December 31, 2022

BUSINESS • Niyis- Niyis Ltd is based in Reading and is aiming to be the most reputable place to source for all African and Caribbean products in the United Kingdom. Niyis started as an idea by husband-and-wife Bisola & Irina Adeniyi. They were looking for a website to shop from, that was decent and had good African products during the pandemic. Since the company launched last year, it says that according to the data it has collected and reputable online review platforms combined, over 97 per cent are happy with its service and keep coming back. The company adds: “By virtue of what we sell and how we operate, we aim to continuously spread knowledge and awareness of African Culture, traditions, food and way of life. We believe in rebranding Africa, and we believe awareness about it should be made known by any opportunity we have. “Though Niyis started as an Idea, it goes far beyond that. It is a vision. A vision to create a sustainable and reputable online African platform where everyone can come, trust and shop for their products with peace of mind. https://niyis.co.uk/ • Bianca Saunders -Addressing the tension between tradition and modernity, between the masculine and the feminine, the Bianca Saunders brand is spearheaded by award-winning Designer & Creative Director Bianca Saunders. Taking inspiration from her British and Jamaican background, the brand approaches design with a multi-disciplinary attitude that brings cross-cultural references into a modern and reinvigorated evolution of menswear. The brand is in an exciting period of growth following international recognition since its inception in 2017, being selected by the British Fashion Council as ‘One To Watch’ in 2018 and then later winning The 32nd Andam Grand Prix Fashion Award in 2021. Its headquarters are based in London with the capacity to take on design projects and produce two collections a year. Previously shown as part of London Fashion Week, the label debuted its first runway show in Paris in January 2022 with the Autumn Winter 2022 collection ‘A Stretch’. https://www.biancasaunders.com/ • Oswald Boateng - Ozwald Boateng has had a transformational impact on menswear fashion for almost three decades, with a design aesthetic rooted in Savile Row traditions but defined by international style, detail, and artistry. His instinctive use of colour, cut and fabric fuses traditional classic British tailoring with a high-end modern design focus on the refinement of a man’s silhouette, this has brought tailoring to a whole new generation of men. He now has a collection of shawls and kimonos for women. https://www.ozwaldboateng.co.uk/ EVENTS • Mandela the Musical (29 November - 4 Feb 2023, Young Vic ) - In proud partnership with the Mandela family. Co-produced with Nandi Mandela, Luvuyo Madasa, Shaun Hurwitz, Ronen Zekry, Greg Dean Borowsky, Shaun Borowsky and Brian & Dayna Lee. It's 1960. Young activist, Nelson Mandela, rallies the people of South Africa to protest against the racial segregation of apartheid. In 1962 he is arrested and sentenced to life in prison, where he will spend the next 27 years, taken from his wife and children, as the fight for freedom sweeps his country. Infused with the rhythms of South Africa, this soaring new musical tells the extraordinary story of a man who changed the course of modern history - the sacrifices he made as a husband and father, and the global movement that inspired him and his comrades to keep fighting. The production is presented in proud partnership with Nandi Mandela, Luvuyo Madasa and the Mandela family. https://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/mandela?gclid=CjwKCAiA2L-dBhACEiwAu8Q9YNt2tmds0K1hjgUX3Cfi2TWvM8MFMxI88aByswNaqgDFk6v_kGv5_RoCIc4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds •Bryony Jarman-Pinto (Royal Albert Hall, February 16 2023) - Bryony draws influence from the likes of Hiatus Koyote, Solange, Zara Macfarlane and Lianne La Havas. She finds herself increasingly merging elements of folk music with the jazz and world influences of her youth, for a sound that is truly her own. Since releasing her debut LP, Bryony has been remixed by dego, Wu-Lu, Footshooter, Wonky Logic and Jesse Fischer. She collaborated with Duke Hugh on a Boomerang Records compilation Global Sounds, alongside