Street Cred Magazine - May 2017

The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2017 - Page 17

20 YEARS AS THE EYE OF ENTERTAINMENT

MAY 2017

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GAMBIMI THE LOCAL BOY TAKES ON A NATIONAL TOUR

Proudly Supporting

Page 18 - The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

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TV - Online - MAGAZINE /markdwaynehost

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Don-E

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on-E, born in London, was commonly known for his debut single 'Love makes the world go around' and the underground soul classic "Unbreakable “which was a number one hit in the memories of 'real' music lovers.

More recently Don-E has been touring with Grace Jones and seasoning with artists such as Brian Eno, Paulo Nuttini and the British collective His musical journey began when his father gave him a handmade guitar on his fifth birthday and he has not looked back since.

Don's influences range from Michael Jackson, Dennis brown,

Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind & Fire and Marvin Gaye mixed and blended with his personal love for House, Soul and R'n'B music, which when manifested into song, can only be categorized as the 'Ragga Funk' sound.

Don-E has also produced for legends such as Beverley Knight, Rahsaan Patterson, Mica Paris, Omar and Shaun Escoffrey.

Don-E will Be releasing his new 6 trk Ep "The Lost Tapes" this Easter following the success of his

British Grand prix to Hit City Streets albums "Little star" "Future rare grooves" "Future rares 2" Don-E's forever in the studio songwriting and collaborating with UK and international talent!

Be sure to check out "thebritishcollective", Don-E's new project featuring UK greats "Omar, Lee John, Junior Giscombe and Noel Mckoy"

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hanges in the law have made it feasible for a Monaco-style street-based British Grand Prix– with London a likely destination for the very first event.

With the GP already currently held at Silverstone, in Northamptonshire, Transport minister Andrew Jones said a race in London would be "spectacular."

He said; “You could have a fantastic backdrop of London — or in fact several cities in the UK could do this.

A major sports event against a London backdrop could be spectacular. Just look at the London 2012 Olympics.”

Plans have reportedly already been drawn up with the proposed circuit to start on The Mall and go past Buckingham Palace, around

Parliament Square and past Big Ben. F1 icon Bernie Ecclestone and foreign secretary Boris Johnson have both previously voiced their support for the idea.

Another city bidding for the GP rights is Birmingham, who, from 1986 to 1990, held the Halfords Birmingham Superprix meeting, which followed a street circuit at the heart of the city. The principal event was a round of the FIA Formula 3000 Championship, but support races included BTCC and Formula Ford 1600 rounds, as well as sports car racing.

Britain's former F1 world champion, Birmingham-born Nigel Mansell, said: “This is a great move forward for the sport and will bring visitors and pride to parts of the country that wish to stage such events.”

He added: “I am delighted that this government is embracing motorsport, which will assist the UK’s world-leading position and improve the sport’s ability to help provide opportunities and focus for young people.”

Under the new rules, the Motor Sports Association, which governs motor sports in the UK, and Auto Cycle Union, which regulates motorcycle racing, will be authorised to issue race permits after satisfying councils, police and other local bodies that the events would be safe.

Local authorities will have the final say over whether a race can go ahead, and may require additional safety measures before, during or after the event as a condition of allowing a race to take place, the DfT said.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2017 - Page 19

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ENTERTAINMENT

Mark Dwayne

The Big 5 City Tour

BIRMINGHAM Kicking off his #SWUG 5 City Tour with a bang, Mark Dwayne certainly embodied the “Show What U Got” message as his elecrifying performance at Birmingham’s Bambu Bar captivated the crowd out to support their home-grown talent.

“I am doing a UK Tour so that my supporters will be able to enjoy a live show in intimate settings,” explained Mark, “We kickstarted the UK tour at the glamourous Bambu Bar famous for attendance of top footballers.”

The night was intended

to give his fans the feel of a concert and party in one, and it really showed as the crowds lapped up everything that Mark had set up for them.

“Tonight was amazing, and our next date is at the Quicken Tree in the Heart of England, Warwickshire. “#SWUG fans will be able to enjoy a deluxe dinner and party in the summer garden overlooking the fields!”

But it isn’t just the 5 City Tour that has Mark buzzing, he is also jetting off to shoot the video for his next single.

“I will be hitting Tenerife in June to shoot the video for my next single, which is produced

By Pale Face who had a massive hit with Kyla.

Besides this, Mark has been in the studio, and he’s really excited for what he is creating.

“It will be an eclectic mix of Soul, Reggae and House Music. The message is love and bringing people together and inspiring people to achieve.”

The #SWUG Tour is supported by The Phoenix Newspaper who are the Official Media Sponsors.

Page 20 - The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

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Improv Group Seeing Funny Side Of Their Own Lives

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umprov, Britain’s first improv theatre company made up entirely from artists from Black, Asian & Mixed Race backgrounds are making their collective presence felt on the comedy scene in no uncertain way.

With their completely improvised debut show, at The Old Joint Stock Theatre in Birmingham, the first of what many are predicting to be years of unique on the spot hilarity, the ensemble provides a platform for stories to be told with characters that are free from everyday stereotypes, prejudices and ‘set in place’ inhibitions.

