Sahara Nights
Sahara Nights brought the house down with an array of film, photography, short story presentations and wonderful music to provide rich glimpses of the Saharawi world, culture and plight.
The Roundhouse in Camden provided in-kind support to Sandblast offering its Studio-Theatre to host the multi-arts Sahara Nights extravaganza on June 6th 2012. Filled to the brim with an audience of over 200 people, it was organised in collaboration with Fairtunes and Lyrix Organix and was funded by Arts Council and promoted by Refugee Radio.
The launch was interlaced with fantastic first-class performances from a wide range of international artists, such as Guinean kora player Mosi Conde, British-Congolese band Ruby and the Vines, Venezuelan Luzmira Zerpa and her band Family Atlantica, British-Nigerian poet and playwrite Inua Ellams, Scottish violinist Lizzie Ogle and Hispano-Saharawi singer and guitarist Suilma Aali. The evening culminated with a stellar performance from Saharawi singer and percussionist Aziza Brahim, who was presenting her new album Mabruk, inspired by her poetess grandmother Lkhadra Mabruk.
Afterwards, all the musicians joined her onstage, together with Algerian friends Karim Dellali, Yazid Fentazi and Redha Boudbagh, for the mother of all jams, showing how music can launch a powerful message of peace and hope.
