germany, Volkswagen, have announced that they will be offering an electric version of all its 300 models by 2030.

The Far East country's vice minister of industry, Xin Guobin, said it had started "relevant research" but that it had not yet decided when the ban would come into force.

Becoming the latest manufacturer to move away from petrol and diesel, VW plan to double

MOTORING

investment in zero-emission vehicles to €20bn (£18bn) as it seeks to put the diesel emissions scandal behind it.

The firm plans to offer 80 new electric cars across the group by 2025 Volkswagen chief, Matthias Mueller, declaring that: “People want to have clean air and our customers want clean vehicles. We want to make a major contribution on both scores."

The firm, whose brands include Seat and Skoda, also said it would place orders worth more than €50bn for batteries to power the cars.

China wants electric battery cars and plug-in hybrids to account for at least one-fifth of its vehicle sales by 2025, with Chinese-owned carmaker Volvo already stating that, from 2019, all its new car models would have an electric motor.

Geely, Volvo's Chinese owner, aims to sell one million electric cars by 2025.

Xin predicted the change would create "turbulent times" in the industry.

Both the UK and France have already announced plans to ban new diesel and petrol vehicles by 2040, as part of efforts to reduce pollution and carbon emissions.

Page 28 - The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2017

CAMARA’S SPOTLIGHT

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Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE

Welcome to my column where I feature some of the most Welcome to my column where Iand feature some of the most special Charities, Organisations People I have come across. special Charities, Organisations andbeing People I have come across.

Be a part of my journey and enjoy inspired...

Be a part of my journey and enjoy being inspired...

I

n this months’ Spotlight, I would like to introduce you to a woman I recently met at a Film Festival. Vibrant, passionate and one-of-a-kind – meet Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, professional musician and founder of the Chineke! Foundation.

Where were you born and raised?

I was born in Parson’s Green Maternity Clinic, Fulham, London.

When I was 13 months old we sailed to Nigeria where we lived for two years.

At the age of 6 we moved to Blean, near Canterbury, then Chartham, then Emmer Green outside Reading, Berkshire.

Why did you choose music?

While I had always been exposed to music as a child, my overriding passion was athletics, and I was spotted by a talent scout at age 8.

By the age of 18 I was competing at national level as a 100-metre sprinter when disaster struck: a knee injury sustained during a football match put an early end to my sprinting career.

I was devastated, of course, but music proved to be the silver lining of this disaster: my ‘A’ level music teacher and Headmistress encouraged me to take up the double bass because they knew there was a shortage of good bass players and felt I had enough musical talent to pursue

a career in music!

After two intensive years’ study in Cambridge, I was accepted into the Royal Academy of Music in London.

How did you feel growing up as a mixed-race person? Are you comfortable with the term mixed-race?

I am very comfortable with the term ‘mixed-race’ because that accurately describes my multicultural ethnicity.

People of my ethnicity have been called one hell of a lot worse! I do not know what it is like to be anything other than mixed race when I was growing up; any more than you being able to say what it’s like growing up as whatever ethnicity you are.

The challenges I may have faced that regarded my ethnicity were definitely there, but I have been incredibly lucky in that I had the support and belief of my parents and teachers, who taught me that regardless of my race or ethnicity I could do anything if I worked hard enough.

Are you usually the only Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) person when playing in other Orchestras?

In the early years of my career (35 years), I was used to the complete absence of other BME musicians in the orchestras and ensembles I played with.

I never thought anything of it and it seemed almost normal to me. But in recent years I have had something of an awakening.

A decade ago I was asked to do a newspaper interview about an upcoming concert programme, and the chief executive of my orchestra at the time, Marshall Marcus, called me up and said that the paper was particularly interested in a piece we were playing by a lesser-known 18th Century composer, Joseph Boulogne (more commonly known as le Chevalier de Saint- Georges).

I took some persuading, but in the end he convinced me to look into it, and what I discovered completely blew me away.

Saint-Georges wasn’t just a composer, he was a phenomenon. The finest fencer on the continent, a champion boxer and a close personal friend of the Prince of Wales, he was the colonel of his own legion fighting for the new French Republic.

US president John Adams even described him as ‘the most accomplished man in Europe’.

But of particular poignance to me, and the reason why Marshall had encouraged me to look into his life, was that he had achieved all of these things as a free black man living in an age of slavery.

The son of a French aristocrat and a Senegalese slave, he was known as ‘The Black Mozart’, and he was a virtuosic violinist, a pioneer abolitionist and the most famous black figure of his era.

For me, finding Saint-Georges was a bittersweet moment: the more I learned about him, the more excited I became. At the same time, I had this terrible feeling of shame, shame that I had not given even a second thought to the idea that there might be somebody of my ethnicity composing and performing classical music of an extraordinarily high standard in previous centuries.

I had simply accepted the canon as the status quo, and it set me to thinking about how other musicians from ethnic minority backgrounds perceived themselves.

