Video: Last day at the Kwakoe festival in Amsterdam

Some scenes of the last day at Kwakoe summer festival in Amsterdam. The festival is one the biggest multicultural events in the Netherlands.

In the video most people say they enjoyed it, and that they loved the food and the atmosphere. There is also the election of little Miss Kwakoe.

Because the video is made for a Surinamese web channel, most of the interviewed people are Surinamese.

Summer Carnival Rotterdam 2010 – Street parade July 31st

Summer Carnival is a yearly 3-day Caribbean Carnival in the city centre of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Summer Carnival, similar to the carnival in Rio, is a huge event where at least 900.000 visitors come from all over Europe to dance to the latin music and look at the colourful and amazing costumes and floats in the big street parade.

Promo Summer Carnival 2009


On Saturday July 31st the big Street Parade emerges in the city centre. At night there is still a lot to see on the two live stages.

The Carnival started out as a local Carnival of the Dutch Antillean community in Rotterdam, and grew out to an international big city event.

Program:
Queen Election on July 24th,
the Battle of Drums on July 30th
Street Parade and Live On Stage on July 31st.

Links:
Dutch: www.zomercarnaval.nl/
English: www.zomercarnaval.nl/nl/English

Kwakoe Festival 2010 in Amsterdam (Jul 3 - Aug 8)

'Kwakoe' festival is a weekend event that takes place every Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 8pm, from July 3rd to August 8th in the Bijlmerpark in Amsterdam South East.

The festival is one of the biggest multicultural festivals in the Netherlands, and it's free.

From July till August it's weekends of pure dancing, eating and anything else in between. Wind down on a hot summers day with theatre, music, film, literature, sport and everything on offer at this very buzzing multicultural and family-oriented festival.

Calypso singer Mighty sparrow at kwakoe 2009


Website: www.kwakoefestival.nl

Carnaval Tropical de Paris 2010

The 9th edition of the "Carnaval Tropical de Paris 2010" will be weaving its way through streets of Paris on July 3th. The carnaval will start on 14:00h at the Place de la Nation.

Official website: Carnival Tropical de Paris 2010:
http://www.carnavaltropicaldeparis.fr

"Keti Koti" - Commemoration of the abolition of slavery in Amsterdam on July 1st

“Kinderen uit de Maasstad”: Surinamese children celebrating in traditional dress
Keti Koti (Breaking the Chains) is the annual celebration and commemoration (since 2002) of the abolition of slavery in the former Dutch colonies on July 1st. It will be celebrated in the City of Amsterdam in the Oosterpark on July 1st 2010.

With performances of Surinamese, Antillean en Dutch music groups, the Keti Koti festival will again contribute to the broadening of the celebration and commemoration of the abolition of slavery. After the resounding success of last year it is expected that the festival will attract more then 20,000 people.

A Native Surinamese and Creole group playing Creole music on Keti Koti 2009 in Amsterdam



The Keti Koti Festival begins with a large-scale parade, the “Bigi Spikri” ("Big Mirror"), with orchestras and brass bands. The parade starts at 12:00 from the Stopera (City Hall) and will end in the Ooster Park, where the national commemoration takes place at the National Slavery Monument.

Honoured guests will be Dutch Minister Andre Rouvoet, the Ministers Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, the ambassadors of Suriname, Ghana and South Africa and the mayor of Amsterdam.

Controversy
There is some controversy between the mayor black communities in the Netherlands about the commemoration date. For the Surinamese community the 1ste of July is also official commemoration day in Surinam, while for the Antillean community on the Dutch Antilles the official commemoration is held on August 17th. And also the name is different, on the Antilles it's called the " Tula commoration" and not "Keti Koti".

Links
Keti Koti: www.ketikotiamsterdam.nl
Ninsee - The National Institute for the Study of Dutch Slavery and its Legacy: (Dutch) www.ninsee.nl
(English) www.slavernijverleden.nl

Flamboyan dance group (Antillean)


The promo for 2010

Matongé en Couleur 2010: Afro Festival in Brussels 26/06 - 27/06

The Matongé Mural

Like every year this weekend (sa 26 & su 27/06) the ‘Matongé en Couleur’ (Matongé in Colours) Festival takes place in Brussels. This is a yearly event with music and animation in the streets of Matongé.

Matongé is a commercial neighbourhood in Ixelles/Elsene, a southern borough of Brussels. The area is located close to metrostation Porte de Namur/Naamse Poort. It’s full of afroshops and African barbershop and salons. If you need anything African in Brussels it’s in Matongé you have to be.

