Dancing Turtle Media ::: audiovisual, communications and social media agency

World Cup marks a new phase in the social media revolution

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 23:49:17 +0000

Twenty years after Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, another historic moment took place today when South Africa became the first African nation to host the Football World Cup. While people from around the world flock to the country for a month of scintillating football, those at home will be able to get closer to the action and the players than ever before.

With an unprecedented volume of social media outlets and initiatives from Twitter feeds to Facebook fan pages, viral videos to mobile apps and more, this year’s World Cup is fast becoming a social media showcase.

Almost any site that even mentions football has embraced social media efforts from blogs to live streams to mobile apps. Even still, new initiatives are launched daily, such as Foursquare’s partnership with CNN to create two new World Cup badges and more than 100 viewing parties taking place across the globe. Even the Brazilian striker Kaka is connecting with fans via his Twitter account!

With this many tools on offer, there’s no excuse for anyone not to enjoy the greatest sporting tournament on earth.

Samson and Delilah – the awakening of the Aboriginal struggle

admin — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 18:20:19 +0000

Samson and Delilah is a new film from director Warwick Thornton, set around the lives of two young Aboriginals in a small settlement in central Australia.

Thornton, himself an Aboriginal, beautifully crafts an evocative piece, largely played out in silence but with deeper resounding messsages. The film touches on many of the issues that have blighted Aboriginal communities in the modern age including solvent abuse. Beneath the surface it provides an insight into the reality of life for many Aboriginals, and food for thought on the origins of their suffering.

The effects of the Aboriginals displacement from their traditional environment is seldom reported. Communities rife with alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy and social disorder are common across northern Australia. Displaced from their traditional lands and given large state handouts (in return for the mining operations on their tribal lands), many have turned to alcohol to seek refuge from the world they live in.

That this film finds a glimmer of hope in the end is truly remarkable.

Twitter now aiding seismologists in their studies into earthquakes

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:32:23 +0000

Tweets from micro-blogging phenomenon Twitter are being used by the US Geological Survey (USGS) to get instant public reaction to earthquakes.

In a report today on BBC News, the agency revealed how they are trawling peoples tweets to find out what people felt during a tremor – whether there was a lot of shaking in their area or not.
There are big spikes in Twitter traffic immediately following a quake and the USGS believes emergency responders might find the information useful.

“It is a speed versus accuracy issue,” explained Dr Paul Earle.

“Twitter messages start coming out in the seconds after an earthquake whereas, depending of the region, scientifically derived information can take 2-20 minutes”.

We The Peoples Film Festival

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:41:28 +0000

This Thursday 26th November, the Dancing Turtle Media produced undercover documentary ‘Forgotten Bird of Paradise’ will show at the United Nations ‘We The Peoples’ Film Festival, currently being held at locations across London.

The festival takes its title from the opening words of the United Nations Charter.

The festival, which is now in its fourth year, strives to raise the profile of the United Nations by promoting its aims and work in development, security and human rights to new and existing audiences by inspiring and educating them through film.

Films showing at the festival cover themes including environment and peace, human rights and development.

Forgotten Bird of Paradise will be shown at 6pm at a special viewing taking place at the London School Of Economics (LSE). Entry is free, though booking is required.

For more information on the festival visit www.wethepeoples.org.uk

Time running out for the people of West Papua

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:56:02 +0000

Use your freedom so that others can have theirs too.
Stand up and make your voice heard, before its too late. Visit www.freewestpapua.org

Skip ‘Little Axe’ McDonald…more than a hard grind

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:01:50 +0000

We’re delighted to announce that we’re now looking after all things ’social media’ for Ohio born Skip ‘Little Axe’ McDonald. He is without doubt one of the most innovative performers of his generation.

Skip made his name as an integral part of the Sugar Hill house band playing on the most influential early rap classics and as part of Adrian Sherwood’s On-U Sound crew he has made some of the most adventurous and praised UK music of the last twenty years.

Skip’s latest project is Call my Name, a cooperation with Daby Touré fromn Mauritania, West Africa. Call my Name is a 6-track mini-album that captures the magic of this unique creative union, that sees songs – some by Toure, others by McDonald – transformed via imaginative, instinctive collaboration.

Crafted in Real World Studio’s state-of-the-art Big Room, Call My Name is a spellbinding record, the superlative result of focused energy, creative license and a famously pressure-free environment.

West Papua’s cry for help

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:43:54 +0000

The publication of deeply disturbing images showing the aftermath of an Indonesian military ’sweeping operation’ in the village of Bolkame, close to the West Papuan highland town of Wamena, should serve as a warning to the international community of Indonesia’s intent to continue their drive to wipe out the Papuan population.

