Street Cred Magazine - January 2020

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The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2020 - Page 15

Music fashion Film Gadgets holiday education health and fitness

JANUARY 2020

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Birmingham goes panto mad!

The Fairest panto in the land lands at the birmingham hippodrome

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ENTERTAINMENT

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THE HOTTEST ENTERTAINMENT SUPPLEMENT

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Pussycat Dolls reunite for 1st UK & Ireland tour in 10 years

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he era defying, charttopping, buttonpushing, mega-group is back!

The Pussycat Dolls have announced they are reuniting for a U.K. Tour, performing together for the first time in over a decade.

The voices of a generation will be taking their Pussycat Dolls 2020 Tour on the road next year, hitting arenas across the U.K. calling at Dublin, Cardiff, Birmingham, Nottingham, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds and London.

The multi-platinum pop sensations – Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Kimberly Wyatt, Jessica Sutta and Carmit Bachar are bringing back Doll Domination.

Having sold more than 54 Million records worldwide and streamed over 1 Billion times, X2 Winners at the MTV VMA and achieved eight U.K. top 10 singles the dolls have Stick Wit Ya throughout the decades.

Nicole Scherzinger says “I love all my girls so much and cannot wait to show you what we've got in store for you. It’s been a long time coming but this feels like the perfect time to remind the world what it means to be a Pussycat Doll”.

The Pussycat Dolls’ founder,

Robin Antin, says: “I created The Pussycat Dolls back in 1994 and never in my wildest dreams would I have thought it would become one of the most iconic girl groups of our time.

“I’ve been working on making this reunion happen now for years, so I am very excited that the stars have aligned for THE PCD REUNION! “It’s with gratitude to our fans and during this amazing time of female empowerment, to be able to announce the launch of our PCD reunion, celebrating ALL GENDERS, & the brilliant success and talent of the girls that helped influence a movement that was long overdue”.

In their first television performance in ten years, The Pussycat Dolls will return to the X Factor with an exclusive performance on Saturday 30 November which is set to back the PCD sparkle, excitement and anthemic hits.

The Pussycat Dolls will embark on a nine date U.K. wide tour bringing hits such as ‘Don’t Cha’, ‘Stickwitu’, ‘When I Grow Up’, ‘Buttons’ and more fan favourites back to life with their iconic dance routines and show-stopping vocals.

JANUARY Gig Listings BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY

January 09 Paul Smith: Following 10 Catapult Club feat.The Reptars 11 Catapult Club ft. Club Row 11 Mark Morton 17 Insomnium 18 Sidhu Moose Wala 24 Catapult Club ft. Vermillion and the Moon 25 Krept & Konan 30 Sam Fender 31 Catapult Club ft. Snowflake Generation 31 Bombay Bicycle Club

O2 INSTITUTE

January 10 PJ Morton 10 New Model Army 16 Wage War 17 Chase Rice: The Pint Of Anything Tour 17 Catapult Club ft. Lost in Transition 18 Winter Carnival ft Shenseea 27 Waterparks 28 The Teskey Brothers 28 The Interrupters 29 ScHoolboy Q with special guest Jay Rock 30 Deno 31 Thy Art Is Murder

RESORTS WORLD ARENA January 31-Feb 1 The Arenacross Tour 2020

ARENA BIRMINGHAM January 16-19 Strictly Come Dancing The Live Tour 2020 22 Vitality Netball Nations Cup 2020 24 Slipknot Plus Behemoth 25 Kaiser Chiefs Plus Very Special Guests Razorlight 26 BBL Cup Final 2020 29 Jonas Brothers Happiness Begins Tour 31-Feb 2 Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live

NEC

January 09-12 Autosport International 25-26 The National Running Show

TOWN HALL & SYMPHONY HALL

January 01 The Johann Strauss Gala 02-12 We’re Going On A Bear Hunt 05 Viennese New Year 07-08 Birmingham City University Graduations 09 CBSO: A Vision of the Future 12 Black Dyke In Concert

13 Lunchtime Organ Concert – Thomas Trotter 14 Sir Simon Rattle & London Symphony Orchestra – Berg & Beethoven 17 Moscow City Ballet: Swan Lake 18 CBSO: Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand 18 Judy Collins 21 Miloš Karadaglić in recital 22 CBSO: Yamada: Brahms and Schumann 24 The Milk Carton Kids 25 Anton & Erin 26 Beethoven, Missa Solemnis 27 Lunchtime Organ Concert – Thomas Trotter 28 Echo Eternal Youth Arts Festival 2020: Horizons 28 Orchestre National de Lille 29 CBSO: Mirga’s Beethoven 29 Noa Wildschut in recital 29 Post-concert Conversation with violinist Noa Wildschut 30 CBSO: Mirga’s Beethoven 30 Ed Byrne: If I’m Honest...

31 The Classic Rock Show 2020

SLADE ROOMS WOLVERHAMPTON 17 Francis Dunnery’s IT BITES 18 Toyah 23 Darren Harriott 25 The Guns N’Roses Experience, Wrong Jovi

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Thousands pay tribute as the legendary Birmingham Alldayer returns for a special night

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s the genre was restricted to hearing the odd Jackson 5, young solo Michael, Earth Wind & Fire, or Diana Ross track on the radio in the 1970s, the all-dayer proved a mass release for many – and an all-round musical ‘education’ for many more.

With DJs playing some of the hardest, edgiest jazz-fusion tunes that were never heard before, a new culture was created in the UK as the ‘70s said ‘goodbye’ and the 1980s said ‘hello’..

Jazz, Funk, Electro and HipHop and Soul became a new music order, with all-dayers and all-nighters the new ‘go to’

for young, fresh hipsters – with Birmingham ‘the city’ and the then named Locarno top of the tree nationwide, for both ‘night’ and ‘day’ – that was before the closure of the popular nightclub.

But, then, step up Frenchie, as, for a period of time, Birmingham’s alldayers would be held at venues such as Maximillians, Snobs, Romeo & Juliets, Steptoes and Hummingbird.

The DJ, promoter and music entrepreneur would front a comeback, with the newly renamed ‘Powerhouse’ The Birmingham All Dayers forged a culture of dress styles and a unique atmosphere that are pretty much staple to this day.

Rare music, rare fashion and common friendships were the recipe forging the cult movement.

And, 36 years on, a ‘Tribute to the Birmingham Alldayer’ saw some of the legends of back then return to the frontline smashing some of the rarest of groves at a packed Mama Roux's in deepest Digbeth.

They came from near and far, from home and abroad, to pack a venue that was teaming with people who – as was always came to dance, dance and dance again – from 11.00 at night through to the late hours the following morning.

With the likes of Frenchie himself, Chris Reid, Bruce Q,

Kenny B, Shakil Dixon heading a line of DJs from back then who were ahead of their game then – and still so today – paid homage to some of the DJs who featured large back then, including: Shaun Williams, Colin Curtis, Funky Jonathan, Paul Murphy, Paul ‘Trouble’ Anderson, Trevor M, Baz Fe Jazz, Eric X, Mike Smith, Tim Westwood, Chris Rhythm Doctor, Cleveland Anderson and many, many more.

And, remembering those who were leaders – on the decks and on the dance floor – throughout, the Tribute was also inspired by the passing of just some of the individuals who made their names - not only locally but all over the country, individuals like Smiler, Errol T, Chico, The Baptiste Brothers and Gully.

