Summer of love? Try summer of stress, hectic movements, and glorious graff/art/3D work! I was well pleased with the result of this one - the pre-event to the art, music, and activism event of the year, United Underground; organised by Riz MC Ahmed, British Underground and Ctrl.Alt.Shift. I hustled together 10 mad artists from around the UK in a timed competition to create a piece each that screamed CORRUPTION!. This fell in line quite nicely with Ctrl.Alt.Shift's anti-corruption campaigns of 2009 and our latest CORRUPTION magazine issue, set for release online and in selected stores later this year. Read below for the event coverage and results - and look out for United Underground 2 on February 20, 2010 baby!:
Ctrl.Alt.Shift Live Art On The Southbank Last Saturday, on 18th July, Ctrl.Alt.Shift went down to the Southbank to put on a stunning array of live street art and music - we got some crazy results...
The challenge had been set: each artist had six hours (from 10am-4pm) to create an image based around CORRUPTION. Stepping up were graffer legends in the making, Remi Rough, Pure Evil, Ed Tizer, Chris Getliffe, plus up and comers Mr.P, Mock, Sam Bridge, Arthur Branco, and finally a touch of fine art through Karl Anthoney and 3D mastermind Wayne 'The Chiz' Chisnall.
For passersby, on an unexpected, but gratefully received sunny Saturday, it was a thrilling display (just outside the Queen Elizabeth Hall) to witness first-hand how these artists got down. The extended deadline of six hours was looking way too ample for the experts of the canvas (and The Chiz), as by lunch time, most were detailing the finishing touches. I even had to ask a few to slow down, take a break or two. Little surprise though – Sam Bridge told Ctrl.Alt.Shift: "I just want to get this done, I've been thinking about it for a while and it's such an exciting and engaging project."
Read the full article here, and check out the final mad array of art pieces below, starting with the winner of the Ctrl.Alt.Shift competition, graffer Chris Getliffe:
Everything you need to know about our first United Underground Southbank extravaganza can be found below, on the preview article I wrote for Ctrl.Alt.Shift. It was MASSIVE, with a mad array of music artists, perhaps even madder graffers, a great line-up of speakers - all brought to the Queen Elizabeth Hall by us, Riz MC Ahmed and British Underground. The only downer? It pissed down with rain - but that didn't stop the 700+ capacity bringing the rave inside:
United Underground! Ctrl.Alt.Shift have joined forces with Riz Ahmed and British Underground to throw a rooftop party at the Southbank Centre.
You don’t have to leave London for a summer festival experience. Across the spaces of Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall - including the re-opening of the roof as a venue space - hosted by Ctrl.Alt.Shift, British Underground, Southbank Centre and actor and musician Riz Ahmed/ Riz MC, United Underground is a unique mix of cutting-edge street culture, music, artwork, fanzines and film set against a backdrop of new-school activism.
The event has been specifically created to promote active engagement with new music and its potential as a catalyst for change.
Activism, music, talks, film, art and crafts will be the order of the day...
I love a Latin rave, for more reasons than one. The people (the girls... achem), the vibe, the music - put that together with Brazilian rapper Mr Catra headlining a night, and we've got a winner! Here's my Ctrl.Alt.Shift review of a wicked night on the dancefloor:
Ctrl.Alt.Shift @ Mr Catra You've got to love a proper Latin rave up. No - I'm not talking about what you might see some girls doing on MTV Base, or the vibe at some beginner's Salsa club. That's all groovy. But boy, Mr Catra's gig at Guanabara Club in London last night was just a taste of how crazy ting tings can get when Brazilians get manic on the dance floor.
What is defined as a mixture of funk, samba, rap and electro, Catra simply calls 'Baile Funk' - the music he grew up jamming to, straight from the impoverished sectors of Rio, and a vibrant sound that Catra is now almost single-handedly trying to deliver to a mainstream audience. The Brazilian star comes fully equipped with heavy beats, the guarantee of mass booty shaking, and socially engaged lyrics about life in the favelas (shanty towns) of Rio, the harsh realities of gang warfare and police brutality, and optimistic hopes for the future...
It's not all seriousness in my world of journalism - sometimes you've got to improvise, have a laugh, enjoy the rolling punches and grasp the mad opportunities that may cross your path in the bustling city that is London town - let loose and 'Let It Out!' (as singer Donaeo finely puts it).