Matongé’s name comes from the Matongé market in Kinshasa (D.R. of Congo). Most Africans in Belgium are of Congolese descent. But you will also find a lot of people from all parts of Africa, as well as shops with all kinds of African and Caribbean products.


An impression of the street ambience during Matongé en Couleur


Matongé is first of all an African commercial area. It is not a predominantly black neighborhood. Although many people of African descent live in Brussels they do not live in a separate neighborhoods but are scattered all around the city. Brussels has some boroughs that are rather posh and others that are much poorer, but the city lacks the social ghetto’s or banlieus such as in French cities.
You can find more info on Matongé, Brussels in this article by Mpho Mfenyana


Matongé Mural



Detail from the Matongé Mural: "I traveled all over the world, never have I seen a city like Brussels and a neighborhood like Ixelles’s Matongé where everybody mixes (more than 100 nationalities in this neighborhood alone). Hard to describe in a word what Matongé is or the city of Brussels itself. Bruxelles is a mythical city, Brussels is a paradise."

Estelle announces appearance at Cool Brittannia Festival during World Cup Football

Estelle has announced that she will be bringing her stunning live show to Cool Britannia festival in Cape Town on the June 11th – on the evening of the tournaments opening day and to launch what is set to be a spectacular month long party at the game’s greatest tournament.

Estelle - American Boy - Later Live with Jools


www.coolbritanniasa.com

Commemoration of German race-hate victim Alberto Adriano, 11-12 June 2010 in Dessau

Ten years ago Afro-German Alberto Adriano was brutally killed by three Nazi youths in a park in the Eastern German city of Dessau. To commemorate Adriano, a commemorative event, a memorial concert and a conference will be held on 11 and 12 June in Dessau.

In the evening of June 11the 2000 Alberto Adriano was brutally murdered by three drunken neo-Nazis. They told the police they did it because they hated foreigners.

Alberto Adriano - who had lived and worked in Germany for more than 20 years - had been celebrating a forthcoming trip to Mozambique. Read the full story: Race hate in Germany (BBC)

For more information about the commemoration see: Kommentar: Alberto Adriano – Gedenken anlässlich des 10. Todestages

And photos of the funeral of Adriano, and of East Germany in 2000 here.

In 2001 the German Anti-Racism organisation "Brothers Keepers" made the single "Adriano – Letzte Warnung“, ("Adriano - Final Warning").



A state court sentenced one man to life in prison and two 16-year-old skinhead accomplices to nine years each for the murder of a 39-year-old immigrant from Mozambique.

Black race-hate victims in Europe:

Kerwin Duinmijer (20 August 1983) - Netherlands
Stephen Lawrence (22 April 1993) - UK
Alberto Adriano (11 June 2000) – Germany

Paris Jazz festival 2010 + Sandra Nkaké

The Paris Jazz Festival 12 Jun - 1 Aug 2010 (Weekends only).

The Paris Jazz Festival is an annual summer event which presents a programme of free concerts in the surroundings of the Parc Floral. Concerts take place every Saturday and Sunday throughout June and July.

On July 25 Sandra Nkaké (15H00) and Richard Bona (16H30) will perform on the main stage.



The concerts begin at 3pm and are free to all those who have paid the standard park entry fee. Arrive early to ensure that you get one of the 1500 seats available.

See full program here

Website: www.parisjazzfestival.fr

And for the jazz lovers the Jazz video "Tribal Thoughts" from the French composer Carine Bonnefoy, who will also perform at the festival.

Dave Benton winner of Eurovision Song Contest 2001

Dave Benton was the first black singer to win the Eurovision Song Contest. Dave Benton, together with Estonian rock singer Tanel Padar and boyband 2XL, won Eurovision Song Contest for Estiona in 2001.

Benton was born on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba in 1951 and in his 20s moved to the United States. As a drummer and a backing vocalist, he worked with The Drifters, Tom Jones, Billy Ocean, José Feliciano and the Platters. (Source wikipedia).

This is the last post about the Eurovision Song Contest. It was necessary to set the facts strait. The previous post about black singers at the contest is updated with singers from the UK, Sweden and of course Estonia. You can read the post here.

The Eurovison 2010 was won by Germany by the way, see the video of Lena with the song "Satellite" here.