“It is only fitting that a tribute and reunion should take place in memory of those events which has seen artists such as Roy Ayers, Loose Ends, Kenny G, Afrika Bambatta amongst the biggest names of the day to perform at the Birmingham Alldays”, Frenchie – who, during his time, interviewed the likes of jazz=funk legends; Leroy Burgess, Aleem and Aurra - said.

“The anticipation of sharing great memories and music at what was a very special reunion captured the imagination, created a special ‘feel good’ factor and

was truly inspiring.

“It is impossible to name everybody involved with the fantastic journey with the legacy of some of the great memories now legendary”.

With the likes of the Lowe & Hassell Brothers, Trevor Hodge, Bulldog, Rico, Sandra, Robert Johnson, Sharon Phylis, Barbara, Steve Seymour, Stretch, Lozz, Brezhnev, Lizard, Cutey, Sarah Swindler, plus other legends of ‘the scene’ making their contribution, this truly was a memorable night that will go down in the annals of Birmingham’s music scene, with a second – 2020 – dale already on the cards. .

ENTERTAINMENT

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ENTERTAINMENT

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head of performing at Symphony Hall Birmingham in Big Band Broadway next year, Spandau Ballet's Martin Kemp made a visit to the site of Symphony Hall's £13.2 million redevelopment and met with members of Birmingham community big band, The Notebenders.

For ‘Big Band Broadway’, Martin and Shirlie Kemp will be joined by legendary Broadway music-man Larry Blank and the London Concert Orchestra.

Along with sensational vocalists Rachel Tucker and Matt Ford, audiences on February 16 will enjoy an exciting concert of music from the searing rhythms of ‘Sweet Charity and Cabaret’ to the blistering brass of ‘West Side Story’.

Performances continue throughout the major transformation of Symphony Hall’s foyers where, on completion, it will boast a brandnew performance space for talented local artists to have even more opportunities to perform as part of a daily programme with free and affordable performances.

The Notebenders Big Band - the brainchild of our patron and inspiration, Andy Hamilton MBE - will be one of many local community groups who will benefit from the state-of-the-art performance space.

Band members hail from all sections of the diverse and dynamic Birmingham

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Martin Kemp meets Notebenders ahead of Big Band performance

communities and the wider West Midlands region. They are a true representation of crossing and breaking down barriers through music.

Mary Wakelam-Sloan, Jazz Programme Manager, said: "Town Hall Symphony Hall has been working for over ten years with Ladywood-based community big

band The Notebenders.

“Led by Conservatoire graduates and supported by the Jazzlines Talent Development programme, The Notebenders is a unique and important part of Town Hall Symphony Hall’s commitment to supporting the musical aspirations of the people of Birmingham and enabling free access to quality

performances in a world class venue”.

Town Hall Symphony Hall present a wide-ranging programme of music, comedy and spoken word, and the £13.2 million project will mean that even more people can access and enjoy this work.

The Belgrade Theatre Coventry and Eclipse Theatre announce the world premiere and cast of ‘The Gift’ Eclipse Theatre and the Belgrade Theatre Coventry today announce full casting for their upcoming co-production of Janice Okoh’s ‘The Gift’, the third show to emerge from Eclipse’s groundbreaking Revolution Mix movement, which is spearheading the largest ever delivery of new Black British stories in theatre, film and radio.

‘The Gift’ will premiere in Coventry from 18-25 January before embarking on a UK tour.

Set in both 1852 and the present day, the outrageously funny play explores themes of cross-racial adoption and cultural appropriation, partly inspired by the remarkable true story of Sarah Bonetta Davies, a young African girl who was adopted by Queen Victoria and raised in the Queen’s circles.

Her story is juxtaposed against that of a second Sarah – a middle-class Black woman staying in a modernday Cheshire village with her husband and small child.

The two Sarahs’ timelines are brought together when they meet Queen Victoria for tea, in a gathering which

promises to be anything but a regular tea party.

Featuring a six-person cast, ‘The Gift’ has been written

by Janice Okoh (whose first play, Egusi Soup, won a Channel 4 Playwriting Award in 2017) and will be directed

by Dawn Walton (Red Dust Road for National Theatre, Scotland; Black Men Walking for Eclipse Theatre; Salt for Selina Thompson).

Writer Janice said: “I first heard the story of Sarah Bonetta Davies when I was at primary school, but for many years I wasn’t sure if it was actually true or not.

“As part of my research, I read personal diaries and journals kept by Queen Victoria and got a real insight into their incredible relationship.”

The theme of cross-racial adoption is a difficult subject to tackle, but the comedic elements of the play allow me to do this in a way that is playful, as well as thoughtprovoking.

We look forward to sharing this incredible show with audiences across the UK and adding to the important body of work being created by Revolution Mix.”

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ENTERTAINMENT

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new venue and ‘vinyl bar’ opened its doors to music fans with a huge four-day launch featuring 45 bands, musicians, artists and DJs from across Birmingham and the Midlands.

Dead Wax Digbeth hosted a series of specially curated free events running across its three spaces - including two all-dayers, late-night DJ sets, rare live performances and acoustic sets.

Some of Birmingham’s hottest live acts, including Swampmeat Family Band, Brain Food, Violet, RISCAS, The Empty Page and Wax Futures took to the stages at the 120/230/100-capacity multiroom venue, formerly punk, rock, metal and alternative haunt The Wagon & Horses in the city’s creative quarter of Digbeth.

Fully transformed by Brighton’s Laine Pub Co, Dead Wax Digbeth features a renovated and expanded building incorporating live music spaces both upstairs (120 capacity) and outside in the ‘Duck Bath’ yard (230 capacity).

The main bar area (100 capacity) will present a craft beer offering from Beavertown and Laine Brew Co. alongside guest draft lines from local breweries including Dig Brew Co, plus a Dead Wax Pizza menu with fresh carnivore, vegetarian and vegan choices overseen by city food tastemaker Anthony Duffy.

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ENTERTAINMENT

New venue and ‘vinyl bar’ opens its doors to music fans

Music fans and vinyl lovers will be encouraged to choose and play albums and singles from the bar’s large 4000 record collection as well as enjoy vinyl-only sets from a diverse line-up of DJs in a bright and vibrant setting in the heart of Digbeth designed and created by local artists.

A mural, curated by in-demand

street artist Gent48 featuring influential Birmingham bands, musicians and DJs including Big Bear Records, Birmingham Promoters, Catapult Club, Chicks Dig Jerks, ColdRice, Die Das Der, Distorted Tapes, Iron Man Records, Punch Records, This Is Tmrw, and Sweat amongst others will complete the visual identity

for this latest addition to the city’s live music landscape.

The launch comes as good news in light of a number of concerns around Birmingham’s music and pub mainstays with city-centre venues including The Flapper, Scruffy Murphy’s and the Eagle and Tun all under threat from closure due to redevelopment.

Sutton Coldfield BookFest is back for 2020! It’s a fantastic chance for children to meet their favourite authors, discover astonishing books and experience hands-on storytelling.

Visitors will be able to meet Jacqueline Wilson and Nick Sharratt!

Enjoy adventure stories, Tiger Who Came to Tea Tea Parties, mystery writers, Dr Who script-writing, and stories for the very young.

