ZELDA GUNZELL and JEROME TO APPEAR ON THE 100% SPA SHOW

Zelda Gunzell,( AKA Rare Diamond) & her son Jerome  will be appearing on the 100% SPA show on SLR radio  97.7FM www.myspace.com/slrradio or at 7.35pm  today 11th April 2011. She will be talking about her work, the projects, and why mentoring is so crucial for our young people.  Her will also be joining her on the show to share his experiences as a young person in the UK. .Join us today for an exciting show with Sta and Buzzin Bee.

Read on about this phenominal woman and her who is making a great contribution to the community through her work.

Zelda Gunzell ,( AKA Rare Diamond) was born and raised in south London is the author of 25 books, a poet and a project manager, with a strong desire to support and re-educated young people.

Business Philosophy:
As a woman and a mother, she is most disturbed regarding the alarming and increasing desperate cry for guidance and knowledge relating to youths and the combining labels. Consequently I feel a personal obligation to offer my assistance. More to the point, our younger generation are the men and women of tomorrow, therefore she believe that all level headed members of society have a duty to guild them away from encountering unnecessary sorrow.

She runs ‘Through Knowledge Gain Power LTD’. This is a non-profitable business that offers a mentoring service for youths and adults.
We provide:
1. Self assessment programs
2. Self development programs
3. Relationship advice.
4. A platform for individuals to express themselves in a controlled environment.
5. Helpful advice for parents and career concerning parental skill and development.

At present  Through Knowledge Gain Power Ltd  is in the process of setting up programs in schools and we are in consultation with a housing estate in Lambeth, to run our workshop.

The Program.

Developed over 5 years, the programme covers subjects such as internal fear, the peril of drugs and alcohol abuse, option to alleviate despair, self-destructive behaviour, violence, person obligations and most important the power of the mind!
Our mentoring tools have a proven track record of achieving quality results, the programme is acclaimed and also special need friendly.

The company’s concept of delivering the program will include aid such as communicative poetry, talking sessions, PowerPoint’s, music, assessment programs and one to one session.

It’s service is designed to nurture and spread self-improvement, to demonstrate worthiness, which incorporates the power of self-control and personal obligations..

Competitive Edge.
The service is unique as it is inviting youths to explore their potential and natural talents, in order to consolidate wisdom and encouragement for partakers and others within the community. This will be delivered in a relaxed setting with creative interventions. The method and tools used are not derived solely by research and textbooks. Having suffered difficulties herself as a child in this system, she decided to use those experiences to create a large selection of poetry, plays, slide shows and a perception game to convey a variety of subjects, specifically designed to be use within a workshop to assist partakers self-improvement as they elevate to congruent employment. The program is also compatible with the national curriculum key stage 3 and 4 (age11-16) reading levels 7-8, communication skills level 7-8, and writing level 4.

Background Experience
Mindful of the increasing level of crime, Zelda became employed as a crime prevention officer. Thereafter she wanted to become directly involved in her community, as a result, she used the power of words and play-acting illustrations to connect with the local youths. She also offered her support to the mayor of London concerning the trident campaign with thought provoking poetry in relation to guns. Meanwhile She carried out an extensive research over a five-year period, studying various subjects including mentoring, narcotics learning disabilities, depression and fear.

Zelda’s has written and dispatched several poems to numerous organizations and on occasions and her work has been showcased in the Glena newspapers. She has recited poems at schools and seminars, including an exhibition at Kenwood House during the black history month the Jamaican association, Windrush. Zelda’s community activities also include, child care, fostering, caring for children with physical and learning disabilities, Additionally, she was a self-employed hairdresser and have written 25 manuscripts, four plays and compiled lyrics for two songs. Zelda has also managed her own a record shop. Meanwhile she has acquired an abundance of knowledge concerning learning difficulties .

Jerome will be  sharing his experiences in British society as a young person  and commenting on  issues which affect young people. As a young person he will  give a  perspective that  is often so lacking  in  the  discourse. Jerome is an oustanding and brilliant young man willing to   share his thoughts to ignite action.

We will be  doing special commentary on the 3oth Anniversary of the Brixton Upsrising.

Join us with  our studio guests Zelda Gunzell & Jerome in the hot seat – 100% SPA Show -SLR97.7FM . or www.myspace.com/slrradio .It’s going to be a sintilating show! Dont miss this one.

