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MC Solaar
On Friday 10th September 2010
The world's most famous non-English-speaking rapper, the Francophone hip hop artist MC Solaar, returns to the London with this gig at Queen Elizabeth Hall. MC Solaar's last performances on UK soil – at Camden's Jazz Cafe – were sold out in a flash, with The Independent praising the "sheer magnetism" of "such a compelling performer [whose] smooth and laid-back technique makes the [French] language sound its most beautiful". MC Solaar made his mainstream breakthrough with 1994's poetic Prose Combat and is one of the only French rappers to find commercial success in the American-dominated global hip hop market. Born in Senegal to parents of Chadian origin, Solaar - real name Claude M'Baali - moved to the Parisian suburbs when he was just six months old. Now 40, the former philosophy student is on to album number seven, a melange of styles entitled Chapitre 7, which includes the whimsically titled single Da Vinci Claude and the catchy Carpe Diem. The charismatic performer pulls out the stops with this Southbank freestyle touchdown, where he is joined by vocalists and a DJ to create an extravagant live show.
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London Jazz Festival 2010
Starts on Friday 12th November 2010 and ends on Sunday 21st November 2010
If jazz is dead, someone forgot to tell the thousands of performers and fans who flock to the annual London Jazz Festival. Now in its 18th year, the 10-day festival returns to the capital with a flamboyant programme which reflects the diverse roots of our great city. The many Southbank venues lead the way, but there will be shows (more than 250 of them!) throughout London, including old favourites the Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican Centre, jazz stalwarts Ronnie Scott's and 606 Club, newly established exciting enterprises such as The Forge and Artsdepot, and even some restaurants. The organisers habitually attract some top rare performers and blend them together with both newcomers and mainstays of the British jazz scene - from stars of the American jazz tradition to key players of the European scene and free musical thinkers. Given the obsessive nature of ardent jazz fans together with the small venues, tickets often sell out straight away so be sure to check www.londonjazzfestival.org.uk for a full programme and ticketing information.
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Exhibitions
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| Events in London |
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Cheese and Wine Festival
Starts on Friday 15th October 2010 and ends on Sunday 17th October 2010
Now into its second year, the Cheese and Wine Festival is an event dedicated to promoting high quality and ethical produce. With plenty of highlights on display, including a cheese making demonstration from TV's Bob Kitchin and a preparation masterclass from BBC Masterchef winner Steven Wallis, there's plenty to keep visitors entertained. Companies will be selling a variety of cheeses and wines from around the world such and there will also be cheese making kits, cheese-cakes, accessories and more. Visitors can plan the event around lunch or dinner and enjoy some delicious hot savoury foods made with cheese or wine. The Cheese & Wine Festival is part of a series of specialist food events at Southbank Centre, including Chocolate Festivals and regular Real Food Festival Markets. Along with some of the best cheeses and wines from the United Kingdom, there will also be a unique opportunity to taste and buy an array of products from countries all over Europe. This is a must-attend event for all cheese and wine lovers and a great opportunity to learn more about this perfect combination.
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The Chocolate Festival
Starts on Friday 10th December 2010 and ends on Sunday 12th December 2010
Just in time for the Christmas shopping period, The Chocolate Festival returns to Southbank Centre with plenty more chocolatiers and Christmas gift ideas. This event will feature stands from award winning chocolatiers such as William Curley, Damian Allsop, Paul Wayne Gregory and Co-Couture, renowned chocolate companies such as Rococo, Valrhona and Hotel Chocolat and new companies such as Choki of Brockley and Simply Hand Made Chocolates. Demonstrations, tastings and talks will take place in the main marquee, where attendees can learn about the health benefits of chocolate, how to include chocolate in savoury dishes as well as tutored tastings. As always, there will be dozens of stalls all showcasing chocolate and chocolate products, such as hot chocolate, chocolate cakes, crepes, churros, a chocolate fountain, self-making kits and much more. If you are a chocoholic, or you know someone who is, then you simply cannot afford to miss this event, and snap up some Christmas treats while you're at it.
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| Southbank Centre
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| Belvedere Road |
| Travel: Lambeth North tube station |
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The Southbank Centre is a classic example of brutal 60s concrete architecture. Everyone has an opinion (usually negative) on its distinctive design - famous detractors include Prince Charles, who once described it as looking like a "nuclear power station". Yet, if the The West End is the centre of popular culture in London, it is the Southbank Centre that is the centre of true excellence in the arts. Comprising the Royal Festival Hall and the Hayward Gallery, the complex consistently produces classical and world music events and fine art exhibitions of high renown. Over 150,000 hours of music have been performed at the Royal Festival Hall - the largest venue in the Southbank Centre - since its completion in 1951. Welcoming over three million visitors a year, the Royal Festival Hall is primarily a classical music venue. It benefits from the residency of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonia and four associate ensembles. The programme also includes events from opera to the London Jazz Festival. The Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room host regular recitals, dance performances and choral concerts. Free lunchtime concerts held in the foyer offer a more relaxed musical experience. The Hayward Gallery has been the originator or host of influential exhibitions since 1968. The colossal Poetry Library houses the Arts Council modern collection, while the BFI Southbank (previously the National Film Theatre) shows 2,000 films (art house and classics) a year alongside many film festivals and director-led seasons. A happy architectural accident has also made this complex the best spot for skateboarding and BMXing in the capital, meaning it is loved by London's counter-culture as much as by its highbrow elite. In the last ten years, the building of Tate Modern and the London Eye adjacent to the centre has been the final step in making the South Bank of the Thames into the beating heart of a thousand years of British culture.
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