The SXSW showcase will feature live performances by the previously mentioned artists at The Driskill Hotel’s Victorian Room on Friday, March 16. On the following day (March 17), a panel of industry experts discuss their influential roles in Bass Culture. These key figures include producer/writer Mykaell Riley from the Grammy-winning group Steel Pulse, Channel One Sound System DJ Mikey Dread, BBC’s radio personality Robbo Ranx and recording artist Lady Leshurr.

Punch Records are partnering up with Blue Lotus Music Group and Continental Drift to compile a 12 track Reggae CD for the South by Southwest festival. If you’re a live Reggae band who are interested in being on the South by Southwest compilation CD, send us a demo track or myspace/soundcloud  link to ammo@punch-records.co.uk to be considered for the  festival demo compilation. The deadline to submit the tracks for the complilation CD is Wednesday February 29 2012.  For more information on the Bass Culture Showcase, click here.

SXSW 12 from BBN TV on Vimeo.

Contact Ammo Talwar at Punch for further information on:
0121 224 7444/ammo@punch-records.co.uk

Come and join us for an enjoyable evening of dance and view this new cultural asset to Digbeth. The launch will feature performances from young local artists including; Tru Streetdance, Circus Mash, B-boy Academy, Tru Street Kidz Academy and singer, Jacob Banks. There will also be a drinks reception and light refreshments.

Sticky Toffee, the director of Sticky Dance Studio is a qualified performing arts teacher and juggles her career by running a community interest company Tru Streetdance along with a full service dance agency Sticky Toffee Ltd. In 2007, Toffee won the Youth Dance England Choreographer of the year award and she has worked with numerous high profile brands throughout her career including Toni & Guy, the BBC and the NHS.

Please rsvp to Smita Jalaf at Punch on:

0121 224 7442 / smita@punch-records.co.uk

Sticky Dance Studio
5 Lower Trinity Street
Digbeth, Birmingham
B9 4AG

Check out this video blog of Ammo from Punch and Sticky Toffee;

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

With a twenty year career in British broadcasting behind him, rising through the ranks from BBC local radio in London to being a part of the launch team at BBC 1Xtra in 2001, the revolutionary new national station devoted to Black music; Ray Paul begins his tenure with a major tour ‘Jamaica Party’ exploring the deep and enduring influence of Jamaican music,  featuring high profile artists including; Mala, Channel One and Top Cat.

Ammo Talwar, CEO of Punch quotes:

“We are very excited to have Ray Paul join Punch in this senior post. His skills and knowledge of Black music will redefine Punch’s annual music programme. 2012 will be a landmark year for us with a series of tours, festivals and events linked to celebrating Jamaica’s 50 years of independence and the London 2012 Olympics”.

mac, Cannon hill park, Birmingham, B12 9QH
FREE EVENT

The MOBO Organisation and Urban Development in collaboration with Punch present the MOBO Tour 2012 in Birmingham. The tour kicks off on February 22 in Birmingham and will offer audiences the opportunity to see some of 2012’s freshest, new, emerging talent on stage.

The tour will travel across the country and bring together the best of the UK’s new urban talent. The first names to be announced are breakthrough MC Lady Leshurr (tipped to do big things in 2012 by RWD Magazine and Itunes) and MTV’s Brand New pick for 2012, seven piece hip-hop-rock collective Clement Marfo & The Frontline.

Further supporting talent in all areas of the music industry there will also be workshops and seminars (via industry Takeover @ MOBO Academy) on the day. Industry experts from well respected organisations including SB.TV, RWD Magazine, PRS for Music Foundation, SJM Concerts and artists on the MOBO Tour will be sharing their insider industry knowledge, answering questions and offering advice to audiences across the country.

The MOBO Tour is also creating the opportunity for brand new, undiscovered talent to win the chance to perform on stage through MOBO Unsung. This is a nationwide competition, which is NOW open. For all performers who wish to enter, a video will need to be uploaded of themselves performing to YouTube and either email the link or embed the code including details of which region they live in.

To enter the competition, please email entries to: mobounsung@mobo.com
Please note all entries must be received by 15 January 2012 remembering to state your nearest MOBO tour city with your entry.

Entries will be hosted on the MOBO website for the public to view and a judging panel of industry experts will select a winner from each UK region, who will take the stage as part of the tour in their local area.