In the latest episode, 25 houses were burnt to the ground, Indonesian troops opened gunfire on elderly, precious livestock were killed, and women raped in front of their children. Those that fled remain in hiding in the jungle without so much as a blanket to keep warm.
Little wonder the Indonesian authorities were so keen to expel the International Committee of the Red Cross recently. Worrying times indeed. Let us hope that the UN are watching developments.

The Papuan people have suffered for too long under Indonesian occupation. On the tenth anniversary of East Timor, it’s time that the international community helped this other troubled region. Lack of action will have devastating consequences for humanity. The West Papuan people should be granted the right they have always been denied – self determination. Then they can finally be free to democratically choose their own future. No one can deny them that right.

Speech Debelle crowned at the Mercury Music Prize

admin — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:44:16 +0000

Congratulations to London based hip-hop act Speech Debelle who tonight won the most prestigious award in UK music – the Mercury Music Prize.
Beating off competition from hotly tipped Florence and the Machine, Speech Debelle’s urban rhymes and sharp observations lyrics into the complexities daily of life won over the judges, and make her a worthy winner.

Getting closer to nature through social media

admin — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:24:58 +0000

Social media was once all about developing closer interactions between humans in the virtual space, but a new initiative by the Uganda Wildlife Authority means that now animal-lovers will be able to “befriend” endangered mountain gorillas on social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook as part of a fundraising drive.
Each person who links to an individual gorilla must pay a minimum of one dollar to be able to track it and receive updates on its progress. The Uganda Wildlife Authority hopes that money raised from the campaign will help pay for more rangers to protect the gorillas and help fund the purchase of land to secure the animals’ habitat.
Spokeswoman Lilian Nsubuga said Uganda has the largest population of mountain gorillas in the world. There are thought to be only 740 mountain gorillas left and 340 of them live in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

The Moody Boyz – Freedom

admin — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:38:43 +0000

Fresh from curating ‘Summer of Dub’ at the Big Chill, Tony Thorpe aka The Moody Boyz returns with this tasty soulstep, dub heavy cinematic number!
Out now on Studio Rockers

Forgotten Bird of Paradise – West Papua’s struggle for freedom

admin — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:08:17 +0000

On the 40th anniversary of the Act of Free Choice, a shocking new documentary about the situation in West Papua will premier at the UK’s prestigious Green Man Festival next week.

Filmed undercover without the knowledge or authority of the Indonesian authorities, ‘Forgotten Bird of Paradise’ provides a rare and deeply moving insight into the West Papuan peoples ongoing struggle for freedom from Indonesian rule.

The documentary features interviews with human rights victims of the Indonesian regime, startling footage of OPM rebel fighters, and a moving interview recorded in secret with the Amnesty International recognised ‘prisoner of conscience’ Yusak Pakage. Currently serving a 10 year prison sentence for peacefully raising the West Papuan flag, the interview was recorded in hospital where he was receiving treatment for torture suffered at the hands of prison guards at Abepura Prison. There is also footage and interviews from the launch of International Parliamentarians for West Papua, revealing the developments being made on the international scene towards the goal of West Papuan self-determination.

Speaking on the eve of the film’s launch, exiled independence leader Benny Wenda gave this statement:
“For over 45 years the Indonesian Government have attempted to silence my people. They have raped, tortured, intimidated, and committed genocide against my people and our land. But they will never destroy our Melanesian spirit. ‘Forgotten Bird of Paradise’ is our cry to the outside world that we need their help now. Our cries are also directed at the United Nations to intervene now to help stop the bloodshed, and re-run the Act of Free Choice so that we can finally choose our own future. Our struggle will never stop until we are given that right”

More information on the documentary including background information and photos can be found at www.forgottenbirdofparadise.net

Indonesia’s reign of terror in West Papua continues

admin — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:24:54 +0000

At least 500,000 dead, thousands of others tortured and raped, thousands more ‘disappeared’. Homes burnt, livestock killed, lives ruined.
Written like that you’d think this was a scene from hell. This is the unfortunate reality of life in modern day for the people of West Papua where 40 years of illegal Indonesian occupation has created a hell on earth for those living there. A land where people are put in prison for raising a flag, or tortured if they play traditional music, and killed if they call for their basic human right of self-determination.

The legacy of Indonesian rule is covered in blood. Indonesia may pretend to the world that they are a great democracy and that the evil regime of Suharto is long forgotten, but recent events in West Papua show that Indonesia is up to its old tricks again. It’s hard to forget the level of horror felt around the world ten years ago when Indonesia launched a genocidal sweeping of the East Timorese people. Add to that human rights atrocities committed by them in Aceh, Sumatra and Sulawesi against indigenous people, and it makes you wonder quite why western powers have agreed to do business with Indonesia.

Propped up by Western powers who have helped its weak and ailing economy, it’s hard to know how much longer western powers will turn a blind eye to the atrocities being committed by Indonesia in West Papua remain to be seen. The cover-up in the recent killing of the Australian mining worker at Freeport was another example of how democracy and transparency are as far removed as can be from the Indonesian regime.