Black singers in the Eurovision Song Contest

 Imaani from the UK singing "Where Are You?"

Black singers have participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1966. The Eurovision Song Contest is the annual song contest of the European Broadcasting Union and member states of Europe.

The first Black singer who won the contest was Dave Benton, he won the contest with Estonian rock singer Tanel. They represented Estonia in 2001.  The first Black singer who performed in the contest was Milly Scott, she represented the Netherlands in 1966. In this year’s contest singer Matador competed for France, he finished 12th place.

The competition is broadcasted throughout Europe, but also in Australia, Canada, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Jordan, Korea, New Zealand and the United States, even though these countries do not participate. See the website of Eurovision Song Contest here.

Below a list of some of the entries of the Estonia, UK, The Netherlands, France, Portugal and Israel. The ranking is based on a final of 25 countries.

Estonia

Winner of Eurovision copenhagen 2001

Dave benton & Tanel - "Everybody" - 2001



In 2001 Dave benton performed with budding Estonian rock singer Tanel Padar and boyband 2XL to win the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 with their song "Everybody". Benton was born on the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba.

UK

Jade Ewen - "It's My Time" - 2009



The United Kingdom was a part of the "Big Four", so the song was entered directly into the final of the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, held on 16 May 2009 in Moscow. The show received an average of 7.8 million viewers. She finished in 5th place.

Andy Abraham - "Even If" - 2008



According to betting site PaddyPower.com, the odds for the song to win the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 were 100/1. In the end, the song reached last place at 25th, with 14 points. The last place triggerd a response from Terry Wogan, he blamed "racist" Eastern Europeans for Britain's dismal showing in the Eurovision Song Contest. Read full story here.

Imaani - "Where Are You?" - 1998



"Where Are You?" was the United Kingdom entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1998, held in Birmingham, United Kingdom. It was sung by Imaani Saleem (Melanie Crosdale), the first black singer for the UK. She almost won. The song received 166 points, placing second in a field of 25. Imaani was born in Nottingham. Interesting detail is that she is one of the regular singers of the famous London Acid Jazz band Incognito.

Germany 
 
Silver Convention - Telegram - 1977


Two members of the trio Silver Convention were black: Ramona Wulf (a daugher of an AA soldier and a German) and a New Yorker Rhonda Heath. The group finished 8the place. 

The Netherlands

Glennis Grace Netherlands – “My Impossible Dream” - 2005



Glennis Grace (born in Amsterdam) won the national contest in the Netherlands for the Eurovision song contest 2005, but didn’t make in to final. She had to leave the contest in the semi-final.

Edsilia Rombley - "Hemel en Aarde" ("Heaven and Earth") - 1998



Edsilia Rombley pulled the Netherlands out of semi-finals to the finals. Only the low ranking countries of the previous year had to compete in the semi-finals. In the finals she came in fourth place in a tele voting contest with the song “Hemel en aarde" ("Heaven and earth"). It was the best placing the Netherlands had seen since their last win in 1975. Edisila was born in Amsterdam and is of Dutch Caribbean descent.

Maxine and Franklin Brown- "De Eerste Keer" ("The first time" - 1996



Maxine & Franklin Brown represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 1996. Their song “De eerste keel” (“The First Time”) came 7th with 78 points.

Ruth Jacott - "Vrede" ("Peace") - 1993



In 1993 Ruth Jacott was the second black female singer for the Netherland. She came in sixth place with the “song “Vrede" ("Peace"). Ruth Jaccot is of Surinamese descent.

Humphrey Campbell "Wijs Me de Weg" ("Show Me the Way") - 1992



Humphrey Campbell performing "Wijs Me de Weg" ("Show Me the Way"), the Dutch entry at the 1992 Eurovision Song Contest. He finished 9th place. Campbell is of Surinamese origins.

Milly Scott - "Fernando en Filippo" - 1966



Milly Scott was the first black singer for the Netherlands in 1966. She finished 15th place. Scott is of Surinamese descent.

France

Matador - "Allez Ola Olé" (2010)



Matador, born Jessy Kimbangi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, represented France this year. Matador mixes zouk, dancehall, reggae, and hiphop, building on American, African and Caribbean influences. France finished 12th place.


Joëlle Ursull - "White and Black Blues" - 1990



France's entry in the 1990 Eurovision Song Contest "White and Black Blues" by Joëlle Ursull who got the 2nd place. Usull is of Guadeloupean origins.