Events for 0-12 year olds all take place on one fabulous day, at Sutton Coldfield Library and Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, with a fun, free Where’s Wally book trail taking place between the two venues.

There will be a book shop and opportunities to have books

signed by their authors. So if you know a young book worm - or someone who’s ready to be inspired – then don’t miss out!

Sutton Coldfield BookFest is produced by Bournville BookFest and FOLIO Sutton Coldfield. Our grateful thanks go to Heart of England Community Foundation and the Peddimore Community Fund, and to Sutton Coldfield Town Centre BID and Sutton Coldfield Town Hall for their support.

Festival director Sarah Mullen said: “We are very proud to be bringing Sutton Coldfield BookFest back in 2020 and really have something for everyone, from famous authors to storytelling for tots. Join us for a Leap Day to remember – a chance to #LeapintoBooks!”

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ENTERTAINMENT

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It’s The Fairest Panto In All The Land!

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anto fever gripped Birmingham once again as the QDOS Production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs started its takeover of Birmingham’s Hippodrome for it’s over 2 month run on the main stage in the second city.

Matt Slack returns once again for his 7th consecutive year in Birmingham’s Pantomime and is a welcome addition to an impressive lineup of talent.

Lesley Joseph as the Wicked Queen brings the required level of “bad guy”,

while being hilarious, especially with her interactions with Matt Slack as Muddles. The regular use of her real name during the performance, with Joseph retorting instantly as well Matt getting stuck in her wig caused the whole place to erupt in laughter.

Slack showed what a pantomime afficionado he is with a number of obviously improvised lines, not least to Jac Yarrow as The Prince, after he stated that he feels he’s falling in love with the beautiful Snow White, “Then how come you’ve been found in Joe McElderry’s dressing room so often, hmm?”, causing another wave of laughter as The Prince himself cracked before regaining composure to continue.

Speaking of Snow White, Faye Brookes made the transition from Coronation Street to the

Pantomime very well, with a surprisingly beautiful, strong and fitting vocal performance from someone not well known for singing.

The Magnificent Seven were in good comedic and vocal form, in the shape of Josh Bennett, George Coppen, Simeon Dyer, Craig Gardner, Lee Hill, Jamie John and Blake Lisle, short in stature but overflowing with talent.

The hilarity of the chaos that ensued during the edited version of The 12 Days Of Christmas was once again a massive highlight and pure entertainment as the whole cast came together for this brilliant piece.

Obviously no Snow White performance would be complete without The Spirit In The Mirror, which Joe McElderry perfectly encapsulates with the sass and vocal skill to back it up.

Flawless appeared as the Wicked Queen’s Men, and living up to their name, their high octane synchronised dance performances were Flawless, even allowing Matt Slack to join in on one section which was very well received.

Once again directed

by Michael Harrison, continuing his decadelong reign at the helm of Birmingham Hippodrome Panto, the production is guaranteed to leave you in pain – your cheeks will hurt from laughing so hard and your sides will have split!

Snow White runs at Birmingham Hippodrome until the 2nd of February.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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midst the sounds and colours of a Barbados Tuk Band, courtesy of headline sponsor, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., the big winners of the 2019 Caribbean Travel Media Awards were revealed at an exclusive networking evening held at the Crowne Plaza London Docklands.

Shortlisted by a panel of 14 judges representing the industry, the winners across eight categories were each awarded a prestigious trophy with Certificates for runners-up, in the presence of visiting Caribbean ministers and UK Chapter members, including individual sponsors of the awards.

The first award of the night went to Martin Steady winning in the Best Travel Trade category for ‘A Journey to Belize’ in Selling Travel Magazine, an excellent account of his cultural and historical journey through the Belize islands.

Within the national and regional press categories, Juliet Rix picked up the Best National Newspaper award for her inspiring coverage of Dominica two years after the devastation of Hurricane Irma featured in the Telegraph’s print as ‘The Calm After the Storm’ and online as ‘Rediscovering Dominica two years after the hurricane’; with the Best Regional Newspaper award going to Hannah Stephenson for the second

ENTERTAINMENT

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CTO Announces the Big Winners of the 2019 Caribbean Travel Media Awards

year running. Her feature ‘ Spice of Life - Grenada’ syndicated nationwide for PA Media (formerly the Press Association) offered a refreshing focus on Grenada’s community spirit and its unspoilt nature.

Amongst the other accolades the Best Consumer Feature went to Ronan O’Shea who takes his readers off the beaten track to

discover amazing hiking trails and coastal food in his feature ‘ Antigua Beyond the Beaches’ for Escapism Magazine.

In the biggest category overall, with over 40 entries submitted, Blogger Macca Sherifi of An Adventurous World scooped the combined Best Online & Blog Post award. In his feature and video, Macca brings the island

of Dominica to life through his passionate and inspiring travel guide ‘ What to do in DominicaMy Travel Guide to Dominica’.

The Best Broadcast category brought up some surprises with two episodes of Ainsley’s Caribbean Kitchen, Antigua and Dominica, reaching the finalist stage.

Presented by Ainsley Harriott, Ainsley’s Caribbean Kitchen –

Antigua, which showcased the island’s local culinary treasures alongside stupendous footage, scooped up the winner’s award.

View the trailer at YouTube Antigua Trailer. .

In the Social Media category, three impressive campaigns made the shortlist with the winner of the Best Social Media Campaign going to #WhatCoolLooksLike for

the Traverse Antigua Conference 2019. Up to 10 UK influencers representing blogs including Dejashu, Travel Documentaries, I Want You To Know, Sandy Makes Sense and Travel Colourfully were part of a Campaign involving 33 content creators who individually presented excellent content across numerous social media platforms.

In the final category for 2019, Audrey Gillan and Nicola Trup scooped the Best Caribbean Round Up award for their feature, ‘Caribbean Cook Up’ in National Geographic Traveller, a fascinating and beautifully illustrated culinary journey through the Caribbean.

Carol Hay, the CTO’s director of marketing for UK and Europe, said “Congratulations to all the finalists and winners in the 2019 awards; the Caribbean Travel Media Awards have successively drawn a high standard of entries in all categories, each entry playing their part in raising awareness of the Caribbean as a region, and this year has been no exception.

“I would like to personally thank all the entrants who took time to submit their entries and express my gratitude to our headline sponsor, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc, our individual award sponsors who very generously provided the prizes and the Judges for taking time out to review the entries.”

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ENTERTAINMENT

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Billy Ocean announces ‘One World’ 2020 Show Following his sold-out tour earlier this year, British soul icon Billy Ocean has announced a huge UK headline tour for autumn 2020, including dates at Symphony Hall Birmingham on Monday, 16 November 2020.

Billy will be performing the best of his greatest hits and songs from his upcoming new studio album ‘One World’, which is due for release in spring 2020.

Billy Ocean is the biggest selling black recording star Britain has ever produced and has sold over 30 million records in his lifetime to date.

Having achieved extraordinary success as both an artist and a songwriter, Billy has collected multiple gold and platinum records across the world, and hit the number one spot worldwide in the pop charts including the USA, Australia, Germany, Holland, and the UK. 2016 saw the ‘Here You Are: The Best of Billy Ocean’ album released in the UK. Gaining a number four chart position, this was Billy’s highest charting album since 1989.

This year Billy celebrated the anniversary of his ground-breaking album, ‘Suddenly’.