A team of radio DJs will select the MOBO Unsung winner from the 8 regional finalists. The winner will then join an on-line ‘Battle Of The Bands’ competition where they will compete against other newcomers put forward by established artists with a public vote to select the ultimate ‘battle’ winner. More information to follow!

The MOBO Tour, seminars, workshops and Unsung competition highlights partners’ efforts to support, guide and nurture new and developing talent across the UK.

Catch the tour, seminars and workshops on the following dates:

22 February 2012, Library HMV Institute, Birmingham, mac (with Punch)

23 February 2012, Manchestester Academy 3, Manchester

24 February 2012, 02 Academy2, Liverpool, Venue TBC

25 February 2012, The Garage, Glasgow, The Mitchell Library

27 February 2012, 02 Academy2, Newcastle, Watershed

28 February 2012, 02 Academy Islington, London, Red Bull Studios

1 March 2012, Waterfront, Norwich

To apply for your free ticket for the MOBO tour or industry takeover, please visit the MOBO website

For further information please contact Smita on:
0121 244 7442/smita@punch-records.co.uk

If you draw, dance, paint, sing, DJ or are just unstoppably creative, the BASS Festival and mac birmingham want to hear your ideas. Help us make something new and fresh inspired by Vanley Burke’s famous picture of 1980’s Birmingham.

Since the sixties, Birmingham’s own Vanley Burke has been one of the UK’s best documenters of Black Britain. This autumn his photographs will feature in a major exhibition at mac birmingham. The BASS Festival is looking for artists of all kinds; dancers, musicians, DJs, visual artists or fashion designers to show us ideas for new work inspired by this picture. Click the link to download the guidance and application form and your idea could become real.

Vanley Burke Commission How to Apply

APPLICATION FORM

The winner of the competition will receive a payment of £2,000 to make it happen. Whatever it is you’re making must to be ready to go into mac as part of Punch’s BASS Festival, which runs from June 15 to July 1 2012.

To get more of an idea about the fesitval Click here

To mark the 50^th anniversary of Jamaican Independence and to welcome the Jamaican Olympic team to Birmingham BASS will have JAMAICA as its theme in 2012. Taking place for the seventh consecutive year, the festival will see a range of music and arts events in venues across the city. Mixing a combination of touring work, local events and commissions, we are interested in hearing ideas for events from artists and producers.

We are interested in the widest range of work based on contemporary Black culture and in previous years have presented work such as music, dance, spoken word and theatre. JAMAICA and its cultural impact in Britain will be celebrated in the widest range of events and commissions.

In past years commissions have included:

• Grime theatre show at Birmingham REP
• Photographic exhibition of Hip Hop & Soul legends
• Young Black Designers fashion show at mac
• Film screening and Q&A with graffiti legends Henry Chalfant and Goldie
• Spoken word extravaganza with Jean Binta Breeze & Kim Trusty
• The Revolution Has Been Feminized-Women performer showcase
• Hip Hop celebration day with Turbo from Sky 1’s Got to Dance

Due to popular demand commissions now have a closing date of Tuesday 31 January 2012, successful applicants will be informed Mid February 2012 (TBC).

To download the application and guidance please click on the links below for word x and word doc:

APPLICATION BASS FESTIVAL 2012 – word x

APPLICATION BASS FESTIVAL 2012

GUIDANCE BASS FESTIVAL 2012- word x

GUIDANCE BASS FESTIVAL 2012

To get a feel of past BASS festival’s here is some archive footage:

BASS 2010

BASS 2008

BASS 2007

BASS 2006

After the success of Punch and 2Funky’s maiden dance competition, Birmingham’s prestigious venue Town Hall hosted for the second year running, the hottest urban dance event Midlands Best Dance Crew 2011 on Saturday 26 November.

The best dance crews from across the Midlands went head to head in front of a panel of judges including celebrity judge ‘STEADY’ from Flawless, Toffee from Sticky Toffee Academy and Tru Street Dance and Gemma from Pineapple Studios.

Competition winners D*FY claimed the title of “Midlands Best Dance Crew 2011″, £1000 prize and the opportunity to perform at The Dance Show part of The Clothes Show Live 2011.

Dee from D*FY quoted “Winning Midlands Best Dance Crew 2011 was amazing, to be announced number one after being up against some amazing crews felt fantastic! The prize money has gone straight back into the crews development and our studio ‘Full Out’. We are currently working on a number of projects and can’t wait to see what talent comes forward at Midlands Best Dance Crew 2012″.