What is clear is that the failure of Western powers to come together and act against Indonesia will have major repercussions for the wider region in the long run. The ‘Nazi’ esque genocide of the West Papuan people means that Indonesia simply cannot be trusted not to turn on yet more ethnic groups in the region. Only through foreign intervention will peace and justice ever come to West Papua. Until then it seems likely that the killing fields, the rape, murder, intimidation, brutality and injustice will remain. For the good of humanity, change must come.

Nokia protests in Iran highlight the need for greater ethical practise amongst brands

admin — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:35:28 +0000

Th growing wave of global protests against the Finnish mobile phone giant Nokia following revelations that they supplied the Iranian Government with network monitoring systems (which allegedly resulted in the rounding up and ‘disappearance’ of many Iranian bloggers in the past 3 weeks), once again casts questions over the ethical practises of global brands. Only last year Google found itself at the centre of a wave of negative publicity after they pandered to Chinese Government demands to filter keyword searches on the Chinese version of Google, meaning that people could not search about topics including the Tinannemen Square massacre, the troubles Tibet or any other grey areas of the Chinese regime human rights record.
Brands have an ethical responsibility to protect those within the social media spectrum and also to ensure freedom of speech is upheld as a central beacon of digital democracy. We live in an increasing ‘big brother’ society where our every move is tracked by Government intelligence agencies. The Governments of Iran and China lost the trust of their people long ago. Brands must be seen to adhere to a unwritten code of social media ethics if they are to not to lose their consumers trust too.

Café Mambo – Ibiza’s sunset haven

admin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:22:37 +0000

The release of Café Mambo Ibiza 09 on Defected Records later this month marks a milestone for the world famous Ibiza lounge club. 15 years and 5475 sunsets since it’s launch, legendary Spanish DJ Jose Padilla has compiled an exquisite collection of sunset tracks to ease people through the summer months.
Amongst the artists included on the compilation are Dancing Turtle’s Italian indie-folk darlings Amycanbe, whose remixed track ‘24 Hours’ is picked out as a highlight by Padilla himself – “Amycanbe’s ‘24 Hours’ is a very beautiful record, its a proper electronic chill-out record and I love it, it’s the kind of record I can play 20 times in a row and not get tired of“. Trust us, Amycanbe’s music just gets better over time. Check out their debut album ‘Being A Grown-Up Sure Is Complicated’. Essential listening too!

Freeport – Indonesia’s filthy little secret

admin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:53:56 +0000

News that three people including an Australian mine worker were killed in the Papua province of Indonesia over the weekend, once again casts a dark cloud over Indonesia’s activities in the region, and the role that the Freeport gold and copper mine has had in sowing deeper grievances amongst the Papuan people.
Seven years ago Indonesian forces killed two Americans close to the mine. A well publicised cover-up ensued with the the blame laid on members of the Free West Papua movement. Mass ’sweeping operations’ against the local population ensued leaving hundreds dead. Fast forward a few years and a sense of deja vu is in the air. This time it’s reported that bullets were removed from the body of the Australian man prior to him being examined by an Australian doctor in Indonesian attempts to remove crucial evidence.
Since their illegal occupation of West Papua in the early 1960s, it is estimated that Indonesian forces have killed over 500,000 Papuans. Let us not forget the evil genocide committed by Indonesia in neighbouring East Timor too only ten years ago, and you’re left with a human rights catastrophe unfurling now in Papua. Add to that the fact that army generals wanted from crimes against humanity in East Timor have been sent to Papua by the Indonesian government, and its little wonder that a climate of fear is escalating in the region.
The Freeport mine is at the centre of much of West Papuans grievances. A joint venture between US mining giant Freeport McMoRan and UK multi-national Rio Tinto, not only does the mine carve a crater in the landscape visible from space, but its toxic tailings over ancient tribal lands have caused mass environmental devastation on a scale not replicated anywhere around the world. To rub salt into Papuan wounds, over 90% of revenue from the venture are cyphoned straight to Jakarta. Little surprise that West Papua remains the poorest part of all Indonesia, despite having the richest of resources.
Let us hope that those fighting for freedom in West Papua will succeed against their Indonesian occupiers. If there is any justice in this world, the people of West Papua will be given their fundamental human right of self determination. They have been denied that right for too long. Until that day comes there will only continue to be bloodshed, hurt and suffering. Their struggle will never stop until freedom comes.

Festival spirit bodes farewell to the noughties

admin — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 15:32:04 +0000

With days of endless sunshine and little rain in sight, summertime 2009 is becoming the ultimate farewell party to the noughties! How time has flown these last ten years!!
What better way to celebrate (and lets face it with the current recession everyone needs a bit of cheering up!) than a visit to a music festival. Next month sees the festival widely regarded as the ‘new Glastonbury’ take place. Green Man has been running for 6 years and has all the essence of the early Glastonbury’s. It’s wholly non corporate, non commercial and with a world class lineup of acts too it’s the perfect place to while away a few summer days. The Dancing Turtle produced undercover documentary on the West Papua independence movement ‘Forgotten Bird of Paradise’ will also be showing in the Cinema Tent!