So, despite having limited musical skills (playing lead in a band as an emo-teen band doesn't count) and lacking on acting calibre (being called 'brittle' by my drama teacher in Year 8 stunted my dreams of ever becoming the UK's first Asian James Bond) - I headed down to the making of Donaeo's 'Let It Out' video in south London; after being abruptly summoned/invited by my Ctrl.Alt.Shift editor, desperately seeking a token Asian boy extra (thanks for thinking of me Chantelle Fiddy!). In all honestly, it was wicked day, I got a free lunch, an IOU from the boss, and all I had to do was release two balloons on camera...watch below - around 25 seconds in:
It was all good - and at least better than the girl who had to spit Tesco-value cherryade into the camera lens for her bit part. Other than that, I got to see the ins and outs of a video shoot (something off my list), bump shoulders with Donaeo himself, alongside rappers Wretch 22 and Double S, the always-inspirational actor Isaac Ssebandeke (and the rest of his crew from Channel 4's Dubplate Drama) - PLUS all the lovely female extras, who were thankfully just as lost as I was. A very random, but ultimately memorable stamp in my journalism chronicles. And who knows, there may be a 007 chapter on the horizon yet...
I caught up with rapper Bashy to find out about his latest album 'Catch Me If You Can', his work in Africa, and how to hustle the grime game. Bish, Bash, Bosh - here's the Ctrl.Alt.Shift review:
Ctrl Meets Bashy Ashley Thomas aka 23-year old grime star Bashy, is making movements and hitting music headlines. With a mass underground fan base building with love for his first two mixtapes 'Ur Mum Volume One' and 'The Chupa Chups Mixtape - Assorted Flavours' (all before releasing his debut album this June) - get ready, get set, for an era of the bish, bash, bosh boy from West London.
From music projects with Blur's Damon Albarn in Nigeria to being an ambassador for the UK's 'No to Knives' campaign, Ctrl.Alt.Shifter Dwain Lucktung spoke to Bashy about his life and fast times, inspiring the next generation from UK to Africa, and how 'Catch Me If You Can' is going to turn and bop heads this summer...
Would you say your rise to fame was unexpected, with your bus driving past times? Rise to shame you mean? Nah, I don't think like that, I don't think of it as fame you get me. And I wouldn't say unexpected - I mean, I did hope to get here, because bus driving was just killing me, killing my soul.
How do the hustling youth get big in the game? They need to look at their own life experiences, draw on their stories, form their own style and come with a new, innovative angle.
What were the highlights of your time in Nigeria, working on the Africa Express project (the ever-expanding coalition of African and Western musicians) with Blur/ Gorillaz's Damon Albarn? Meeting the Nigerian people, experiencing Nigerian culture, eating the Nigerian food; the pounded yam, ground rice and cat fish - boy, I was eating that everyday. I enjoyed the whole lifestyle over there. And of course it was great working with the likes of musical genius Albarn...
Are they a nuclear THREAT? Is an intervention necessary? Geared up with my Ctrl.Alt.Shift t-shirt and photographer, I hit the streets of London to bring this issue to the public. Some of the comments were shocking - read all about it!... below:
Vox Pops: A-bomb-ination Oh here we go again. Are we about to see another media frenzy of having 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' (WMD) plastered all over our front pages? It seems likely, except this is a far cry from Bush's subliminal messaging – the latest rumbles in the world are coming from North Korea's recent underground nuclear missile testing.
And boy, have they pissed almost everyone off. According to Yonhap news agency, UN diplomats are discussing "tough measures" with regards to a resolution to punish North Korea's actions. Bear in mind UN Resolution 1718 imposed sanctions on North Korea after their first nuclear test in October 2006 - they didn't play by the rules then, and they're certainly not playing by the rules now; with last Monday's blast having the power of a 4.5 magnitude earthquake (an explosion up to 20 kilotons according to Russian defence officials).
But with a zero death count, what's all the noise about one might ask. The US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said: "The US thinks that this is a grave violation of international law and a threat to regional and international peace and security" - that coming from a nation that dropped atomic bombs on Japan in 1945, killing more than 220,000 people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But that was then, this is now, and nations including the US, China and tell-tale neighbours South Korea, have all voiced their anger and concern at one of the world's most impoverished regimes taking yet another defiant step towards WMD status - this all coming after liar liars North Korea promising to walk away from long-running disarmament talks (agreeing in February 2007 to abandon their nuclear ambitions in return for aid and diplomatic concessions). However, throw another spanner in the nuclear works, as these plans stalled after North Korea accused its negotiating partners - the US, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia - of failing to meet agreed obligations – which brings us nicely, and sadly onto today's predicament...
After false promises to North Korea, can anything really justify their latest devastating actions? And what is to come of this small, but ever powerful and feared nation? Ctrl.Alt.Shift took this explosive subject to the streets and asked:
What is your stance on North Korea's recent nuclear bomb testing (in light of their history)? Why do you think they carried out such tests? Do you think it's right for powers in the UN and US to pass down judgement and punishment for North Korea's actions? What punishment would you bestow upon the nation? And do WMD's have any place in this world anymore?
