As part of the Roundhouse Rising programme on Wednesday 15 February Mykaell Riley hosts ‘Bass Culture – The Influence of Reggae on British Music’, a panel exploring the journey of reggae from Jamaica to the UK and how it has contributed to the development of such styles as Jungle/Drum & Bass, Dubstep, Grime, UK Hip Hop and mainstream pop. This panel discussion will be taking place at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8EH on Wednesday 15th February from 7-9pm. Confirmed panellists include Robbo Ranx (BBC 1xtra, Mikey Dread (Channel One Sound System), Curtis Lynch (Producer and label founder Necessary Mayhem) and Leanna (artist).

For further information, go onto the BASS culture  website here, or contact Ammo Talwar at Punch on:

0121 224 7444/ammo@punch-records.co.uk

Jamaica Live was an Open Weekend event to celebrate one year to the go to the London 2012 Games and Birmingham’s selection as host for the Jamaican Olympic team, including the fastest man on earth, Usain Bolt. The event took place in Victoria Square in Birmingham on Saturday July 23^rd 2011.

The event was a day-long party which celebrated  Jamaican culture, food and arts.

Jamaica Live! Activites Included:

• Our main star of the day was Reggae Reggae sauce icon Levi Roots who performed and did a live jerk chicken cooking demonstration on the main stage.
• performances included Steel Pulse tribute Pulse Beat, The Reaggae Philomonic Orchestra, gospel singer Monique and included a surprise performance from the legendary Dawn Penn!

• Family-friendly comedy from TV’s Annette Fagon, Toju and Tony Hendricks, as well as spoken word artists in our story tent.
• Drumming workshops; Jamaican style. Visitors joined in with our collective drumming groups.
• Freshly-cooked Islands-style food available from local Caribbean chefs and vendors on site.

Jamaica LIVE – Numbers

32,000 people attended Jamaica Live over 8 hours

3,000 people in the square at any moment

Over 20 Black businesses were present

30 separate in-depth media reports from BBC West Midlands, ITV and

3 day feature on Midlands Today

Jamaica Live! was a fun, jam-packed day that brought all the different local communities together. It kicked off the countdown to the 2012 Olympics in style!

The Drum, Aston, Birmingham (for Warwick University)

Punch are proud to announce that we have recently partnered with Warwick University and Robert Beckford to introduce a Hip Hop Studies module into BA Social and Health Studies degree course. This course will not only be open to students but to anyone wanting to learn more about Hop Hop culture in an academic setting.

There is a taster day for the module on Saturday 10th September, 1pm at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, Westwood Campus, The University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL for more info please click here

The full course starts on 22th October 2011 and runs for a full academic year at The Drum, Birmingham. Please contact Warwick University (024) 7657 3739/  www.warwick.ac.uk/cl for further information on the module.

HipHopStidies BA Module Open to ALL

1-4th September

Fort Punta Christo, Croatia

Punch are very happy to announce that we will be at Outlook Festival in Croatia in September. We will be taking with us two up and coming MC’s as part of our Punch Busary scheme for new artists.

Held in an abandoned fort in Pula in the stunning region of Istria, Croatia, Outlook is at the forefront of bass driven music, featuring some of the biggest names from the most vibrant and cutting edge dance scenes around. This year’s line-up includes some of the biggest names in Soundsystem Culture from the worlds of Dub, Dubstep, Dancehall, Drum & Bass, Hiphop, Grime, Garage, Electronica and Bass Music.

Now going into its fourth year, Outlook in 2010 saw us in what can only be described as the most amazing festival location ever imagined and we are glad to be returning there in 2011. Fort Punta Christo is an abandoned fort built in the eighteen hundreds that looks like something from a lost world.

RoxXxane

Birmingham rapper RoxXxane is fast becoming one of the top artists in grime and dubstep. Her debut single “Heavyweight” was the highlight of the official soundtrack to British film “Shank” which also features Tinchy Stryder and Roll Deep. She’s also done a remix of Professor Green’s track, “I Need You Tonight”. Originality, looks and ability to set fire on the mic is undoubtedly what makes RoxXxane stand out from the crowd. She’s not one to copy other artists and thrives on making her sound unique. RoxXxane’s music is influenced by her life, through keeping her emotions bottled up. Taking inspiration from artists like Missy Elliot and Ms Dynamite her main source of letting it all out through her music where as before you would catch her in the boxing ring. RoxXxane has recently signed a major record deal at Polydor records so expect big things from this artist in 2011!

RT

RT is a Birmingham based artist also known as RTillery, RTizzy, RTiculate. He is a musician but equally a music lover, all about energy, creativity, identity and eclecticism. He is able to perform and express himself artistically through a range of mediums; from recorded music, live shows, hosting raves, right through to spoken word/theatre performance. He has recently released two EP’s, two completely different vibes, as well  as touring with Skinny and The Mud Fam. He is the founder of Decypher Collective and toured in 2010 with one of the first grime theatre show’s, 8sixteen32.

