For years, for decades and for generations, Music not only represents the voices and the engine of Life, it entails the spirit of our stories, the tempo and the substance of societal norms and values, but most importantly, Music represents Life.

In Africa, Music is Life and Life is Music and from different regions, the same old story is painted with metaphors of different shades.

Sunday the 17th of May, was more than just  A Dejavu, It was a day that everyone had been waiting for as ZIMBPRAISE- An International Gospel Group from Zimbabwe, visited Watford for the very first time and embraced the evening with Soft notes, electrifying voices and puzzles of crafted music beyongd words.

From Start to finish, the fusion of the most beautiful voices empowered the audience with an organised gospel engine of structured collective voices.

Zimpraise is an International and Praise Worship Group of Christian musicians from different backgrounds and denominations that have come together as a Praise family. They were founded in 2006 with head office at 69 Central Avenue, Harare.

AFRICA4U and ZIMLINK were at the event conducting Video Interviews with the talented performing artists of The Zimbpraise Team.
The precision, The craft and the collective harmoony of family voices was an art in itself that left me speechless and tickled the substance of my bones with a raw moving feeling.

To put the icing on the cake, each of the members wore a smile filled with life, love and new energy.

Also present at the event was The Gospel Music Icon and legend – Mr Mechanic Manyeruke who also entertained the crowd with a deliberate craft of nostalgic numbers. Here is a picture with me and The Gospel legend below

   I got talking with this great man during the interlude and was instantyl overwhelmed by his humility and his grace.
He told me of his previous music tours to Germany, Austria and Holland

ZIMPRAISE – is definately an International Family Gospel Group to look out for – definately one of the best International Gospel groups i have watched for a very long time

   BREAKING NEWS

Africa4U WILL BE LIVE IN LAGOS IN THE MONTH OF JUNE

WE WILL BE CONDUCTING VIDEO AND AUDIO INTERVIEWS WITH NIGERIAN PERFORMING ARTISTS, WRITERS, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS, ROLE MODELS AND PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO LIFE, TIME SLOTS WILL BE ALLOCATED ACCORDINGLY
AFRICA4U IS ALL ABOUT PROMOTING AND CELEBRATING THE GREAT WORK OF AFRICANS AROUND THE WORLD AND SHARING THEIR STORIES ON VARIOUS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

AFRICA CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

AFRICA4U MEDIA
AFRICA4U ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS-
THE AFRICA4U MENTORING ACADEMY

DATES FOR THE INTERVIEWS CAN BE FOUND BELOW

MONDAY THE 9TH OF JUNE FROM 10AM TO 5PM AT REKIS EYE CENTRE, 5 SANUSI FAFUNWA STREET, VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS

TUESDAY THE 10TH OF JUNE FROM 10AM TO 5PM AT REKIS EYE CENTRE 5 SANUSI FAFUNWA STREET, VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS

FOR MORE INFO YOU CAN CONTACT ME – afripoet@hotmail.com

   Louise is a British broadcaster specialising in radio programmes. She began her career at the age of 17 by volunteering for a community radio project and her career developed from there. After 4 years of study at university and work experience Louise started to become more involved in broadcasting – from 2005 producing BBC local radio programmes. In 2006 Louise launched a new African Caribbean specialist show on BBC Radio Berkshire that discusses topical current affairs with music. The show ran for 7 years. In 2006 she began to work for Immedia Broadcasting – a radio company that provides live retail broadcasting story. Louise ran services and also launched pilot services like U-Live – a School radio service for students, the first of its kind. Louise’s career has included news reading, live outside broadcasts, reporting on location, making podcasts and radio documentaries, interviewing guests and providing news stories for BBC Radio stations across the country. Louise has had the privilege to work on Investigative BBC TV programme Inside Out to present, research and produce items. At the moment she is the voice of Superdrug live – a national retail radio service and runs her own venture – Soundbite Media that focuses on Media Relations, broadcasting and training courses.