Family of Smiley Culture: ‘We’ll do our own investigation’

THE FAMILY of Smiley Culture have hired their own pathologist to examine the reggae icon’s body as part of their quest to find out the truth surrounding his tragic death.

Merlin Emmanuel said as well as the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation, the family would be conducting their own enquiry.

Smiley Culture, real name David Emmanuel, died on March 15 during a police raid on his Surrey home.

To a packed audience at a public meeting in Brixton, south London, on Thursday, Mr Emmanuel said: “On average one person a week has died in police custody in the last decade. How is it that not one police officer has been convicted of the murder of a citizen in their custody?

“It is for this reason that my confidence in the IPCC and the judicial process is minimal.”

He added: “The IPCC can tell us what happened to Smiley and others, but what they can’t do is guarantee justice. That we must do for ourselves.

“I say to Prime Minister David Cameron and those that came before him, if you can champion justice and freedom in foreign territories, how can you ignore what is happening on your own doorstep?”

Mr Emmanuel urged the community to show their support by uniting and backing their campaign by attending a peaceful march from Wandsworth Road to Scotland Yard on April 16.

IPCC chairman, Mike Franklin, said: “The community demands the truth and I’m seeking the truth, but I need your support in this process. I need your help to see it through to the end. I need to ensure that justice is done for Smiley Culture.”

He said the lack of independent witnesses was the biggest hurdle in the investigation into the 48-year-old’s death that could only be overcome by extensive forensic examination.

Mr Franklin added: “The only other people there other than Mr Emmanuel were four Metropolitan police officers. There were no independent witnesses.

“Anyone who has any experience of investigating deaths in police custody would know they would have a challenge facing their investigation.”

Black People Tired of Drug Dealer Stereotype

NEGATIVE STEREOTYPE: Denzel Washington in Training Day

BLACK FILM characters are too often portrayed as drug dealers, a new study has found which may come as no surprise to Voice readers.

More than 80 per cent of African-Caribbean people said they were unhappy with the negative stereotype, and a further 63 per cent said black roles were overly sexual.

This reflected the view of the general public who agreed with the stereotype.

And of the 4, 315 people surveyed, 74 per cent expressed a desire to see a superhero in a film that was not a white male.

The study was commissioned by the UK Film Council to find out how minority groups were perceived by audiences.

Mary Fitzpatrick, head of diversity at the UK Film Council, said the results made clear that more work needs to be done to create authentic characters that reflect reality.

She said: “Film has the ability to change behaviour and shift opinion, so we in the industry all have a responsibility to ensure these findings are not ignored.”

The research would now play an important role in helping make a “powerful and dynamic change to the way in which diverse groups are portrayed in film going forward”, Fitzpatrick added.

In a further twist, the study showed that despite having to put up with one-dimensional characters, black people represent some of the most regular film viewers.

Up to 56 per cent of black African and Caribbean people visit the cinema on a monthly basis, in comparison to the average 31 per cent.

Significantly, around two thirds said they would watch more films if they felt they were presented more accurately, underlining the fact that the film industry would benefit if they adopted the recommendations.

British comedienne and actress, Jenny Eclair, said: “Sadly, this research demonstrates that, even in our culture of supposed diversity, film – one of the key cultural mediums – is still misrepresenting large proportions of UK film goers.

“The industry is in danger of continuing this misrepresentation where there is clearly the opportunity at hand to change opinion for good”.

Seven African Male Icons That Shaped History

One of the challenges, and also opportunities with writing an opinion blog like mine is having to take a stand on the range of topics you write about. Whether it’s feminism, women’s libidoes, pornography or natural hair, when you take a firm stand on something you can appear to be unable to relate with the opposing side. This is untrue especially because before you can take a well thought-out stand on anything you need to understand not only the issue at hand but also the other end of the spectrum. And when you understand the other side of the spectrum, you are less likely to militantly shun it.

For example as an African feminist I do not hate men, in fact I don’t really hate anything because I’m what the massmedia would like to make you believe doesn’t exist, a happy feminist, and I’m in good company. Or, because I wrote about how African men should observe violence towards African women doesn’t mean that I think men of other ethnicities do better. Women in every single part of the world are subject to gender based violence. However, I believe that in Africa it’s a very pressing issue in the sense that it’s negatively affecting also already strained economies.

