RIGHT ON! returns - Saturday 17th February, 2018

RIGHT ON! @ Hanway Social - Saturday 17th February

After more than 10 years' absence, London's much-missed vintage black music club night returns next month for a one-off 15th anniversary dance. Back in the West End where it all started, the night's new venue is an authentic old-school basement club with late-night bar and separate dancefloor. Expect nothing but the best vintage sounds from the all-star DJ line-up, which features some of the UK's top selectors:

JEAN-PAUL SÉCULAIRE (Right On!),
MARK NORTON (Gene Drayton Unit / The Fantastics),
TEXAS RANGER (Unique Radio / Trojan Explosion / Heritage Inn),
NATTY BO (Gaz's Rockin' Blues / Ska Cubano / Top Cats),
and the mighty GLADDY WAX (Notting Hill Carnival / Wax Unlimited).

DOORS: 9pm - 2am
ADMISSION: £10
VENUE: Hanway Social (basement)
ADDRESS: 20 Hanway Street, London, W1T 1UG
NEAREST TUBE: Tottenham Court Road

For more information visit www.right-on.org

Africa on the Square - Saturday 11th October 2014

Celebrate African culture this Saturday afternoon in Trafalgar Square!

Africa on the Square @ Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN. 12 noon to 6pm.

Featuring live music, Fashion Catwalks, Talent Show, African market, African street food, Drumming Circle, African dance, Acrobats, and Art Workshops

Main Stage:

DELE SOSIMI'S AFROBEAT EXPERIENCE (NIGERIA)

AAR MAANTA (SOMALIA)

GNAWA GRIOT SIMO LAGNAWI + JALLY KEBBA SUSSO ANNA MUDEKA BAND (ZIMBABWE)

BABA ADESOSE WALLACE (NIGERIA / WEST AFRICA)

FASHION CATWALKS DIRECTED BY AFRICA FASHION WEEK LONDON & SIMPLICIOUS

TALENT SHOW

COMPERES: Abrantee & Usifu Jalloh The Cowfoot Prince + DJ Rita Ray

Tropical Lounge launch party - Sunday 6th July 2014

Check out this new night of vintage Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin music and dance! The launch party takes place on Sunday 6th July with myself, Coco Girl, and the inimitable Natty Bo and all joining hostess DJ Lady Kamikaze on the decks for a mix of mambo, cumbia, boogaloo, calypso, mento, ska, samba, bossa nova, son and more. What better way to spend a Summer's Sunday evening?!

Admission is FREE and the event runs from 7pm until 1am.

Tropical Lounge @ Floripa,
91-93 Great Eastern Street,
Shoreditch,
London,
EC2A 3HZ

http://floripalondon.com/
https://www.facebook.com/tropicalyard

Gilles Peterson & Patrick Forge at Dingwalls - Sunday 24th November 2013

Gilles Peterson and Patrick Forge return to Dingwalls on 24th November for their annual Talkin' Loud & Sayin' Something Sunday Afternoon jazz dance reunion. Tickets go on sale from 9am on Monday 30th September. The advice is to buy as soon as possible as tickets quickly sell out in advance.

For tickets and more details visit:
http://www.dingwalls.com/listings/events/24-nov-13-another-sunday-afternoon-at-dingwalls-dingwalls/

MODern History SE1 - Saturday 14th September 2013

A fabulous sounding street festival called MODern History SE1 takes place in Lower Marsh in Waterloo this Saturday, 14th September from noon until 7 pm. It is billed as "a celebration of music, art, fashion and culture... by spinning the clock back 50 years, Lower Marsh will be taken right back to it's 60's heyday and the market's most successful era".

The event will feature:

• Vintage scooter rally across London's bridges, from Tower to Westminster: https://www.facebook.com/events/561292677268866/
• Vintage market featuring vintage clothes, scooter spares and a host of other themed stalls.
• Vintage food - Pie 'n' Mash, toffee apples and old ice-cream vans.
• Vintage shop fronts - Shops will be dressed as they were in the 60's with a reproduction of newspapers and magazines.
• Live music stage on the piazza at the end of Lower Marsh mapping the influence of black music on British artists.

There will also be a number of well-known DJs playing a variety of genres from blues and ska through to reggae to indie. Venues and set times as follows:

Train to Skaville @ CARRIAGE, 34 Lower Marsh

Noon - Dave Edwards
1 pm - Smiler
2 pm - Chad
2:30 - Big Bob
3:30 - Dave Edwards
4 pm - Jerry Dammers
6 pm - Surprise guest

Blues x 6 @ WALRUS, 172 Westminster Bridge Road

Noon - Big Bob
1 pm - Nikki Shaw
2 pm - Rob Messer
3 pm - Smiler
4 pm - Dave Edwards
5 pm - Ryan B
6 pm - Guy Joseph

Kool Britannia @ HORSE, 124 Westminster Bridge Road

Noon - Miss Wicked
1 pm - Ian Punter
2 pm - Jerry Dammers
4 pm - Paul Tunkin
5 pm - Ian Punter
6:30 - Miss Wicked

Mark Professor - Oystah Card - out now!