Made up of seven creative performance artists, who include; Jade Samuels, Adaya Henry, Sunny Dhap, Marius Turner, David Jackson, Chantal Erraoui and Jay Droch, Jumprov, born out of the Birmingham Improv Festival, promises to be “an epic story which we are writing as we live,” according to founder, Sunny.

He says; “I decided to start my Homeland_A6_2017 own improv theatre company to help tackle the continuing issue

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a voice and collaborative creative control to the performers and audi-

of under representation in theatre, tele- ences.”

With their May 4 Old Joint vision and film. I created this platform for stories to be told Stock show already creating a with characters that are free from massive storm, they plan to be heard, and seen, for some time whatever shackles that could be 18:10 aw.pdf 1 20/03/2017 to come. faced in this industry.

So, what Jumprov does is give

#SWUG Grand Central Fashion shoot The all purpose clothing line has been launched Show What U Got is for

the bold and who want to be themselves You can find the most

trendy Snapbacks, Hoodies, Dresses fitted T’s.

Facebook.com/swuglabel

The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2017 - Page 21

ENTERTAINMENT

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LOCAL ARTIST GAMBIMI HITS THE ROAD WITH PUNCH RECORDS

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ay sees Punch Records bring the first edition of the Welcome To My City tour.

Selecting 5 emerging artistsmaking waves in their local music scenes, the tour will visit each of their cities over 5 days, with each event headlined by the local artist of that city.

R&B Singer/Songwriter Gambini is Birmingham’s representation on the tour.

Since moving to Birmingham at the age of 6 from Brazzaville, Congo, Gambimi has lived and breathed music.

Fast forward to the present day Gambimi’s music is enjoying a wealth of endorsement from national radio and he has built a strong fan base in Birmingham.

Inspired by artists such as Chris Brown and Ne-yo, R’n’B singer/songwriter Gambimi has taken the popular genre and put his own twist on things through clever wordplay and beautifully balanced harmonies.

We caught up with him to discuss his next move, the Welcome To My City Tour.

Do you think artist development programs like this are a much needed resource for local artists?

Yes definitely! The music industry is very competitive and hard to crack into, so music development programs are essential.

They give emerging artists a much needed insight into the industry that they are trying to break into, and they really help us hone our skills.

What are you most looking forward to about this experience?

There's so many different things, I am looking forward to being part of a national tour that has been put together by a respected company with a long history of touring artists.

Being on the road with others and performing in different cities will be incredible as it is something I hope to be doing for many years to come.

It will be great to learn from each artist on the tour and work together to create some really high quality performances in each city.

As the tour is called ‘Welcome To My City’ - If you were to invite someone to Birmingham, what would you tell them were the best things about the city?

I would tell them that we have a great night life here, its a really good place to party.

The transport here is great too, you can get all over the city so easily and it doesn't cost a lot, so you have great access to different places and events it sounds like a small thing but when there's so much going on in a city it really helps being able to get around.

For many of the other artists on the tour 9th May will be their first time performing in Birmingham - What will the artists enjoy about performing for a Brummie audience?

I think the main thing the other musicians will get from performing in Birmingham will be the passion for music that

Brummies have.

I think Birmingham audiences expect a high standard from their artists and when their expectations are met they show real love to performers.

Youth culture in birmingham is thriving, so they can expect to see a young and really energetic crowd. The birmingham show is going to be amazing trust me.

Finally, what are your plans after the tour?

I have LOT of things planned for this year, im currently working on some material for myself as well as a few major collaborations with other artists that are coming soon.

I’m spending a lot of time in the studio with some new producers and myself and my team are working really hard at the moment to make sure that i keep evolving as an artist and the quality of my music is always improving!

Tour Dates

Monday 8th May Liverpool, EBGB’s Tuesday 9th May Birmingham,Sunflower Lounge Wednesday 10th May Manchester, Jimmy’s Thursday 11th May London, Notting Hill Arts Club Friday 12th May Cardiff, Underworld @ 10 feet tall To find out more about the other artists on the Welcome To My City tour and to reserve your FREE tickets, visit www.punch-records.co.uk C

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ENTERTAINMENT

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T L A Y O R HIP-HOP H C U M & T TALEN T

his year’s B-Side HipHop Festival is set to be another massive hit for Birmingham as international dance stars, world-class graffiti artists, award-winning rappers and the biggest names from Birmingham’s own home-grown talent descend on the city to

showcase all things hip-hop.

The streets of Southside will be bustling with the sights and sounds of contemporary hiphop culture across 3 days of jam packed events with some of the biggest names in local and international hip-hop talent produced

by Birmingham Hippodrome in partnership with artists Break

Mission, Juice Aleem, Mickeal ‘Marso’ Riviere, and Graffiti Artist.com.

From the 19th to the 21st May, you will be able to catch pop-up dance events, live graffiti art, interactive talks and exhilarating outdoor performances, including street dance, workshops and battles.

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alented bboys and bgirls from across Birmingham will be given a second chance to shine in the 7 To Smoke solo breakin’ battle, a secret selection giving underdogs from Break Mission’s Just Jam qualifiers the chance to battle head-tohead on the Hippodrome’s Main Stage on Sunday and be recognized at last!