So, as I don’t hate men and not even African ones in particular, here’s a list of seven amazing men that have made a huge impression on me for how they shaped the history of Africa, and of the world. Enjoy!

Albert John Luthuli
1. Albert John Luthuli – The First Nobel Laureate

At the Nobel Award ceremony in 1960, where Luthuli was the first African to be awarded a Nobel prize (for peace), Luthuli resolutely read from his acceptance speech:

“…I accept it also as an honour not only to South Africa, but for the whole continent of Africa. Quite long ago my forefathers extended a hand of friendship to people of Europe when they came to that continent. What has happened to the extension of that hand only history can say, and it is not time to speak about that here, but I would like to say, as I receive this prize of peace, that the hand of Africa was extended. It was a hand of friendship, if you read history…”

Seven years later, whilst out walking near his home, Luthuli was hit by a train and died. The official cause that he was crossing the line at the time was an explanation dismissed by many of his followers who believed more sinister forces were at work.

Leopold Senghor
2. Leopold Senghor – The Poetic President

It is quite impossible to separate the politics of Leopold Senghor from the poetry of Leopold Senghor.

Had he not been involved in politics, his poetry might have lacked the dimension of influential experience. Had he not been a poet, the politician in him might have lost his sense of direction and become crippled by everyday pressure.

Even though his love affair with Africa was ignited as a young poet and writer in Paris, it was his political consciousness, which led to the concept of Negritude, a movement created by Senghor and defined by African socialism and intellectual identity, and seen as Africa’s contribution to the coming universal civilization.

Both as a poet and as a president, Senghor was an African man with a single purpose: to create a new world, a new philosophy, a new literature, and ultimately, a new society. This was a task worthy of a great heart.

Painting of Osei Tutu
3. Osei Tutu – The First Asante Warrior

The founder and first ruler of the Asante empire in present-day Ghana, Osei Tutu was the most noted ruler of the Asante. In about 1685 Osei Tutu succeeded his uncle as ruler of Kumasi, and through wars of expansion he brought several Asante territories together against common enemies. This military union provided the framework of Asante unity. Osei Tutu made Kumasi the capital of a growing Asante kingdom.

His legacies still endures today. For example he founded the Golden Stool, the supreme shrine of the Asante people and a symbol of their spiritual and political identity. He also founded Odwira, an annual festival. Osei Tutu also established a set of laws that the Asante regard as the basis of their nation.

There is a luxury label named after him.

Thomas Sankara
4. Thomas Sankara – The Radical Revolutionary

Thomas Sankara seized power in 1983 in a Pan-African coup in what was Upper Volta. He changed the name of the country to Burkina Faso meaning ‘land of honest men’. Sankara’s vision was to create economic and political change which would work in the interest of Burkina Faso’s people rather than Western interests and before his assassination he implemented notable reforms in agriculture, education and women’s issues, for example he banned FGM (female genital mutilation). He said:

‘There is no true social revolution without the liberation of women”

When asked why he had let it be known that he did not want his portrait hung in public places, Sankara said ‘There are seven million Thomas Sankaras’.

Patrice Lumumba
5. Patrice Lumumba – The Legendary Martyr

If there’s truth to the belief that the ultimate test of charismatic leadership is a certain capacity to create legend, then Lumumba deserves his place in history as the African icon who left behind him the most inspiring legacy of past African leaders.

Whether as a martyr symbol of Pan Africanism, a prophet of African nationalism, or as the champion of left-wing intellectuals, Lumumba serves as a larger-than-life character around whom people can weave their hopes of a proud and visionary African leader.

Critics say Lumumba failed to implement many positive results during his term in office. They believe that he was a more effective Africa nationalist in death than he was in life.

Despite this, his legacy as the Messiah of radical African nationalism is indisputable, he was a leader who sacrificed his own life for the independence of his country.