Joel, 18: "Given the fact that North Korea is a dictatorship, this doesn't surprise me at all. I'm not sure what the motivation for this is, however it is going to be political. I think the UN and US have a right to pass judgement because while they possess the same weapons, they are not actively testing them - I feel there's a huge difference between active nuclear testing and already having the technology. In terms of punishment, I wonder if any sanctions or military action would actually make a difference to the situation...I don't think so. There is a phrase that sums up the need for WMDs, and that is: 'If you want peace, prepare for war'"
Read the full article, along with the other comments here
This march to New Scotland Yard hit close to home, having witnessed police brutality first-hand (on more than one occasion), and losing faith in the authorities (a long time ago). East London's Newham is a rough area to grow up in, by any standards - and among the many shootings, stabbings, muggings etc, one thing remains missing from the picture of these particular dark memories - and that is the presence of respectful and effective po po. Unfortunately (and I say that with sadness that it is unfortunate), for many of my crowd, we've grown up being made to feel guilty whenever even approached by the boys in blue, even when we're the ones dialing 999. Trust is further abandoned when the innocent die at the bloodied hands of the law - but it's too fewer a time we see the responsible receive the fate of a criminal commiting the same crime. The uniform gives you power to protect the people - NOT RULE THE PEOPLE. If my sentiments seem melodramatic, read my Ctrl.Alt.Shift report below of this march against police brutality; and pay special attention to the story of Sean Rigg, one of the many alledgely killed by police without justice:
Young Blood: Who Killed My Brother? When it comes to an age of activism, some say there's a grey matter, somewhere between the late 80s and now. Some claim we've come down to an apathetic generation with a lack of fight - and in turn, certain sceptics identify an uphill struggle, in Ctrl.Alt.Shift's mission to make activism 'cool again'. Then again, certain others have then said to me (and rightly so) that it's not even a question of 'cool', but having the sense of fighting for what's important - yet repeating the same tone of scepticism with belief that the distant past movements for women's rights and racial equality have done the militant dirty work for us, leaving our present overly-comfortable, lazyboy state of mind. I mean, it's not crazy to think that some, at times, can find it difficult to get to grips with today's issues and injustices that are blowing up so far from home; things like Gaza, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Tamil Tigers, DRCongo and the rest of the world's tragedies that don't necessarily affect our everyday lives. Now stop in your tracks - as on Saturday May 23rd this entire notion died, as I listened to a woman scream for 45 minutes: "Who killed my brother?" Her gut-crunching wallows are important to the most apathetic of all of us.
This woman was Marci Rigg, sister of deceased Sean Rigg - leading the United Campaign Against Police Violence (UCAPV) rally from London's Trafalgar Square to New Scotland Yard last weekend. Let me set the picture for you: 21st August 2008, 40 year old Sean Rigg was arrested and restrained by four Brixton police officers, placed in a van and taken to the police station - one hour later, he was dead. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) are meant to be conducting an independent investigation into his death. However, so far, the Rigg fam claim to have experienced a cover up of vital CCTV evidence, a biased investigation in favour of the police (with interviews of the officers involved taking place a whole seven months after the incident). Sean was not formally identified by his family (in fact they were actively discouraged from seeing Sean) - and eventually after much fighting, the family were able to view Sean through a glass box, finding wounds to his head - described in the IPCC's post mortem as a 'wound to his cheek'. This bullshit farce is why Rigg's family cried down the speakerphone, "Who killed my brother?" with the crowd chanting back "The Police!"
I am a journalist and digital media/content editor/manager based in London, the former digital content editor of Ctrl.Alt.Shift (Christian Aid's youth political and social issue magazine), former senior content and community manager for Livity (working specifically on Spinebreakers, somewhereto_ and Live Mag UK) - currently working as digital media manager at Excellent Development (a charity supporting communities in countries such as Kenya, India, Mozambique and Zimbabwe to transform their lives with sand dams). In the past I have freelanced for the likes of RWD, the Guardian, The Independent, MTV Staying Alive (and others). I have also been a part-time mentor for young writers at Interact Magazine, an advisor in the ‘Platforma Arts and Refugees Network’ London hub, a mentor for Channel 4's Battlefront campaigners, and one of the directors of the Youth-led Media Network (now the Youth Media Agency). In 2011, I was a London360 blogger for Media Trust's Community Channel, represented as a social reporter at the 2011 London Youth Policy Symposium, and was on the drafting committee representing as a delegate at the UNAIDS Youth Summit On HIV in Mali. On my travels, I have provided global and social news reports from the DRCongo to Vancouver. Currently I am also a trustee for the Youth Media Agency, and adviser for SetOff Magazine.