Originally released in 1984, the record spawned the monster hits ‘Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)’, ‘Mystery Lady’ and ‘Loverboy’.

Black Beau Shines At P F or the first time ever, the crowned winners of top beauty pageants, namely Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA are all black women This may sound like a feat in and of itself, but when you look at the history of pageants such as these, it’s an

Gearing up for the highly anticipated release of his new album, 2020 is set to be another big year for Billy.

even more impressive achievement.

Until about the 1920’s women of colour were banned from even participating in such pageants, and even after changes to the rules, there was still opposition and frustration to their joining.

2019 Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi, 2019 Miss World Toni-Ann Singh, 2019 Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, 2019 Miss Teen USA Kaliegh Garris, 2019 Miss World, Miss Jamaica Toni-Ann Singh hails from Morant, Jamaica and graduated with degrees in Womens’s Studies and Psychology from Florida State University, with plans to enrol in medical school.

"I will continue to be an advocate for women," she said, after winning the Miss World Jamaica crown in September.

"I believe women are the lifeblood of our community. So, I will continue to inspire and work with them, so they understand just how great their potential is."

M i s s Universe, Zozibini Tunzi is from Tsolo in South Africa and speaks Xhosa as well as English.

"I grew up in a world where a woman who looks like me — with my kind of skin and my kind of hair —

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9th Anniversary Special Celebratory Supplement

uty Inside And Out Pageants was never considered to be beautiful," she said in her last response before she was crowned. "I think it is time that that stops today. I want children to look at me and see my face and I want them to see their faces reflected in mine."

When she began competing in pageants, Miss Teen USA Kaliegh Garris has had to fight general beauty standards suggesting straight hair was better than her natural curls – standards that were evidently smashed as she sailed through Miss Connecticut Teen USA and then Miss Teen USA. Miss USA Cheslie Kryst has a passion for helping prisoners who may have been sentenced unjustly, free of charge, practices civil litigation for a law firm, and is licensed to practice in two states.

"Glass ceilings can be broken wearing either a skirt or pants," she said. "Don't tell females to wear different clothes while you give the men substantive feedback on their legal arguments."

The support shown to these ladies was immense, and none more so than for Miss World, Tori-Ann Singh from Miss Nigeria (pictured right).

The scream and excitement shown by Miss Nigeria Nyekachi Douglas as she jumped for joy and ran on the spot was a beautiful display of mutual support for another woman of colour, something sadly usually lacking in the general population. As we move into 2020, hopefully we can help each other to rise, and celebrate our successes.

Spreading The Love

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ENTERTAINMENT THE PHOENIX NEWSPAPER 9TH ANNIVERSARY GALA DINNER AND AWARDS

Introducing HRH Nene Tetteh Ayiku Abordonu IV

H

RH Nene Tetteh Ayiku Abordonu IV, is the King of the Kabiawetsu People of the Ada Kingdom and was born into the Royal Ocansey family as Frederick Tetteh Ocansey in Accra, Ghana.

As a young man, the King had a passion for football, and during his early childhood

and adulthood lived and went to school in the Ghanaian capital city of Accra.

From the late 80’s to the late 90’s, the King lived in the United Kingdom, before settling the United States.

He pursued his dreams in the USA, to further his education by completing an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and an MBA with

l With Ghanaian First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo

concentration in Marketing and Finance.

The King is currently the owner of Trade Latitude LLC Transportation and import -exports business.

In addition to this, As part of his ongoing vision for his native Ghana, he has set up a foundation called Another Life Saved in his home country, which is for youth empowerment, advancing rural development, raising finance to support poor rural women in their trade in order to support their children through education by establishing rural banking.

Furthermore, it is looking to build an Entrepreneur Development Centre to train the youth in different fields of vocation, and building a leadership training centre to recruit and train the best brains to lead Africa because of the leadership crisis facing the continent.

“We are also thinking of building a world renown research library for the youth.

Another area we are very much concerned about is industrial agriculture development to feed the continent,” explained the King.

The King’s return to the UK in 2019 was by the invitation of The Phoenix Newspaper, to attend this wonderful 9th Anniversary Dinner and Awards Presentation, under the theme of Spreading The Love and Youth Empowerment.

This celebrated 70th Years of the Commonwealth as part of The Phoenix’s ongoing mission to connect communities and promote the positive impact that the Commonwealth has on every aspect of everyday life.

HRH Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has an obvious and deep rooted love for all the nations of the Commonwealth, and it is evident to see in her when she visits each and every one of the countries under the Commonwealth banner.

In his capacity as Chairman of the Council The Royal Returns in Ghana, the King came to the UK to initiate collaborative talks with The Phoenix Newspaper to promote the Return of the Royals and black people living outside the African continent.

We are pleased to announce that as of January 2020 The Phoenix Newspaper will be working in partnership with HRH Nene Tetteh Ayiku Abordonu IV on a number of exciting ongoing and upcoming initiatives including the Return of the Royals.

HRH Nene Tetteh Ayiku Abordonu IV stated at the announcement of this collaboration, “As the Biblical philosophy indicates that my people will be in slavery for 400 years and after these they will return home gloriously, this is exactly 400 years since slavery was abolished.

“I humbly stand as an ambassador of the Royal Returns, and with the partnership of The Phoenix Newspaper, we are looking to connect people from the diaspora with their roots in a positive m a n n e r .

The sky will be the limit for Africa’s progress, development, and prosperity.”

HRH Nene Tetteh Ayiku Abordonu IV has made it clear that with the positive nature of the work that Dr Marcia McLaughlin has been doing for over 25 years, he would like to honour her by Enstooling her as a Queen and a member of the Royal Ocansey family.

As a celebration of our partnership, The Phoenix Newspaper will be keeping you updated on all matters arising from this wonderful collaboration.

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THE PHOENIX NEWSPAPER 9TH ANNIVERSARY GALA DINNER AND AWARDS

l With former Ghanaian President John Mahama

l With Ghanaian Prime Minister Nana Akufo-Addo

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ENTERTAINMENT THE PHOENIX NEWSPAPER 9TH ANNIVERSARY GALA DINNER AND AWARDS

Black Beau Shines At P

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ENTERTAINMENT

uty Inside And Out Pageants was never considered to be beautiful," she said in her last response before she was crowned. "I think it is time that that stops today. I want children to look at me and see my face and I want them to see their faces reflected in mine."

When she began competing in pageants, Miss Teen USA Kaliegh Garris has had to fight general b e a u t y standards suggesting straight hair was better than her natural curls – standards that were evidently smashed as she sailed through Miss Connecticut Teen USA and then Miss Teen USA. Miss USA Cheslie Kryst has a passion for helping prisoners who may have been sentenced unjustly, free of charge, practices civil litigation for a law firm, and is licensed to practice in two states.

"Glass ceilings can be broken wearing either a skirt or pants," she said. "Don't tell females to wear different clothes while you give the men substantive feedback on their legal arguments."

The support shown to these ladies was immense, and none more so than for Miss World, Tori-Ann Singh from Miss Nigeria (pictured right).

The scream and excitement shown by Miss Nigeria Nyekachi Douglas as she jumped for joy and ran on the spot was a beautiful display of mutual support for another woman of colour, something sadly usually lacking in the general population. As we move into 2020, hopefully

we can help each other to rise, and celebrate our successes.