the likes of Mark de Clive-Lowe, Yazmin Lacey and Afronaut Zu and has worked with Werkha and Nostalgia 77 on her own projects. Her music has charmed tastemakers, fans and live audiences across the board as can be seen by the lengthy list of her supporters. In the words of Tony Minvielle (Jazz FM) “she’s the full package”. https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2023/relaxed-late-night-jazz-bryony-jarman-pinto/ • Sucker Punch, Queen's Theatre (30 March - 15 April) - Two best mates, Leon and Troy, have spent their youth growing up in a boxing gym, figuring out a place in the world, vying for the approval of Charlie, their trainer. Soon Leon and Becky, Charlie’s daughter, are trying to keep a big secret. In a ruthless world. But there can only be one winner, and it’s time everyone stepped into the ring to face up to who they really are…This tender, bruising and funny play by leading British dramatist Roy Williams, brilliantly explores being young and black in the 80s. Winning the Alfred Fagon Award, The Writers Guild Award for Best Play and nominated for an Olivier for Best New Play, it first opened in a sell-out production at London’s Royal Court. https://www.queens-theatre.co.uk/whats-on/show/sucker-punch/ • Ballet Black (Barbican, 8th to 12th March) - Now in their 21st year, this acclaimed ballet company presents award-winning choreographers Will Tuckett and Mthuthuzeli November in a captivating double bill of new and original work. Following regular sold-out runs, Cassa Pancho’s Ballet Black returns to our stage with this thrilling and imaginative double bill. Will Tuckett's Then Or Now, originally created in 2020, blends classical ballet, music and the poetry of Adrienne Rich to ask the question: in times like these, where do we belong? https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2023/event/ballet-black-2023-pioneers • The Original Harlem Globetrotters (O2 Arena, 30 April) - The Harlem Globetrotters are coming to the UK with game like never before, bringing their basketball to The O2 on Sunday 30 April 2023. Your favourite Globetrotter stars are bringing out their amazing basketball skill, outrageous athleticism, and a non-stop LOL good time. Join the Globetrotters as they go head-to-head against the Washington Generals who will stop at nothing to try and defeat the world’s winningest team! As the Harlem Globetrotters near their 100th anniversary, they have contributed to the growth of basketball at an immeasurable magnitude across the world. https://www.theo2.co.uk/events/detail/the-original-harlem-globetrotters don WC2N 5BY BOOKS • In Every Mirror She's Black by - Lola Akinmade Akerstrom - 'The story of Kemi, Muna and Brittany-Rae - Black women hoping to start anew in a society that does not see them - is a story for these times' Chika UnigwenA sexy, surprising, searing debut about love, loss, desire, and the many dimensions of Black womanhood. Timely and terrific!' Deesha Philyaw Three very different women are desperate for their lives to change. Though strangers, they are drawn to the same place: Stockholm, a city famed for its egalitarianism. But beneath the city's glittering surface lurk challenges old and new. Challenges that threaten to tear them down once and for all... 4.4 out of 5 Amazon 3.9 out of 5 Goodreads • Love in Colour ( Candice Carty-Williams) - Bolu Babalola takes the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology and rewrites them with incredible new detail and vivacity in her debut collection. Focusing on the magical folktales of West Africa, Babalola also reimagines iconic Greek myths, ancient legends from the Middle East, and stories from countries that no longer exist in our world. A high-born Nigerian goddess feels beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover and longs to be truly seen. A young businesswoman attempts to make a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life. A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether to uphold her family's politics, or to be true to her heart. Whether captured in the passion of love at first sight, or realising that self-love takes precedent over the latter, the characters in these vibrant stories try to navigate this most complex human emotion and understand why it holds them hostage.