Farewell to the King of Pop – Michael Jackson is dead

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:29:54 +0000

The untimely death of Michael Jackson from a heart attack earlier today marks the end of a remarkable life of a true maverick. With a career spanning 4 decades, countless albums and a musical heritage that will undoubtedly shape history and music for years to come, he rightly earned the label ‘the King of Pop’.

Michael Jackson was a musical genius, but also a victim of his own success. Thrust into the limelight at a young age, he often spoke of a lost childhood, and his later life was haunted by allegations of child abuse (of which he was cleared) in the early 1990s and mid 2000s. He did nonetheless lead a reclusive life, and was on the dawn of a comeback tour in the UK.
His passing will be felt for years to come. He was the King of Pop. Long live the King of Pop.

Summer Solstice at Stonehenge welcomes spirit of West Papua

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:47:29 +0000

Record crowds of 36,500 people descended on the sacred site of Stonehenge in the UK for Summer Solstice. This ancient celebration was all the more special this year, with West Papuan dance troupe Mambesak and exiled independence leader Benny Wenda having been invited as special guests for the occasion by English Heritage and the Council of Druids.

Mambesak performed 3 dances through the night with the highlight coming at sunrise. Archdruid Rollo Maughfling, head of the British Council of Druids explained to the crowd the terrible suffering of the Papuan people and urged everyone present to become active in helping the West Papuan people gain their rightful freedom from Indonesian rule. In West Papua indigenous people face extinction at the genocide being committed by Indonesia. Even just raising a flag can land a Papuan a prison sentence.

The Papuan dancers who performed at Stonehenge are of rich musical and cultural tradition. Their sacred rituals are as ancient as the stones at Stonehenge . Three of the members of the dance troupe are children of the legendary West Papuan musician Arnold Ap. He was brutally killed by Indonesian military in the early 1980s after making songs of freedom. Following his murder his family were forced to flee to exile in Holland from where his children set up the Mambesak dance troupe.

Mambesak alongside Archdruid Rollo Maughfling, Head of the British Council of Druids

Spotify – the future sound of music?

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:07:25 +0000

Digital music phenonmenon Spotify has announced plans to launch a mobile version and expand to the US by the end of the year. The streaming service, which currently lets fans listen to more than three million tracks legally and free, has gained more than a million users in the UK, but is still far behind the likes of last.fm in terms of catalogue.

The web-based service is currently free to users who accept adverts between their songs. But does Spotify presents a feasibly sustainable model for the future of digital music? I don’t believe it does. In terms of developing revenue for artists and labels through advertising and thus allowing the free flow of music it is progressive. But its achilles heel will ultimately rest on how long music consumers will be willing to have adverts played between songs when more and more artists and labels are giving music away for free anyway, and thus allowing people to build their own playlists without the interruption of advertisting.

Labour’s shameful stance on Gurkhas leaves dark cloud over British political system

admin — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:36:33 +0000

The Labour Party’s stance in refusing residency to thousands of Gurkhas marks yet another shameful chapter in the Labour Party’s rule, and a final nail in Gordon Brown’s political coffin.
Since being swept into office in 1997, the Labour Party have led the UK into an illegal war that has left over half a million innocent people dead. They’ve orchestrated one of the biggest crackdowns on civil liberties in modern society, developed the surveillance society to Orwellian proportions, brought the UK to it’s knees in the biggest recession in history, and turned a blind eye to human rights abuses committed by our ‘allies’.
But it is their treatment of the Gurkhas which is most shameful. These brave men have fought alongside British troops in many war zones, and yet are not deemed worthy of residency by the Labour Government, despite the massive public support for them.
If the taxpayer wasn’t forced to fork out vast sums for second homes for MPs or fund Jacqui Smith’s husband’s adult movie addiction, there would undoubtedly be more money available to support the Gurkhas.

Twitter’s fleeting users leaves less eggs in the nest

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:20:11 +0000

It’s interesting to read reports stating that over 60% of new sign-ups to the micro-blogging phenomenon Twitter leave after just one month. The lack of functionality of Twitter compared to other mediums like Facebook and MySpace could be one reason for this, or maybe the recent surge of press interest led to some passing through to see what all the fuss was about.

Twitter’s strength has always been in it’s simplicity in allowing conversations and news feeds to formulate and evolve. But as other forms of social media develop, this could prove to be the achilles heel in Twitter’s long-term sustainability, leaving the tweeting nest very much half empty

New plans to monitor all internet use are a worrying development of the surveillance state

admin — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:43:52 +0000

News that communications companies are being asked to record all internet contacts between people to modernise police surveillance tactics in the UK is a worrying development in the fast changing digital age, and a further step towards becoming a full blown surveillance state. The new system would track all e-mails, phone calls and internet use, including visits to social network sites.

