|
Amapiano is the latest wave of music pumping in the streets of South Africa right now. Pioneered by several producers and DJs, the genre originated from Johannesburg townships Soweto, Alexandra, Vosloorus and Katlehong. Mark Khoza says in ‘SHAYA! Amapiano documentary’, “Amapiano, we understand it in different ways, someone came up with the concept to infuse deep-house with the piano so the deep house can push this piano sound”. Throughout the documentary MFR Souls, the duo who gave the sound its name states that Amapiano is more than just a genre of music, it is a lifestyle. Originating from the townships, it lacked commercial backing. The power of social media enabled Amapiano to be spread across Africa and internationally. Da Kruk was one of the earliest DJs to give Amapiano airtime. On his show he dedicated an hour to the genre called ‘Amapiano hour’. Da Kruk stated: “Amapiano is one of the only genres where artists have got gigs independently where there is no business person trying to dictate where the artist should go. These guys have literally painted their own canvas”. To learn more about Amapiano and its rise to prominence you can check out the full documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B9frOKUwz0 
0 Comments
Today (Monday 22nd of June) is Windrush Day. This marks 72 years since the HMT Empire Windrush arrived at the Tilbury docks in Essex carrying over 1000 passengers from the Caribbean. In this same year the British Nationality Act gave status to the citizens of then British colonies. From that day until 1970 nearly half a million people migrated to the UK from the Caribbean. They have had a tremendous impact on the shaping of British culture and helped rebuild British infrastructure after WW2 as well as making up a large proportion of health workers who have been frontline workers in the pandemic. However, they have been met with hostility and racism from the British government. In 1999, The Immigration and Asylum Act gave protection to long standing UK residents from Commonwealth nations from enforced removal. The Immigration Act of 2014 failed to make provision for those people who had immigrated from former colonies before 1973 and in 2018 83 people were deported. Windrush scandal? In 2012, Theresa May’s Home Office introduced the “Hostile Environment” policy including measures to limit access to work, housing, healthcare, bank accounts and more. It is characterised by a system of citizen-on-citizen immigration checks, where NHS, landlord, banks and employers enforced immigration controls and reported those who failed to meet check. The majority of these proposals became law via the Immigration Act 2014. Those who came to the country as part of the Windrush generation were promised this right on arrival between 1948 and 1973, however the Home Office demanded evidence for every year since 1973. As it was near-impossible to find sufficient evidence, these individuals were labelled illegal immigrants, a large number were held in immigration detention and blocked from seeing their families, while others were forcibly deported to the countries they hadn’t seen, lived in, or known since they were young children. So far the Home Office has admitted to 164 wrongful deportation cases, 11 of these individuals have since died homeless in the countries they were deported to. The Home Office, however, made a profit of £800m during the time period of these cases. One in 10 registered nurses in the UK came from overseas and each one, and every health and care worker, has played a special role in the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK needs to value the Windrush generation and the immigrants who came after this date. We must make steps towards ending racism in Britain, supporting victims of the Windrush scandal and donating to charities who give support to those affected by racism. How you can help: Email home office: commonwealthtaskforce@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk Donate Black Minds Matter: www.blackmindsmatteruk.com Donate to Law Centres to help people who cannot afford a lawyer: www.lawcentres.org.uk Victim support: Windrush Victim support: cacfouk.org/home/windrush-victim-support/ Free Advice: iasservices.org.uk/free-advice-members-windrush-generation/ Manchester has been graced with a brand-new showcase night that is at Off the Square every Thursday evening called Origin. Origin has curated the perfect lineup championing Manchester's underground artists and connecting the dots amongst creatives in the city. We spoke to founder Marc to give us a little more insight into Origin: "Myself, Cameron and Emma Rose have joined forces to create the no.1 showcase night in Manchester for new urban music. We've come together to carefully curate some incredible line ups and want to be known to be the go-to night if you want to come and see the future of rap, drill, grime and R&B in the form of live performances". Their first night is on July 22nd with alternative hip-hop collective Motto Estate headlining with the talented Ace Cxbain and Dunamis supporting. It is gonna be an incredible night full of creatives, great music and unmatched vibes. www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Manchester/Off-The-Square/Origin-ft-Motto-Estate--Friends-/35818160/   The BEST places to grab a scrumptious brunch in Manchester. Hampton and Vouis Situated on Princess Street, Hampton and Vouis provides speciality coffee as well as incredible, affordable food. Their menu is inspired by Mediterranean cuisine which focuses on flexitarian eating. You can grab yourself a deliciously healthy granola or açai bowl to start off your day. If this doesn't tickle your tastebuds and you have more of a sweet tooth they have an array of sweet and biscuity pancakes. You can lay your hands on a Jammy Dodger Stack served with vanilla ice cream and juicy berries or you can grab yourself a Lotus biscuit stack, an oreo and peanut butter stack or a bourbon biscuit stack. Spoilt for choice! If none of this satisfies you then you can choose from a variety of poached eggs on toast options. Now the world is beginning to open up and we can OFFICIALLY dine inside so I thought I would share with you the BEST places to grab a scrumptious brunch in Manchester.  