In conversation with Pauline Black

Friday 10th June, 8pm

The Edge, Friction Arts, Cheapside, Birmingham

Pauline Black was a key figure as lead singer with Two- Tone outfit The Selecter who revolutionised music
through the Two Tone movement 30 years ago. Over the years she has been variously jazz singer, part of the acclaimed Soul Britannica and actor. As a woman of dual heritage she has endured the twin evils of racism and sexism as she navigated her career through some of the most turbulent times, making her a highly influential
figure in UK Black music. 2011 sees a punishing schedule for Pauline with both a new solo album as well
as a new book ‘Black by Design’. BASS Festival marks this vital figure for women in music by a special event in
the intimate surroundings of The Edge, where she will talk about her career, new book and play tracks from
her new album – and hopefully a few old classics to boot. To mark this busy year she will be in presenting a
special pre-release event featuring words and music from both her new book and album, in the intimacy of
The Edge in the heart of East side as well as pursuing a career as an actor and more recently as part of the Soul Britannica show at London’s Barbican.
In partnership with Ian Sargeant / Friction Arts
www.frictionarts.com

£3 on the door

A key part of BASS has always been its unique commissions. Here artists, organisations and promoters are individually commissioned to produce an event or new piece of work specifically for the festival, receiving grants of £500 – £3000.

For the 2011 festival the theme is Revolution. Be it musicians who have changed the face of dance music, songs of protest, words or theatre that changes the way we see things, looking at the next generation or revolution as a dance move we are interested in hearing what musicians, dancers, spoken word or any other artists

Commissions for BASS 2011 are now being accepted. In 2011 there two exciting new ways to get involved in BASS thanks to partnerships with Aspire 4U and Access to Music. Details of these are on the Punch BASS Festival page as well!

The group have been working together to discuss  and share intelligence as well as highlighting the importance of the ‘independent’. Other members festival’s include Birmingham Book, Rhubarb, Fierce, Birmingham International Jazz & Blues, Supersonic & Flatpack.

IFG says “In Birmingham we boast an unparalleled selection of independent cultural festivals.  From literature to live art, from film to photography and all types of music, these festivals produce work that is at the cutting edge of their respective art forms. They are a rich and indispensable part of our city’s cultural ecology – they are infused with the spirit of innovation and collaboration that that has been a part of Birmingham’s identity since the days of the Lunar Society”.

The IFG  publication will be launching in November 2010 at Hotel Du Vin–watch this space!

Click on the bold text to download the IFG brochure, IFG Brochure.

In a wider role she contributes to a range of advisory panels, boards and steering groups including being a recent member of the Arts Council’s Regional Council and currently part of an RFO Advisory Group.

She is one of two people leading a Crafts Leadership Network as part of the national Cultural Leadership Programme.

Deirdre is currently the Director of Craftspace which works in partnership with makers and artists, audiences, venues and a diverse range of organisations to push boundaries and perceptions around contemporary crafts practice, touring exhibitions and audience development.

In the 2010 New Year’s Honours list Deirdre was awarded an MBE for her services to the arts and young people.

Board Member

Having qualified with an Honours Degree in Psychology, Rob began working in the social care sector as a front line worker and then in a range of executive management positions before setting up his own Interim Management Consultancy in 2003.

He continues to work as an advisor to boards of directors and executive teams across the creative, social and charitable sectors, specialising in the areas of governance and business recovery.

In addition Rob has had an involvement of almost 25 years in the creative industries including tour and stage management, concert promotion, and artist management, with acts signed to A&M, Polydor, Peppermint Jam, PRA (USA) and various independent labels.

His music and film work has taken him to Africa, India and the Middle East.

Rob is a fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts.

Chair

• Leicester, Peepul Centre
• Liverpool, The Picket Club
• Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
• Oxford, Oxford Contemporary Music at O2
• Birmingham, The Drum
• London, Southbank Centre

Hailed as ‘the best thing to happen to Afro-Soul music since Miriam Makeba’ and entitled as ‘South Africa’s number one Jazz Diva’, she has received platinum status with her debut album Zandisile and a number one position on the Billboard Music Charts. Following this came her album The One Love Movement on Bantu Biko Street in 2006, which secured four South African Music Awards including Best Female Artist and Album of the Year.

Simphiwe’s first UK tour was produced by Punch Records and supported by Black Routes, the touring network for African and Caribbean music. For more information about Black Routes visit the Black Routes website here.

Check out the tour pics taken by Eric Soul below:

Simphiwe also got reviewed for her performance at The Southbank Centre, read it and see some more photographs from the night.