Meanwhile, wannabe rap artists are invited to showcase their spoken word skills in 7 To Spoke – a fast-paced and fearsome battle between seven participants fighting to be crowned king and queen.

Brand new for 2017, this year’s festival will also see graffiti artists from across the globe take over Southside for a full weekend of live street art and interactive workshops taking place across the Hippodrome’s Main Foyer spaces and surrounding city streets.

Headed by the legendary T-Kid from New York plus Birmingham-based ‘Graff’ talent Graffitiartist.com, this year’s Graff Jam will welcome artists from as far afield as the USA, Italy, Sweden, Ireland and London alongside the best of Birmingham’s home grown ‘Graff’ talent.

The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2017 - Page 23

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N W O R G E M O H , Y T S ’ E D I S B ‘ E R O M H vocal ic p e r fo t u o k o o L across and dance battles the weekend!

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ringing together the best in local and international DJ and MC talent, this year’s festival will also feature live music sets from Birmingham MC and rap artist Lady Sanity plus Quartz, Strange U, DJ Latifah, DJ Nucleo and many more.

Seeing the weekend out in style on Sunday 20th May, the B-Side Hip-Hop Festival Finale will see the cream of B-Side 2017 come together for an afternoon of live performances and

battles on the Hippodrome Main Stage.

Highlights include sets from Birmingham MC’s Quartz and Lady Sanity as well as preliminaries and finals of competitions including Bonnie & Clyde, 2v2 and Dirty 30s.

For the first time ever, this year’s finale performance will play host to the Midlands Ultimate Street Dance Crew finale, in which talented street dance crews battle it out to be crowned the ultimate champion.

ENTERTAINMENT

Page 24 - The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

Agony Aunt

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BIGScreen

review

wORDS by antony brown

A Rose Between Thorns

l Dr Saroj ‘Rose’ Duggal

I

’m really worried about heading to University in September as I’m not 100% sure that I want to go.

I received my acceptance letter from my first choice University but since getting it I have been having second thoughts about going.

My whole family are so impressed with me being accepted into University but now I don’t feel that it is the right route for me.

I’ve been looking at apprenticeships and working while learning and I want to go down that route, but how do I tell them?

Do I bite the bullet and just go to University, or do I tell my family what I want to do and hope that they support me?

- Milly, Manchester Thank you for your letter Milly, you really need to speak to your family and bring this all out in the open.

If you really don’t think University is for you, then you will be miserable being pushed into something you don’t want to do.

Talk to them and do the right thing for YOU!

I

am starting to get really confused and disheartened with politicians in this day an age.

From lying to everyone straight to their faces on both sides of the Brexit debate, to the shock snap election decision, and not to mention Trumps election on the back of what was essentially a capaign based on hate and division, I just don’t know who or what to believe in any more.

What do you reckon?

- Jackie, Burton Well Jackie, I’ve got to admit I’m in the same boat as you at the moment!

All I can suggest is that you watch and read everything you can about upcoming votes and elections, and then google everything and check the facts yourself.

Only once you know where you stand can you hope to make a correct choice.

Fast & Furious 8 W ith Dom and Letty on their honeymoon, Brian and Mia retired from the game and the rest of the crew exonerated for their past misdemeanours, the globetrotting team has found some semblance of a normal life for the first time in a long time.

But when a mysterious woman seduces Dom into a world of crime and deceit that forces him to betray those closest to him, the crew will have to unite once again to do battle against the one constant in all of their lives.

The one person who made them a family - Dominic Toretto.

Ah, Fast and Furious. What a journey it has been! From a modest budget action movie in 2001 starring relatively unknown actors to one of the biggest franchises of all time with an ever-growing, Expendables-like cast of zany characters and big name stars.

Fast and Furious is like Rocky Balboa; it started at the bottom and fought its way through the ranks to

BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY

May 03 SayWeCanFly 05 The Magic Gang 06 Morgan Heritage & Etana 11 He Is Legend 13 Screaming Quays 13 CKY 17 Wheatus 20 Gehtika 21 Monster Magnet 27 Chronixx 29 Taylor Caniff 31 Bars and Melody / Johnny Orlando Co-headline tour

O2 INSTITUTE

May 02 Marianas Trench 03 Seafret 04 Aston Merrygold 05 Maximo Park 06 Underoath 06 Clean Cut Kid 09 Protoje & The Indiggnation 09 Napalm Death

become something nobody expected and here we are at the eighth instalment.

Yes, EIGHTH. Straight Outta Compton's F. Gary Gray takes over from James Wan on directing duties and he does a terrific job.

His action scenes don't quite have the finesse of Justin Lin (Fast 3-6) or James Wan's (Fast 7) but he still does a solid job of bringing the huge, trademark Fast and Furious action sequences to the big screen.

He also has the added benefit of directing from the most "self aware" screenplay of the series from writer Chris Morgan, whom just keeps pushing the boat further and further out with each new instalment.

He knows they passed the point of no return a long time ago in terms of abandoning all sense of realism, so now he appears to be challenging himself to get so far past the point of no return that they can no longer see it.

