Sahara Nights review

The Roundhouse Studio-Theatre was filled to the brim last week for Sahara Nights on June 6. The multi-arts launch for the Studio-Live music empowerment project brought the house down with an array of film, photography, short story presentations and wonderful music to provide rich glimpses of the Saharawi world, culture and plight. 

Nigerian playwright and poet Inua Ellams,
Saharawi short stories readings, with Celtic violinist Lizzie Ogle and
Guinean kora player Mosi Conde © See Li

The launch was interlaced with fantastic first-class performances from a wide range of international artists...

Guinean kora player Mosi Conde
with photography by Ed Harriman © Tania Jackson

British-Congolese Binisa Bonner
from Ruby and the Vines © See Li

Venezuelan Luzmira Zerpa
from Family Atlantica © See Li

Hispano-Saharawi
singer and guitarist
Suilma Aali and percussionist
Nico Roca © Bela Molnar

The evening culminated with a stellar performance from Aziza Brahim. Born in the refugee camps, educated in Cuba and now based in Spain, Aziza is considered the new musical voice of the Saharawis, dedicating all her songs to the struggle. Her music is inspired by her poetess grandmother Mabruk, the only Saharawi female poet who has dedicated all her poetry to documenting the 16 years of war and to whom Aziza has dedicated her new album (released June 11).

Aziza with Spanish guitarist
Gonzalo Ordás © Bela Molnar

Aziza and Gonazalo © See Li

Aziza Brahim © Julia Ridlington

Sahara Nights was capped with the mother of all jam sessions. Virtually all the musicians of the evening joined along with a few new guests from Algeria to rocket the night into another music stratosphere that got the room dancing with abandon.

Final jam session © Julia Ridlington

What people have said:

It was a rich and diverse gathering with original and soulful music and poetry (hearing Aziza live and discovering her grandmother was incredibly emotional). Your passion and dedication for the Saharawi cause and its people was truly palpable. Meriem Aissaoui

Aziza and the Sahara Nights crowd © See Li

A fantastic evening and very informative in a sensitive way. Thomas Elliot

What an amazing evening. Congratulations on such a success, and thanks so much for letting me show part of our film. You know how important your support was to us when we started filming so I'm forever indebted to you. Saeed Taji Farouky

Programme

SAHARA-NIGHTS

Studio-Live launch

Roundhouse, June 6, 2012

7.00-10.30pm (doors open 6.30pm)

Pre-show

·       Ed Harriman, photographer – photo slideshow

·       Mosi Conde, kora

PART I

·       Suilma Aali, music duo

·       The Runner, by Saeed Taji Farouky, filmmaker –  preview clip

·       Inua Ellams, poet and playwright – Saharawi short stories reading

·       Danielle Smith, Founding Director of Sandblast – talk

·       Steve Stavrinides, Founding Director of Fairtunes – talk

·       Luzmira Zerpa and Family Atlantica, music band

BREAK (8.10pm - 8.30pm)

·       Bernat Millet, photographer – photo slideshow

·       Sandtracks, Saharawi music CD

PART II

·       Inua Ellams, poet and playwright – Saharawi short stories reading + music by Lizzie Ogle, violin, and Mosi Conde, kora

·       Ruby and the Vines, music band

·       Lkhadra Mabruk, by Noë Mendelle, filmmaker –  preview clip

·       Aziza Brahim, music band

BREAK (9.45pm - 10pm)

·       Andrew McConnell, photographer – photo slideshow

FINAL JAM SESSION

            Led by Aziza Brahim

Night compered by Dan Tsu (Lyrix Organix)

Aziza Brahim

We're doing mini features of our wonderful artistic line-up @ Sahara Nights. And we're starting with fantastic Saharawi singer and percussionist Aziza Brahim.

Aziza Brahim © Djogo Niemeyer

Aziza is regarded one of the most talented musical voices from Western Sahara. She was born in the Saharawi refugee camps, but spent many years studying in Cuba. This influenced her music, an innovative blend of traditional Saharawi hawl, West African rhythms and Latin Jazz. Singing in Hassania, the native language of her homeland, and Spanish, Aziza has been a great ambassador for the Saharawi cause, dedicating all her singing to her people. Many of her songs are influenced by the breath-taking poetry of her grandmother, Lkhadra Mabruk. Aziza’s new album, Mabruk, which will be released in June, is an homage to her and her great labour as commentator of the 16 years of Saharawi. This is a video of single "La tierra derrama lágrimas."

