Arts + Culture – The Cultural Exposé

That time I discovered high culture on my doorstep: Investec Opera Holland Park London

Matilda — Sun, 04 Jun 2017 19:52:31 +0000

A funny thing happened last year. I was at home, minding my own business, when I received an out of the blue e-mail inviting me to get involved with a local project in my old neighbourhood. Can’t say I’d been one for extra-curricular activities in Kensington, but it turns out, the ‘local project’ was Opera Holland Park – an annual season of affordable outdoor productions in one of the loveliest parks in west London. Seriously: if you haven’t hung out in Holland Park yet – home to wandering peacocks, a giant chess board and an idyllic Japanese garden – you should get that on the bucket list, stat.

I ended up seeing a performance of a 19th-century Russian opera called Queen of Spades, and as morbid as it was, watching it under a canopy on a mild summer eve was one for the best night outs I’d had in a while. And I’m not even into opera!

The 2017 season just kicked off and runs until 29th July – so if you’re looking for something different to do this summer, this is a great shout. Check out my experience of last year’s event below:

The Performance

Behind The Scenes

Find out more about Investec Opera Holland Park.

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Ever wondered where to go to try Nigerian food in London?

Matilda — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 13:33:42 +0000

Did you see the piece I did last year about Nigerian culture for Time Out London? No worries – you can check it out here. I mention some of my favourite spots including 805 restaurant in Peckham and the Soboye boutique in Shoreditch.

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What we’ve been up to… the Havana Cultura: Anthology launch, Shoreditch

Matilda — Sat, 26 Nov 2016 10:39:55 +0000

A few weeks back, I enjoyed the most incredible week of music. Robert Glasper Experiment on a Monday. Miguel Atenwood-Ferguson’s Suite for Ma Dukes on a Tuesday. Then, the launch of the latest Havana Cultura album on a Wednesday, which wasn’t just a fun night out of discussions led by Gilles Peterson and live performances (shout out to Havana Rum for the grub and cocktails), but it absolutely schooled me on everything I never knew about the brilliant, long-running project to champion Cuban artists. I also got to see the stunning Dayme Arocena – who’s been described as the Cuban Jill Scott and recorded her first EP via the initiative. Learn more about Havana Cultura here and check out some pics from the night below.

Pic: Fabrice Bourgelle

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8 photos that sum up my love for the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair

Matilda — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 07:30:13 +0000

Every Autumn, London gets peak arty with Frieze, Moniker and The Other Art Fair – but it’s the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair that I love the most. Taking place from October 6-9, the fair presented more than 40 exhibitors reppin’ for 18 of the 54 countries from the continent (hence the fair’s name).

Highlights

This year’s heavily Instagrammed highlight was Zak Ové’s ‘Black and Blue: The Invisible Man and the Masque of Blackness’ installation, where 40 Yoruba-masked statues stood proudly in the Somerset House courtyard. Elsewhere, there were strong flicks from Malick Sidibé in the artist’s first UK solo exhibition and even a free film forum – but here’s a summary of my favourite bits from this year’s show in photos.

Did you go to the 1:54 Contemporary Art Fair this year? What was your highlight? Let me know in the comments!

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Photos: Afropunk London at Alexandra Palace

Matilda — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 07:30:53 +0000

AFROPUNK LONDON. It came, saw and it truly conquered, not least in part to the stylish people who came out to SLAY, the solid musical line-up (Grace Jones…WOW) and the positive vibes all day long. Was it perfect? Not at all (Ally Pally is a mission for starters and the indoor setup? Meh.) but the highlights definitely outweighed the shortcomings, and so I don’t doubt 2017 is gonna be a smash. Here’s a few of my snaps from the day:

Did you make it to Afropunk London? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

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Somewhere you should go… an afternoon dedicated to Tupac Shakur at Rich Mix

Matilda — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 07:25:54 +0000

Before I get into Tupac Shakur, maybe this is just a crazy coincidence but yesterday morning I stumbled across an old archive video of Malcolm X on Facebook. It’s the clip where an interviewer tries to take him to task for not revealing his surname, but Malcolm eloquently reiterates like five or six times that he doesn’t acknowledge a name that was given to him by a slave master. Simples.