While one could argue that the "car sky-dive" featured in Fast and Furious 7 still holds the trophy for

12 Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon 13 The Cribs 17 Natalie Imbruglia 19 Leftfield 20 The Districts 21 Whiskey Myers 27 Party Like Gatsby 31 Coasts

NEC

May 07 Toy Collectors Fair 12-14 BodyPower Expo 2017 18-21 This Morning Live 18-21 World Duty Free Birmingham Summer Sale 19-21 The Baby Show 23-24 Edie Live & Utility Week 2017 26 The Specials Plus Toots & the Maytals 26-28 The Vaper Expo – The Big Weekend 27 Slam Dunk Festival Midlands, NEC

most over the top action sequence of the series, there are a number of scenes in Fast 8 that come pretty darn close - including an adrenaline fuelled climax in the arctic Barents Sea that is up there with the most delightfully ludicrous set pieces in recent memory.

The regular cast return and are all on form. These people have spent so much time with one another over the two decades since the series began that it's almost impossible not to have excellent on-screen chemistry.

Whether you like these movies or not, that's one thing you simply cannot deny. This cast work wonderfully together.

The most notable new addition to the cast comes in the shape of Charlize Theron as the cyber-terrorist known as Cipher.

While Theron is serviceably sinister, she's never given much more to do than stare at dozens of computer screens laden with satellite images and recite some technical jargon.

However, in the rare scene in

l Chronixx storms to the Academy on the 27th

BARCLAYCARD ARENA

May 06 The 51st KUGB National Karate Championships 12 Professor Brian Cox LIVE 13 A Night of Championship Boxing 15 Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone™ 18-20 Micky Flanagan 21 Iron Maiden 27 Gurdas Maan 28 KISS

which she gets to flex her villainous muscles, she shines and thankfully, there are jut enough of those scenes to forgive the more run-ofthe-mill villainous stereotypes none of which are her fault, those issues lie in the script.

Speaking of issues, the most distracting thing about Fast 8 comes in the chiselled form of Jason Statham.

Do not misunderstand, he's an absolute scene-stealer in this movie, but it's difficult not to question his presence within the group.

Deckard Shaw is directly responsible for the death of one or more of their "family" members, yet when the team are told they have to work together, there's very little resistance from both ends.

For a group of friends as fiercely loyal as Toretto's mob, they are weirdly forgiving of serial killers who tried to murder them.

Thankfully, it results in some of the most memorable moments in the entire movie, so it's easy to let it slide, but it sticks out like a sore thumb.

There’s talk of a spin-off revolving around Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham and once you see the movie, you’ll understand why.

Hell, two hours of those two alpha-male action heroes slinging verbal insults at each other would be worth the ticket price alone.

The best thing that Fast and Furious 8 does is making the ingenious move to separate the rest of the group from Dominic Toretto.

He is the glue that holds them together throughout the entire franchise, so to suddenly see a group who no longer have that focal point is very interesting and to see their attempts at working together without the direction he provides is a lot of fun.

There are also a few nice twists and turns along the way that elevate the film and throw some genuine stakes into the mix.

While Fast and Furious 8 may not be the strongest instalment, it is definitely in the upper echelon of the series, behind only 5, 6 and 7.

With this eighth instalment, The Fast and Furious franchise has reached new and profound heights of absurdity.

From the opening scene in which Dom partakes in a drag race across Cuba in a flaming car, to the moment Cipher seizes control of hundreds of cars and causes absolute mayhem in the streets of New York, to Jason Statham single-handedly taking on dozens of henchman while holding a baby, Fast and Furious 8 is pure, joyous lunacy from beginning to end.

The franchise has reached a delightful level of self-awareness and everybody involved knows why audiences keep coming back for more - because they want to have fun - so "fun" is exactly what they bring to the table.

You may think it's ridiculous and you may think it's completely over the top and unbelievable...and that's exactly the point.

The simple fact is the Fast and Furious franchise is one of the most successful in the history of cinema, and also one of the only franchises to drastically yet successfully reinvent itself, from a modest budget, $38 Million first instalment, to $250 Million blockbusting extravaganzas.

It's absolute nonsense, but it's the kind of nonsense you're more than happy to sit and listen to for a few hours.

GENTING ARENA

May 05-06 Take That 10 WWE Live 12 BAMMA 29 18 Ariana Grande 19 The Vamps 26 The Specials 27 Slam Dunk Festival Midlands

Khan (SH) 21 Simple Minds (SH) 22 Imelda May (SH) 24 Jennifer Pike plays Mozart (TH) 26 Shakin’ Stevens (TH) 27 The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show (TH) 31 PAM ANN (TH)

TOWN HALL & SYMPHONY HALL

SLADE ROOMS, WOLVERHAMPTON

May 03 Russell Watson and his Orchestra (SH) 04 Alison Balsom: Haydn (SH) 05 Gershwin Meets Bond (TH) 05 Omid Djalili (SH) 07 The Robert Cray Band (TH) 11 The Sound of Musicals (SH) 12-13 Adam Ant (SH) 16 Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra performs The Firebird (SH) 19 Friday Night Classics: Under the Sitars with Citizen

May 04 The King Blue 05 The Noise Next Door: Uproar!

