London – The Cultural Exposé

Eric Benét and co have teamed up with Cuban artists for a new album

Matilda — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:23:29 +0000

Once a music journalist, always a music journalist. A PR hit me up recently to let me know that Eric Benét was coming to town. Now, aside from recent shady shots fired from Jay-Z, I can’t say the fella’s been on my mind of late. And the feminist within hasn’t quite forgotten the Halle Years (not holding that over his head by the way, God’s forgiven him…)

Anyway, as it turns out, he’s part of this new album called Two Beats, One Soul – a project featuring a bunch of American and Cuban artists coming together to make, well, music. And it’s pretty good. Other guests on the release include Jon B, Louie Vega and Shaggy, so if you’re here for those latin beats with a little twist, it’s definitely worth a listen.

But back to Eric Benet coming to town. I’ve only known and loved one his albums – 1999’s A Day In The Life, which I distinctly remember buying in Birmingham City Centre before rinsing it to death. Can we talk about Love Of My Own? Georgy Porgy? Why You Follow Me? Love The Hurt Away? That’s tune after tune after tune after TUNE. I just hope those make the playlist at his gig this Thursday at the Electric Brixton. Anyone else going?

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Three wonderful things you should check out this autumn

Matilda — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 07:30:58 +0000

I’m here for all of this awesome:

A post shared by Matilda (@megerecooper) on Aug 12, 2017 at 5:07am PDT

Billy Smokes at The Institute of Light

Apparently, an Indian summer is on the way this month. If that doesn’t turn out to be fake news, pencil in brunch at the latest Billy Smokes residency. The grown-up BBQ experts have been serving up finger lickin’ charred meats at the mega cool The Institute of London since July. While the weather’s good, bag an outdoor seat and try their slow smoked Texas-meets-Brit specialties. billy-smokes.com

A post shared by Carmody Groarke (@carmodygroarke) on Aug 29, 2017 at 11:02am PDT

Basquiat: Boom For Real

I’ve been counting down the days until this incredible retrospective of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work finally arrived in London. Well, it’s only a few more weeks to go before we can delve into the world of the multi-talented artist from September 21st. For those unfamiliar with the name, Basquiat rolled with Warhol and took the 80s downtown New York art scene by storm until his untimely death in 1988, aged 27. Beloved by everyone from Jay-Z to Leonardo diCaprio, one of his pieces recently sold at auction for a record $110 million. barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2017/event/basquiat-boom-for-real

A post shared by Ayok’a (@ayokadeco) on Aug 17, 2017 at 4:01am PDT

Ayok’a

This new online platform gives emerging and established black artists a chance to share their work with the world. Founded by Alice Gbelia – who hails from the Ivory Coast -Ayok’a features gorgeous wall art, tees and accessories you can get your paws on when it opens for business in October. In the meantime, join the mailing list: ayokadeco.com

What are you looking forward to this autumn? Let me know in the comments!

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Can you guess the best neighbourhood in London right now?

Matilda — Wed, 24 May 2017 21:30:05 +0000

If you picked up Time Out London this week, you’ll see I did the cover feature which profiles the 15 best neighbourhoods in London nowadays. The list is based on a massive survey we did last year, our editor’s picks and input from the ‘postcode champions’ community I set up a few months ago.

Well, guess which area topped the list (if you don’t already know)?

…

HACKNEY CENTRAL!!! WOOP WOOP!

There’s loads to love about my manor, but it came out on top because it was voted best for green spaces. Check out the full list here.

Do you agree with the list? If not, what’s your favourite area in London? Let me know in the comments!

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Somewhere you should go… Chuku’s Nigerian tapas pop-up lounge

Matilda — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 08:30:35 +0000

We all know London’s got its fair share of restaurants with cool, creative concepts – but when it comes to the number of places reppin’ for the food of my heritage, you’re having a laugh. To be fair, let’s just say they’re few and far between, which is what makes the innovative Chuku’s a welcome addition to the capital’s foodie scene.

First launched in August 2015 by siblings Emeka and Ifeyinwa Frederick, the lounge takes some of the best bit of Naija cuisine to create a laidback and accessible dining experience – or what they’ve dubbed #chopchatchill. It doesn’t hurt that quality of the food is fantastic either. Shout out to the jellof quinoa!

