from South Africa to the Clyde

A short note about an upcoming cultural event with a political twist. On Sunday March 11, veteran South African jazz musician and anti-apartheid campaigner, Hugh Masekela is in Glasgow. He will be taking part in a conversation with Hardeep Singh Kohli in the City Halls in Candleriggs, Glasgow at 6.00pm. This precedes his Concert in the Old Fruitmarket (same complex) at 7.30pm.

The talk will concentrate on his life, music, and the struggle against apartheid. He is a world renowned jazz trumpeter, but can successfully fuse jazz with a variety of other musical styles. As a boy growing up in the townships of South Africa, he was inspired to learn the trumpet after seeing Kirk Douglas play Bix Beiderbecke in Young Man With A Horn. He begged one of his teachers – who happened to be anti-apartheid campaigner Father Trevor Huddleston – to buy him a horn and in return he promised to stay out of trouble!

The conversation is free, but ticketed. The concert is £16. (Both have booking charges for phone and on-line bookings). Tel 0141 353 8000 or on line at www.glasgowconcerthalls.com. 

The Number One Social event of 2011

At this time of year, people’s thoughts often turn to the potential of next year’s holidays, and an increasing number now plan Southern Africa trips. 

While we often celebrate the success of the Anti Apartheid Movement (AAM) and the African National Congress (ANC) in ridding South Africa of the scourge of apartheid, anyone who has travelled there will tell you that there is still much that needs to be done.

Scotland’s former campaigners against apartheid know this more than most, and formed a successor organisation to AAM, Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA), to work for peace, democracy, reconstruction and development in Southern Africa, and works to increase knowledge and understanding in Scotland of that region, including the legacies of apartheid and its widespread destructive consequences.

ACTSA in Scotland runs an annual event around this time, marking the anniversary of the founding of the ANC in 1912. This is always a very social event and involves a buffet meal, a pay bar and a ceilidh - featuring the toe-tapping tunes of George Reid and his Ceilidh band! And all this for a Fiver!. 

It all takes place at the STUC, on January 15th, 2011 and is usually a great night.

Those of you who know me will, by now, be waiting for the punch line, and in order not to disappoint I have acquired a number of tickets for the number one social event of 2011! 

If you want to go please email me - chrisbartter@btinternet.com. See you there!