Events this week...

Lagos Meets London, in the River of Music

From May 14 to 17, 2012, the UK jazz band, The Invisible (whose ‘exploratory, expansive pop music’ earned them a 2009 Mercury Prize nomination for their eponymous debut album), will be in Lagos, Nigeria, for the second time this year. The 2009 Mercury Prize nominees will be spending some time in Nigeria in a studio, rehearsing with the King of Juju Music, Sunny Ade, in preparation for ‘River of Music’, a British Council-curated collaborative showcase taking place in London in July, as part of the “Cultural Olympiad.” 

A Lagos preview

KSA and the Invisible will offer a preview of the performance to a Lagos audience on Thursday May 17 at the MUSON Center in Lagos, alongside a number of guest artists including ‘Ijo Ya’ maestro Weird MC, and Wizboyy. The event will also feature a discussion session to be moderated by Ayeni Adekunle, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief of Nigerian Entertainment Today (NET), bringing together the key collaborators (who will be speaking about their experiences working on the project) and a number of Nigerian music industry insiders.

The beat goes on

In about two weeks, Lagos will meet London again, for the second phase of rehearsals. We’ll be sure to keep you posted! More blogposts – as well as photos and videos – will follow over the coming weeks and months. You can follow activities on Facebook, Twitter, and our website.British Council will also be giving away some tickets to the Lagos performance, so watch this link for details! There's more info there also. 

Talk and Exhibition & Preview Sale: Ruth Omabegho

NFS Talk and Preview Sale of Ruth Omabegho’s Collection which will be held at Ekaba Davies house on Wednesday, May 16th.  It will be an excellent evening!

First,  Ruth is an expert on African beads and will give an informative talk. Second, Ruth’s jewellery is exquisite and this will be the first sale opportunity.  They really are works of art.  Third, the Davies’ house is really exquisite adding a special touch to the event. A native New Yorker who lived in Lagos and Accra for more than 29 years before returning to NYC about 8 years ago, her “Eko of Africa” jewellery line is collected and sold in prestigious venues including the Museum of Art and Design and the MET in New York as well as the Royal Academy of Art in London and Saks 5th Avenue.

The evening will be in two parts.  Ruth will talk about the history of beads in Africa, which interweaves the customary traditions of Obas (Kings) and people of wealth, and the history of European/African trade.  This will be followed by a Preview Sale of Ruth’s remarkable jewellery Collection: Eko of Africa.  Ruth holds a Phd in Art and her designs are inspired by a remarkable fusion of art, history and a vivid imagination.

The Talk and Exhibition & Preview Sale will take place in the home of Ekaba and Alan Davies, both notable architects.   There will be small chop and a cash bar.  There will be a charge of 500 Naira/person to defray the cost of small chop, water and minerals.  This event is OPEN to NFS Members and Guests.  Please contact Robin Campbell at robin.campbell52@ gmail.com (0807 277 8322).  Space is limited so please do not delay in replying!