If you fancy experiencing Chuku’s for yourself, they’ve extended their takeover of The Canvas Cafe off Brick Lane and will be there on Thursdays and Fridays from March 9th (6-10pm). They take walk-ins or you can find out how to book here. Check out pics from my recent visit below

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Three things I learned working out at Ministry Does Fitness

Matilda — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 22:23:22 +0000

Gone are the days when you’d have no choice but to sweat it out in a DEAD gym in London (and by that I mean a space with no vibe, dry tunes and most certainly no post-workout protein shakes). Fancy gyms are still on the up and the latest contender is Ministry Does Fitness – a slick studio from the legendary Ministry of Sound nightclub. I was fortunate to try out one of their classes last week and here’s three things I learned:

Attending a gym is the new going out – FACT. Those who are serious about their fitness game know this already, but Ministry Does Fitness has made it official. It’s got a bar that serves cocktails, a disco ball in the studio and the space doesn’t lock off until 11pm at the weekends. All MDF need to do is some late night classes and seriously, it’ll be game over.

I’ve fallen in love with circuit classes. I did a cardio session with Mel and it involved doing everything from kettlebell swings to treadmill sprints – and I was completely here for it.

When the video clip reveals to you that #gymlife is ACTUALLY working! @ministrydoesfitness #wellalrightythen #fitness #london

A photo posted by Matilda (@megerecooper) on Feb 12, 2017 at 3:39am PST

More clubs should open fitness studios. It’s a complete no brainer. The tunes at MDF were brilliant – and dancing is cardio after all!

Find out more about the awesome Ministry Does Fitness.

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Photos: a weekend wander along Berwick Street

Matilda — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 12:00:21 +0000

In the space of a year, I’ve gone from carrying my Canon 5D in my bag every single place I go to…

…occasionally forgetting I even own an SLR.

Not good.

Not good at all.

What’s happened? A lot, not least a dependence on my iPhone 5s to capture moments on the fly before whacking them onto Instagram – rather than upgrading to a camera that has Bluetooth so I can sync the phone and present a world with alot more CLARITY.

2017 will be the year of the upgrade, believe.

Until then, I will cherish the moments when I do remember I own an SLR and have the time and mental space for us to just go out for a little wander together.

This went down a few weeks ago when I got an invite to look at Berwick Street with a fresh pair of eyes. I know this street well. When I used to work at Gap Oxford Circus in my uni days, Berwick Street was the spot where I could find one of those Chinese places that used to let you eat all you could for a fiver. It was also the place where I bought some fabric for a project that was way out of my budget. That’s still the same, but that feast for a fiver naturally left with the early noughties.

That’s not all that’s changed. Though stalwarts like the Sister Ray vinyl shop and Misan Fabrics are still reppin’, the Berwick Street Market is soon to be privatised, the Gosh! Comic shop commands queues and there’s a load of alternative clothing shops like Nudie Jeans (a dope Swedish company that will fix your jeans FOREVER) and slick cafes and restaurants like the wonderful Polpetto (which does the best tiramisu). But for now, the independent vibe still lives on, with the characters to match. Here’s a round-up of a pics from my recent visit:

Thanks to Sister London for the visit!

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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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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… the Chinese Food Festival

Matilda — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 07:23:09 +0000

This weekend I intend to eat all the Dim Sum.

The dumplings.

The rice noodles.

And the pork buns.

Why? Because the Chinese Food Festival is happening. I love Chinese food. And here’s a fest that wants to remind folks of how awesome this legendary cuisine can be. So what’s going down? For three days there will be over 20 stalls and restaurants whipping up authentic dishes, but other highlights include a swanky 10-course Shanghai Supper Club, pro chefs demo’ing their next level skills, a street food competition, a night market and traditional Chinese performances. Just note that the fest doesn’t accept cash, so you’ll need to get your paws on a Food Card you can buy on the day or in advance – it doubles up as a membership card which gives you discounts at various Chinese restaurants in town. Sweet!

The Chinese Food Festival kicks off on Friday, August 19th with an opening ceremony and runs until August 21st. For more details visit www.chinesefoodfestival.com.

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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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