JULY 27th 2012 – The night of the London Olympics Opening Ceremony

(and Ruth Goller’s birthday
and Deirdre Cartwright’s birthday
and the first day of WOMAD 2012)

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At the Bussey Building/CLF (Chonic Love Foundation) Art Cafe (in Peckham) – the Opening Ceremony was streamed and projected on a big screen via a laptop – then .. the athletes processed as a backdrop to a live performance by Seckou Keita (kora), Bussey Building wonderman Mickey Jazzheadchronic Smith (electronic beats and stuff), Marque Innamost Gilmore (drums), Omar Sosa (piano) and Steve Williamson (saxophone) ..

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Jerry IDJ and Justina Curtis attended, and there was dancing.

JUNE 23rd 2013 – The final concert of Yoko’s London Meltdown

In 2013 Yoko Ono celebrated her 80th birthday, and curated Meltdown,
ten days of music and events, at London’s Southbank Centre.
The first concert is Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band.

Siouxsie Sioux does two gigs, supported by Viv Albertine.

The final concert is a live re-enactment of Yoko and John Lennon’s last collaboration, the album Double Fantasy, by a host, a procession, of artists, with David Coulter as musical director. Talvin Singh, Zoe Rahman, Tom Herbert, Seb Rochford and David Okumu play in the band, and David Okumu helps with the acquisition of a wristband for the after-party.

yoko's meltdown finale after party wrist band

DECEMBER 14TH 2013 – Felabration, a celebration of Fela Kuti’s 75th birthday, with the Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra

took place at 229 The Venue, 229 Great Portland St, London W1W 5PN
The line up included:
*** ESKA
*** Shingai Shoniwa (Noisettes)
OLUGBENGA
*** Baloji
*** Sam Duckworth (Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly)
*** Afrikan Boy
*** Blak Twang
** Zee Gachette (Z Star)
+ DJ Koichi Sakai (Afrobeat Vibration)
+ Trinity College of Music students
Led by Dele and Eska, I sang with the Goldsmiths Vocal Ensemble, alongside first cousin once removed, Eugene Wolfin, over from New Zealand, and his dad, David. 
GVE and Dele Sosimi

GVE and Dele Sosimi

Eugene Wolfin and Eska

Eugene Wolfin and Eska

I first got involved with Goldsmith’s Vocal Ensemble through Alice Grant, in May 2012 participating in Eska’s English Skies project at The Queen Elizabeth Hall.

SEPTEMBER 10th 2014 – GOASTT at Dingwall’s, London

Sean Ono Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl, on tour with their band GOASTT, play at DINGWALLS, the iconic venue, (one-time home of the UK jazz dance sessions hosted by Gilles Peterson, immortalised here by Mark Murphy).

Mick Lynes took this picture on his phone:

charlotte kemp muhl and me 10.9.14

Patrick Lyons took these pictures on his:

GOASTT 20140911_113356

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JANUARY 1st 2015 – Posted them
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Patrick Lyons and Sean Ono Lennon are both friends and collaborators with

The Fat White Family

(Whom I have, so far, felt too shy to ask to join an Afro-fluent Peace Lovers Olympic Procession)

OCTOBER 15th 2015, about time, the 2014 catch up

On 15.10.15 VERSE 2b was written: a 14th verse for Fela’s 77th birthday anniversary,

We needed more Fela! and at the beginning of the song

This verse contains a commitment to research the names of the 27 women that Fela married in 1978,

to make “a whole new separate verse”, that will fit in the coda – straight after verse 13 (this’ll be a 15th verse, for 2015)

…

February 15th 2016 – Kendrick Lamar created this stunning performance for the Grammy’s

June 24th 2016 – 52% voted for “Brexit” – prompts an article nostalgic for 2012 when  Britons enjoyed Danny Boyles 2012 Olympic opening ceremony

July 21st

Collocutor

play at Bold Tendencies, Peckham Car Park

August 5th 2016 – Brazil hosts the 1st Olympic games to be held in South America

August 2016 –    

KOKOROKO

play Pop-Up Brixton         

Then…