Mixit.TV

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

LONG LIVE NELSON MANDELA

Probably Nelson Mandela's last public appearance in this country. He is to be the guest of honour on Friday (27 June 08) at a huge party in Hyde Park to celebrate his 90th birthday.

The worlds most respected and beloved president who turns 90 on July 18, will be feted by world dignitaries and celebs including former US president Bill Clinton and Hil, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, princes William and Harry and actors Robert De Niro and Forest Whitaker. Amy (Wil she Won't she) Winehouse. The event will be hosted by Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett. Oprah's going to be there. The roster will include a truly star studded line-up led by Queen, Leona Lewis, Annie Lennox Dame Shirley Bassey, Simple Minds and Razorlight are also booked to perform alongside Sugababes, Andrea and Sharon Corr, Eddy Grant, Italian star Zucchero and Spanish group Amaral. And an ex child soldier who is now a big thing on the rap scen: Emanuelle Jai (who Mr Mandela persoanaly requested appear at his birthday bash.... What an honour for the young man) The now internationally famous Soweto Gospel Choir will be doing a special set for their former president.

Nelson Madeba Mandela will be joined by an audience of some 46,664 (his old prison number which has been adopted as the name of the Aids charity that he is the patron of.

There is a rumour that there are a number of artists who are being kept as secret participants as a birthday surprise for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the audience. speculators recon that among these are: Miriam Makeba Hugh Masekela the spice girls, Eminem, and U2. Mr Mandela has said that he is looking forward to the event and that although he is retired he cannot resist the opportunity to use the event of his 90th birthday to raise funds for the charitable organisations that bear his name. He said "We have a bargain - I am going to London and they will host a concert in Hyde Park, which will raise awareness of our continuing work and much needed funds."

If you are going along then take as many pictures as you can share them with us here at Mixit.TV; have a really great time and remember it is all in a great cause.

Alexzanda Gordon-King
There now follows a personal statement from myself to uncle Nelson:

PS: Thank you Madeba! Thank you for at long last breaking your self enforced silence on the criminally repugnant activities of your next door neighbour: Mugabe and his detestable cabal. I salute you my President for having said that you have retired and will no more comment on international affairs ; you stand up. You stand up and say STOP! You are standing up and making it clear that Mugabe's behaviour is not acceptable to us, whether it be Africa or anywhere on the planet. You say loud and clear that it should not be tolerated. I hope and trust that your brother leaders within the continent will now band together and follow your example and say: STOP MUGABE Enough is enough! How could a man I/we had admired so long have sunk so low and made/ make us all look so bad/feel so bad? Long Live Mandela I say! Long live Mandela.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

BLACK MANalishi?

Black Manalishi! Black Man a whaa? Black Manalishi! And if you haven’t heard of them let me tell you that these boys are off the leash and coming to get you. They are the real deal rock for real bluesRock RockBlues mix up mash upside you head Don Dada of undiscovered rock. You know what? I only came across them very recently and I don’t understand why they are not HUGE. Now I’m no Rock or Rock’n’Blues expert but Black Manalishi have got a vibe that is so Rock funky that it don’t really make sense to call them a Rock band. In fact I really don’t know what to call them. Colin Murray, BBC Radio 1 dubbed them: "Rock n' f*ckin' roll!!!" Yeah! kinda ses it for me. They're Purple, they're Cream , they're Free all rolled into one. And whether you think you are a rockNblues, bluesNrock, ClassicRock fan or not; you gotta admit that they have got it going on. Zep were the 70's and led that shit back then; Manalishi are the milenium and as HARD as any ROCK an a hard place you gonna find yo'self in.