The project will cost £2bn to set up. The real cost however will be the further erosion of privacy. Some will argue if you have nothing to hide then you shouldn’t be concerned, but the ramifications of having your every email, phone call, twitter or facebook chat being logged and analysed is nonetheless a worrying development of the loss of liberty in the modern age.

Ivor Novello nominations spring a surpise

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:07:24 +0000

Nominations for the 54th Ivor Novello songwriting awards sprung up a few surprises, none less than the relatively unknown group The Leisure Society. The group recorded, published and released the music themselves and are currently not signed to a record label, unlike some of the big label names also on the nomination list including Duffy, Elbow and Last Shadow Puppets.

The Ivors celebrate the outstanding writing achievements of songwriters, composers and their music publishers. Ivor Novello, was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the early 20th century.

If The Leisure Society go on to win this year, the awards further turns on its head the long thought need of an artist to have label backing in order to get noticed. The power is and always has been in the music.

City Soul – providing the heartbeat to London’s nightlife

admin — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:45:20 +0000

City Soul has rapidly emerging as one of the most diverse and forward thinking promotions companies around. They have grown to establish regular nights at venues including Cargo, Herbal as well as their carnival stage appearance at Standon Calling Festival.
Their new website is well worth checking out. They are on the look out for contributors, and cover everything from music features, reviews, listings, as well having an MP3 download store, and an upcoming podcast series too. City Soul are doing more than most to put the ’soul’ back into London town.

Jailing of file sharing quartet will do little to quell the spread of free music

admin — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 13:01:50 +0000

The jailing today of the four men behind The Pirate Bay (TPB), the world’s most high-profile file-sharing website, will do little to reverse the long term damaging effects that file sharing has had on the music industry in recent years.
The consciousness of too many now, particularly young people, is that it is ok to download music from file sharing sites for free, thereby depriving the songwriters of income for their works.
At the same time, this case also reinforces the need for the music industry to adjust more to the changing tastes of music lovers in how they access music. Only through embracing change and new audience habits will music survive. The industry will ultimately become stronger as a result.

International intervention required in West Papua now to prevent another ‘East Timor’

admin — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:44:31 +0000

With daily reports coming through of brutality and killings in West Papua, in addition to the 40 years of genocide, bloodshed, rape, torture, intimidation and suffering that the Papuan people have endured under Indonesian occupation, now more than ever before urgent international intervention is required to bring about a peaceful solution to the conflict. Time is running out. The lessons of East Timor need to be learnt.
The large numbers of British politicians who have signed up to the International Parliamentarians for West Papua in recent days is a sign that the ongoing human rights violations being committed by Indonesian military and Islamic militias against the Papuan population have not gone unnoticed by the outside world. The people of West Papua have suffered for too long under Indonesian occupation. They just want to live in peace as a free nation. Free from the toxic Indonesian regime that has pillaged their land, raped their mothers and sisters, killed hundreds of thousands of their people, and attempted to destroy their sacred culture.
It is time for a Free West Papua. The human rights of each of us are undermined if the human rights of others are denied.

An elderly Papuan tribal woman lays dying after being shot by Indonesian military following a raid on her village.

Curtain finally drawn on Phil Spector’s ‘Wall Of Sound’

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:07:55 +0000

The guilty verdict reached today in the trial of legendary music producer Phil Spector, brings the final curtain down on the genius behind the ‘Wall Of Sound’. Spector is certain to spend the rest of his life behind bars in a high security jail.
After 30 hours of deliberation, the jury in the Los Angeles courthouse reached a unanimous verdict on allegations that Spector killed actress Lana Clarkson at his Los Angeles castle after meeting her at a bar in 2003.
Spector produced classics from the likes of John Lennon, The Beatles, Tina Turner and the Ronettes, including You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ by the Righteous Brothers.

return of the Dubstep Chronicles

admin — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:23:55 +0000

Next month sees the return of Tony Thorpe’s (aka The Moody Boyz), ‘Dubstep Chronicles’ night.
First seen at last years Meltdown Festival on the Southbank in London, ‘Dubstep Chronicles’ returns next month for a one-off at the Big Chill House.
Curated by Thorpe, the night includes appearances from hot producer of the moment Jazzsteppa, Reso, Horsepower and Karborn plus more. An early summer treat awaits…

G20 protestor death sheds light on police brutality

admin — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:28:31 +0000

New video footage showing an innocent bystander being thrown to the floor by a policeman at last weeks G20 demos in London highlights how police brutality towards peaceful protests in the UK has become more widespread. The bystander died 10 minutes later.
As the video below shows, this was not an isolated incident, as riot police used the demo as an excuse to act like state paid thugs, subjecting thousands to battering ram techniques, and enclosing thousands of others through a bottleneck technique in the streets, denying them access to food, water and toilet facilities for over 6 hours.
Once the public enquiry into Ian Tomlinson’s death has been concluded, an enquiry into police tactics and brutality is urgently needed too.

