If you haven’t heard them then check this out: The Thirst rockband or take a look at www.youheardthethirst.co.uk

Eight days and counting before it is time to vote in the UK’s General Election!

Love Music Hate Racism (LMHR) are drumming up attention to encourage more people to vote, particularly in Barking where the far-right now have a strong hold of interest.

Leader of the far-right British National Party (BNP), Nick Griffin, has put himself forward as a candidate to run as an MP for Barking. We need more people to come out to vote against the BNP to stop their racist agenda.

LMHR are hosting a day of music to encourage people to register to vote before April 20th. The event takes place on April 17 at the Broadway Theatre in Barking.

An array of music from Ska, dub, to Grime will be performed by artists including political junkies The King Blues,Ghetts and Griminal.

For further information visit: www.lovemusichateracism.com

Check out this LA group, I feel they have a kind of UK influence but an interesting sound from Jack Davey & Brook D’Leau of J*DaVeY. The track entitled as above “Outta The Window”.

 The good news to that point is that I have joined with another writer to launch Verbal Context, a blog aiming to bring aboout social debate. So check in on Verbal Context – http://verbalcontext.wordpress.com. Regular posts will begin towards the end of the month. 

And don’t worry I still intend to blog on Real Gist because I’ll be again travelling to the US for a few months and of course will document my travels and insights. So stay connected as there will be a lot of things to read and digest.

Okay, so now I can officially say I’m back into the London swing so expect more entries!

Can you believe this! – As soon as I return to London everything happens!!! The next couple of months will be interesting indeed….Will Hil be his running mate? Will Obama and Hil clash as team mates?

And what about the main arena “McCain Vs Obama”…the old war veteran versus young blood? Who will be the strongest?

Lots of questions on everyones lips!! Oh I do miss the US!

 I’ve discovered this little venue in East Village NY that I regard as a great hot spot – The Nuyorican Cafe.

It is one of those places that is great for those who love anything creative from small plays, poetry, film, visual art, Hip hop and other forms of music like Latin Jazz. All held in a warm hub environment.

I went to see ‘Phil’s Speakeasy’ a musical play by a small team of artists. Now the beauty about this play is that the audience is included in the whole thing - I love plays that interact with the audience because it makes you feel as though you’re part of the story and it makes it more memorable that way. I won’t go into details but it’s a funny, great musical written by Phil Young and directed by Thomas Jefferson Byrd with a talented cast.

Nuyorican I can see as a place I’ll be visiting regularly…

One television news reporter described him as a “holy man” but isn’t it the truth that he is just merely a man with a religious title. Does his title make him holy? – More holy than anyone else?

Pope Benedict XVI in New York was interesting. I mean, I found it amazing how thousands of people were drawn to see him – idolised like a celebrity but on a much larger scale.

The one good thing that I saw from his trip is that he brought all denominations and thousands of people from around the world together in one stadium with inspiring words of unity.

I was bitterly disappointed last night that I missed the American Masters series on WNET, which featured legendary African American writer Zora Neale Hurston.

Another Harlemite like Ralph Ellison, Hurston lived on 124th street for a short period. Her literary works, although only now being highly recognised, were way beyond their time in terms of how reflective and controversial her insights were on African American culture and living.

One of her well know works was ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ – I certainly recommend reading it.

See here: American Masters