France is one of the most successful countries in the Eurovision Song Contest and has entered the competition fifty-two times since their debut at the very first contest in 1956. However, in recent years, the French results have been somewhat disappointing. Since 1998, when the televoting was invented, France has almost always been in the bottom-10 countries in the final. (Wikipedia.)

Portugal

Eduardo Nascimento - "O vento mudou" - 1967



In 1967 Eduardo Nascimento entered the Portuguese Eurovision selection contest, the Festival da Canção, as a solo artist with the song "O vento mudou" ("The Wind Changed"). He won the event by a comfortable margin, and went forward to represent Portugal in the 12th Eurovision Song Contest, held on 8 April in Vienna, where "O vento mudou" finished in joint 12th place of the 17 entries

Sara Tavares – “Chamar a música” -1994



Tavares won the Portuguese selection for the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest. With the song Chamar a música (Call my music), She achieved an eighth position in Dublin, which is still one of the best Portuguese results in the contest ever. After her appearance in the contest, she went on to become a famous artist in her country, and later on in Europe.

Sweden

Afro-Dite - "Never let you go" - 2002



Afro-dite is a Swedish pop group made up of three pop singers. The group consists of Blossom Tainton-Lindquist, Gladys del Pilar and Kayo Shekoni. Afro-dite reached the 8th place

Israel

Eddie Butler - "Together We Are One" - 2006



Eddie Butler was the Israeli entry for the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest, with soul ballad "Together We Are One". He finished 23th place.

Butler was born in the Negev Israel. Butler's parents are Americans, and members of the Black Hebrews African-American community that believes they are a lost tribe of Israel. His mother and father came to Israel for a visit 37 years ago and decided to stay.


Black singers Eurovision Song Contest overview

1966 - Netherlands: Milly Scott - "Fernando en Filippo" (15th)
1967 - Portugal: Eduardo Nascimento - "O vento mudou" (12th)
1977 - Germany: Silver Convention - Telegram - (8th)
1981 - Denmark: Debbie Cameron & Tommy Seebach - Krøller eller ej -(11th)
1990 - France: Joëlle Ursull - "White and Black Blues" (2nd)
1992 - France: Kali - "Monté la riviè".-(8th)
1992 - Netherlands: Humphrey Campbell "Wijs Me de Weg" ("Show Me the Way") (9th)
1993 - Netherlands: Ruth Jacott - "Vrede" ("Peace") - 1993 (6th)
1994 - Portugal: Sara Tavares – “Chamar a música” (8th)
1995 - Austria: Stella Jones - Die Welt dreht sich verkehrt. - (13th)
1995 - Portugal: Tó Cruz - Baunilha e chocolate - (21st)
1996 - Netherlands: Maxine and Franklin Brown- "De Eerste Keer" ("The first time") (7th)
1998 - France: Marie-Line - Oú aller? - (23rd)
1998 - Netherlands: - Edsilia Rombley - "Hemel en Aarde" ("Heaven and Earth") 1998 (4th)
1998 - UK: Imaani - "Where Are You?" (2nd)
1999 - Bosnia-Herzegovina: Dino & Béatrice – Putnici -(7th)
1999 - Israel: Eden - Happy Birthday - (5th)
1999 - UK: 1999 - Precious - Say It Again- (12th)Precious - Say It Again- (12th)
2000 - Austria: The Rounder Girls - All To You - (14th)
2001 - Estonia: Dave benton & Tanel - "Everybody" (1st)
2002 - Sweden: Afro-Dite - "Never let you go" (8th)
2005 – UK: Javine -Touch My Fire - (22nd)
2005 - Netherlands: Glennis Grace Netherlands – “My Impossible Dream” (semi-final)
2006 - Isreal: Eddie Butler - "Together We Are One" (23th)
2008 - UK: Andy Abraham - "Even If" (23th)
2009 - UK: Jade Ewen - "It's My Time" - 2009 (5th)
2010 - France: Matador - "Allez Ola Olé" - 2010 (12th)

* At the Eurovision songcontest in 1966 the Swedish singers were accompanied on flute by the Black American jazz musician Sahib Shihab. He is probably the first African-American, who participated in the event. 

* This list was updated on 13 May 2014. 

This may not be the complete list of singers
See downloadable updated list here 

Jessy Matador will represent France at the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest

France will try to win the hearts of Europe in Oslo with a real summer hit this year, "Allez Ola Olé". For that they handpicked the charismatic singer Jessy Matador.