Mark Professor - DJ, MC and long-time friend of the London Dossier - has just released his debut 45rpm single to rave reviews. Produced by Wrongtom and released on the Rongorock record label, "Oystah Card" is Professor's cleverly-worded ode to London's public transportation system and its ubiquitous plastic Oyster travel card.

You can buy "Oystah Card" on 7 inch vinyl from all good record shops, including Rough Trade who seem to have the lowest price.

The Portobello Film Festival - 28 August to 15 September

The Portobello Film Festival starts on Wednesday August 28th at the Louise T Blouin Gallery. The evening features the world premiere of Anarchist, Phil Strongman's Malcolm McLaren biopic.

The festival runs from 28 August to 15 September at various venues and all events are FREE.

28 Aug - 1 Sept: Louise T Blouin Institute, 3 Olaf Street, London W11 4BE
29 Aug - 15 Sept: Portobello Pop Up Cinema, 3 Acklam Road, W10 5TY
30 Aug - 15 Sep: Westbourne Studios, 242 Acklam Road, W10 5JJ
3 Sept - 15 Sept: The Muse, 269 Portobello Road, W11 1LR
11 Sept - 13 Sept The Tabernacle, Powis Square, W11 2AW

The full Portobello Film Festival programme is availble as a downloadable pdf here:
http://www.portobellofilmfestival.com/2013/programme2013.pdf

Notting Hill Carnival 2013 - The Gladdy Wax Sound System

A Reggae Christmas @ The Ivory Arch - 22nd December

An interesting-looking reggae event is taking place at The Ivory Arch Indian restaurant on Saturday 22nd December, 2012 featuring live music from Skillosophi.

http://uk.myspace.com/skillosophi
http://www.ivoryarch.co.uk/

Gilles Peterson at Shiftless Shuffle - Sunday 21 October 2012

Message from the JazzCotech Dancers...

We have done it again! Shiftless Shuffle on Sunday 21st October at East Village features a one-off and exclusive collaboration of 3 of the most legendary DJs on the UK Jazz Dance scene: Gilles Peterson, Colin Parnell & Boo, famed for their respective sessions at Horseshoe, Electric Ballroom and of course Dingwalls. This is the first ever time they are united behind the decks and because of this, we have extended the session to run from 2pm until 8pm.

Shiftless Shuffle, now in its 12th year, is the brainchild of Perry Louis, founder of JazzCotech Dancers. The afternoon starts at 2pm with a 1 hour class in the specialist Street-Fusion Jazz Dance style From Funk to Fusion, taught only by JazzCotech. The class is open to Novices and experienced Dancers alike, providing the opportunity to learn from the masters themselves, including all of the rhythmical, intricate footwork and so-called drop moves that are iconic and exclusive to this style. The ensuing club session has people flocking to it from all corners of the UK, including some of the best and original Jazz Dancers the UK has to offer.

Billed as “the coolest thing to do in London on a Sunday” by Time Out, Shiftless Shuffle is THE place to hang out so why not join us to strut your stuff, take in the incredible music, or simply kick back with a drink or two and enjoy watching the many Dancers do their thing.

Shiftless Shuffle, Sunday 21st October @ East Village (Basement) 89 Gt Eastern Street. London EC2A 3HX. Old St / Liverpool St Tube/BR. Class at 2pm; Club Session 3pm - 8pm. £8:00

Hope to see many of you there!
JazzCotech Dancers
www.jazzcotech.com

London's best vintage club nights

As promised, I've now added a page listing my favourite vintage music club nights. I've also uploaded all of the remaining content from the old site, and reorganised it slightly. Hope you find the new website useful and easy to navigate!

The London Dossier is back

As you can see, I've got The London Dossier website back online — but now it's all hosted here on Blogger. I've uploaded most of the old content, with the exception of the club calendar. I no longer have time to update a calendar of events on such a regular basis, so instead I will probably add a page with links to regular club nights and other event promoters. Watch this space!

I do hope you enjoy browsing the site. Please feel free to leave your comments and suggestions below.

Right On! - new vintage black music website launched

Well, I mentioned in my last post that I've been busy working on a number of projects. One of these I can now reveal — a brand new website for Right On! promotions to celebrate 10 years in the business (how time flies!)