Glocal – a new music scene emerges

admin — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:45:02 +0000

Glocal Scene emerged as a response to the challenges and prejudices within the music industry faced by musicians from certain geographical areas, through the creation of a ‘glocal music scene’ through bringing together local music scenes from around the world.
Glocal Scene has provided artists with a base, helping them book tours, sell their music, and also provide a place for music lovers to talk about new music. They have produced an excellent documentary too which pieces together the experiences of emerging artists around the world on the ‘glocal scene’. Check their website for more info

UK’s moral obligation to help the Tamil people

admin — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:27:14 +0000

For over 24 hours thousands of exiled Tamils have been gathered in Parliament Square, London, calling on Western governments to intervene in the ongoing crisis in Sri Lanka. With emotions running high one Tamil man has even thrown himself into the River Thames to bring attention to their cause.

As former colonial power to both India and Sri Lanka, the British Government have a moral obligation to help the Tamil people. For too long now they have suffered grave human rights violations from the Sri Lankan military, and urgent action is required with the current conflict to prevent a full scale humanitarian crisis.

Sri Lanka’s government has rejected calls for a ceasefire with the Tamil Tiger rebel group, and the UN estimates that 150,000 people are trapped in Sri Lanka’s northern war zone.

Indonesian paramilitary police open fire on protestors

admin — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:01:54 +0000

Reports that at least four people were wounded when police opened fire on a peaceful protest in Indonesia’s remote Papua region on Monday, highlight the need for urgent international intervention to prevent a repeat of the atrocities committed by the Indonesian authorities in East Timor.
The protesters were shot when police fired into a crowd of around 200 indigenous Papuans rallying in the streets of Nabire town in West Papua province demanding independence from Indonesia and a boycott of the upcoming elections.
‘The people didn’t react or throw anything but Brimob (paramilitary police) attacked them,’ Mr Douw said, adding that the four injured were in ‘critical’ condition in hospital.
The crowd chanted ‘boycott the election’ and called for the release of 17 activists arrested last week in a raid on the headquarters of the Papuan Customary Council, the top cultural representative body for Papuan tribes.
Pro-independence sentiment runs high in Papua, which sits on the western end of New Guinea island and is populated mainly by the Melanesian ethnic minority.
Indonesia took formal control of the region in a 1969 UN-sponsored vote by select tribal elders widely seen as a sham and the area has seen a long-running insurgency by poorly armed pro-independence guerrillas. It is estimated that over 400,000 Papuans have been killed and countless others raped and torutured by Indonesian military since the illegal occupation began.

Bob Geldof, the G20 and the legacy of Live 8

admin — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:39:46 +0000

Sir Bob Geldof was at the G20 summit in London today, calling on the leaders of the world’s most powerful countries to cough up more cash for Africa.

And yet nearly 4 years on from Live 8, not one of the artists who performed in Hyde Park and consequently filled their pockets with cash from the resulting sales of their music the following week have made an significant donation to Africa, despite knowing that the huge publicity would drive their sales.

Bob would earn the respect of more people if he had run Live8 in a morally correct way. As it turned out, an event organised to raise international awareness and money for Africa was so majorly lacking in any African music talent that a rival event was set up at the Eden Project to showcase them, whilst the good and mighty of the tailor trash pop world paraded themselves in Hyde Park.

It’s seems that now would be the perfect time for Sir Bob to make a rallying call to the likes of U2, Madonna, Robbie Williams and the rest of them, and remind them of their moral obligation to cough up their cash for Africa too.

G20 Summit – burn a banker (and Gordon Brown!)

admin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:17:44 +0000

The holding of the G20 Summit in London next week couldn’t come about at a more appropriate time. With the UK economy crippled, unemployment spiraling out of control, mass disillusionment with the political system, and outrage at the recent bailout of the banking system (and the insistence of many banks to continue to pay out ludicrous bonuses), the rallies planned for central London next week are shaping up to be the biggest shows of people power in years.

Some newspapers report that city finance firms have advised workers to dress down to avoid the protesters…..so expect to see lots of protesters now dressed up as City bankers in order to be hurried into buildings by unsuspecting police!
One thing is certain. When the dust settles late next week we’ll look back and reflect on the sorry old mess that the UK is now in. No longer Grand Brittania. More a sinking Titanic with a clueless Scot at the helm.