BREAKING NEWS

Africa4U WILL BE LIVE IN LAGOS IN THE MONTH OF JUNE

WE WILL BE CONDUCTING VIDEO AND AUDIO INTERVIEWS WITH NIGERIAN PERFORMING ARTISTS, WRITERS, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS, ROLE MODELS AND PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO LIFE, TIME SLOTS WILL BE ALLOCATED ACCORDINGLY
AFRICA4U IS ALL ABOUT PROMOTING AND CELEBRATING THE GREAT WORK OF AFRICANS AROUND THE WORLD AND SHARING THEIR STORIES ON VARIOUS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

AFRICA CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

AFRICA4U MEDIA
AFRICA4U ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS-
THE AFRICA4U MENTORING ACADEMY

DATES FOR THE INTERVIEWS CAN BE FOUND BELOW

MONDAY THE 9TH OF JUNE FROM 10AM TO 5PM AT REKIS EYE CENTRE, 5 SANUSI FAFUNWA STREET, VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS

TUESDAY THE 10TH OF JUNE FROM 10AM TO 5PM AT REKIS EYE CENTRE 5 SANUSI FAFUNWA STREET, VICTORIA ISLAND, LAGOS

FOR MORE INFO YOU CAN CONTACT ME – afripoet@hotmail.com

RADIO BIOGRAPHY – WAYNE BOUCAUD-D.O.B. 08/09/’62 – RADIO PRESENTER/DJ BORN IN LONDON OF TRINIDADIAN PARENTAGE. CAMDEN COMMUNITY RADIO 2004-2008 MY FORAY INTO RADIO STARTED AT CAMDEN COMMUNITY RADIO IN 2004.

IT WAS THERE THAT HE LEARNT HIS CRAFT AS A RADIO PRESENTER/DJ,FROM SCRIPTING/EDITING/PRODUCTION AND PRESENTING. HE ALSO COVERED AND BROADCASTED VARIOUS MUSIC FESTIVALS FROM THE SOUTHBANK. THE STATION FOCUSED MAINLY ON THE LOCAL COMMUNITY OF CAMDEN AND SURROUNDING AREA’S AS WELL AND THEY WERE ESSENTIALLY PODCAST BASED, HOWEVER FOR A STUDIO BASED SHOW,  WAYNE WOULD PUT TOGETHER A MONTHLY SHOW AT SOAS UNIVERSITY,THOSE SHOWS WERE VITAL FOR HIS GROWTH AS A PRESENTER. WAYNE RECALLS HAVING A DESIRE TO REACH A WIDER AND MORE DIVERSE LISTENERSHIP,

HE GREW UP LISTENING TO SOUL/RnB/JAZZ/FUNK/GOSPEL/INDIE AND ROCK AND FOR MANY YEARS HE WANTED TO CONCEPTUALIZE A SHOW THAT COVERED ALL THOSE GENRE’S,NOT ONLY THAT BUT THE ARTIST OF WHO’S MUSIC HE PURCHASED AS WELL WAS NOT GETTING AIRPLAY SO HE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND TAKE INITIATIVE AND GAINED THE SKILLS TO PUT ON A GREAT SHOW.

WAYNE  IS FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR CAMDEN COMMUNITY RADIO FOR A  FANTASTIC FOOT IN THE DOOR ON HIS PURSUIT INTO RADIO. PLAYVYBZ.COM – 2008-2012  AND THE MORE EXPERIENCE  HE GAINED,  HE FELT CONFIDENT TO PRODUCE HIS OWN SHOWS WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY HAD PRESENTED ITSELF AND THAT CAME IN THE FORM OF PLAYVBZ.COM.