Girl Power!

Barbara Oteng Gyasi, Ghanaian Minister of Tourism, with Tina Knowles-Lawson, Beyoncé’s mother, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Foreign Affairs Minister and H.E. Rev. Dr. Princess Asi Ocansey in a Presidential Cocktail in Ghana earlier this month

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ENTERTAINMENT

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Arena Birmingham Offers First Ever Audio-Described Live Show Arena Birmingham has offered audio description to its visitors for the first time at Marvel Universe LIVE! Following a request from a customer whose sons are visually impaired, Arena Birmingham partnered with VocalEyes to offer audio description of the action-packed show. The describers, who saw an earlier performance of the show and prepared a script, were able to offer the real-time description via headsets, making the show more accessible to those with all levels of visual impairment.

The describer’s audio is broadcast using a digital radio system, ensuring a good quality reception with a range of

between 50-100 metres.

Claire Eccles, who wrote in to the Arena to request Audio Description, said: “It meant so much to my family that we were able to enjoy Marvel Universe LIVE! with audio description.

My sons are both severely visually impaired and love coming to live events, but it’s often hard for them to work out what’s going on. I try my best to explain but it’s difficult.

The smiles when they put the headsets on said it all. They can’t stop talking about the fantastic time they had - it made such a difference to their experience. I can only hope more local venues will follow suit.”

Spike Lee Urges Arab Film Makers To “Do The Right Thing” At On.Dxb

By Delroy Constantine-Simms

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• monthly in print • weekly newsletter • daily online

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pike Lee, the Oscarwinning director behind movies like BlacKkKlansman, Malcolm X and Do The Right Thing took part in An Audience With Spike Lee in the ON.DXB dedicated film theatre in front of 1,000 creatives, professionals and film fans.

He gave a talk about his 30-year journey, to becoming an Academy Award-winning director in 2019 for Best Adapted Screenplay for the aforementioned BlacKkKlansman.

Speaking in a 'Power of the Media' session on the final day of ON.DXB, an initiative of Dubai Media City in collaboration with Dubai Film & TV Commission, The acclaimed filmmaker responsible for revered movies including Malcolm X, BlackKklansman and She's Gotta Have It, is no stranger to career advice - Lee is also professor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

Lee told the crowd: "You must love what you are doing more than anything, because only a love of filmmaking will sustain you when you're trying to get something done. You have got to work hard.

Lazy people are not going to work, and neither are negative people.

Positive people only, otherwise they have got to go."

"This is a very tough industry. I often hear students say something is hard and my automatic answer is: what is easy? This is an industry where we are told 'no' a lot and a lot of doors close in your face. You have to keep faith in yourself and your ability to keep going - you can't quit," said Lee. With the topic of securing a 'big break' figuring prominently amongst the enthralled audience, Lee discussed a 30-year career which has unearthed a constant stream of talent, including

industry luminaries such as Samuel L. Jackson, Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, John Turturro and Queen Latifah, to behindthe-camera icons Ruth Carter, an Oscar-winning costume designer who brought the Marvel Studios kingdom of Wakanda to life in mega hit Black Panther, to longtime editor, Barry Alexander Brown.

Lee explained why he routinely turns to unknown talent, Lee said: "I enjoy working with talented people, but people need to have a start. It is a tough business and it is very hard to get in.

“I have always been aware that I have to be on the lookout for new talent, in-front or behind the camera, and I understand that having talent is not always enough.

Talent needs a stage to show their work and a platform to shine."

When asked where filmmakers should showcase their material to increase their exposure, Lee advised: "YouTube. Studios and record companies look at that stuff.

“That is where the talent goes now. You don't have to be in New York or Los Angeles, you just put it up on YouTube. It sounds crazy but people are discovered on the Internet again and again, it happens all the time."

While most emerging filmmakers can only dream of Lee's journey from indie breakout to Oscar glory, the film pioneer offered words of wisdom on how to deal with disappointment, citing his own early career mistakes.

"I have a bunch of disappointments. My biggest is the film that was supposed to be my first feature. It was a complete disaster, a fiasco.

“Laurence Fishbourne and John Esposito, two great actors who I got to work with later, were going to be in it but I was naïve and did not know what I was doing.

“I would not be here if it had been made, it was that horrible. I had written car chases that I was

incapable of directing. It didn't get made and I thought that was the end of the world, but I found out something sprouts out of a disaster and that disappointment led into the best thing that happened to me, my first feature film in She's Gotta Have It." Lee also weighed in on the current debate about streaming services and their impact on the film industry: "I think Netflix, Hulu and Amazon are great, especially for young filmmakers.

The more places to show films the better. Take the debate about Netflix and Martin Scorsese's new film, The Irishman; Martin is a good friend and I know he went all around Hollywood and no-one would do it.

He knew with Netflix he wasn't going to get a theatrical release and that was a decision he had to make.

It is the same with Da 5 Bloods (Lee's upcoming production about African American Vietnam veterans).

It is on Netflix because no-one wanted to do it either, so Netflix is a great place for films that no-one wants to do. Streaming has changed the game; it is not just studios now."

When asked specifically for advice on the new Saudi film industry by a female Saudi filmmaker in the audience, Lee offered his final piece of sage advice.

"People should tell their stories no matter what their background is. You know your story better than anybody and for young filmmakers it is easier - you should know yourself.

“Write what you know first, not to say you can't get off that in the future, but write what you know and know what you write."

In conclusion he urged regional filmmakers and creatives to 'Do the Right Thing', follow their passion and keep working hard if they're intent on breaking through in the "very tough" film industry.

@PhoenixNewsUK

The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2020 - Page 29

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O TLC returning Coventry Pride 2020 Headline Stage Is Moving to Broadgate Coventry Pride has announced that the Headline Stage for their annual festival is moving to Broadgate, in the heart of the city centre for Pride 2020.

Martin Pink, Chair of the Board of Trustees said “University Square has served us very well for 3 years and we thank Coventry University for all of their support, but

the time has come to expand. With our visitor numbers increasing every year, a larger, more central location is now required for Coventry Pride, ready to take us into 2020 and beyond for UK City of Culture in 2021.

Coventry Pride festival is back on June 13-14th 2020.

St. Lucia's locally-owned and -operated Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa and Dermalogics Aesthetics Medical Clinic, a medical aesthetic company, recently pampered emerging R&B/Soul artist Lucki Starr with their world-class proprietary treatments during her first trip to the island.

The U.S.-based artist and her family spent six nights at the award-wining resort, at the invitation of Dr. Desmer Destang, owner of the clinic, which is located near the resort in Rodney Bay. Ms. Starr sought out the services of Dr. Destang, a St. Lucianborn, college qualified medical aesthetic clinician with 15 years' experience, for a personalized skin consultation, analysis and treatment.

The two had first met during Dr. Destang's previous visit to New York where the doctor recommended a skin care regimen for the star, which yielded positive results, Ms. Starr's mother, Shana Gordon, said they'd felt like they were in a tropical "home away from home" from the moment they arrived at the resort.

From the daily hugs they received from "Ms. P" (resort general manager Waltrude Patrick) to Lily at the concierge desk, who arranged for a private hair stylist to come to the resort, Gordon said they couldn't have felt more welcome.