06 UK Guns & Roses 07 Hayseed Dixie 09 Katatonia 13 The Undercover Hippy 17 Evan Dando (The Lemonheads) 19 Black Peaks 20 Cause To Effect 25 Funny Girls Comedy With Noreen Khan 30 Justin Currie

The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2017 - Page 25

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ENTERTAINMENT

The Hot Spot Birmingham

THE LOTTO BOYZZ

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ntroducing Birmingham's Finest "The Lotto Boyzz" A tal­ ented duo from Birmin­ gham, the artists als­o known as Ash and Lu­cas are pushing their­way through the rank­s in the new sub genr­e Afro Bashment and p­lan to take the uniqu­e style of music glob­al.

SHALAMAR LIVE

S

o I heard that R&B stars of the 70s Shalamar were playing at the Jam House and for me it was a must as they are the group that has some of my all time favourite songs.

And of course one of the members Jeff Daniels is the guy that taught my idol Michael Jackson how to moonwalk.

I knew I had to be there to see this. As I am writing this I am remembering probably the best night out I have had this year.

Shalamar are the most amazing group to see live they reminded

me that real music still exists and they deliver the sound of magic.

All I can say is it’s heaven like hearing those old skool melodies and you feel true love. If you know songs like ‘Night to Remember’, ‘Take It To The Back’, ‘I can make you feel good’, & ‘Lover in you’ then you know exactly what i am talking about.

This band is the ultimate in happy feel good soul seeing Jeff do the moonwalk and all the MJ moves left me mesmerised and my god the songs they performed sounded fresh.

I wanted more and more. They

gave pure love to a jam packed crowd of people that wanted good music and memories.

Let me tell you that you haven’t had a live experience until you go to a Shalamar concert.

Seeing that they are still together after 40 years is truly inspiring and the new female replacement is just as fine as Jody Watley who is actually her niece.

The show was hit after hit and for sure we all left feeling amazed and good about ourselves. Pardon the pun but it really was a night to remember.

After the success of their ­­­ summer anthem­­ an­d debut single "­Hi­tl­ist", last July­, t­he ­group have re­ceive­d hu­ge amounts­ of su­ccess­ with ov­er 3M views The Boyzz have a­ ls­o p­erformed in fr­on­t of l­arge audienc­e­s at the­ O2 Academy­­and also with M­ist ­as a supporti­ng ac­t­for his sold o­ ut

­h­eadline tour.

With reco­g­nition f­rom the wor­ ld­ reno­wned Fetty Wa­p a­nd ­UK based artis­ts s­u­ch as Chip, Wre­tch 3­­2, Mist and ot­hers­. Expect to see a lot more of the Lotto Boyzz in 2017

Page 26 - The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2017

All Charged Up – Ready To Go!?

The Superkart Charity Chalenge, Wednesday 26th, April.

Karts at the ready, fully charged and raring to go, stage set - bands rehearsed, catering ordered, everyone geared up and the tension building.

This was the situation 48hrs before the night of our first heat scheduled to set The Superkart Charity Challenge off to a flying start, but alas due to last minute glitches we had spanners thrown into the mix and we reluctantly had to make a late decision to call things off and reschedule the event for a later date.

It was a sad day for us as organisers and more than frustrating for our competitors, we were all equally disappointed at having to change plans at such short notice even after the painstaking preparation that had gone into creating this fantastic night of thrills, spills, and great entertainment.

“The Superkart Charity Challenge” the most adrenalin fuelled – fun busting knock - out charity event to take place in Birmingham during 2017.

No matter how well you plan and prepare with an event like this you only need a few small elements out of sync and it can scupper the whole sequence of procedures leaving you with a less than satisfactory experience.

This is something we were not prepared to present, our ethos was and will always be to focus on “The Superkart Charity Challenge” as being a unique and exhilarating fundraising event, to encourage and excite everyone in the support of our nominated charities and to create that very

special occasion where we all can get together and work towards the future of our city.

The Superkart team are busy liaising with our teams, charities and sponsors to reformat the ongoing schedule to ensure things get back on track swiftly, in particular we’re also having to plan for the increased numbers of enthusiastic requests from the general public that have come in and want to join and drive in the challenge, a big thanks to them and we will be finding a way in which we can include you too.

Again, a disappointing start

and our sincere apologies to those who were affected by the short notice.

We are determined that if we are to do this, then we’re going to do it properly, and will be continueing with our vision of presenting a truly unique and spectacular event that will make “The Superkart Charity Challenge” an integeral part of Birmingham’s annual calendar of “not to be missed” events, with our “Challenge Shield and Trophies” to be battled for and displayed with pride by the winners.

The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2017 - Page 27

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Interactive Exhibition Marks 50 Years for Range Rover Velar

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t’s one of the world’s most iconic vehicles and this year Range Rover is celebrating 50 years as one of the premier car manufacturers with an interactive exhibition tracing its history ‘The Range Rover Story’ visitor attraction, at its Solihull manufacturing plant, is an interactive exhibit created to celebrate 50 years of the world’s most revered luxury SUV - from the first secret prototype, codenamed Velar.

The new exhibition takes visitors on a voyage from inception through to the introduction of the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque, before culminates in an exciting unveil of the new Range Rover Velar, celebrating British design and engineering integrity.