ACCORDING TO HIM, “I WILL FOREVER BE THANKFUL TO PLAYVYBZ FOR ALLOWING ME THE FREEDOM TO PRODUCE THE KIND OF SHOW I’VE DREAMPT OF DOING. THERE, I WAS ABLE TO HARNESS MY SKILLS AS A PRESENTER EVEN MORE SO. THE GUEST’S WHICH HAVE GRACED MY SHOW HAVE BEEN MY MUSICAL HERO’S FOR MANY YEARS FROM PATRICE RUSHEN/ MINT CONDITION/ STEVE ARRINGTON/ SOWETO KINCH/ ESKA/ ERIC ROBERSON/ MELBA MOORE/ LARRY GRAHAM/KEZIAH JONES, AND MANY NEW AND UP AND COMING ARTISTS. REGARDS MY RADIO INTERVIEWS MY APPROACH HAS ALWAYS BEEN FROM A CONVERSATIONAL AND IN-DEPTH MANNER,

IN EFFECT ALLOWING MORE DEPTH TO THE ARTIST IN QUESTION. I’VE ALSO BEEN INVOLVED IN OUTSIDE BROADCASTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH OXFAM FOR THERE MUSIC SHOWS/FESTIVALS. AFTER PLAYVYBZ HAD CLOSED DOWN AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE MY SHOW/FORMAT CAME IN THE SHAPE OF URBANJAZZRADIO.NET,ONCE AGAIN SAME SHOW,SAME FORMAT. OUTSIDE RADIO”

WAYNE HAS RECENTLY BECOME A QUALIFIED YOUTH WORKER AND VOLUNTEER TWICE A WEEK, . DURING THAT TIME HE HAS  PUT ON VARIOUS RADIO WORKSHOPS FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE,ALLOWING THEM THE SKILLS TO PRODUCE THERE OWN SHOWS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE IS AS FULFULLING FOR BOTH PARTIES. THIS IS SOMETHING HE WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE INVOLVED IN IN THE FUTURE.

WAYNE IS VERY LOYAL AND SUPPORTIVE TO HIS STATION,WHOM EVER THAT MAY BE, AND WOULD ALWAYS STRIVE FOR THE BEST THAT HE CAN BE,

HERE YOU CAN LISTEN TO A 10MIN. SAMPLE OF MY INTERVIEWS – http://i.mixcloud.com/CBq0Gl HERE YOU CAN CHECK ALL HIS SHOWS www.mixcloud.com/blackin3d email – wayneboucaud@btinternet.com Facebook – www.facebook.com/wayneboucaud Twitter – www.twitter.com/boucaud1 Podomatic – http://www.podomatic.com/profile/wayneboucaud

Wayne Boucaud in conversation with Patrice Rushen on Playvybz.com

i.mixcloud.com

“Da Sweetnezz” (real name; Jennifer Titilola) began singing in around 1994; when she was very young joining the St Anthony’s Primary School Choir, it was from then on that her passion to be heard grew and grew. Years later she then went on to join the local Church Choir in 1998, and also her Secondary School Choir; St Angela’s. It was here in music classes that Da Sweetnezz discovered a thirst to write her own lyrics, and from then on she never stopped! After she left school, for a while Da Sweetnezz’s singing was put on hold so that she could concentrate on her university studies.

However in Summer 2005 she took part in a Youth Project to get young people off the streets, which took place in East London, Canning Town and was organised by a Youth Club called ‘Community Links’ which is well known over London and in connection with the ‘Jack Petchey Foundation’. Da Sweetnezz and two of her closest friends signed up for a music course at this Youth Project; whereby they formed a band called; Lyrics 2 Kill or ‘L2K’, and Da Sweetnezz was the oldest member at the time. At only 16 years old and being the lyricist of the group she acted as the heart and soul of the trio. There was not and still isn’t a day that goes by without a pen being put to lyric pad. Through this music course, by using the facilities available to them, instruments, recording studio; and with the help of some professional music producers and a singing coach the trio recorded one track. The track was entitled “You”, which ‘L2K’ then went about promoting.