Further info about Aziza:

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/azizabrahim

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aziza.brahim.official

Blog: http://aziza-brahim.blogspot.co.uk/

May 2012

PRESS RELEASE: for immediate release

Sahara Nights:

Ken Loach endorses small charity’s ambitious LONDON launch of Studio-Live, a project aiming to give forgotten Saharawi refugees a voice through music

Date: June 6, 2012, 7:00pm-10:30pm (doors open at 6:30pm)

Venue: Studio-Theatre, Roundhouse, London  Tickets: £15-25

“Studio-Live is a great idea. The music of the Saharawi’s will inspire many to take up their cause and also enjoy their performances. Good luck to the project” Ken Loach (Sandblast Patron)

On June 6, 2012, the Roundhouse Studio-Theatre will be transported to the Sahara under a canopy of authentic tent material made by Saharawi refugee women, hosting a spectacular line-up of live music and spoken word acts, supporting music-making for freedom. Featuring special guest artist Aziza Brahim from Western Sahara, the event launches Sandblast’s ambitious music empowerment project  Studio-Live. The initiative aims to engage UK-based musicians, producers, technicians, and music industry specialists in building a Saharawi music industry from scratch in the refugee camps in the Algerian desert.

Sandblast's New Voices

On July 10th, Sandblast Team celebrated with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the V&A Museum of Childhood and the Praxis Community project the New Voices Festival in Bethnal Green. From I Love Migrants and Amnesty International to community gardening projects and dance clubs - everyone was there.

When we didn't simply enjoy the great array of performances and entertainment on the main stage, we experienced a great interest from visitors and passer-bys in 2011 Running the Sahara, Tiris' album "Sandtracks", and project-in-planning, Studio-Live.

As an extra treat, rap duo Poetic Pilgrimage got our heads bopping and hips swivel. Two women  wearing hijabs mesmerized the audience by performing a number of songs from their very progressive and uplifting hip hop mixtape. Charity director was intrigued and went to purchase their CD only to find out that Poetry Pilgrimage got together with Saharawi singer, Aziza Brahim, for one of the songs on the CD: Regresso.

Learn more about Poetic Pilgrimage by checking out their blog at http://poeticpilgrimagemusic.blogspot.com/.

MUSIC: Aziza Brahim for Freedom to Create Prize

News from Danish organisation Freemuse reached us that Saharawi singer Aziza Brahim, who recently performed at the Southbank Centre here in London, was shortlisted for the Freedom to Create Prize.

This prize seeks to award artists from all over the world whose ability to support and sustain the expressiveness and creativity of a people is exemplary. Aziza's music reflects the pains and hopes of her people, the Saharawi; negotiating ideas of freedom and narrating the story of those Saharawis living in the occupied territory and those living in exile. Her album, Mi Canto, drew the committee's attention to Brahim's talents and the importance of her music as a window to the rich Saharawi culture.

Aziza Brahim will perform at the awards ceremony at the V&A in London on Wednesday 25 November 2009. The winners for the Main, Youth and Imprisoned Artist Prize categories will be unveiled at this occasion. 

Sandblast congratulates Aziza for being shortlisted and crosses all fingers and toes!

Aziza Brahim in concert

AZIZA BRAHIM at The 7th London African Music Festival

When: Saturday 12th September | Queen Elizabeth Hall | 7.30pm |
Where: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX

Born in a refugee camp in Algeria , she grew up in Cuba and now resides in Spain . She embodies the new voice of the Saharawis in their fight for independence. Her songs evoke the sorrows of exile and the longing for freedom. She combines all these global influences to create spine tingling music. Aziza is leading a cracking band that drops Latin rhythms alongside desert blues without missing a beat.

Cathrin's perspective: Not knowing what exactly to expect (true, I could have checked her MySpace page or YouTube for that matter), I was more than pleasantly surprised when Aziza introduced her first song in Spanish to us. Her voice is unique and strong; her appearance gentle and authoritative at the same time. Since my Spanish skills are close to none, I was glad to hear one of the lead guitarists to (very charmingly) translate not only Aziza's words but also the meaning she tried to make understood. Spanish accoustic guitars matched with various North African drums entertained us for one and a half hours, setting the mood to celebrate the Sahrawi cultural identity, the fears and pains of the refugees, and the hope of the Sahrawis to eventually return to their Motherland.


For more information: www.myspace.com/azizabrahim

If you missed it, this is Aziza Brahim with Hijo de las Nubes (Source: YouTube)