The Countdown Begins…

Even though it feels like it just started, the BASS 09 festival has past the point of no return…with just over 1 week left to enjoy the few remaining events on offer!

So far we’ve had the successful launch in London and Birmingham of Lemi G, the poignant artwork of T*Magic now on public display, plus politically powered messages through the use of film in ‘Democracy in Darkar’. But don’t despair, as there’s still time to delve into the African side…

Below is the list of events still to be played out:

1. Three Way

Wed 24th + Thurs 25th June 09 – Repertory Theatre @ 7:45pm

Three Is The Magic Number

Al Pacino says ‘in theatre, anything can happen’, and with Three Way it’s no exception. The play outlines personal struggles of racial conflict through the use of spoken word, and with its young charismatic cast, it’s certain the performances will be real and unpredictable. It definitely puts rest to Shakespeare’s infamous question of: ‘To be or not to be’. Without a doubt, you have TO BE there!

To find out more and to book tickets click, HERE
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2. IFE – (A Nigerian Love Story) / ADISA – 1968: The Year That Never Ended

Friday 26th June 09 – Repertory Theatre @ 7:45pm

BASS prides itself on giving the public value for money and this double bill is a true example of just that. Part 1 of this bill starts with IFE which means Love in the Yoruba language, and the play centres on the expression of this feeling through rap and dance. The music has been composed by Dele Sosimi and the play has been written by Hip-Hop lyricist Breis. Add to this the dance routine by Christine Oshunniyi and you have a winning formula for an entertaining night.

Poet Extroadinare

Love Has Many Languages

Part 2 is a one man show which focuses on the voices and movements of 1968 and its relationship to now. Written and performed by poet extraordinaire Adisa, he sets about taking the audience through a journey of time, exploring a myriad of themes, from religion to music and politics.

Adisa has been touring the UK scene and wowing audiences with his wordplay and as a result has won many accolades including New Performance Poet of the Year. There will also be Randolph Matthews present on the night as a special musical guest.

To find out more and to book tickets, click HERE
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3. Quad Graffiti Launch & Showcase

Monday 29th June – Quad, Derby @ 3pm

Celebrating Art

Since the start of June, graffiti artists of Baby J Enterprises have been producing African themed artwork for public display outside the Quad building in Derby. The 29th will spark a celebration of their accomplishments in the form of workshops in music and video production, which will then be followed by live musical performances and a break-dancing showcase. And if this wasn’t enough there will also be a FREE screening of the DMC World DJ championships from 2008. If you’re an urbanlite, then be sure to swagger your way down to this hip event!

To find out more and to reserve tickets, click HERE

Also, log on to the BASS 09 Website for additional information on all events past and present!

The First Week of BASS…

What a week it has been in the world of BASS Festival 2009. The whole team packed their suitcases and headed down to London for a week, to get the ‘Arts Own Kind‘ exhibition into Richmix arts centre. The exhibition celebrates the work of renowned artist Ghariowku Lemi, who designed many album sleeves for the legendary Fela Kuti.

Live Band of Dele Sosimi with Tony Allen!

We had a brilliant time in London, despite the long hours, missed flights, visa dramas and even a tube strike on the day of our launch! There was a great turn out on the night, Tony Allen, the band and DJs rocked the stage and plenty of people came to have a drink, a dance and take a look around the exhibition.

It has been a pleasure to work with Lemi and to get to hear all his stories and have the honour of being surrounded by all his work – we even sold some original art work on the night; dont forget to keep an eye on the dedicated blog for this project over at www.artsownkind.wordpress.com

Lemi Launch in London

If you didnt make it down to London but are in town over the next month then pop into Richmix in Shoreditch and take a look as the exhibition runs until the end of June.

We also launched the festival in Birmingham with an amazing contemporary dance piece from Nigerian choreographer Opyio Okach. After some stunning and beautiful dance pieces we invited our guests to raise a glass to the beginning of BASS 2009.

Last week also saw the screening of Democracy in Dakur, a film highlighting the influence that music and Hip-Hop has had in Senegal.

Another highlight of the week was the Mama Feel Good! DJs kicking up a storm of amazing music at The Bull’s Head in Moseley. A great crowd came out and we came back to Birmingham for the night to make sure we didnt miss out.

Huge thanks to all the many people who have supported our launch events, the film and of course to the artists behind our commissioned work.

To view pictures of the launch and other events happening at BASS, please visit our Flickr account HERE.

Another event confirmed… WAPI

We are thrilled to be able to let you know that we have confirmed another amazing event for this year’s BASS… WAPI.

WAPI stands for Words and Pictures and is a British Council  initiative that was launched in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2006 and now operates in Nigeria and Tanzania too. It’s a platform for underground artists – whatever their medium – to meet, compete and show what they can do.

One of the big names that graced the stages of WAPI to perform and give some motivation is American underground Hip Hop artist Dead Prez. ‘A lot of prominent artists come and perform here, they especially enjoy the open mic sessions,’ says Ewart-Biggs from the British Council. Watch the video of this below.

We are thrilled to be partnering on this project and presenting it as part of BASS. The event will take place in London as one of our satillite events, more details to come very soon!

NEWS! Confirmed events for 09

We are now able to confirm some of the headline events we have planned for this year’s festival. The first is a massive visual arts exhibition of Fela Kuti’s album sleeves. The exhibition will launch at the beginning of June At Rich Mix in London and then embark on a national tour.

Another massive event for ’09 sees urban artist T*Magic hit the streets of Leicester with his powerful visual art. Hailing from London T*Magic defends his dream through an aerosol can, painting pictures of a forgotten community fighting for the right to be heard in a world of limited space. The details of this event are a closely guarded secret but we promise you it is going to be unmissable! For more info on T*Magic click here

The deadline has also passed for our open comissions, we are thrilled that we had so many fantastic proposals and ideas and the panel found it tough to decide which applications to take forward. However, decisions were made and we are currently working with those artists and organisations to bring the projects to fruition.