Another Heart to Feed They have two cafes situated in both Didsbury and Norther Quarter so no matter where you are in Manchester 'Another Heart to Feed' is always nearby. 'Another Heart to Feed' boasts a wide menu selection catering widely for both vegan and vegetarians. You can grab anything from granola, to a simple bagel, sourdough toast with a variety of different toppings as well as the more alternative breakfast bites such as spiced courgette fritters or bimibap with kimchi. If you are looking for an alternative style of breakfast 'Another Heart to Feed' is your place.  Federal Cafe You can find the Federal Cafe across Manchester, in Northern Quarter, Deansgate and in their coffee cart in Altrincham market. My personal favourite has to be in their quirky joint in Northern Quarter - the staff are lovely and SUPER welcoming, the food is incredible and vibes are unmatched. My two favourites off their menu has to be between the French toast or the Halloumi & Shrooms. The French toast is for a sweeter pallet served with whipped mascarpone, salted caramel, berries and white chocolate and almond crumble. The Halloumi & Shrooms is served with a poached egg and sourdough toast. Truly Scrumptious!  FRESS
Fress is situated in both Didsbury and in the town centre (Oldham Street). As well as serving up the traditional style of breakfast of Full English and smashed avocado, it also serves up an American style breakfast (yum). The American section of the menu ranges from fluffy buttermilk pancakes to hangover chicken waffles. While Fress is a little on the pricey side - it is so worth it!
These are a list of the best up and comers you need to keep your eye on from the UK.
1. Motto Estate A rap collective of 9, they are making movements in the UK underground hip-hop scene with their different sounds mixed with a variety of tonalities that makes them especially unique. You can check out their latest tape "Estate of Mind Vol. 1" below:
2. China Lilly
Part of creative group SINDYSPLACE China Lilly is shaping the scene with her dreamy vocals over subversive hiphop beats. She has a voice like no other - she is definitely someone to be keeping your eye on. You can check out her pltfrm live here:
3. Bel Cobain
An incredible songstress with sultry chilled lyrics over alternative contemporary beats. She is a force to be reckoned with. You can check my favourite of her tracks out here:
4. Feux
London-based rapper, Feux is a bilingual alternative artist who has an incredible smooth flow. He is self-managed and most recently co-produced his latest release 'DUBIOUS'. You can check it out here:
5. Porij
Porij is a quartet based in Manchester with futuristic electronic beats, genre bending and non-conforming, their music is an eclectic fusion of their influences. You can check out their music here:
1. @comedinewithbrie_
Where do I even start? This account is fully of the most delicious dishes with a mixture of home-cooked meals and the tasty treats this wonderful foodie can lay her hands on. Going by the name of Bri - she sure knows how to cook up a storm.
Woweee - just take a look at that beautiful sandwich. What I love the most about this blog is how aesthetic her food looks. This sandwich is filled with prosciutto ham, onion chutney, rocket, hummus, sundried tomatoes on sourdough bread. This is one of her homemade creations - unbelievable right? It looks like it has been made in a high-end cafe that you would probably find in Ancoats. ​
If you need Sunday roast inspiration - look no further! Here Bri cooked up a tender steak alongside garlic and paprika infused roasties. If she started a restaurant I would definitely pay a visit.
If you need some lunch inspiration - go check out her page! This one is a personal favourite with the simple but sweet Antipasti lunch featuring olives, ham, brie, sourdough, artichoke, tomatoes, rocket and crisps. (Mmmmm) You have to give this page a follow for all your foodie inspo.
2. @pengveganstudentfood
If you are vegan and are struggling to get creative with your meals - look no further. This page's recipes are to DIE FOR.
One of my favourite things about this page is the amount of Asian food they post on here! In this post they cooked up a FEAST! You can find homemade boa buns, spicy miso glazed cauliflower wings and fried shiitake mushrooms. Who would want to eat meat again when you can eat this incredible spread?
I LOVEEE how creative they get with their recipes - this is a personal favourite of mine which I tried out myself and woooo it was DIVINE. Korean Fried Cauliflower in a tasty rice noodle broth. How you season the cauliflower is the key to making it taste AMAZING. Follow these guys for all your vegan needs.
3. @yummybrummie
This food blog is run by Luce who shares a colourful variety of food - some of her own creations and some meals out - both undeniably delicious.
