Mark Forrester - Independent digital designer and online entrepreneur

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to hear Emmanuel Jal tell his story, through powerful poetry and rap lyrics at Hillsong London.

Emmanuel Jal was born in war-torn Sudan, and while he doesn’t know exactly when, he believes it was in the early 1980s. He was taken from his family home in 1987 when he was six or seven years old, and sent to fight with the rebel army in Sudan’s bloody civil war. For nearly five years, he was a “child warrior,” put into battle carrying an AK-47 that was taller than he was.

By the time he was 13, he was a veteran of two civil wars and had seen hundreds of his fellow child soldiers reduced to taking unspeakable measures as they struggled to survive on the killing fields of Southern Sudan. After a series of harrowing events, he was rescued by a British aid worker (Emma McCune) who smuggled him into Nairobi to raise him as her own.

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I’m a big fan on the jazz musos from Cape Town, South Africa, that are taking the world by storm with their exciting live, African flavoured, electronica acts – Goldfish.

Courtesy of a link from SA Rocks this afternoon I discovered their latest music video for “Soundtracks and Comebacks”, animated by Mike Scott of Bru and Boegie.

I used to visit Bru and Boegie almost daily and then, all of a sudden, somehow managed to completely forget about the site. After seeing what Mike has been up to animating music videos, winning t-shirt design contests and even developing a new kids show, I am hugely impressed. Great to see him getting recognized and growing from strength to strength. I’ve most certainly bookmarked the site now.

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On Saturday we braved the masses of face-painted, flag waving, brandy and coke drinking South Africans living in London and congregated at Hyde Park for Nelson’s 90th Birthday Bash.

The party was not only packed with appropriately 46 664 screaming Mandela fans, but a star-studded cast of performers and supporters. Live music was provided by the Soweto Gospel Choir, Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis, Razorlight, Queen & Paul Rodgers, Annie Lennox, Sugababes, Johnny Clegg, Sipho Mabuse, Josh Groban, Jamelia, Eddy Grant, Loyiso, Andrea & Sharon Corr, Simple Minds, to name but a few!

Below are a few of my highlights of the evening, together with some of the clips of the official TV broadcast – which I hope will stay up on Youtube. (more…)

Last week I went to see the awesome Zimbo band Mann Friday perform at the famous Halfmoon in Putney. (Halfmoon has hosted live music full time since 1963, with occassional performances dating back as far as the 1920s. From The Rolling Stones to Kasabian, Kate Bush to Natasha Bedingfield the venue is steeped in music heritage.)

I can’t tell you much about Mann Friday because I couldn’t find much information about them, not even on their website. What I can tell you is that I am now a huge fan. One quote I randomly found that sums up perfectly what Mann Friday are all about is:

Conscious indie rock that grabs you by the scruff of the heart. Developing a solid reputation for electric live performances and sell-out dates. When daring to take a stab at making a comparison, you may have the following come to mind… A Dave Matthews/Counting Crows cocktail laced with a heroic dose of spiritual narcotics. [Source: Clapham Grand]

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