Dub Reality :: Indigenous Resistance

admin — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:43:19 +0000

Indigenous Resistance launched in 2003 as a radical record label exploring the twin themes of Indigenous Resistance and Indigenous Reality. It has evolved into a underground movement tied together by a co-operative group of individuals determined to fight against injustice and use music as a force for good.

Their releases span the music frequency from the first ever recording of a Senegalese group playing traditional assiko music, to rare tribal sounds from the Solomon Islands, and voices of Brazil. They also released a book about dub philosphy and wisdoms/wisdubs which draws on black and indigenous political thought and reasonings from John Trudell, Jeannette Armstrong, Douglas Cardinal, Assata Shakur, Jean “Binta”Breeze, Tohununo and Pesio.
Also check their highly recommended podcast series

All the music material is available for free through their website

“We all have the capacity to fight the beast. We all have a part we can play.”

BBC broadcast exclusive footage of West Papua independence fighters

admin — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:18:01 +0000

It’s been over 40 years since the Indonesian occupation of West Papua began. Since then over 400,000 Papuans have been killed, women and children raped, independence activists tortured, and the land pillaged for its natural resources.

Journalists and human rights observers are banned from entering West Papua by the Indonesian authorities. They don’t want the outside world knowing the atrocities they are committing there. Just like in East Timor where the Indonesian military slaughtered hundreds of thousands of innocent people.

Tonight the BBC broadcast exclusive footage smuggled out of West Papua, including interviews with rebel leader Goliath Tabuni, political prisoner Yusak Pakage, and human rights victims. You can watch the full report through the BBC news website by clicking here

Green Man announces line-up

admin — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:47:54 +0000

The Green Man Festival announced their line-up today, and once have shown themselves to be the leading light amongst Briths independent music festivals.
A stellar array of acts incuding Grammy award winners Wilco, 2008’s hottest success Bon Iver, as well as Wooden Shjips, British Sea Power, Errors, Peggy Sue, Megson, Pivot, It’s A Buffalo, She Keeps Bees, Golden Animals, 6 Day Riot, No Thee No Ess, Sound Carriers and Martin Carr.
Indie label Bella Union will be hosting a night showcasing their emerging new talent including Beach House and Peter Broderick and others. Also appearing will be The Amorphous Androgynous (AKA Future Sound Of London) taking you on a Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble Exploding In Your Mind for 7 house of life changing experiences.
It’s not just the music that will blow your mind away. Set in the stunning surroundings of the Brecon Beacons in Wales, it’s the perfect summer escape amidst these dreary economic times.
Tickets start from £99 (that’s nearly £100 cheaper than Glastonbury!!) and are available through the Green Man website by clicking here

On-U Sound rises from the ashes

admin — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:46:08 +0000

One of the all time great dub/reggae labels, On-U Sound is up and running again after a five year absence. Home to legendary talent including Tackhead, Little Axe, Dub Syndicate, African Head Charge, The London Underground, Little Annie, Creation Rebel, Mark Stewart, Gary Clail, New Age Steppers, Audio Active, Asian Dub Foundation, and the dub collective Singers & Players. Watch this space for a host of new releases and availability of all their back catalogue too!

Golden Silvers show there’s no room for second best

admin — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:11:36 +0000

London indie group the Golden Silvers have had some year. Plucked from obscurity last year, they won Glastonbury Unsigned and a slot on the ‘Other Stage’ as well as playing a host of festivals. Recently signed up to XL Recordings, they are soon to release their debut album. Described by one newspaper as “fairy-tale indie-pop”, you have to see these guys to believe them. Catch them at their legendary monthly night, the Bronze Club, in London’s Hoxton. A golden future awaits.

Routemasters return

admin — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 12:39:19 +0000

It used to be that you couldn’t walk 10 metres in central London without spotting a Routemaster bus. A classic symbol of London, they were much loved by locals and tourists alike. Then Ken Livingstone came along. As mayor of London he decided it would be a good idea to remove this much loved symbol and replace them with impractical, ugly, and congestion building bendy buses, clogging our streets and providing a major hazard to cyclists.
It’s therefore great to hear about a new food outlet set for launch in the capital called ‘Vegan Routes‘, with old Routemaster buses renovated and placed in certain areas to provide healthy food. Now, if only there was a way of getting these classic old buses back on the road and replacing those hideous bendy buses….

Our duty to help West Papua

admin — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:23:55 +0000

The well documented torture of West Papuan political prisoners by Indonesia is nothing short of barbaric. For over three days at the nortious Abepura Prison in Jayapura, the men in the photo below were refused water and food, and subjected to torture levels that would not be out of place at Guantanamo Bay. The only ‘crime’ these men have committed is to peacefully call for West Papuan independence. It’s a plea echoed throughout the country where every man, woman and child wants freedom. And who are we to deny them this? It’s a right that every colonial person is entitled to under the United Nations charter, and one we must stand by and implement in West Papua.
A lack of early international intervention in the East Timor independence struggle ten years ago resulted in a genocide in which Indonesia slaughtered over half a million people. It’s time for our governments to act now to prevent Indonesia doing the same again in West Papua. We must stand shoulder to shoulder with these people now, otherwise the consequences are unthinkable.

bank bonus culture is an attack on us all

admin — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:54:43 +0000

In light of the recent bailout of UK banks costing British taxpayers over £350 billion, news that banks will continue to pay out huge bonuses to staff is beyond understanding and an insult to us all.