Like, the interviewer is seriously getting served and looks like he’s about to blow a kidney or something.

Now, I’ve seen this interview before. My final year dissertation was titled “Black Power: from rhetoric to reality”, covering the period in the 60s to mid-70s where the concept of black power evolved from an emotionally-charged buzzword to real political activity. It started with looking at the Malcolm X legacy and the way it inspired the dawn of the Black Panther Party – but the essay kinda stopped at the emergence of politicians like Jesse Jackson and didn’t really go beyond that, like anywhere near the 80s or 90s (there’s only so much you can do with 10,000 words, you know), otherwise I probably would’ve dedicated an entire chapter to Tupac Shakur.

Looking back at my teen-hood, I was here for Tupac in as much as I liked the songs Keep Ya Head Up, I Ain’t Mad At Cha, California Love, All Eyez on Me and his breakout starring role in the film Juice. And yea, I’m not gonna lie, I appreciated the fact he was easy on the eyes. Shout out to Black Beat and those Thug Life posters.

Maybe that was enough to claim fan-dom back them. Like, how much did I need to know about gangbanging and bitches? Nor was I really trying to pretend to relate to it in any shape or form. But what I did clock was that when Tupac wasn’t spitting tales of that thug life, he was also coming from a place of black consciousness (and in a strange way, doing both at the same time). And of course he was – his mom was a black Panther. And on the interwebs, you’ll even find a speech he gave as a 20-year-old at a Malcolm X grassroots movement dinner in ATL, amongst many others engaging vids where he’s talking about issues within the black community with the same fervour and enlightenment as the man like Malcolm.

Tupac Shakur was totally THAT dude.

But if you’re not necessarily a hip-hop head and wanted to know more about that side of the legend, Rich Mix has got the best thing happening this weekend. It’s an afternoon of music, spoken word, discussions and lectures dedicated to the man himself, to mark the 20th anniversary (!) of his death on September 13, 1996. Dwell on that for a moment. Tupac Shakur died 20 YEARS AGO. Twenty. Two. Zero. Where in the blazes did the time go?!? And why is his murder still unsolved? #thingsthatmakeyougohmmmm

Anywho, the event is being run by a group called the Malcolm X movement which is devoted to celebrating the life of Tupac and Afeni Shakur, his mom, so the aim of the day is to talk all things Tupac and explore his relevance today.

It’s just a fiver to go along and there’s not gonna be any freaky holograms or anything like that, so you can find out more about the event here.

Until then, I leave you with another TUPAC CLASSIC that’ll get you all up in your feelings and make you call your mom today, guaranteed:

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Somewhere you should go… summer parties in London: No Long Ting All Dayer + Room for Movement

Matilda — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 07:30:33 +0000

Man… July was a bit of a cruel one to me. My site got hacked plus I’ve had loads of housing drama (typical London). Like, ‘start a building petition and write to your MP’ drama. But it’s August, it’s “summer”, and I can finally see the calm after the storm. Thus, it’s time to get my social life back. As it so happens, it’s my birthday month (woop!) and personally, I’m all for celebrating as much as possible until the actual day (the 15th), so with no further adieu, here’s the first of two summer parties in London I can’t wait to check out this weekend:

No Long Ting All Dayer Part 2, Pop Brixton, August 7th (2-11pm)

I’ve wanted to hit up No Long Ting for the absolute LONGEST. It’s sort of like a block party / house party hosted by one of the capital’s finest hip-hop artists Ty and the good folks from the United 80 shop in the Market Village. I heard good things about the June event, so I’m expecting all of the best vibes.

Room4Movement, The Book Club, August 7th (7-midnight)

Fresh from killing another Jazz Re:fest at the Southbank last month, the Jazz Re:freshed crew is throwing the latest of their East London music jams this weekend. DJ Charlie Dark will be bringing the tunes, along with residents Bunny Bread, Top Rock & Adam Rock. These guys always come strong, so no doubt it’s gonna be a lively one!