 Firstly by taking part in a talent show and disco held for the youth members at the Community Links Youth Centre, and secondly by performing at a music, fashion, arts ‘n’ crafts, talent showcase “The Mayors Newham Show”; held at different local parks situated around Newham. For her participation in this Youth Project and her achievements as a musician with ‘L2K’ Da Sweetnezz was awarded the Jack Petchey Achievement Award for “Outstanding Achievers” in 2006. Her group ‘L2K’ were a truly unique girl singing group and a fantastic example of how young talent should be utilized.

. I can confirm that “Da Future Is Sweet” is a masterpiece of new school jumpy beats, with lyrics one hundred per cent written by Da Sweetnezz; the two latest’s singles off the EP are entitled “Funky Soul” & “Funky Love”, and Da Sweetnezz currently promotes them at every gig and live performance; the official release date was in January 2012, and it is available for free download here: http://soundcloud.com/da-sweetnezz/sets/da-future-is-sweet/

 To book Da Sweetnezz please email / contact: managementlush@gmail.com“

 Nia Imara first got involved with supplementary education for children of Afrikan heritage

back in 1992 at the age of 24 after hearing an request for assistance for the Nubia Foundation

Saturday School which was based at the New initiatives Community Centre in Stockwell,

South London, on a community radio station.

Nia was coming into a new form of consciousness where he wanted answers to the many

questions that were posed in his life and to make a difference to the next generation. While

he had weekends free in his catering career the intention was to help young children achieve

higher standards in education and also to relearn mathematics, but the added bonus was 

learning substantial amounts of Afrikan history that was completely ignored in his education 

in mainstream schools and also at home. Nia witnessed children who had been excluded from 

mainstream schools and deemed “uneducatable”, excel in all areas with voluntary teaching 

staff who were not all qualified teachers. 

Nia vowed that when he eventually had children that they too would attend a Black 

supplementary school to make sure they had a better start to their education and have a 

better self confidence due to an early induction to their historical and current heritage.

His first child attended the same Black supplementary school, Nubia Foundation, that he

had previously volunteered in 8 years previously when his daughter turned 4 years old. Nia 

witnessed his daughter learn to write her name in hieroglyphics and learn algebra. When his 

daughter eventually started mainstream school at the age of 5 she was able to educate her 

own teacher and her classmates about hieroglyphics during a trip to the British Museum. Nia 

also witnessed the schools refusal to even attempt algebra as they deemed children of that age 

incapable of learning such mathematics. 

As Nia’s daughter and son progressed through their education in mainstream and weekend 

supplementary education, their learning ages were accessed as being 18 months ahead of their 

classmates. 

Nia became a single parent since his son was 7 months old and his first daughter was 3 years 

old but still insisted that they attend weekend supplementary education. 

NABSS first went online with a directory in 2007 and then the latest website was launched 

in June 2008 with further educational resources which include an events calendar, home 

education information, news, workshop directory and much more. 

The first NABSS National Conference was launched at the Hackney Museum in June 2009 

in conjunction with Black and Other UK Home Educators. The following year the event turned into the National Black Supplementary Schools Week and has continued every year since bringing in other individuals and organisations that are involved with the education of 

Black children and their families.
For 2014 the event  is themed on Health, Nutrition and Medicine during August.


Nia is in demand in the media to comment on cultural and educational issues on both radio 

and TV and is also invited to contribute to both public and private events. 

Nia is also involved with applying for a Free school license with the Ma’at School of 

Excellence, in North West London, The Black Identity Zone at Harlesden Library, the Nzinga 

Lecture series with Black History Walks, the committees for the National Black People’s Day 

of Action, the Interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament, the Afrikan Cooperative Union,  the Sister’s Health Forum and a few other organisations while also 

being a parent governor at his children’s school. 

NABSS can be contacted at www.nabss.org.uk or emailed at info@nabss.org.uk