Jessy began his artistic career as a dancer in 2001. His artistic concept is a mixture of several styles, inspired by famous African - Ivorian music ranging from hip-hop, jamaican dancehall and zouk.



He made his debut in the group called Les Coeurs Brisés with which he has performed all around the world. He started his singing career in 2008 and has scored a summer hit with the song Decale Gwada. Jessy is currently in the studio finishing his new album. (source BBC)

Website: 2010 Eurovision Song Contest

Haddy Jatou N'jie will co-host the Eurovision Song Contest in Norway

Haddy Jatou N'jie (1979) will be one of the hosts of the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo. Haddy is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, author and journalist, and is a member of the group Queendom.

The anual contest will be seen by approximately 120 million views over three days (25, 27 and 29 May 2010). See more information on the blog Black Women in Europe.

An update: Haddy Jatou N'jie singing "Mitt lille land (My little country)". An interesting video which also shows the ethnic diversity in Norway.





Website: 2010 Eurovision Song Contest

Dance: Sunnery james & Ryan Marciano djing on ‘Sensation’ in Amsterdam

DJ's Sunnery james & Ryan Marciano from Amsterdam will be on the main stage of the ‘Sensation’ dance event in the Amsterdam Arena on July 3rd in Amsterdam. Sensation is the biggest dance event in the world.

James and Marciano are the new stars in the dance scene. This year they launched their successful new dance concept called the Amazone Project. It was named Amazone after an inspirational vacation in the Amazone jungle of Surinam.

For most second generation Dutch Surinamese a jungle trip is often nothing more then a part of the standard back-to-the-roots trip, for James and Marciano it also became the bases for their new musical concept.




And for those who have forgotten



So if you're into trance, electro or house ... you may also like this

Remembering Slave Trade and Abolition in Paris

copyright: Régis Durand de Girard: in the middle Davy Sicart and Christiane Taubira

Yesterday May 10th was the official French ceremony of the ‘Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition’. The ceremony was held in the 'jardin du Luxembourg" in Paris, and was only open for invites. See the pictures of the ceremony on the blog fxgpariscaraibe here.

According to the blog FXG, the ceremony didn't had the grandeur of previous commemorations because of the absence of president Sarkozy. It appeared that he was in middle of the crisis meeting about the Euro.

One of the invites was of course Christiane Taubira, MP for overseas region French Guiana. Taubira gave her name to the 21 May 2001 law, "la Loi Taubira", which recognizes the Atlantic slave trade and slavery as a crime against humanity. But in the speech of the minister of interior about recognition, her name wasn't mentioned.

Also present was ex-football player and anti-racism activist Lilian Thuram. Thuram is president of the Lilian Thuram Foundation, an anti-racism foundation that combats racism trough education. Just recently he published his book ‘Mes Etoiles Noirs’, a book about important black personalities and stars.

On the blog there are some interesting interviews with Christiane Taubira and Lilian Thuram.

Among the invites were, Marie-Luce Penchard (Secretary of State for Overseas Territories), Françoise Vergès (chairman of the ‘comité pour la mémoire et l'histoire de l'esclavage’), Davy Sicart (Musician), Marijosée Alie (head of television), Pierre Saintons (Musician), and Nathalie Coualy (comedian).

Festival Africaphonie 2010 - May 13th in Paris

On May 13th the festival Africaphonie 2010 will be held at the Bellevilloise in Paris. Damage: 15€ / Pre-sale 13€ at Digitik, Virgin.

Initiated in 2007 by the Association ORIG'IN with support from UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture and the Overseas Departments, the festival AFRICAPHONIE aims to celebrate and commemorate, France, the African history and culture and its Diaspora.

At the Festival the documentary "10 mai Africaphonie" will be shown.


Artists : ERIK, SAMUEL, PEEDA, ELSA MARTINE, HERMANN, ROSELYNE BELINGA, MILK COFFEE & SUGAR, JACKSON THELEMAQUE, LORD EKOMY NDONG, K’MELEON.

http://www.africaphonie.com

Festival Africaphonie 2009

Forum: "Slavery and Trafficking, crimes against humanity" (Paris)

Forum on the occasion of the 5th edition of the Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition (“de la Journée des mémoires de la traite, de l’esclavage et de leurs abolitions”) on May 10, 2010 in Paris.