Are there any summer parties in London you’re looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!

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Photos: Lovebox Festival 2016

Matilda — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 07:00:27 +0000

True stories: I knew very little about Lovebox festival before I got tickets. But a friend reckoned that if I’d ever experienced Wireless, this annual gig in Victoria Park wasn’t too far off. Well, he wasn’t wrong. Between the young demographic and the limited info available to direct you to the right stages, I gotta say, it wasn’t really my vibe. But what I did appreciate was seeing my Run Dem buddy Peigh reunite with his group NuBrandFlexxx for a brilliant show on the Visions stage.

The return of NuBrandFlexxx

Amped, energetic and brilliantly reckless, the grime gang flew through their known hits. I wished I recorded the ecstatic crowd reaction to their anthem and 2000 Nu Brand – folk were really all up in their emotions. Also, I got to see a bit of Kano in a tent (which made no sense whatsoever – give the man main stage already!). If I’m gonna be real with y’all, I felt so uncomfortable in the midst of the mosh, I needed to back out and find a space where I could breathe. I’m way too old for all that pushing and shoving. But naturally, I stayed long enough to get a few snaps, so here’s my pictures from the Friday of Lovebox Festival 2016:

Lovebox festival 2016 – at least the weather was good.

Matchy matchy

Locked and loaded – inside the Visions tent to see Nu Brand Flexxx

Lively.

Man like Peigh.

In the zone.

Inside the FabricLive tent, waiting for Kano

King Kano. Solid set from one of the UK’s finest.

The next fest I’ll be heading to is Jazz Re:fest on the 31st, which is totally up my street. I wentchecked it out tlast year so I know this year’s event will be just as brilliant. Can’t wait.

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In pictures: Jeff Koons at the Newport Street Gallery

Matilda — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 18:00:02 +0000

Did I get a little carried away with snapping nearly everything at the new Koons exhibition that I checked out a few weeks ago?

Yes.

Yes, I did.

I don’t have a very strong love or hatred for the guy, but I do get charmed by his wacky, retro ways.

Here’s pics of my favourite bits of the show:

Jeff Koons: Now is at Newport Street Gallery until October 16.

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Somewhere you should go… Duke of York Square

Matilda — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 07:00:18 +0000

Unless you’re made in Chelsea, there’s a slim chance the Duke of York Square is at the top of your radar. But after being invited along to an evening which showcased everything this swanky shopping complex has to offer, here’s five reasons why it’s worth a visit:

It’s where you’ll find a branch of the world-renowned Taschen store

A photo posted by Matilda (@megerecooper) on Apr 22, 2016 at 2:11pm PDT

This is the maker of sexy art, design and photography books, many of which will look incredibly dope on a coffee table.

It’s also got a wonderful Italian spot in the form of Manicomio

A photo posted by Duke of York Square (@doysq) on May 17, 2016 at 4:20am PDT

This classy restaurant offers both indoor and alfresco dining, and considering the area, a reasonably priced set menu – you can get a three course meal for £23.75.

It’s the home of Saatchi Gallery

A photo posted by Duke of York Square (@doysq) on Apr 12, 2016 at 4:02am PDT

The next time you’re forced to queue up for nearly two hours for another Saatchi gallery exhibition – the nerve of that Louis Vuitton show! – get fed and watered somewhere around the DOYS beforehand (they’ve got a Polpo cafe) so at least you’re not starving to death. That said, the Rolling Stones exhibition is on until 4th September and since it’s ticketed, you’ll be spared the hassle to get in.

There’s a party for the Queen on June 12th

A photo posted by Duke of York Square (@doysq) on Apr 21, 2016 at 1:08am PDT

Her majesty is turning 90, so there’s going to be a street party with plenty of fine food, booze and cake – and we’re all invited!

And the Square is hosting a screening of the Wimbledon semi-finals and finals from 8-10th July

Strawberries & Screen will be your chance to pitch up on bean bags, munch on picnic food, sip Pimms and catch all the action at SW19 for free.

Have you been to the Duke of York Square? What do you love about it? Tell me all about it in the comments!

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