Statue of Behanzin in Benin
6. Behanzin – The Fearless King

Behanzin was Dahomey’s last independent ruler before colonialism and ruled from 1889 to 1894. He strongly resisted European intervention into his country and it is believed that his army included a division of thousands of female warriors.
When the French envoys arrived at his palace with presents, it is reported he brushed the presents aside, saying contemptuously, “We have cases full of that in Dahomey.” When told of the workings of the system of government in France, it is said that he took his pipe from his mouth and laughed loud and long, saying that he much preferred his own, which was quicker and more original. “Dahomey, has never ceded Cotonou to France, and if the French do not get out at once, I will drive them out myself.” War began. In the first few engagements Behanzin was victorious. France, realizing they had a difficult enemy to cope with, selected their best colonial fighter, Colonel A. A. Dodds, a Senegalese/French, and sent him against Behanzin. Behanzin defeated Dodds although later during the same war the latter claimed the ultimate victory thanks to heavier artillery.

This picture of Behanzin and his two wives is fascinating!

Fela Kuti
7. Fela – The Multi Instrumentalist

Outlaw musician, spiritualist, polygamist and activist Fela Kuti’s legacy is one that breathes throughout Africa.

Philip Sweeney discusses in his obituary to Fela that the artists pronouncements in the 80s became ‘colourful’. He writes about one of his theories on mystical studies:

“A much-aired recent theory, characteristically unsupported by anything as mundane as evidence, concerned the presence in Windsor Castle of a Yoruba ritual pot purloined by the explorer Mungo Park, the vibrations from which were fomenting global misfortunes.”

In this radio interview from 1986, Fela doesn’t seem fully able to exhibit the great intelligence, clarity and wit that most of us admire him for. The last years of Fela’s life might remain a slight mystery to his fans, but the music and message he delivered at the height of his activism eludes the understanding of no-one who listens.

Danny Blaze & The Kayz Talks to 100%SPA Show on SLR Radio97.7FM

Danny Blaze & The Kayz are appearing the 100%SPA Show on SLR radio on today Monday 21st March 2011 on 97.7FM or www.myspace.com/slrradio .They will interviewed by presenter Buzzin Bee begins at 7.35pm . Join the rest of team as we cover our clues news, your review . The 100% SPA Show -’Exchanging Views,Empowering People’

Danny Blaze & The Kayz are cousins raised primarily in Tottenham North London.
They started making music from as early as seven years old and have gone from strength to strength taking seperate paths until they came together again to form Eloheem Enterprise.

Danny Blaze aka ‘Brasco Da Don’ is a rapper/producer/writer/director/actor…
He formed a group called ‘Soul Mafia’ at the tender age of twelve along with four other boys and a manager. They made a combination of hip-hop/RnB and dancehall, doing shows around London, but due to in house conflict they broke up.

Blaze continued solo and went around battling M. C.s while becoming a sound engineer and working with several up and coming artists and producers.
He teamed up with an independent record label and an acoustic singer called Jo G. doing shows around the U.K.
Contract differences ended the alliance and once again Blaze went solo on another label working on an album called ‘New Style’. The Kayz featured on some of the tracks along with a few other artists. The label went bust and the album never got finished but several tracks got released underground creating a buzz on the streets.
Danny Blaze has released a mix C.D. called ‘Danny Brasco Da Don Blaze’ which is still selling and has featured on several other artists C.D.s and compilations.

Danny Blaze & The Kayz formed Eloheem Enterprise combining both of their respective talents and vision.

Eloheem Enterprise is a creative outlet for many things such as music, prose, literature, scripts, materials and design.
But the most important thing is ‘bringing back a future for the children and community’.

The latest project is ‘The 8th Wonder’ an urban fusion of music which can only be described as ‘something for everyone’ featuring some of the best artists out of North London.

They do works alongside many community groups and tries to ‘bridge that gap between the older heads and the youth’.

The Kayz / Kareen

Kayz/Kareen have always written poetry/lyrics from my first memories, but she actually began singing publicly with my God-mother Toyin Adekale,
in such places like Duggies and Shady Groves back in the day, doing a few special appearances at the age of 5.

Later on in life she moved to the U.S.A where church had a great musical influence on me.
She loved the way the Afro Americans sang with such soul, depth and feeling, and wanted to fashion herself after some of these fabulous singers she came across.
Coming back to London in my teenaged years, she clearly remembers her cousin Danny Blaze (Brasco) and his mates huddled in his room around a microphone and the karaoke machine making tunes on a regular basis. It was not long after that we decided to begin working together in the music.