The theme of the forum discussion will be: "Slavery and Trafficking, crimes against humanity" ("L’esclavage et la traite, crimes contre l’humanité").

In partnership with the FAAC (La Fédération des Associations Africaines et Créoles) the ASPA (l'Association des étudiants de Sciences Po pour l'Afrique) will organise the forum on May 10, 2010 at Sciences Po Paris, Amphithéâtre Jacques Chapsal, 27 rue Guillaumen 75007 Paris.

Participants:

- Frank Anretar , President of the FAAC (La Fédération des Associations Africaines et Créoles
- François Durpaire, Advisor of FAAC and winner of the Literature / Essay “Trophées des Arts Afro-Caribéens 2008” with L'Amérique de Barack Obama.
- Nelly Schmidt, winner of the Literature / Essay “Trophées des Arts Afro-Caribéens 2009 with the essay “France a-t-elle aboli l'esclavage”?
- Ivan Voice, Chairman of the Education Sector FAAC and President of the association ARCHIVE.
- Ahmed El Keiy, journalist and host the show “Toutes les France” on France O.
- Christiane Taubira, member of Guyana, author of books on slavery.
- Françoise Vergès, President of the Committee for the commemoration of slavery, author of books on slavery.

Together with: Véronique Helenon, Amadou Sall, Karfa Diallo, John W. Franklin

The program will be opened by M. Hervé LADO, Président de l’Association des étudiants de Sciences Po pour l’Afrique (ASPA) and Frank Anretar, President of the FAAC (La Fédération des Associations Africaines et Créoles).

For more details see http://aspa.afrik.com

Singer Lebogang Masemola to perform in Munich

Afro Soul singer Lebogang Masemola will be performing on May 19th in Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich. She also performed at the Pan African congres in 2009 with a South African hyme.

For Lebogang Masemola music is freedom. She says “ It is in music that we can just BE. Whether joyful or sad, music can embrace or alter the situation” A way of life that is rooted in her origin. Lebogang was born and raised in South Africa and presently resides in Hamburg Germany.




Details
Hotel Bayerischer Hof
Nightclub
Promenadeplatz 2-6
80333 München

On Myspace: Lebogang Masemola

General Convention of African Diaspora in Italy - 7th and 8th May

General Convention of African Diaspora in Italy - 7th and 8th May

It will focus on how to involve African immigrants in the development of the continent. The Association of Africans in the World is organising the General Convention of African Diaspora in Italy.

The event will be held in Rome on 7th and 8th May, in Via IV Novembre 119 (Palazzo Valentini, sala della Pace).

The Convention is organised in collaboration with the African Diaspora in Europe and the Management Consulting Group (MCG), and is sponsored by the Province of Rome.

Ethical Bank of the African Diaspora will be introduced during the Convention and 5,000 founding members selected.

Round table discussions will centre on many issues affecting Africa’s social, political, cultural, economic development. There will be a special focus on how to involve African immigrants in the development of the continent.

African diplomats and Italian national and local authorities will attend the Convention.

For further information, please log on to: www.africaninelmondo.it or send an email to Mr. Raymond Kouassi, President of the Association of Africans in the World: africaninelmondo@gmail.com

For more information go to www.africaninelmondo.it

Spotted on the blog missasali.blogspot.com

Hip Hop: Breakin' Convention 2010 (London)

Breakin' Convention. International Festival of Hip Hop Dance Theatre. Bank Holiday Weekend Sat 1 - Mon 3 May 2010 London.

Breakin' Convention, an International Festival of Hip Hop Dance Theatre:
- 5 days of performances, film, graf jams and workshops
- DJ demos, aerosol art and freestyle circle
- The best Hip Hop dance companies from the UK and across the globe

Breakin' Convention is THE critically acclaimed International Festival of Hip Hop Dance Theatre. Since 2004, Sadler's Wells, the most prestigious dance house in the UK, has featured the very best, most influential artists in the world of Hip Hop. Artistic director and MC Jonzi D hosts the festival, presenting crews from every street corner of the globe!

As well as performances, the festival weekend has an incomparable workshop programme, taught by pioneering artists like the Electric Boogaloos, live graffiti and aerosol art commissions on the foyer walls, and DJ crew Tha En4cers playing old skool funk and breakbeats to packed circles on the mezzanine. Breakin' Convention is now established as the freshest and most innovative event on the global Hip Hop dance calendar!

Breakin' Convention 2010 video diary Friday 30 April


Breakin' Convention