The family also raved about the Caribbean-inspired gourmet food offered at each of the restaurants on site, including Hi Tide and Seagrapes Beach Bar, and reveled in zip line, horseback riding and

for exclusive London show

ST. LUCIA "STARR" TREATMENT AT BAY GARDENS BEACH RESORT

other experiences for which St. Lucia is famous.

Sanovnik Destang, Executive Director of Bay Gardens Resorts and brother of Dr. Destang, said: "We were thrilled to welcome Ms. Starr and her family to our beautiful island and our resort and

we're looking forward to them returning in the future."

Ms. Starr and her family are already planning their next visit, hopefully for 2020 St. Lucia Carnival, and checking back into their newly discovered "home away from home".

ENTERTAINMENT

ne of the greatest legacies in music history can be summed up by just three letters — TLC. On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the culture-shifting and seminal album ‘CrazySexCool’ the legendary group have announce their return to the U.K. with a performance at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

TLC, those characters merely hint at the talent of Tionne ‘T-Boz’ Watkins, Rozonda ‘Chilli’ Thomas, and the late Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes, but they immediately evoke an unparalleled journey nonetheless.

That journey encompasses immortal anthems such as ‘Waterfalls’, ‘Creep’, ‘No Scrubs’," and ‘Unpretty’, to name a few, as well as sales of 70 million records worldwide, four GRAMMY® Awards, two RIAA diamond-certified albums among a total of four multiplatinum albums, ten Top 10 singles, and four Number 1 singles.

The U.K. performance celebrates the incredible twenty-year milestone since their debut headline ‘FanMail’ Tour.

T-Boz and Chilli are bringing their highly anticipated show to London next summer in June 2020, after recently embarking on the "Whole Lotta Hits Tour" co-headlining with Nelly and supported by Flo Rida across North America. This unmissable return to the stage for fans will bring the sass and attitude that is synonymous with one of the most iconic girl groups to grace the earth.

There’s no doubt the undisputed "best-selling American girl-group of all-time" continue to captivate global audiences, most recently with their first album in fifteen years “TLC”.

TLC of course return to form, picking up exactly where they left off just sharper, smarter, sassier, and even a little sexier than before, all while keeping the inimitable chemistry that simultaneously drove the twelve-track album straight to the #1 spot on the Billboard Top 100 Chart.

Fans can expect an incredible, non-stop party with hit after hit all night long.

TLC will be at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on Monday 29 June 2020.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Immersive Experience Tate Liverpool and National Museums Liverpool, with a little help from The Beatles and Dolby Laboratories, launched a unique experiential presentation of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in Dolby Atmos, as a Christmas gift to the city.

This worldwide first, immersive experience will be presented daily at the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building at the Royal Albert Dock Liverpool until Thursday 9 January.

Tate Liverpool and National Museums Liverpool have collaborated with Apple Corps Ltd. to present the remixed version of The Beatles’s pioneering Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band played in Dolby Atmos, an immersive sound environment that feels as if the band is performing live in the space.

This free event, situated at the heart of Liverpool’s iconic Royal Albert Dock Liverpool will transport listeners to Abbey Road this Christmas.

Helen Legg, director, Tate Liverpool, said: “We’re excited to be working with National Museums Liverpool to bring this unique listening experience to the city.

“At the time they made Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles were at the epicentre of pop and performance art of 60s London which strongly influenced this tremendous record.

“Listening to this special mix is like hearing something familiar for the first time. It sounds so fresh, you can hear every element which just underscores how wildly inventive it was.”

Giles Martin, son of the legendary Beatles producer George Martin and a Grammy Award winning producer in his own right, created this mix ofSgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band from the original tapes.

Giles Martin said: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is one of the most important and ground-breaking albums of all time. In many ways it changed how records could be made.

The Beatles stopped just simply making music and started painting pictures with sounds that hadn’t been heard before.”

Arise Sir David Bintley

Sausage Rolls Top The Christmas Charts For The Second Year Running!

L

adBaby are back at the top of the tree as their current single ‘I Love Sausage Rolls’ has claimed the title of 2019’s Christmas #1.

It follows in the footsteps of their debut comedy hit, last year’s festive favourite ‘We Built This City On Sausage Rolls’ and beat off competition from Stormzy’s ‘Own It’ ft. Ed Sheeran and Burna Boy and Wham!’s classic ‘Last Christmas’.

According to Official Charts Company data, ‘I Love Sausage Rolls' smashed last year’s total too, scoring a huge 93,000 chart sales this week (18,000 more than last year’s winning track ‘We Built This City’) – and with 85,000 of that total coming via digital purchases, LadBaby not only claims the festive chart crown, but also the fastest-selling download of the year, in fact the fastest-selling download since June 2017’s Artists For Grenfell

chart-topping charity single.

LadBaby sets a new chart record today, becoming the first ever act to deliver two novelty Christmas Number 1 singles back to back. Plus, he’s now one of only three acts to claim consecutive Christmas Number 1s in the history of the Official Chart, and the first in 20 years - the only other acts to claim consecutive Christmas Number 1s are The Beatles (three between 1963 – 1965) and Spice Girls (three between 1996 – 1998).

“WOW, THANK YOU!! I don’t even know where to begin in thanking the incredible people of not only the UK, but around the world for supporting us for a second time and helping us raise EVEN MORE money for the amazing food bank charity the Trussell Trust.

“Only in Britain could a sausage roll twice get to Christmas Number 1. I hope everyone has an amazing Christmas and

enjoys singing and dancing around their living rooms to this year’s sausage roll banger!” said LadBaby.

The single was recorded at Abbey Road, where the LadBaby family (Mark Hoyle, his wife and LadBabyMum Roxanne, and their children Phoenix and Kobe) took the opportunity to cheekily recreate The Beatles’ famous album cover.

Both LadBaby singles were released in aid of the Trussell Trust, whose mission is to end the need for food banks in the UK. The charity supports a UK-wide network of more than 1200 food bank centres, which provides emergency support to people locked in poverty and campaigns for long-term change for a future without the need for food banks.

Last month, the charity launched a landmark piece of research showing that the growing dependence on food

banks should be considered a national crisis.

More than 823,000 parcels were provided by food banks between April and September this year, and more than a third of those went to households with children.

That’s a 23% increase on the same period as last year – and the steepest increase that’s been seen in a long time.

The money raised last year has been helping the Trussell Trust and its network of food banks work towards ending hunger in three ways: first, it has helped food banks to get emergency food to local people in crisis; second, it has helped people access additional support that helps prevent them needing the food bank again; and third, it gas helped fund campaigning work to tackle the long-term drivers of hunger in the UK.

Birmingham Royal Ballet has announced that former Director, David Bintley, has been awarded a Knighthood in Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth ll's New Year's Honours List, for services to dance.

David Bintley succeeded Sir Peter Wright as Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1995.

By that time, Sir Peter had settled the Company (formerly Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet) into its new home in the heart of England.

David's commitment to creating new work not only helped secure Birmingham as a hub of creative excellence but also affirmed Birmingham Royal Ballet's position as one of the world's leading ballet companies through productions such as the spectacular Carmina Burana (1995), his four jazz ballets The Nutcracker Sweeties (1996), The Shakespeare Suite (1999), and The Orpheus Suite (2004).