Can you name your top 3 favourite songs/pieces?

Classical, Beethoven: Symphony No.9; Soul/Funk, James Brown: Sex Machine, Blues Nina Simone: My Baby Just Cares For Me; Strange Fruit.

to everyone, from all backgrounds and ethnicities, and make them feel welcome at classical music concerts.

A big part of doing that lies in giving everyone the opportunity to have an arts education, and placing music back at the heart of our national curriculum.

Too often music and other arts subjects have been cut or abandoned completely in favour of STEM subjects.

This has been going on for decades, culminating in the new EBacc curriculum, which I fear will be the death blow for pre-tertiary music education in this country.

Chineke!’s message is that yes, the STEM subjects are important to our economy and to the development of our next generation, but so are the arts, and we need a firm grounding in both to thrive as a nation and as individuals. In short, we should be thinking not of STEM, but of STEAM!

How is the Foundation funded?

At the moment, we are largely dependent on grants from various trusts and foundations, support from individuals, and Arts Council grants directly related to individual projects.

We have no core funding, no office and a staff of 4 including myself, all of whom are nominally part-time (although the reality is that I never stop).

This lack of core support is currently a real limiting factor in our ambitions. We have managed to meet many of our goals over the past 2 years, but over a longer timescale than I had originally expected.

Still, our growth has been incredible: we had one concert in 2015, one in 2016, but over a dozen this year!

To maintain this momentum, we really need core funding, and this is a top priority for me and the Chineke!

Board currently.

Where did the Foundation’s name Chineke! come from and what does it mean?

It is an Igbo word that pre-dates Christianity. According to the traditions of the Igbo people from what is now south-eastern Nigeria (where lie my paternal roots).

Igbo people believe everyone has their own personal ‘Chi” (guardian or god) that guides them from the cradle to the coffin. “neke” means the creation of all good things, even the rain, the tress, the grass and all diverse aspects.

Therefore together Chineke is the spirit of all good creation. The name came to me in a eureka moment in the middle of the night - I sat bolt upright in the middle of the night and shouted it - Chineke!

The Chineke! Orchestra recently performed at the Birmingham Symphony Hall but also at BBC Proms! – what a performance it was – how did it feel to be on stage with the Orchestra?

We were over the moon! To be asked to play at the Proms is every orchestra’s dream! Even more special is that Chineke! was the youngest orchestra ever to debut at the Proms: we were just under 2 years old at the time of the concert.

The audience were very enthusiastic, and it was also great that so many people were able to see the performance via the TV broadcast and its availability on the iPlayer.

We have been overwhelmed by the response!

How do you recruit musicians for the Chineke! Orchestra?

At the beginning players were simply recommended to me by word of mouth and I undertook lengthy research about everyone.

Since Chineke! has taken off, though, I have met so many fantastic BME musicians that I had no idea even existed.

It has come to the point now where people are putting themselves forward from all around the world; they have heard about Chineke!, have heard us play, and want to be involved!

We have now started having auditions for both the Chineke! Orchestra and the Chineke! Juniors.

What are your plans for the Chineke! Foundation and Orchestra for the future?

I really hope we start making a visible change to the makeup of our major orchestras, by encouraging more BME musicians to pursue careers in classical music, and by encouraging those orchestras to actively diversify their membership.

We would like to see the average number of BME musicians in orchestras (currently about 1%) be equal to the proportion of the population which identifies as BME (around 12-13%).

I also want to diversify our audiences and fill up our concert halls with new classical music fans!

These days, orchestras seem to be competing for smaller and smaller audiences, and a big part of that stems from the major image problem we have as an industry: people see us as elite, unwelcoming and exclusive.

We need to open up classical music

Are there any people you would like to thank?

There are so many! The former culture minister, Ed Vaizey MP, who first prompted me to look at the diversity issue in classical music, has been an enormous supporter from the get-go.

So too have Jude Kelly, Gillian Moore and all the staff of the Southbank Centre, who have really nurtured the organisation and given us a home at the Southbank Centre.

We are very grateful to all those who have supported us, our Friends, the Arts Council, the Linbury Trust, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Sphinx Organisation (a huge inspiration), the Clothworkers Foundation, The Cockayne Foundation, the Foyle Foundation, the PRS Foundation and the Garfield Weston Foundation.

Thank you also to those who have turned up to our concerts, listened in to our radio and TV broadcasts, and have bought our very first CD! Thank you Chi-Chi for taking time out to speak with me! Your personal journey is inspiring and I, like many others, look forward to the next concert performance by the Chineke!

Orchestra.

You can find Chineke! Foundation online at: chinekefoundation@ gmail.com www.chineke.org www.facebook.com/chinekefoundation www.twitter.com/Chineke4Change

Get in Touch with Camara camara@thephoenixnewspaper.com www.camaraofficial.com www.linkedin.com/CamaraFearon Camara (aka mizzcamara for websearch)