Although I have plans to add more content, the bulk of the site is now finished and live on the web, including lots of different genres of music you can listen to. So, if you like vintage black music, be sure to check it out and join the mailing list!

www.right-on.org

London Dossier update

You may have noticed that this blog has been very inactive of late. And you may have noticed that the main site has gone down altogether (my web host suddenly disappeared without warning). In fact, I've mainly been updating people via the London Dossier Facebook and Twitter accounts.

I've worked on the London Dossier for over 10 years now, but have been taking a step back recently to work on other projects (some personal and some public). I've also been thinking hard about whether or not to relaunch this site and, if so, in what format. For the time being I will probably re-upload the main site as it was but without the club calendar. I will also leave this blog in place but it will serve more as an archive than anything else. There's only so much time I have in the day and over the last year or so my priorities have changed.

So to summarise, the London Dossier will remain for now, but in a less active state. I would advise anyone interested in more regular updates to "like" Jean-Paul Séculaire's London Dossier on Facebook and/or follow @londondossier on Twitter.

The London International Ska Festival 2012

The London International Ska Festival returns this year, from Thursday 3rd May until Sunday 6th May, featuring another array of Ska and Reggae legends.

Headline acts include Dandy Livingstone, Owen Gray (replacing Dawn Penn), George Dekker & Jackie Robinson from The Pioneers, Dave Barker and Freddie Notes. Other bands of note include London Dossier favourites Ska Cubano and The Dualers. DJs include Gladdy Wax, The Tighten Up Crew and Steve Rice (Downbeat Melody).

The venues for the main concerts are the Islington O2 Academy and the Islington Assembly Hall. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday there will also be after-parties down the road at Islington Metalworks, 7 Torrens Street, EC1V 1NQ until late.

I myself will be DJing at the after-party on Saturday night and can offer half-price admission to Metalworks for all London Dossier readers. If interested, you must let me know in advance.

For more information, and tickets to the festival, visit:
www.londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk

Ska LaVin NYE Party @ Troy Bar

As usual there are lots of vintage NYE parties coming up, but this one looks particularly good. Tommy Rock A Shacka from Japan is currently over in the UK and will be spinning alongside top London reggae selectors Tiny T and Asher G. Expect some great rocksteady, roots and ska.

Ska LaVin New Year's Eve Party
@ The Troy Bar

10 Hoxton Street,
Shoreditch,
London,
N1 6NG

31st December, 2011.
8pm - 4am.
Tickets: £10

Vintage Halloween Parties - October 2011

Well, it doesn't look like there's much going on on Halloween itself this year, it being a Monday and all, but fear not, there's lots to choose from over the weekend preceding it. Here's my round-up of this year's choicest, Halloween-themed, vintage club nights. Dressing up is generally not obligatory, but in most cases it is highly appreciated, and at some of the events may even get you a discount on admission.

FRIDAY 28th OCTOBER

Jukebox Jam Halloween Special
http://www.jukeboxjam.org/2011/10/halloween2011/

A night of rock 'n' roll, rhythm 'n' blues and sleazy exotica from live bands and resident DJs. Guest jockey this month is the great Ben Olins from The Stag O Lee club.

A Danse Macabre - The Halloween Ball
http://www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org/halloweenball_28.html

An erotic, late-night ball featuring cabaret, burlesque, live bands and DJs including Dickon Edwards.

The Sizzle Suite
http://www.ginglik.co.uk/?page_id=224

Old school funk, soul, ska, r'n'b, swing, calypso and more from DJs Duke Skeleton and host Count Sizzle plus The Congo Faith Healers live and flamenco from Paula y Manu.

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SATURDAY 29th OCTOBER

White Mischief presents A Ghost In the Machine
http://www.whitemischief.info/featured/oct-29-ghost-in-the-machine

Spectacular indoor festival in a multi-floored, converted Victorian cinema. Line-up features live bands, cabaret, installations, fabulous costumes and vintage DJs, including yours truly, spinning swing, blues, rock 'n' roll and more.

The Hideous Big Ten Inch Halloween Horror Show
http://www.bigteninch.co.uk/big-ten-inch-london/the-hideous-big-ten-inch-halloween-horror-show/

Mr "Ghost Train" himself, Jerry Dammers, joins Count Skylarkin on the decks to spin "devilish blues, ghoulish ska, coffin-rockin' rocksteady and buried treasure from Tutankhamun's grave".

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Finally, should you fancy getting away from all the ghouls and goblins, there are plenty of other nights to choose from, on the Friday at least. Check out the Calendar for suggestions:

http://www.londondossier.info/clubs.php

Duke Vin & The Birth Of Ska - 27th October

Duke Vin & The Birth Of Ska is showing for FREE on Thursday 27th October at the Peckham Plex Cinema. This is a film I've mentioned a few times on this blog. It has only had limited distribution, so each time it's shown in London I feel it worth pointing out. First released in 2008, I saw it myself at The Portobello Film Festival in 2009, and have to say it is well worth watching. An excellent slice of history, telling the story of Duke Vin - an important figure in the world of Jamaican music in the UK.