Apart from singing she runs a company called Blairs flare which is primarily focussed on the upliftment of the African community.
As an artist she enjoy beautifying people and things, she felt compelled to try and raise the personal standards/confidence of Africans here, reminding them that they have all rights to be anywhere on the planet and feel good about themselves and your culture.

African styled clothing, jewellery, wooden crafts and interior design are a few things she offers on the site, as well as access to health information/services and life coaching.

Kayz/Kareen plays an active roll in her community and is on a road of self discovery and development as she believes that this is the only way that we [Africans] as a people will progress…
Self realisation and restoration, then comes the further unity and organisation we require.

Kayz/Kareen describes herself as a people loving person [all people].However she does believe in nation first, and as no other nation faces what we[Africans] face. She feels it is imperative for herself and us to focus as much of our energies into the betterment of our situation globally.

HAITI FUNDRAISER-16th April 2011, North London

Black Londoners in association with WW Caribbean Cuisine Resturant& Bar will be hosting a African Diaspora Party  at 126 West Green Road, Tottenham 17  5AA. There will reading the book ‘A Lime Jewel’ by some the authors. There will music and food to enhance the atmosphere. Stay connectioned to this blog for more  update  or Listen the 100% SPA Show on SLR 97.7FM – online:myspace.com/slrradio.Every Mondays 7-9pm.’Exchanging Views, Empowering People’

The 100% SPA Show team

Our Motto : Exchanging Views , Empowering People

Prostate Cancer Month

African Caribbean CommunitiesAfrican Caribbean men are three times more likely to get prostate cancer than white men of the same age. So its important that we work specifically with these communities.

You can help us make a difference through:

Research – Improving our understanding of the impact of prostate cancer in the African Caribbean community
Making more people aware – Delivering talks and information via community champions
Educating health professionals and sharing good practice – Promoting delivery of appropriate information, care and services .

Why are African Caribbean men at higher risk?–The higher incidence of prostate cancer in African Caribbean men in the UK and US is also seen in men of African descent in the Caribbean and possibly West Africa.

Research is being done to find out why these groups have a higher risk of prostate cancer but so far, no reasons have been found.

The similar rates in black Caribbean and black African men suggests that there may be a genetic link. It may also be related to diets rich in fat or other lifestyle factors, although there is no specific evidence that diet is responsible for the raised risk

Other factors also affect the risk of developing prostate cancer, with increasing age being the most important risk factor.

The Charity and our Awareness Volunteers raise awareness in the community by delivering talks, hosting information stands or giving out information leaflets.

We recently trained African Caribbean Community Champions in London through our Older & Wiser project to raise awareness in this community. The project was London-based but has provided the Charity with useful learning for developing this work in other regions.

“I promised God that if I survived, I would do my best to put something back into the community and try to educate other men. Black men in particular are ignorant about the disease. They don’t want to talk about things like that.”

For more information about our Awareness Volunteers and how we can help you raise awareness in your community please visit the get involved pages.

We also have a specialist nurse, Suresh Rambaran, who targets regions with a high African Caribbean population to raise awareness among the community and among health professionals. He is currently focusing on the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

“Getting into the heart of the community is key; you have to go to where they are.”

As well as raising awareness of prostate cancer in the community, we also do work to ensure that healthcare professionals are aware of the raised risk in African Caribbean men and that they provide appropriate information and care for this community.

This year, we delivered our first African Caribbean Shared Learning Event. The half day event was a chance for health professionals to better their understanding of the issues surrounding prostate cancer in the African Caribbean community. Speakers shared learning from research into risks and perceptions of prostate cancer in the African Caribbean community and examples of good practice. This was followed by an evening networking reception where David Lammy MP spoke and pledged his support for the Charity’s work.

Every year, we also deliver a prostate cancer master class designed for specialist practitioners to ensure delivery of quality and up-to-date care for men affected by prostate cancer. We were keen to raise awareness of the issues affecting the African Caribbean community at this year’s event. One of our African Caribbean Community Champions shared his own experience of prostate cancer.