David's vision also brought about some ground-breaking initiatives. One such was the 2006 Ballet Hoo: Ballet Changed my Life project which saw the Company reach more than 200 young people from diverse backgrounds from across the West Midlands, in a two-year project televised by Channel 4. Another close to David's heart was Freefall Dance Company, the company of highly gifted dancers with severe learning disabilities that has been part of the Birmingham Royal Ballet family since 2002 and for whom David created his final work as Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet in summer 2019.

“I am both delighted and humbled by this honour and proud to accept it on behalf of the British Ballet community.

“I would particularly like to thank my friends and colleagues at Birmingham Royal Ballet, the company it was my privilege to direct for 24 years.”

The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2020 - Page 31

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ENTERTAINMENT

Fans Live For the Queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK l Sum Ting Wong (left), runner-up Divina de Campo (centre) and Vinegar Strokes (right)

By Mandip Singh Taunque

S

tars of the hit show RuPaul’s Drag Race UK embarked on a UK tour following the crowning of season one winner ‘The Vivienne’ and fans went wild for it.

Hosted by Drag Race legend Alyssa Edwards, shows in Newcastle, London, Birmingham, Brighton, Glasgow and Manchester sold out just as series one concluded.

Performing at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre was the entire cast of season one including Gothy Kendoll, Scaredy Kat, Vinegar Strokes, Sum Ting Wong, Crystal, Blu Hydrangea, Cheryl Hole, Baga Chipz, runner-up Divina De Campo and winner, The Vivienne.

These elite drag queens gave their American sisters a run for their money as they showed that British drag is just as great as the Americans.

Each queen took the stage and had their own individual segments as well as performing as one

massive super group. Whilst each queen brought their own charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent, there were two queens who stole the show despite of not winning the contest.

Birmingham’s finest, Sum Ting Wong, who was eliminated in week four, blew the house down by performing as a rock queen.

As a viewer of the TV show I had no idea that this queen could sing so well. Fans in the audience were both shocked and amazed at just how talented she is. It was a real shame we never got to see this side of her before she was eliminated in the TV show.

Also taking the audience’s breath away was Crystal who performed an aerial circus routine whilst hanging on a rope from the ceiling.

The audience was spell bound and again we wished we could have seen her showcase more of her talent on the show.

The biggest cheers of the night were reserved for the top 4 queens – Cheryl Hole, Baga Chipz, Divina De Campo and

l Cheryl Hole (left) and Blu Hydrangea (right)

The Vivienne. Cheryl Hole was stunningly beautiful.

Fans meeting Cheryl backstage were simply mesmerised when they saw her. Idolising her hero Cheryl of Girls Aloud fame, drag Cheryl could have easily been the sixth member of the group.

Fan favourite and West Midlander Baga Chipz had the audience in stiches with her unique comedic style and her trademark ‘much better’ catchphrase.

The audience reached fever pitch when runner up Divina De Campo took to the stage. She showed exactly why she was a contender for the crown.

Despite of battling a very sore throat she sang her new track ‘A Drag Race Song’ live and it was an instant hit with fans up on their feet singing and dancing with her.

Finally, making drag race UK herstory, season one winner The Vivienne showed she was both comedy queen and Cher impersonator queen with her take of ‘Walking in Memphis’.

The internet was buzzing following her performance.

Basically, fans want more, more, more! The Vivienne is amazing talent who is set to take over the world.

On a serious note, nearly all these queens had to overcome adversity to get to where they are now.

Meeting fans backstage, there was a mix of people. Regardless of gender, sexual orientation and race, these inspirational queens show it is ok to be different.

They encourage tolerance and a love for life and even if they can make a difference to just one person’s life then they are truly the queens we have come to admire and love.

5/5 If you have an event you think our readers would like to read about, please contact me at mandip. taunque@thephoenixnewspaper. com

l Baga Chipz (left) and winner The Vivienne (right)

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ENTERTAINMENT

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Readey, set, go!

Y

Interviews

ears ago, it would be hard to get yourself into a recording studio. With the upward movement of social media platforms and readily available music studios dotted around the country nowadays, it’s not so much of a problem.

Audio workstations such as FL Studio and similar such programs becoming available to the average consumer has made it easy for musicians to broadcast to thousands of people over social media platforms and music hosting websites, talent is everywhere.

Due to the oversaturation of music available, hard working true talented musicians often get overlooked.

Enter Tom Reade, AKA ‘Readey` hailing from Walsall, is a diamond in the rough. A truly talented young wordsmith who only unearthed his way with words in the past year.

Always having an interest in music, listening to artists such as ‘Ghetts` and ‘Wretch 32` Readey found himself taking on a musical endeavour.

Initially not taking himself too seriously rapping just for a laugh, it quickly turned into something momentous. He went on to a Studio with a notebook full of rhymes and quickly discovered his niche.

His first studio session was at a ‘Beatsabar studios` in Wolverhampton, Christmas Eve 2018, working with the sound Engineer at the time, he was very surprised that Readey had only been spitting a month!

The Engineer, Mitch, couldn’t believe his ears!

Quick to capitalize on his new found talent, he liberated a few singles from his grasp to see how they would do, with the response largely up to par, Readey decided to make an EP. This EP would be his 1st Project.

“Pilgrimeage” a play on words to represent his commencing journey into the grime scene, a musical pathway to his end goal of becoming a full-time MC. "I enjoy rapping to be honest, I get a buzz when I’ve done a good verse, I feel good seeing peoples reactions!

“My first project represents my first steps towards the goal of becoming a full-time

MC".

Listening to the EP it’s unmistakable that a lot of thought and care has been taken to accurately depict this journey in fine detail, Readey reiterates my thoughts explaining each day the track list would change or he wouldn’t be happy with a certain track.

"I put a lot of thought into the order of the tracks, I wanted it to be cohesive, so you discover and grow with me as the project moves forward".

The EP is a refreshingly clever project, with skippy flows and catchy hooks, deep and meaningful stories all with a solid backbone of production.

It doesn’t feel slapped together, it feels cared for and controlled, a well-round piece of work, which in today’s musical climate is sometimes lacking due to the fast paced `throw-away` music culture.

With the future looking dazzling for the talented young MC, new projects are already in the pipeline. Readey isn’t afraid to try new things musically "I might end up doing something completely different, it depends how things roll, I try not to plan too much.

“Plans are made to be broken I guess, but with a positive attitude towards music, not much gets Readey down... "I've been let down before in the past but I don’t let

that stop me achieving my goal, if I don’t do it one way, I’ll do it another..."

A lot of people get disheartened when their first project drops because it doesn’t do as well as they’d expect, Readey isn’t put off by this. "I don’t expect it to do spectacularly well, I like the challenge, I need to nurture my music from the ground up, this I’m acutely aware of".

In this day and age a flippant comments between artists, the age old "yes mate, link up soon" (be honest, you’ve heard it) is heard all too often with nobody following up on the gesture.

Readey plans on following through with this statement keen to be conspicuous whilst getting his face around networking inside the scene. "I see a lot of credence in forming relationships within music rather than using social media all the way, social media is great don’t get me wrong it bridges gaps, but it’s good to get your face around".

I couldn’t agree more, building strong foundations is vital in the music scene as any musician will tell you.

Readey hopes to have a bigger following by this time next year only looking at the realistic goals rather than a reverie goal.

"A bigger following this time next year I`d be happy with... bookings will come in time, I have to push, I wish to have at least two more projects out by this time next year, I’m doing what I love, it gives me such a buzz".