I was sitting in my mates car on the way to the studio when he pulled out the mellow CD that I was enjoying and said “Tell me what you think of this” So he put it on. And I thought hoy hoy what the fuck’s he up to he knows I’m a RnB, Blues, Folk, Reggae, Jazzy Kinda guy, what the hell is he doing assaulting me with this hard rock bizniz for. So I’m kinda sceptically listening to this rock ting and then it starts morphing into Whhaaay whats going on here ting and I find myself nodding and bobbing and saying OK. And now I’m a little bit embarrassed because the first track has finished and it really wasn’t that bad. So we’re into track number two and it’s getting even better. By the time the third track kicks in I’m Head banging and jumping up and down in my seat and saying yeah! yeah! And he’s just smiling and ses: they’re not bad are they? And I goes: "they’re better than not bad mate. They're ****** **** ******** ******* * ********* ".

By the time we got to track 11, I was at fever pitch an then the first strains of Jack’s Gone to Hell started to pump from the stereo and I’ve just gone TURN THAT MOTHER ****** UP. And he’s turned it up, the roof is down and now I’m practically tantric-flying of my seat, arms stabbing in the air, head banging to the beat and we’re thrashing down the motorway. Everyone's looking at us as we fly by, thinking what the ***. Some smiling, some waving back and some in just plain shock.

We played it all the way rewinding certain tracks two or three times. Well! Talk about adrenaline? By the time we got to the studio I was so pumped up that I could have taken Tyson.

Now, my point is that any band who can have that effect on a middle aged black man with eclectic tastes but not particularly rock orientated has got to be worth big bucks from the record labels out there. Who are these guys? Are they deaf? Something needs shaking up in the industry if they haven’t snapped these guys up by now.

I’m gonna start a Release the Black Man alishi 4! campaign: Say after me: “Black Manalishi!” “Black Manalishi!”...

http://www.blackmanalishi.com

Friday, June 20, 2008

ELLIOT SHAND'S ACOUSTIC NIGHT AT THE DURELL

You guys missed a party on Sunday! Didn’t you hear me say that Alyson was gigging at the Durell in Fulham on Sunday? Let me tell you something it was phat.! An’ when i say phat I mean bubbling over with music entertainment and drama. The evening kicked off with a Brutus bearded "hellraisin" foot stomper from a brilliant Devonian One man and his Guitar called Ben Godard who really tore through his set and had us all going and what an excellent unique voice this man had he was whooping and roaring and did he bang that guitar? Yep! Sho’ did. He was followed by a big black Canadian singer who is on an international tour at the moment and only in Britain for two days. Damian Alexander, was flying out the the same evening directly from his set on stage to go to Hong Kong. Damian’s style was so unique I certainly have never seen any thing heard anything like him before. If this is what they are doing in Canada these days I better start listening a little bit harder. He was good and I particularly loved his second song which was part ballad part rapoetry Loved it loved it loved it.

The next act I want to tell you about is My Man “Mozes” In fact you know what I am not going to talk about Mozes because I got so much to say about MOZES that I gonna save it all for a blog of his own. And when I talk about Mozes I want to have something up here that I can link you to so’s you’ll understand why I love him so much.

Anyway, back at the Durell in Fulham the Joint was jumping and people were stomping and cheering and This wasn’t only for Alyson who put on a fine set this time singing whilst accompanying herself on keyboards (damned that girl is talented) but the promoter of the gig Elliot Shand got in on the act from offstage when he picked up his sax, crouched down in a wall seat to the left and off the stage. Black cap pulled over his eyes low it was just Elliot and the sax and the sax n Elliot and he blew that M.....F...... and riffed down into some deep dark dirty, did I say DIRTY dirty sex music. Well my dears..... The place erupted in ecstatic applause even before the end of his solo, and Elliot just kind of crouched there half embarrassed half proud peeking out from under his cap and took his applause with a nod and took his applause with a little smile. I think I glimpsed a hint of self satisfaction. It was a great night Elliot and a lovely little piece of sexophone you put down there m’boy!

The banger of the evening came when Alyson did a freestyle singin' straight to rap in the middle of her rendition of aint no sunshine and boy the girl took it to another level reinterpreted the mother and took possession of not only the song but the audience as well. I had invited a few friends over one of which is a big ting in the music biz and he just kept looking at me and making that sign... You know that sign that two close friends don’t have to pre rehearse to know. I loved her and I went YES! YES! THANK YOU LORD! We got a live one here.