One of our specialist nurses, Suresh Rambaran, targets regions with a high African Caribbean population to raise awareness of prostate cancer among local healthcare professionals and cancer networks. He is currently targeting the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, bringing vital information about prostate cancer in the African Caribbean community to those who deliver local services.
The Older & Wiser Project was a three-year project funded by the City Bridge Trust. The aim was to recruit, train and support African Caribbean volunteers affected by prostate cancer to become Community Champions. These Community Champions help us raise awareness of prostate cancer within their own community.

Focusing on the London Boroughs of Lambeth, Newham and Hackney, we trained 26 Community Champions. They are raising awareness by distributing information leaflets, holding information stands at events and giving prostate cancer awareness presentations to local community groups.

The Community Champions have found creative ways to engage with the African Caribbean community and to encourage men and women to speak more openly about prostate cancer.

We carried out an evaluation of the project to help us learn from the work of the Community Champions and to improve our work with African Caribbean volunteers in the future. We also learnt a great deal about how best to communicate with our African Caribbean audience and the value of working in partnership with people within the community.

John, 69, trained as a Community Champion in Newham, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. He is currently receiving active surveillance. He wants to help raise awareness and says:

“A lot of people are not aware of this problem. I did not have any symptoms. I just felt that because of my age I should get checked out. But there are signs that men can look out for and it is better to be aware because the longer you leave it, the worse it can get.”

MASS MARCH AGAINST BETTING SHOP MADNESS

PRESSURE ON BETTING SHOPS

Find Your Voice Pressure Group(FYVPG) is holding a march on Saturday, 27th, November , 2010 from 12-4pm.The march leaves Every Bodies Music(261 Tottenham High) Road towards Bruce Castle- Bruce Grove then proceeds to Lordship Lane then on to Tottenham High Road, towards High Cross culminating at Every Bodies.

This march comes at back of FYVPG representations to Haringey Council’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee which met on 10th November 2010 to pool arguments and objections about the effects of gambling in poor communities. The march seeks to galvanize mounting support in Tottenham and surrounding areas to highlight the issue about the proliferation of betting shops in Haringey .The march also supports Haringey Council in its capacity to stymied the tide of betting shops pouring into economical deprive areas. Haringey Council turned down Paddy Power’s application in July 2010 to set up a betting shop in Every Bodies Music’s place. Paddy Power appealed against Haringey’s Council decision with the Planning Inspectorate. The result of that appeal is due by 15th December 2010. The campaign will continue collect signatures to add to the hundreds already collected which are oppose to the proliferation of betting shops.

There will be a number of speakers at the march: MP for Tottenham David Lammy ,Jenny Sutton trade unionist –UCU , Frank Murray- trade unionist- RMT, Peter Lamor –Green Lanes Group , Clive Carter – campaigner against gambling, Douglas Williams –Chairman, Find Your Voice Pressure Group(FYVPG ),Hesket Beniot –Lecturer and community leader.

This march is also part of a wider campaign to address the growing concerns of Haringey’s residents for diversity of business in the area. Although the campaign will focus on the impact of the Planning Inspectorate decision ; the issue of proliferation will dominate and shape the campaign. Haringey already have over seventy betting shops and needs diversity in business.

Spokes person for FYVPG Douglas Williams stated: ‘It is very important we continue build a strong partnership with other organisations, community groups and the local council to lobby central government to address the issue of proliferation .There are growing concerns about the impact of so many betting shops clustered in poor communities. This march wants to give more focus to having a boarder range of businesses ’

Distinguish Panel to Discuss President Obama’s Visit to Ghana

A panel of studio guests will on the 100% SPA show Monday 6th July 2009 to dicuss the President Barack Obama’s to Ghana on 10-11 July.
The panel will look at what the visit means for Ghana and the wider implications for the African continent.

The panel will also explore the various issues regarding United States relationship with Africa , Ghana’s strategic importance on the continent and other issues relating to the visit.

The panel is made up of Maxwell Enti an educator, Wysman a social & political commentator , Clytie Jay a social anthropologist and Bro Tongogara, ardent socialist and human rights campaigner .The discussion will be moderated by Buzzin Bee and will a have question and answer format.

The show will also looking at current issues of the day, there will a beauty and health segment, news and media review and motivational words for MGA Brown ,community news and information break. and much more

The 100% SPA show will be live SLR Radio 97.7FM at 7.10pm -9pm. The discussion gets under the way at 7.35pm.Please join us