I think Readey’s mind set and aptitude towards music will take him far, he has an impeccable work ethic, and a insatiable hunger for success, all wrapped up (pardon the pun) in a blanket of enthusiasm.

Readey is ready to continue his journey, a journey I will be personally be observing with a fervent eye.

Watch this space....

"Please go check out my new EP through my twitter page, feedback is very much welcomed".

Socials Twitter: @readeyofficial Instagram: readeyofficial Email: tom_reade@outlook.com

And don’t forget to check out Alien Muzik on Twitter @Alien_Muzik, and on Instagram alien_muzik

@PhoenixNewsUK

The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2020 - Page 33

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FERRARI ROMA F

urther details about the Ferrari Roma have been revealed during an innovative social media communication campaign.

Exemplifying the concept of the Nuova Dolce Vita, the car has been the protagonist of a dedicated shoot in iconic locations around Italy’s capital city where it has encountered public and critical claim alike.

The latest coupé from Maranello features harmonious proportions and elegantly balanced volumes which are very much in line with Ferrari’s front-engined grand touring tradition. Timeless and sublimely refined, from a technical point of view the Ferrari Roma introduces a series of unparalleled features that put it at the top of its segment in terms of performance and driving enjoyment.

These include most notably a new powertrain with 8-speed gearbox, the introduction of the five-position manettino for the first time on a Ferrari grand tourer, and a best-in-class power/weight ratio.

All of which make the Ferrari Roma the most powerful and fun to drive mid-front-engined V8 2+ in Ferrari history. Not forgetting either the fact that the concept is underpinned by everyday driveability and superb on-board comfort.

LA NUOVA DOLCE VITA TAKES SHAPE

Fuel Savings Could Fund Next Year's Festive Costs For Electric Car Buyers CHRISTMAS could effectively be free next year for the thousands of motorists now planning to go green in the New Year with an electric car.

That's according to new figures from the online car marketplace BuyaCar.co.uk which has compared annual EV fuel savings with the cost of Christmas for a typical household.

Although full electric cars remain more expensive to buy initially than their conventionally powered counterparts, more people than ever before are planning to go all electric - and they will typically save more than enough each year in fuel savings to cover the entire cost of Christmas.

BuyaCar.co.uk crunched the numbers for a range of comparable car models and found fuel cost savings from £433 to a whopping £1,179 over the typical 8,000 miles an average motorist covers every year.

This covers drivers charging an electric car at home compared with filling up at a petrol station.

Meanwhile the cost of a British Christmas is calculated by a

range of sources at around £700£800 for the typical household.

These figures mean that, based on today's petrol and electricity prices, choosing a Nissan Leaf 24kwh instead of a Ford Focus 1.0 100 EcoBoost Titanium would save £433.45 over a year - enough to cover the total gift spend for a couple.

That's because the Leaf costs just £3.94 to drive 100 miles, compared with £9.35 to cover the same distance in the Focus.

The savings are even more

dramatic when comparing the electric and petrol versions of Volkswagen's Golf.

The e-Golf costs a paltry £2.28 per 100 miles, adding up to just £182.40 over a typical 8,000-mile year. In contrast a comparable petrol-powered Golf 1.0 TSI 115 Match will cost £933.11 at the pumps over the same distance.

That means a saving for the e-Golf of £810.71 - more than the official Bank of England figure for a typical household's Christmas expenses.

MOTORS

The UK’S Most Popular Car For 2019 Is...

This year, the UK’s most popular new car is a black Volkswagen Golf, according to a study of the nation’s tastes, including analysis of over 38 million new car ad views online.

The research published in the UK’s Most Popular Cars 2019 report, commissioned by Auto Trader, the UK’s largest digital marketplace for new and used cars, combines a survey of 2,000 UK drivers with search data from ad views on Auto Trader’s website and app to reveal the most popular makes, models and features on the new car market.

According to the report, the Volkswagen Golf is the UK’s most popular model of new car, ahead of traditional top sellers the Ford Fiesta and Focus.

This is the second year in a row that the Golf has taken the top spot, showing its appeal to a broad range of car buyers.

Top 10 Most Popular Cars of 2019 (based on ad views) 1 .Volkswagen Golf - 1,307,303 2. Ford Focus - 846,212 3. Ford Fiesta - 721,306 4. Land Rover Range Rover - 617,085 5. Land Rover Range Rover Sport - 591,323 6. BMW 3 Series - 562,623 7. Mercedes-Benz A Class - 541,700 8. Land Rover Range Rover Evoque - 525,550 9. Volkswagen Polo - 463,548 10. Mercedes-Benz C Class - 460,924

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Page 34 - The Phoenix Newspaper - January 2020

ENTERTAINMENT MOTORS

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NEW PUMA JOINS FORD’S 5-STAR SAFETY LINE-UP

T

he new Ford Puma is today the latest Ford model to receive a 5-star safety rating from the Euro NCAP independent crash test authority.

The SUV-inspired Puma crossover has earned the highest-possible rating under

the more stringent testing protocols introduced in 2018.

Puma – including Puma EcoBoost Hybrid variants – is one of eight Ford passenger car models now offering 5-star safety for customers.

Euro NCAP awarded Puma high scores for adult and child occupant protection – with full

points in both the side barrier test and more severe side pole tests.

Technologies including PreCollision Assist with Active Braking, Intelligent Speed Limiter and Lane-Keeping System were also commended.

Puma is the fifth Ford vehicle to earn the top 5-star safety

rating in 2019 alongside the Ford Focus, Mondeo (retested against the latest protocols), Kuga and Explorer Plug-In Hybrid models tested earlier this year. Further Ford models with a 5-star result include Fiesta (tested in 2017), Galaxy (2015) and S-MAX (2015).

Armed Forces Fundraisers Take On Charity Challenge MG Motor UK is proudly supporting three fundraisers in their mission to complete an epic 3,400-mile electric car marathon in MG’s all-electric ZS EV. The drive will help to raise money for forces charity, Walking With The Wounded.

Organised by Greater Manchester Police Inspector and Tactical Lead of the Armed Forces Covenant, Jim Jones, the round trip will start at the force’s headquarters on 5th November 2020.

The ZS EV, provided by Chorley MG in Burnley, will take the group on a three-day drive through France and Spain to arrive at Gibraltar’s Royal Police Headquarters under police escort in time for Remembrance Sunday on 8th November 2020.

The fundraisers will set off on their return leg to Manchester the following day, completing their ambitious challenge.

The money raised by the challenge will help to support vulnerable and injured veterans reintegrate back into society and

sustain their independence.

Walking With The Wounded offers assistance through numerous accessible programmes to help provide ex-service personnel with sustainable employment opportunities outside of the military.

Jim Jones, organiser of the EV challenge, said: “Having covered more than 120,000 miles in electric vehicles over the last six years, we were keen to prove that the technology and infrastructure is in place to take on a crosscountry challenge in a fullyelectric car.

While our primary goal is to raise money for the charity, we also want to truly bust range anxiety myths surrounding electric vehicles and promote zero emissions motoring as a way of doing our bit to help the environment.”

Joining Jim on the trip will be colleagues from Lancashire Police and author, charity fundraiser and motivational speaker, Andy Reid MBE, who lost an arm and both legs during an explosion while on patrol in Afghanistan in 2009.