The evening featured high energy routines and jaw dropping moves performing to a sell out audience as well as a cash prize for the best dancer from the audience, an entertaining host, Andre Hesson, featured guest act Duane Lamonte and last year’s winners ‘Addict’ showcasing their creative and lively routine.

Take a look at the pictures from the evening captured by Daniel Newell below:

Competition was fierce, bigger and better with crews such as; 100 Degrees, Coventry Dynamite, KlarA-Donz, Addict Youth, PressuriZe, BASE and Influence competing and runners up place going to Spectrum in 4th, QMX in 3rd and 2nd place to High Definition, with some crews who have already gone onto perform on high profile televised dance shows; Street Dance, Britain’s Got Talent and Got to Dance.

33TV were also present where they filmed special behind the scenes of Midlands Best Dance Crew with Kesha C, check out the clip below:

Ammo Talwar, from Punch commented ” It was a great night, where the 2011 Midlands dance championships attracted the wealth of urban talent out there to create a phenomenal showcase. We aim to bring this competition back next year for the third time running after the huge success of Midlands Best Dance Crew 2010 and 2011″.

Check out the highlights from the evening below:

Hare & Hounds, 106 High St, Kings Heath, Birmingham

Tickets £10 advance (more on the door)

Vieux Farka Toure is one of the most hotly tipped guitarists to have emerged from Africa. Rooted in the bluesy style of Saharan Africa, he has updated the roots rhythms, mixing traditions of his native Mali with technology, winning plaudits on the way.

The son of the Grammy award winning desert blues guitarist Ali Farka Toure, Vieux Farka Toure’s path to success was far from straight forward. Initially his father tried hard to discourage him and Vieux Farka Toure hid his desire to play, joining music groups as though they were secret societies. Eventually he gained the blessing (and musical contribution) from Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate on his debut album. Two years later his second album Fondo launched him on the international stage and the following year saw him perform at the opening concert for the 2010 world cup alongside Alicia Keys and Shakira. 2011 sees the release of his third studio album The Secret, which topped the US world music charts over the summer and a UK tour.

Visiting Birmingham for the first time, VFT will be showcasing material from his new disc at Hare and Hounds Kings Heath.

“an essential sound track to modern, urban Africa” – MOJO.

Contact Paul Fordham at Punch for further information on:

0121 224 7442/paulf@punch-records.co.uk

Buy your tickets online here, http://www.theticketsellers.co.uk/tickets/vieux-farka-toure/10019205

In the 1950′s, Jamaicans brought the sound of the Island direct to British dance floors. Under the influence of Mento, Ska and Reggae, UK producers, DJs and muscians changed the sound of British music forever. Jungle, Dubstep, Garage, Grime and Hip-Hop are all rooted in Reggae. The Channel One Soundsystem spread pure and undiluted Roots across the globe for over 30 years. Top Cat, a key player in the early days of Jungle, started his career on the Coxsone Soundsystem as a toaster.

The Heatwave Crew embody what this tour is about - a UK Bashment Soundsystem dropping Jungle, Grime, Roots, Hip-Hop and Dancehall in their tear-out sets.
The toasting / MC tradition is represented by RoxXxan, Lady Leshur, and Rtkal -the movers and shakers of the mic scene today and tomorrow.

If you want more, headlining the six tour dates will be Mala, Coki, The Bug and FlowDan. Having dominated the scene with gritty and intense productions, they will need no introduction.

Jamacia Party is bringing all these scene stalwarts together for a six date tour of the UK.

Dates

3 February – World HQ, Newcastle (Deviate)

4 February – Stylus, Leeds (Vagabondz)

6 February – The Ritz, Manchester (Hit and Run)

10 February – Stealth, Nottingham (Basslaced)

17 February – Life, Brighton

24 February – Cable, London (Vagabondz/ Subdub)

Taking place for the seventh consecutive year, the festival will see a range of music and arts events in venues across the city.  Through music, dance, spoken word and theatre JAMAICA will be explored in terms of physical movement, music as a weapon of change and celebrating the creators of radical new music and styles. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BASS 2012

In past years commissions have included:

• Grime theatre show at Birmingham REP
• Photographic exhibition of Hip Hop legends& Soul legends
• Film screening and Q&A with graffiti legends Henry Chalfant and Goldie
• Live Jazz and Hip Hop night with Jazzanova and Eska Mtungwazi
• Book launch on the history of Reggae Dj’s and sound systems with Dr Lez Henry
• Hip Hop and Poetry fusion night with Ursular Rucker and Ty
• Young Black Designers fashion show at mac
• Spoken word extravaganza with Jean Binta Breeze & Kim Trusty
• The Revolution Has Been Feminized-Women performer showcase
• Hip Hop celebration day with Turbo from Sky 1’s Got to Dance

BASS 2011 : Revolution

BASS 2010: DNA

BASS 2009: Africa

http://artsownkind.wordpress.com/

BASS 2008: MC Culture

BASS 2007: Hip Hop

BASS 2006: Urban Arts

Afrobeat Vibration Spring Tour 2011

19 March Manchester Band on the Wall

24 March, Bristol Fiddlers

25 March Exeter Phoenix

26 March London Afrobeat Vibration New Empowering Church, Hackney

8 April Birmingham Midlands Arts Centre

15 April Colchester Arts Centre

Following this tour Dele triumphantly returned to Birmingham in 2011, playing a storming set at Mostly Jazz festival in July and then to lead in the Fela Kuti birthday celebration Felabration! at the Hare and Hounds.

From his early discovery as a green 16 year old keyboardist by Fela Kuti, who brought him into his band Egypt 80, Dele rose to prominence as musical director of Fela’s legendary 30 piece band during the 80’s and 90’s.

Whilst at the helm he hatched a plan for a new more aggressive sound, featuring shorter songs and tighter arrangements with an old school mate, who just happened to be Fela’s son Femi Kuti. The result was the band Positive Force, with whom he toured globally for a decade, honing his craft and exploring all the richness of this amazing music, which is now featured in his own 10 piece band.

Increasingly Jazz and other styles started to feature in his thinking and Dele opted to jump ship and pursue his own musical vision, packing his bags and heading to London to form his own group. Being his own man has really suited him, allowing the realization of his own vision – one that’s faithful to the Fela blueprint, but also clearly bears Dele’s own DNA, exploring the jazzier side of Afrobeat. With performances live on Radio Resonance 104.4 FM, Jazz Refreshed at Mau Mau Bar and at the recently concluded World City Music Village festival at London’s Hyde Park Dele is justifiably coming out of the back rooms and into the limelight.

Dele Sosimi and the cast of Fela! celebrated Fela’s birthday at Camden’s Jazz Cafe which you can see on YouTube below.

Dele and Fela! cast celebrate at Jazz Cafe

Afrobeat Vibration Deles Bimonthly sessions have also grown to be London’s top African underground event, very much at the forefront of London’s current love affair with African music

Want a fast track, affordable route to success in the music industry? Sign up now to Managing a Music Business Enterprise (MMBE).

This is a new qualification that has been designed to deliver the skills and knowledge essential to running a successful music business. Whether you are starting out on a new venture or an exciting music business looking to grow and develop your knowledge, then this 13 week course is for you.

MMBE Birmingham is being delivered in partnership with Punch and Generator and starts on Wednesday 8 February 2012 at the mac, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH. For more information and to register your interest please contact Jonny at Generator on:
0191 255 4469 / jonny@generator.org.uk

Punch are thrilled to be involved in this course, we believe the sector needs more detailed and comprehensive courses delivered by industry people leading to industry jobs. This is the first of many great partnerships between us and generator.

In a series of workshops and showcase events, participants will create dance routines that will be performed at exciting public events across the region.
Punch through Dance Routes has already worked in Schools in North Birmingham and the Black Country resulting in a great day of street dance at The Public in West Bromwich called Hip Hop Revolution and Carnival Bashment at Simmerdown Festival in Handsworth Park with hundreds of people getting involved and thousands watching!

We are offering  Asian dance workshops to Birmingham and surrounding area school’s and youth community groups with dance professionals, working towards a showcase at RAAJ FM mela in June 2012. We are looking to start the workshops in April 2012 and want to sign up schools ASAP

Please contact our Education and Outreach Co-Ordinator Mandeep Malhi on mandeep@punch-records.co.uk /0121 224 7444 for further information.

Please see the attached PDF for further information

DESI MOVES crib sheet

Jamaica Gold 2012 looks forward into the next fifty years of music, entrepreneurship, cuisine, tourism, fashion and writing set to break out from Jamaica. Jamaica Gold 2012 will bring the best of Jamaican culture ­ passionate, political and shocking – to fresh audiences and eager consumers worldwide.