Nigel Blenkinsop, Operations Director at Solihull, said: “We are hugely proud to build the Range

Rover Velar at Solihull, the birthplace of both the Land Rover and Range Rover. Here, we have invested over £2bn in recent years to enable us to triple production. Our business is now Britain’s number one car manufacturer.”

The Velar, produced in one of the largest aluminium body shops in the world, is the third new model in a year to be launched at the plant, following the Jaguar F-PACE and new Discovery.

The Solihull plant has contributed to the company doubling its sales and headcount in the past five years. This has supported the UK’s revival in manufacturing, boosting the British economy where the automotive company provides 240,000 jobs in the supply chain.

The Range Rover family contributes £10bn annually to the UK economy and is Britain’s largest luxury export.

ADVERTORIAL

The One-Stop Car Shop T here’s a new car spares and accessories store that is attracting attention from near, far and even further afield that has just about everything you need to keep your vehicle on the road and in tip-top condition.

Hockley Car Spares, in Birmingham, is the little shop with a massive array of choice for all major car makers – and much more in between.

From providing MOT, diagnostic, battery and alternator testing – at 26A Hamstead Road, in Handsworth - to light bulbs and brake pads, car software programming and servicing to free oil checks, floor mats and liners; big names like Audi, BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Vauxhall, Peugeot, VW, Toyota and many, many more are covered and catered for – and all at very competitive prices. In fact, they will match any price, for any item, from any other car spares store.

They also supply a recognized number-plate service too.

In addition, you have the latest technology in the electronic option to cigarettes.

So, for discount prices on all your car needs – and more, Hockley Car Spares is the onestop shop to keep you motoring.

For all your vehicle needs, at affordable prices owner, Qasim Virgo says; “Bring any quote, from any recognised car store, to Hockley Car Spares, and we will match any genuine price.”

Open 7days-a-week, there’s also their out of hours number (07872942-718) for that all-round service.

MOTORING

Timberlake to Headline at F1 Grand Prix International superstar Justin Timberlake will taking on Lewis Hamiton, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Daniel Ricciardo, et al, as he will be performing at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) later this year.

The multi award-winning artist will be on the Super Stage as part of the 2017 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.

Justin, who has just won his tenth Grammy Award with his Oscar-nominated hit single ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling’ has been featured in TIME Magazine’s ‘Most Influential Men of the World’ twice.

Last year’s F1 USGP broke COTA’s attendance records with over 269,000 people coming from all over the world to watch Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team driver, Hamilton, clinch his fifth USGP win—and fourth at Circuit of The Americas—as well as to enjoy turbo-charged live performances by Taylor Swift and Usher & The Roots on COTA’s Super Stage following the racing action.

Page 28 - The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2017

GLAMOUR HAIR AND COSMETICS

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hen Zed Mahmood decided to take the plunge from groceries into hair and beauty back in 2011, he couldn’t have imagined where he is now.

Glamour Hair and Cosmetics in Erdington High Street started in June 2011. Although Zed didn’t know much about the hair and beauty industry, a

friend convinced him to take the dive!

“Now we’re doing really well and get great community feedback over the 6 years we have been here in Erdington.”

“Our wigs are very high quality, and we have a large range for all ages, communities and reasons, including party wigs.”

“In 2008 a friend told me he could find a location for

me, and as Erdington had no Hair & Beauty place here at the time we set up here and haven’t looked back.”

Offering an impressive range of wigs, hair extensions and hair care products at a variety of price points, alongside quality brand name skin care and beauty treatents, this truly is your one stop shop for everything to do with your hair an beauty.

Alongside this, Glamour Hair & Cosmetics also offer a range of electronics, including straighteners, hairdryers, clipeprs, curling wands and more.

“We’ve stood the test of time in Erdington, we are happy to serve you here as we have done since 2011, so please do come down to see us!”

So get down to see Zed the next time you need a little something to help feel Glamourous.

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The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2017 - Page 29

www.streetcredmagazine.com

CAMARA’S SPOTLIGHT

Junior Tobin

Welcome to my column where I feature some of the most Welcome to my column where Iand feature some of the most special Charities, Organisations People I have come across. special Charities, Organisations andbeing People I have come across.

Be a part of my journey and enjoy inspired...

Be a part of my journey and enjoy being inspired...

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n this months’ Spotlight, I would like to introduce you to someone I had the pleasure meeting in 2016!

A young star, courageous and determined – meet 12 year old Junior Tobin.

When I interviewed Junior (and his mum Julia), it was past dinner time and getting close to bed time so we dived straight in…

How did you come to hear about Descendants - the arts focused educational project aimed at children and young people?

Junior: My brothers’, friends’ sister went to Descendants. They told us all about the Project and I wanted to get involved.

Julia (Junior’s mother): He joined when he was 10 years old What do you like most about Descendants?

The performances because they are interesting! We do more than performing, we put a lot of effort into researching, helping us develop our knowledge on history and building our characters.

I enjoy the drumming and the Anancy stories, tales about a trickster spider in Caribbean Folklore.

(Junior and his younger sister in the background excitedly express their love for the stories) Oh, and I also have some great friends at Descendants, especially Aaron! My friends and I are currently making a book and hope to later turn it into a play or short film.