Directed by Gus Berger, the film is a documentary of 55 minutes in length, which features interviews with Duke Vin himself and other important figures in the UK reggae scene, as well as some vintage footage. I would have liked to have seen more footage from the 50s, 60s and 70s, but given the somewhat underground nature of the Jamaican music scene in Britain, I can imagine this being a story that just wasn't caught on camera.

A film like this was therefore long overdue. It tells a story that is essential for anyone interested in Jamaican music and culture and its influence on the UK.

Thursday 27th October. 7.30pm.
The Peckham Plex Cinema,
95a Rye Lane, London, SE15 4ST
FREE admission (booking essential)
Bookings: free_duke@live.com
Telephone: 07415 174 451

Cinema website: http://www.peckhamplex.com/
Film website: http://gustofilms.com/duke-vin/

SOAS World Music Stage at the Bloomsbury Festival

The Bloomsbury Festival comes to town this weekend, from Friday to Sunday, featuring a plethora of free events, covering music, dance, poetry and art.

For me, the highlight has to be the SOAS World Music Stage, which takes place in Russell Square from Noon on both Saturday 22nd October and Sunday 23rd October.

This two-day programme of free music from around the world has been selected by specialists at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Music Department. Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe are all represented by bands including: Laye Sow (Senegal), Ayarkhaan (Sakha/Siberia), Amira Kheir (Sudan), Shavnabada (Georgia), Rún (Celtic music), Harare (Zimbabwe) - and many more.

The line-up sounds very interesting, though I must admit I'm not personally familiar with any of the bands apart from Harare, who I can heartily recommend. They are scheduled to play at 6.15pm on Saturday and I would go so far as to say the event is worth attending for them alone.

For full details, visit: http://www.bloomsburyfestival.org.uk/event/id/185

Ghetto Lounge events - October / November

Saturday 15th October
Fela Kuti Birthday Tribute
@ The Jazz Cafe

This night will feature the Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra who promise to perform "carefully re-orchestrated Fela favourites/classics". Their selection from Fela's repertoire aims to mark the changes and development in his music through the decades — from Koola Lobitos (highlife, jazz) through to Africa 70 (Afro funk) and Egypt 80 (Afro big-band sound, with longer, more intricate pieces). There will also be guest musicians on the night, paying their respects to Fela, plus DJ Koichi Sakai (Afrobeat Vibration) on the decks playing "memorable Afrobeat anthems".

The Jazz Cafe, 5 Parkway, Camden Town, London, NW1 7PG
Doors: 7pm - 11pm
Admission: £17.50 advance, £22 on the door
Tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/1f004658c1a9681e?camefrom=cfc_uk_mama_jazzcafe&brand=jazz_cafe

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Friday 11th November
Anthony Joseph album launch
@ The New Empowering Church

Inspired by some lines from the surrealist poet Ted Joans, "Rubber Orchestras" is Anthony Jospeh's third album with his Spasm Band. It has been produced by drummer and leader of The Heliocentrics, Malcolm Catto, and includes one track arranged and produced by 2 Tone legend Jerry Dammers (The Specials).

The opening words on the new album "The griot is the sound of universal culture" are key to understanding the universe of Anthony Joseph. Born in Trinidad but London-based for many years, Joseph has carved out a successful career writing and teaching poetry, as well as recording and performing with his band. His vocal influences include: Jimi Hendrix, Benjamin Zephaniah, Fela Kuti, Sly Stone and Gil Scott-Heron.

The new album, "Rubber Orchestras" (Heavenly Sweetness/Naïve) was released this month, and it will be followed by a new poetry collection of the same name in November by Salt Publishing.

Support on the 11th November comes from the Jon Speedy Band and DJs Jerry Dammers and Koichi Sakai.

The New Empowering Church, 1a Westgate Street, London, E8 3RL
Doors: 9pm - 3am
Admission: £7 advance, £10 on the door
Tickets: http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?295428

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Saturday 26th November
Afrobeat Vibration 3rd Anniversary special
@ The New Empowering Church

Saturday 26th November is Afrobeat Vibration's final installment of 2011 and its 3rd Anniversary. As always, the Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra will be playing authentic Afrobeat including Fela's classic tunes as well as original compositions. DJ support comes from Koichi Sakai.

The "Music is the Weapon" documentary film will be screened from 9pm-10pm and there will also be contests for the best Afrobeat dancer and best Kalakuta dresser as well as a Nigerian meal after the show.

The New Empowering Church, 1a Westgate Street, London, E8 3RL
Doors: 9pm - late
Admission: £7 before 10pm, £10 thereafter