When the taxpayer came to the rescue of these banks, every employees previous contract should have been deemed void. The taxpayer is now the majority shareholder in these failed institutions, and it is deeply insulting and immoral for any bank to attempt to justify paying out bonuses.

What makes this worse is that these banks were playing with our money in the first place and making massive losses. You’d think the fat cats and their staff would be content to still be in a job, when the reality is a prison sentence for them all would have been a more appropriate consequence for their reckless actions in bringing this country to it’s knees.
I have no doubt it’s only a matter of time before people take to the streets in the UK to express their outrage against the banks and those responsible for this mess.

Awakening Africa

admin — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:25:16 +0000

A production company focused upon changing the way the world sees Africa through mediums like art, film and media has just launched. Set up by Zina Saro-Wiwa, AfricaLab believes that culture can form a central role in helping develop Africa through communicating fresh narratives about the continent away from the heavily reported civil wars and epidemics that have hindered its growth. Their first major project is a fantastic documentary called ‘This Is My Africa‘.

Glasto sells out

admin — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 20:32:16 +0000

It looks like normal service has resumed with Glastonbury Festival having sold out 4 months before it even takes place and with the line up yet to be revealed. I guess the organisers have learnt some valuable lessons from last year when there was a big fall out in the wake of the early announcement of hip-hop act Jay-Z as the main headline, resulting in the first Glastonbury in living memory failing to sell out.

Indonesian military operations in West Papua reach new low

admin — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 16:21:36 +0000

It’s deeply disturbing to hear the latest reports coming through from West Papua where the indigenous Papuan population have endured a brutal and genocidal Indonesian occupation for over 40 years.

West Papua is a country where peaceful Papuan protestors are routinely tortured and imprisoned by Indonesia for up to 15 years for doing little more than raising an independence flag!! In the latest episode, the Indonesian regime have refused drinking water and food to two political prisoners (Seblon Sambom and Buchtar Tabuni) for over 3 days now, for no reason other than because these two men support a peaceful democratic process called the International Parliamentarians for West Papua.

Meanwhile, in the highlands hundreds of Papuans remain in hiding in the jungle after Indonesian army and police raids during which villages were burnt down and livestock killed.

These latest actions appear to show that Indonesia is running scared of growing international condemnation for the occupation of West Papua and the growing number of people who are outraged at the genocide they have carried out in West Papua.

Let us hope that these latest actions will put Indonesia on a collision course with the United Nations to whom it is reported that these latest actions are currently being investigated by.

london grinds to a standstill

admin — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:37:46 +0000

It’s great to see London ground to a halt and everyone out on the streets enjoying the heaviest snowfall we have had in over 18 years.
Public transport is suspended, impenterable roads have made driving impossible…and there’s more snow on its way. Don’t you just love the British weather!

the 5 pillars of social media marketing

admin — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:53:13 +0000

…its all about bringing people closer together!

1. Declaration of Identity
2. Identity through Association
3. User-initiated Conversation
4. Provider-initiated Conversation
5. In-Person Interaction

Bluba Lu

admin — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:36:47 +0000

Bulgaria is not famed with producing many music acts of international prominence, but it’s well worth checking the new album ‘World Melancholy’ from their finest export, Bluba Lu. A former collaborator of LTJ Bukem, Bluba Lu’s music is hard to categorise, think a mix of trip-hop, downtempo, cinematic soundscapes and vocal-symphonic -it’s falls in the same bag as acts like Zero 7, Massive Attack and Cinematic Orchestra, but stamped with an orginality that sets them aside from the rest.

countdown to festival season

admin — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:58:37 +0000

We may be in the midst of winter, but it’s also that time of year when the rumour mill starts up about who’ll be playing at the summer music festivals. Some events already announced their line-ups. What seems certain is that more and more people will be giving Glastonbury a miss in favour of the smaller, more intimate festivals that have cropped up, including the likes of End Of The Road, Bestival and many peoples favourite, Green Man.
We say bring on the cider, the sunshine, the music and the summer madness!!

urban75

admin — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:08:32 +0000

Award winning ezine Urban75 is without doubt one of the best websites around. Run from its base in Brixton, it’s well worth a visit; it includes sections on environmental action, rave culture, civil rights, rants, drugs, football cartoons and photography. You can also throw a farewell punch George Bush’s way on their ‘punch a celeb’ section. Highly recommended. Check them out here