How did you find out about the Parallel London 1K Event and how did you fundraise?

Margaret, founder of Descendants, heard about the event and asked me if I wanted to take part, I did!

We set up an online fundraising page, promoted it on social media and raised £2500 for Descendants!

I felt very proud and so happy that I did it. I ran the first ever Parrallel London 1K Event at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Did anyone support you?

My family and friends! I was happy my brother supported by pushing my wheelchair behind me in case I got tired.

Julia: His siblings are very supportive of Junior, all three of them. The older children work but they always support Junior at his events.

What are some of your favourite things to do?

Working! I like learning, building technology, ‘exploration’ which is like a newer version of minecraft and building stadiums.

I enjoy researching, I found one of the biggest stadiums in the world in Texas, this encouraged me to create my own personal Stadium using an App (Junior describes his 3 year adventure in building his stadium - down to the plumbing system!)

I enjoy football and wrestling, politics and business start ups (I asked Junior why he likes politics) Politics is what makes up your country.

So are you a part of any sports clubs?

Feltham Disabled football team. I’ve scored 28 goals between training and matches in the last season. Two weeks ago, my team visited Milton Keynes to play then we went on to watch a match between MK Dons and Gillingham.

All disabled teams walked around the pitch during halftime for ‘Ability Counts Big Day’.

I have been to Wembley stadium before and my school has the exact length pitch so I am used to the intense training.

I am going back to Wembley this month for the Women’s FA CUP Final. I love football.

I got a chance to speak with Julia as I sat in amazement, listening to all of the activities and interests Junior has.

Did Juniors’ disability come as a shock? Were you ever worried about Juniors future?

Right from the start when I had the first scan they said something was wrong, the hospital kept having me come back for scans, something was wrong but they weren’t able to tell me what exactly.

After a lot of stress and worrying, we were blessed when we had Junior. There we no issues apart from him having no leg bones.

We had two options: leg amputation or years and years of operations. We went ahead with the amputation when he was 9months old.

Junior was a hyper baby, into everything. To this day I worry about him. Simple things like, “mum why I can’t walk to the shops by myself?” he has to be supervised at the moment be-

cause his legs can give problems at anytime.

I also worry that other people can pick on him but Junior has no fear or worry about telling people about his simple surgery when he was a baby and now how strong he is.

I am so proud of Junior. It has been a struggle and still is a struggle at times but Descendants and being in the football team, has helped.

He was so shy before secondary school but seems to have settled down. Everyone looks up to him.

How do you manage to balance your time?

The day usually starts at 5:30am, getting Junior and the little one ready for school. The school bus collects Junior and takes him to school which has special needs facilities, unfortunately mainstream school is too crowded.

I take him to Descendants and to Feltham for training, visits to Milton Keynes, Marlowe, Bournemouth Kingston upon Thames.

My youngest daughter does drama in the week, she plays with Junior in the football team and also attends Descendants so that’s a little relief when it comes to travelling. It’s always a busy week.

What do you admire most about Junior?

I love how positive he is, how he gets on with things, so flippant. He has days when he is down, I leave him to come out of that mood.

He enjoys spending time with his dad here at home, using the toolbox. (Junior explains how his dad taught him how to rewire a plug!).

When I’m on the computer he is always telling me what I’m doing wrong, he knows how to work the iPad and computer so always helps me. (Junior asks if he is going to get an Xbox and everyone giggles) I sat in awe at this 12 year old boy and his courageous mum.

Junior and I continued to chat…

Have you ever struggled to complete any activities and how do you overcome your struggles?

I am part of the Sports Crew at school where we assist students and adults with table tennis, bas-

ketball and help run sports days.

It’s a lot of pressure but I try my best to keep calm and practice at home.

Other people have disabilities in my school, so we do activities to make it fair for everyone.

My legs also get sore after Sports Crew, playing football, running. I cream my legs and relax.

I have therapy at school two times a week and physio at home to help my hip muscles and my upper body strength.

I have a pair of walking legs which I use at school and running legs which I use when playing football and other sports activities.

What things are most important to you?

School, learning, my family, politics and exercise.

What are your dreams for the future?

To own my own business. I hope to buy land to build my stadium that I designed. I’d love to be a business man: sports businesses and schools’ businesses.

My love for politics will help me become a stronger business man. I will never stop learning and studying more than one thing.

Is there anybody you would like to give a special thanks to?

Margaret, Collette and Descendants for supporting me, after the 1K run they even surprised me with a full Liverpool kit and signed letter from Jurgen Klopp himself!

Everyone that sponsored me, my family, thank you to MYSELF for motivating myself! I have to be proud of myself.

Thank you to my mummy. I was mad and frustrated about training at times but she motivated me to continue.

I am taking a break from running this year and focusing on a sponsored football match next year with school – my school vs Feltham vs MK Dons and so on.

I want to raise some money for Feltham Bees Disabled Football Team.

I would like to say thank you to Junior and his supportive mum Julia for taking the time to speak with me and share their story.

We laughed and talked for over an hour. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the two of them - a beautiful bond of mother and son.

It is clear that Junior has his head in the game and is not prepared to let anything get in the way of his dreams. I wish him the very best in his future endeavours. Keep shining Junior!

