This week M-Net�s Studio 53 jets off to the UK along with presenter Fareed Khimani and attends the Notting Hill Carnival, which has become an internationally acclaimed event.
Remaining true to its Caribbean roots over the last four decades, it has matured into a melting pot of diverse cultural and musical genres that come together in West London�s streets. During the festival, hundreds of participants parade through the streets with their flamboyant costumes, while the music of Soca, Calypso and Steel bands that fill the air.
The food is another great attraction and Fareed, with his healthy appetite, couldn�t resist the Caribbean food. In the second segment Studio 53 looks at why tthousands of tourists flock to Africa every year to enjoy the beauty of our continent. As part of the insert Gaetano visits the Monyonyo Common wealth resorts in Uganda. The resort offers awe inspiring accommodation and a wide choice of luxurious bedrooms, bars, restaurants, meeting facilities and public areas.
This new resort is surrounded by beautiful water gardens, a new marina and boasts an amazing view of Lake Victoria at sunset. Viewers get a peep behind the scenes at Durella�s music video shoot. The musician worked together with South African director Morgan Dingle to produce the �hottest� music video and it is a play on the contrast between Durella�s old and his current lifestyle as a successful musician.
His combination of raw energy with well-produced beats showcases his lyrical best in the new album. Doing it for himself, Studio 53 speaks to Elias Sim�, one of Ethiopia�s most original and prolific contemporary artists, who taught himself to sew, embroider, and repair furniture from a young age. He�s taken all that he�s learned and climbed the steps of success, with his exhibition, Eye of the Needle, Eye of the Heart, in the United States.
As presenter Thembi discovered, his home reflects his deep connection with the community around him. This week Studio 53 also visits Citizen Kofi in Ghana, a six storey building with a cigar lounge, a club, VIP lounge, restaurant, cocktail bar and private penthouses on the 5th and 6th floors. A first of its kind, Citizen Kofi was conceived in Ghana and the interiors brought in especially from countries like Italy.
Club Citizen comes complete with a transparent DJ booth and glass dance floor. For Californian cuisine at high altitude, Restaurant Xango & the Sky Bar offer exotic continental dishes and local delicacies. In Nigeria Studio 53 visits a highly celebrated Nollywood actress who is also an ex-beauty queen who represented Nigeria at the Miss Earth International beauty pageant in 2004. Studio 53 had the honor of meeting up with Ufuoma and chatting about her new show Unscripted.
Then DStv audiences get to see the luxurious Sheraton Hotel in Gambia where Ndey Awa Khan Ceesay, who started in the fashion industry 15 years ago, has now expanded her business with three shops and exports clothing internationally. Studio 53 also showcases the fashions of Ida Sallah, who designs purely African creations for men and children. This talented duo is pulling out all the stops, passing on their knowledge and flair to the next generation of designers coming up in Gambia.
Then Studio 53 discovers why Africa is considered the birthplace of modern music when Susheela Raman hits South Africa for the Jazz on The Lake. Bands such as the Brazilian 17-piece SpokFevro Orquestra certainly got the audience tapping their feet and a spotlight was shone on Selaelo Selota who is currently making waves in the US. Selaelo recently released a new album called Lapeng Laka and really got the crowd going.
Also featured in the lineup were international artists Omar Pene from Senegal who was backed by Super Diamono, the band he sang for when he first came to fame. The performances continue with legendary Tsepo Tshola as well as the riveting Standard Bank Young Artist Jazz Trio featuring the formidable talents of Concord Nkabinde, Kesivan Naidoo, Mark Fransmann and hip-hop act, Zulu Boy, amongst others.
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