RBMA's Daily Note: Outernational Clubbing in Inner LDN

From yesterday's Daily Note, the Redbull Music Academy's newspaper.


AFRICA EXPRESS: RAHUL VERMA GOES OUTERNATIONAL CLUBBING IN INNER LONDON WITH SOME AFRICAN RAVING

Although nothing bugs me more than sounding like Dubya by referring to a vast continent like it’s a country – how many European or North American clubnights- have you heard of? – that’s a battle for the anti-colonialists.

In recent years, African artists have enjoyed unparalleled success: The Very Best’s (duo Radioclit and Malawian singer Esau) cheery debut The Warm Heart was a fixture in many critics’ Top Ten of 2009. Hipster director Spike Jonze has made a short film on MIA-anointed SE London rapper Afrikan Boy, thundering Angolan-Portuguese crew Buraka Som Sistema’s debut LP came via the Fabric imprint and the swinging bleep-house of Township Funk by South Africa’s Mujava was the anthem of late 2008.

The music of Africa is infiltrating cool, cliquey dancefloors like never before. Even snotty fashion houses are cashing in on Africa’s cool cache – the Double Club, a Kinshasa-inspired pop-up club in Angel, conceived by Prada and artist Carsten Holler, was the talk of the town.

You’re unlikely to hear any of the above in the burgeoning bijous scene frequented by second-generation Brit-Africans (mainly Nigerian and Ghanaian with Caribbean mates in tow), which seems to be growing in line with the visibly increasing success of the African diaspora.

These dazzling raves take place in venues across Kensington, Mayfair (No.5), West End (Penthouse) and the City, and the soundtrack features US mainstream bangers (favourite son Akon, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent), slow jamz (Jeremiah’s Birthday Sex), hip-life (hip hop meets hi-life – check Ghana’s Batman or Nigeria’s D’Banj, the obligatory Michael “Jesus juice” Jackson medley, and UK funky, which shares its DNA with afro-beat.

It seems strange that second-generation Brit- Africans such as Sway, Kano and Dizzee aren’t fixtures, but perhaps less so when you consider that the biggest contemporary cultural influence in Mama Africa has been Uncle Sam. There are plenty of under-25s skanking the night away who won’t know who Fela Kuti is – a fact that is just plain perturbing.

You’ll find middle-aged Nigerians and Ghanaians, aka “uncles”, dressed ostentatiously (shades, cuff links and Ed Hardy) showering cash on young Brit-African girls impressing with flesh in what looks like a Nollywood Entourage. The Uncle probably bought their arm candy’s weave (a few hundred quid a pop), as well as a table in a high-end Mayfair club strewn with bottles of Grey Goose.

Like most other cultures – boozy Brits excluded – a night out for Brit-Africans often includes eating. Comedy’s high on the agenda too, with pearly-toothed Congolese comedian and presenter Eddie Kadi supplanting the frequently misogynist Kojo as current funnyman of choice. Kadi’s even opened a restaurant and music venture, Black Grape in Tottenham, which has had Tim Westwood drooling over yam. If it’s good enough for the big dawg, it’s good enough for us.

Then there’s the earnest club scene, where you’ll find Rasta-coloured headgear, wraps and beads galore, NGO workers and a stall selling conspiracy theory DVDs and literature (9/11, HIV, slavery). These are intellectuals whose minds are free from the tyranny of imperialism and capitalism, who sigh in despair at their weak brothers and sisters flashing blood diamonds, poor sorry victims of nefarious plots to subjugate the motherland. It certainly makes for the kind of interesting chat you don’t get on your average night out – apart from when you’re putting the world to rights as the sun comes up – and the music kicks arse, whether it’s French/North African crew Watcha Clan’s tear-out electro, dub and drum’n’bass, or the mighty Ethiopian soundsystem Dub Colossus, or Senegalese hip hop trio Daara J, reclaiming rap as griot music.