Here Luce shared a Padella pasta homekit - and just WOW! This silky, creamy pasta looks amazing!
What a meat FEAST! Luce shares her recommendation The Meat Shack Burgers noting that it is great value for money and stellar service. I would definitely head to her page for restaurant recommendations as she leaves trusted reviews and takes clear photos.
4. @pimp_up_your_plate
If you are looking for inspiration from a true foodie accompanied by super aesthetic photos - head over to instagram page @pimp_up_your_plate run by Beth Shappers. She has a food and nutrition degree so you know you are in good hands when you head over to her page.
HOMEMADE DONUTS?? JEEEEZ these look A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. High protein snack - perfect for anyone who is a regular gym goer and is looking to build muscle. You are able to enjoy these goodies without feeling any guilt!
One of my favourite features of Shappers page is the porridge recipes she puts together - making a boring dish into something FLAVOURSOME. Here she shares a chocolatey and granola porridge. This is a speciality of hers as her page used to be called 'pimp up your porridge'. Take a look at her page for tasty treats that are highly nutritious.
5. @hans.hungry
What is GREAT about this page is that Han always shares the recipe to each dish she creates. Colourful and uber healthy - yum!
Wow! LOOK AT THIS! A gorgeous red pepper, sweet potato and gruyere cheese frittata. Perfect for meat free Mondays - go and check her page for inspo.
I love the range of recipes Han provides - this one is a harrisa chickpea shakshuka with a side of bread. I NEED to try this - it looks D-E-L-I-G-H-T-F-U-L.
 Rhythm Reports is here to recommend you the best bars to go to in Manchester! As May 16th is fast approaching, we no longer have to bare Manchester's baltic weather in order to enjoy a nice cool pint. In the list below you can find some of the BEST bars in Manchester which we have carefully vibe checked considering price, quality of service, product and of course MUSIC. (Number 1 spot was democratically voted in by the Rhythm Lab team and won by a landslide victory - the rest are ranked in no particular order). 1. EASTERN BLOC Number 1 spot had to be given to the undoubtedly best bar, record shop and venue in the 0161 it's....................... EASTERN BLOC!!! Eastern Bloc has AMAZING food, INCREDIBLE music, and LIT vibes. The best record shop in manny didn't have to make the best food but they did. Here are a few reviews from the Rhythm Lab Team: "the food is PENG", "homemade and delicious", "the vegan wrap slaps". As you can tell Eastern Bloc is not a spot to be missed. 2. FLOK A personal favourite of mine - FLOK! Flok is located next to our number 1 spot (Eastern Bloc) in the buzzing Stevenson Square in Northern Quarter. It boasts a decent space for outside seating as well as some lovely cushioned benches inside. While it sits on the pricey side of £4.50-£6 a pint, the delicious cocktails and tasty bar snacks makes it worth a visit. Flok is always filled with young people, great music and good vibes. 3. YES! Yes! is located on Charles Street next to the Gay Village in central Manchester. It is well-known for its sexy rooftop bar and funky interior design. The best thing about it - its cheap cheap cocktails (do not worry they are a scrumptious as the price). Before lockdown, they never failed to have a lively DJ at the bar playing a range of up tempo bangers. Ooo and you can't forget their UNREAL pizza slices and kebabs - if you're a herbivore this is the place for you as they provide a range of veggie and vegan options on their menu.  4. Soup Kitchen Soup Kitchen - WE HAVE MISSED YOU!! Pre-lockdown Soup Kitchen was always lively with a DJ with an eclectic soundtrack to accompany your night of eating delicious scran and drinking. Now indoor seating is soon to be back open - Soup Kitchen will be one of our top places we will pay a visit. Connor, Rhythm Lab's Marketing Manager, said that "Soup Kitchen is my favourite basement in the entire world - serving up the best drinks and munch". 5. The Old Abbey Taphouse The Old Abbey Taphouse has been a music lovers saviour post-lockdown - providing lively sit-down events hosted by Manchester's finest DJs. Well-known for its fairy-like den to shelter drinkers from Manchester's rainy weather, it serves up a variety of pizza and burger options as well as fairly priced drinks! What more could you ask for?  6. The Washhouse A secret bar hidden behind a mysterious laundrette, the washhouse serves up a funky array of cocktails. 7. Trof Located in Northern Quarter, Trof is perfect for munch and drinks at any time of the day - a very popular spot amongst the locals.  8. Dirty Martini
Dirty Martini is vibey serving up a wide range of cocktails to tickle your tastebuds as well as providing fantastic music to set the ambience. 9. Albert Schloss Albert Schloss is an energetic bar providing guests with an array of live music to keep you on your toes. |
RSS Feed