If you have been touched by Juniors’ story, please feel free to send me an email.

Get in Touch with Camara camara@thephoenixnewspaper.com www.camaraofficial.com www.linkedin.com/CamaraFearon Camara (aka mizzcamara for websearch)

Page 30 - The Phoenix Newspaper - May 2017

ADOPTION AND FOSTERING

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ith a national shortage of Foster carers across the UK, there are more children than ever who need a caring and loving environment, which every child has the right to experience.

Whether a crisis in the family, illness or relationship difficulties could be some of the reasons why a child is placed in care.

There are already so many fantastic individuals who foster and adopt children into their families- but we need more!

At the Phoenix, all of our team are committed to raising awareness of fostering and adoption through our campaign not just for the month of May, but for an entire 12 months!

We will be highlighting the inspiring work of current carers, the extensive support and training that is available and the difference that you could be making in a young persons’ life.

If you feel that you can offer this, or even if you would like to find out a little bit more – don’t hesitate! It could make the greatest difference to a child’s life.

New Legislation for LGBTQ Carers in Japan Adoption & Fostering Our ongoing campaign to help the children in need in our communities

Charity Launches Drive To Find Muslim Adopters

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ith around 2,000 of the 70,000 children in care in the UK said to be of Muslim heritage, a charity is to launch the UK’s first dedicated programme to tackle the shortage of applications from people of that background.

The Penny Appeal has been awarded £200,000 funding from the Department for Education to support a 12-month project to encourage more Muslim applicants to adopt children.

Current figures are expected to show a third of English councils do not record the religion of children in their care and a number of recently arrived unaccompanied asylum seeking children in the UK are of Muslim heritage.

Very few Muslims apply to foster or adopt and since 2015 the Yorkshire-based Penny Appeal has been running a unique referral service offering information and support to would-be foster carers of all backgrounds.

“Some Muslim families are deterred from applying because they wrongly believe that adop-

tion is a sin,” said Tay Jiva, the charity’s adoption and fostering manager.

“Many Muslims have poor levels of knowledge about adoption,” she said. “They wrongly think that adoption is a sin.

By showing that this is a mistaken belief I am confident that more Muslims will consider applying to adopt a child who desperately needs a safe and loving home.”

The Penny Appeal has invited a group of prominent Islamic scholars to write a guidance document to clarify the religious stance on adoption and fostering.

The initiative will focus on the Midlands, which has a high proportion of Muslim residents, a large number of children being taken into care and the highest percentage of Muslim children being placed in non-Muslim foster homes.

“Being adopted by someone from the same religion could help ensure children’s religious and cultural needs were met,” said Jiva.

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new legislation in Japan marked a significant change in the country’s law as it officially recognised a same-sex couple as foster parents; after two gay men were allowed to officially care for a teenage boy who has already been living under their watch - signalling a growing accepting LGBTQ rights there.

The couple, one in his 40s and one in his 30s, was certified as foster parents after it was determ-

ined that they “understood the foster care system and had the financial wherewithal to raise a child.”

The couple had submitted their request to be recognised as foster parents in late 2015, before undergoing lectures, training, scrutiny and a screening by a social welfare panel in Osaka before they were certified.

“I am happy we became foster parents [and recognised] as a single household, not just as in-

dividuals,” one of the men said adding that the boy was now “living a comfortable life.”

The legal recognition comes amid what appears to be a society warming toward recognising the rights of LGBTQ people in the coun-

try.

In 2015, Tokyo was the first city in Japan to recognise same-sex marriage, with the ward issuing certificates recognising samesex unions as “equivalent to marriage.”

It recently updated its national bullying prevention policy to include protection for LGBTQ students.

talk about guardianship under Islamic law are contained in different verses of the Holy Qur'an.

Any Muslim who is sane, adult and responsible may be a guardian under appropriate circumstances as Islam has developed its own concept known as kafalah under which a child who cannot be cared for by their biological parents may be taken by another family to live with them permanently but the

child is not entitled to adopt the family name or to inherit from them.

It is enlightening to note, though, that even predominantly Muslim countries, such as Tunisia and Somalia, have adoption legislations.

In at least five laws a juvenile is defined as a person less than seventeen years of age; in Edo and Delta States it is eighteen years.

Communal Spirit Strong for Child Care in Nigeria

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n Africa, and in particularly Nigeria, poverty has often made it impossible to contribute towards communal care of children.

It leads to the inability to afford quality ante and post natal care thus leading to higher rates of maternal mortality which in turn leads to higher numbers of motherless babies in need of foster care or outright adoption.

Child care in the country is different because it is seen more as a communal responsibility than that of the nuclear family.

In the old days it was the extended family system that took care of the child and ensured that he was never deprived nor ever in a

state of want.

Despite this, the nuclear family remains a very important factor in the life of every child. It is mostly from this immediate family that a child enjoys some security and most importantly some warm parental care and affection, which are elements every child needs in order to develop properly.

The resultant effect is that the number of juveniles in need of adoption keeps rising at skyrocketing rates.

In areas which practice the Islamic Personal Law, adoption is unacknowledged. Under Islamic law it is the issue of guardianship that is recognized.

The religious authorities that