Freshly Social

For the first time in two decades, the London Ska Festival will be bridging the gap between mainstream and independent music. From between the 21^st to the 24^th of April 2011 the Ska Festival will be entrancing audience members with smooth Reggae tunes. An estate agent Clapham side will have to act fast to secure rental properties for the flood of Ska music lovers who are sure to turn up in record numbers for this bustling concert. Way back in 1988 was the last time that a Ska festival was held – at the Brixton Fridge no less. Some of the acts included Napoleon Solo, The Loafers, Bad Manners and Skin Deep.

Sherlock Holmes, the world’s most famous fictitious detective, is normally associated with his Baker Street address in Marylebone, but he can currently be spotted solving cases in Barons Court. Ask the nearest Barons Court estate agent and they’ll tell you where to find the local theatre, an intimate venue with only 57 seats, located in the basement of The Curtains Up public house in Comeragh Road.

Milk Bottle Productions presents one-man show titled The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes, which opened at the Barons Court Theatre on 30th November, and will be running until 9th January 2011. Actor Robert Crighton reads and performs Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic tales, from the famous Hound of the Baskervilles and A Study in Scarlet to lesser-known stories like The Valley of Fear.

When George Morel, a dance music icon and New York house pioneer gives you advice, it’s probably worth listening to.

George seriously explored his interest in musical genres at the age of thirteen, quickly gravitating towards electronic-based music, which he learned to fuse with sincere personality.

Revelling in the possibilities of the turntables, George spent four years tweaking his skills. His character and environment channelled through an affinity for mixing, George’s experimentation led to an almost prophetic ear for deep city, disco veered house music. By seventeen-years old, George Morel was playing regularly in his corner of New York City.

George explained his big break during a recent interview with Beatport: “I landed my first DJ job on Tuesday nights at a club in New York City called Traxs, which turned out to be a great underground music nightspot for the Paradise Garage followers.”

After the stellar success of the ‘Overtones’ album and the smash hit ‘Starz in their eyes’, Just Jack would be hard pushed to produce a follow-up that would receive equal acclaim.

However, the Camden born artist/DJ/producer has come up with the goods with latest album ‘All night cinema’, out now, which has been showered with praise from critics and Just Jack fans alike.

Continuing to provide razor-sharp commentary on urban-life from an inquisitive young storyteller, Just Jack has combined his long established mastery of DJ production techniques with a melodic, free-flowing pop record.

The first release from the album, ‘Embers’, draws from Just Jack’s city roots, which saw him immersed in an urban musical landscape and develop a subtle, yet brilliantly poetic, talent for lyricism. The second release, ‘The day I died’, has been a YouTube sensation, with over 500,000 views, highlighting that interest in Just Jack’s imagination-stirring creations cast a spell on music fans, with their descriptive, almost film script-like narrations.

Whether David Jones is creating or complementing a triumphant soundtrack to dance music, there is no denying that his style is well and truly on-trend. With identifiable, vocal-infused house concoctions that regularly lead the Beatport pack, it’s an exciting time and both recording and performance-wise, there is much more on offer.

As a producer, and more recently as an artist, David has been one of the brightest rising stars in the industry, becoming one of its most sought-after remixers following spectacular chart success.

With a musical heritage that blends genres, David has fearlessly taken on some of the world’s most successful songs (of all time), adding his own extra-special ingredients to critical and club acclaim. In 2009, he topped Beatport twice. First with his mix of the legendary Michael Jackson track ‘Thriller’ and again with the Eminem hit ‘Without Me’. Bravely taking on such classic releases, David brought down the house, leaving an indelible mark on niche and commercial charts worldwide.

For years, London has been a popular destination among young South Africans who travel to the UK after graduating, working as waiters, plumbers or electrical contractors to take advantage of the favourable UK exchange rate. Currently, the Zulu Film Exhibition at the London Film Museum will give South Africans living abroad a chance to learn more about an iconic movie set in their home country; the film Zulu, released in 1964, depicts the Battle of Rorke’s Drift between the British Army and the Zulu tribe.

While the younger plumbers or electrical contractors Cape Town to Johannesburg might not be familiar with the movie Zulu, many will know the film’s location well; much of Zulu was filmed in South Africa, in Kwazulu-Natal and in the Drakensberg mountains. The Zulu Film Exhibition includes original colour storyboards, scripts, and unpublished photographs taken by director Cy Endfield on set in Kwazulu-Natal. Many of these items are on public display for the first time ever. Also on display at the Zulu Film Exhibition will be Assegai spears and shields, both from the film and the original battle.

Music legend Robin Gibb delights MN2S by joining its dynamic roster.

With a career celebrated across five decades, Robin Gibb has consistently inspired peers and fans worldwide with his unique and warming vocals, and a genre-defining writing style.

MN2S is excited at the prospect of working with one of the industry’s most dedicated icons and looks forward to bringing Robin even closer to his army of fans, as he continues his stellar career into another decade.

One of music’s most groundbreaking figures, Robin Gibb has enjoyed a string of solo successes in addition to his spectacular Bee Gees back catalogue. As part of one of the world’s greatest bands, with sales estimated at some 200m units and songs that are the soundtrack for generations of music lovers, Robin Gibb has a wealth of experience from which to illustrate his own captivating sound.

As the festive season approaches, Londoners will set out in search of fashion bargains and retailers will begin to recycle hangers as their clothing and accessory stocks sell out. For those who are more concerned with high fashion than high street shopping however, the Fashion in Film Festival will be a great deal more attractive than the Christmas fashion sales.

Founded in 2005, the Fashion in Film Festival (FFF) showcases and celebrates the use of fashion in international films. The Fashion in Film Festival is loved by film fanatics and fashionistas alike – the biennial festival is attended by designers, photographers, filmmakers and performers. The couture featured in the cinematic spectacles of the FFF is a far cry from the everyday brands you’ll find on shoe hangers in your local boutique!

Putting the heart in house for the past five years, Spanish dance favourite Rebeka Brown can look forward a record-breaking future with a new album and tour on the horizon.

Fired by an exciting new partnership with global artist agency MN2S, the award-winning diva is set to build on an already incredible career. Currently touring the ‘Discodramah’ tour, in support of the album with the same name, Rebeka’s busy complementing her catalogue of successes with an exciting new sound.

Featuring on numerous club land soundtracks and spending the past two years touring with Supermartxe and Matinee, Rebeka has already cemented her niche as one of the most dynamic performance vocalists on the scene.

Hits, such as the Juanjo Martin produced ‘Millenium’ and ‘Sun rising up’, took Rebeka straight to the top of Dance’s Most Wanted and set the tone for a career that music fans can’t seem to get enough of.

Winter Wonderland returns to Hyde Park this Christmas and brings with it a selection of rides, markets and glittering attractions for the whole family. Those people with Hyde Park property can look forward to stunning views and may want to rent out their Hyde Park properties to people visiting the UK for the Winter Wonderland Festival.