4.5 out of 5 Amazon

• A Visible Man by Edward Enninful - The groundbreaking first Black editor of British Vogue tells his story from working-class outsider to the apex of the fashion industry and how he has always championed inclusion and representation in the worlds of design and photography. I set out to bring the 'othered' to the table. We're here to inspire and give people something to dream about as well as a sense of the possible here and now. A Visible Man traces an astonishing journey into one of the world's most exclusive industries. Edward Enninful candidly shares how as a Black, gay, working-class refugee, he found in fashion not only a home, but the freedom to share with people the world as he saw it. Written with style, grace and heart, this is the story of a visionary who changed not only an industry but how we understand beauty.

What could go wrong?

4.5 out of 5 Amazon

PODCASTS • My Dad Mr Brixton - Claudette is investigating the life and death of her father Courtney Laws, who was a leading member of Britain's black community and a pioneer of the Windrush Generation and yet, his story remains untold. This is a curious case of a missing legacy, offering a different perspective on modern Black British history and raising questions no daughter should have to ask. Go to the website for more information. https://player.fm/series/my-dad-mr-brixton •2 Girls One Doc - A (crime) documentary recap podcast like no other! Join besties, and Black British babes, Beedie and Fourens as they recap your favourite documentaries with a little alcohol and a lot of laughs! They cover a range of (mostly true crime) documentaries and discuss the impact of any crimes and the underlying themes. They also let you know which docs you should definitely watch (and which ones aren’t worth your time). Get in touch! Social media: tiktok.com/2girls1docpodcast instagram.com/2girls1doc twitter.com/2girls1doc facebook.com/2girls1doc 2girls1doc@gmail.com https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/black-gals-livin/id1437752047 RADIO • Hendrix: Everything but the Guitar (BBC Sounds) -When you think of Jimi Hendrix, you think of the guitar. Since the 1960s he’s consistently topped polls of the greatest guitarist of all time. But there are so many other remarkable layers to this man and musician. On what would have been his 80th birthday, fans from music, literature and academia weigh up all of the other things that should be celebrated about Jimi, but so often aren’t: Leon Hendrix remembers his big brother as a spiritual force. Professor Paul Gilroy analyses Jimi’s commitment to peace. Kronos Quartet violinist David Harrington discusses Jimi the composer. The Happy Mondays vocalist Rowetta appreciates Jimi the singer. Poet and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib unpicks Jimi’s approach to wordplay. And author and academic Sarita Cannon evaluates Jimi as a mixed heritage icon. Meanwhile, 1960s archive interviews from Hendrix give us a fresh perspective on the man himself.https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001fchc

FILM/TV • Trevor Noah I Wish You Would (Netflix) - Emmy-winning comedian Trevor Noah talks about learning German, speaking ill of the dead, judging people in horror movies and ordering Indian food in Scotland. • I Wanna Dance With Somebody - The joyous, emotional, heartbreaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time. Tracking her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom. • Creed III (Coming March 2023) - Stan and Kelly Stevenson seem to be more committed to growing apart rather than growing together. Their friends are caught in the middle of divorce conversations during one of the most joyous seasons of the year.- WHO is WHO? • Naomi Ackie - The east Londoner talks to Adam White about transforming into the American diva for the biopic ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’, how addiction doesn’t change the singer’s legacy, and why the aftermath of a Florence Pugh movie nearly led her to quit acting (The Independent). https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/naomi-ackie-interview-whitney-houston-b2248124.html •Richard Iferenta - One of the UK’s foremost financial experts, Richard Iferenta is Vice Chair of global professional services network KPMG and sits on the board of business campaign group London First. In the latter role, throughout 2022, Richard has been instrumental in providing ideas for businesses to support displaced Ukrainians, such as making commitments to help with employment. Appointed as Vice Chair of KPMG in 2020, Richard works with high-flying City leaders to help the capital adapt to the challenges of changing work patterns amid the post-pandemic, post-Brexit world. He engages and consults with UK tax authorities, HM Treasury, and the European Commission on the impact of VAT legislation and policy. In addition, Richard is on the City of London Task Force, set up by the Government to address the barriers to employment and progress in the financial services sector facing socio-economically disadvantaged people. (Powerlist) •Precious Adams Precious Adams is a junior soloist at the English National Ballet [ENB] whose charm is as impressive as her extension. She’s only the second black dancer in the company’s 72-year history and her company co-members praise her sense of humour as well as her talent. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Precious has trained in Toronto, Monaco and Moscow, and now lives in London. TOP 10 FOR DECEMBER/JANUARY 1. Get tickets for the hottest show in town Mandela the Musical. 2. Go see the Woman King (Movie). 3. Book a table at Tatale Restaurant in the Africa Centre. 4. Visit the new Black Vanguard exhibition of photography at the Saatchi Gallery. 5. Book dinner at Parks Edge Bar & Kitchen 6. Book Reggae Brunch. London's craziest brunch; rum punch and jerk chicken in a secret location (Saturday 21st January). 7. See Will Smith's redemption in the well-reviewed movie Emancipation. 8. Take a group of friends to see Zadie Smith's The Wife of Willesden at the Kiln Theatre. 9. Watch the documentary Kanaval: A People's History of Haiti in six chapters on BBC iPlayer. 10. Take a picture at the public art installation 'seated' at the Kings Cross Coal Drop Yard.