Concert: Sounds of Sudan

Tonight, I was thinking film again - but another late listing had the World Music Meetup (WMM) advertising Sounds of Sudan, at St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. At a time when Sudan is in the news for all the wrong reasons, this sounded a lovely concert by Sudanese artist Mo Sarrar. So I booked for that.

Not much choice for eating around there, so I ate at The Lucas Arms - where she started pouring my drink the minute she saw me! "Psychic", as I remarked to her - and yum, my meal was gorgeous as ever. With not much custom, I was served quickly, and left quickly - which was as well, considering the buses were playing up again. The #46 stopped one stop early (without warning), so I had to change - that bus stop is closed because of road works, a temporary one erected a few feet away.. and Google Maps was of the opinion I should get off the next bus one stop too early; just as well I used to live around here, and know the area! So, I came safely to my destination - where they weren't quite ready, so directed us to the waiting "yurt":

It's a lovely space, a large, empty, circular room encircled by a comfy sofa, with cushions - each of the windows has the word "peace" written in a different language. It filled up in due course - including a family with the cutest little boy, who was just learning to walk, and wasn't happy unless he was investigating everyone in the room. He developed a fascination with one old lady's crutch, which I got a slight belt of at one point - no harm done! And he provided endless entertainment for the quite extended time we were in there - not sure what the problem was, but they were quite late in coming to tell us we could go in.

When we filed in, it still took ages before they were ready. And even as they played (two artists called Mo, I didn't get the other guy's name), they spent long periods between songs trying to decide what to play! I mean, I get it that they're perhaps not so used to performing - Mo Sarrar has apparently accompanied other artists there, but it was his first time headlining. But jeez, you'd think they'd have some idea, right? Otherwise, why agree to perform..?

I'd as rather have never heard them at all. You know when you hear music that's a kind of mash-up of pop and traditional? the kind of pop you tend to hear in parts of the world not really known for their contribution to pop on a global scale? Yeah, that's exactly what occurred to me as I endured this. The guy has a good voice - it's just his musical choice.. Now, beforehand, the MC asked who in the room was Sudanese, and a number of folks raised their hands - including that old lady, sitting next to me at the concert. And, to be fair, they loved it - she, in particular, was really jiving to it. Me, I couldn't wait to get out of there. It didn't help that the toddler and his family were behind us, and for goodness' sake, I know he's cute, but they were playing cartoons to keep him distracted (with the sound up!), and chatting amongst themselves - if I had been enjoying the concert, I'd really have been pissed off.

As it was, I was out of my seat like a greyhound at the interval. As I made my way out, the MC remarked that, if there were any WMM members in the room who wanted to meet, they could, um, meet by the lights over there.. you what? Yeah, I really fancied standing by the lights like a lemming. I do wonder whether she organised this Meetup.. I didn't ask. Just made my way home - although I forgot to doubt Google Maps, and they had me getting off a stop early again. What, are they trying to get me to exercise? (much like my flatmate, who unbeknownst to me was sat behind me on the bus home, and deliberately got off a stop early.. must be for exercise, there's nothing to do on the way! You wouldn't mind, but she's so thin she could actually pass for the Slender Man in a horror film..) Ah well, at least I got home early.

Tomorrow, again, loads of stuff on Meetup - but two of my groups are running events that would interest me, but are sold out. The Horror Book Club, meantime, is reading The Yellow Wallpaper - a novella that I found on Kindle, and downloaded a free sample for. Mind you, it came as part of a collection.. and is so short that its entirety was included in the free sample! so I read the whole thing in half an hour. How different from our last assignment.. I wasn't that keen on it - although the ending is good. So I'll probably head to yet another film that night. That blasted film listings site still has, as of now, partial listings up for it. Frankly, they're taking the mickey now. So - subject to change, as so many films are listed with the caveat "no information available at the moment" - tomorrow's film is looking like How to Blow Up a Pipeline, the fictional account of climate activists attacking a pipeline in Texas. Showing in my local cinema - not that the listings site let me in on that secret, but from experience, I tried the cinema website myself directly.. only today did they finally concede it's on there!

On Thursday, I booked a livestream from the Crick Crack Club, from the Story Museum Oxford. This is King Lear Retold. However, these tend to be available for a week after - so I've taken the opportunity, also, to book another concert with the WMM! This is La Chinganera, in the Finnish Church - and the concerts organised by Eleanor Salter Thorn of TunedIn London are always good!

Then back to Ireland for the coronation weekend. For Saturday (post-coronation), the film is looking like Missing - now, this does look interesting. Taking place almost entirely online, it concerns a teenage girl's efforts to find her mother, who's gone missing on holiday abroad. I do love techy films.. and this has one of the same writers as Searching, an excellent film on the same lines, about a father looking for his missing teenage daughter. In fact, apparently, this film starts with footage based on that film..

For Sunday (given that, with a coronation bank holiday, I have an extra day again), the film is like to be The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, one of those eccentric British comedies, in which Harold (Jim Broadbent) is distressed to hear that his good friend is dying. He's going to post her a letter - but instead, decides to hand deliver it. His wife (Penelope Wilton) is less than impressed, considering she's at the other end of the country.. based on a book. Anyway, both showing in Ennis.

Next Tuesday, back in London, I'm - heh - thinking of film again. Now, that film listings site is, as established, a nightmare - but I have a choice of two; there's Pamfir, which is Ukrainian, and The Blue Caftan, which is Moroccan. Both showing in my local cinema (how else would I even know they existed..?). Anyway, we'll see - both rated the same at the moment, but straightaway, Pamfir looks more interesting to me, set in dense forests swirling with mist, and lying somewhere on the border between fact and fantasy..

On the 10th, back with Up in the Cheap Seats, for Retrograde, in the Kiln. Based on Sidney Poitier, and what he had to do to become a star, it seems.. Now, this is from the same writer as For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy. Which I hated. So I'm taking a risk.

And on the 11th, I'm back with The Hideout: Horror Sci-Fi Club London, for wine tasting followed by comedy (hmm..) in La Pizzica restaurant. Could be interesting..

Concert: Iranian Music

Tonight - not so much appealed on Meetup. Free Stuff and Free Events did have Free Community Singing with Ros Hone and the Global Fusion Sound Singers, which you could attend on Zoom, or in person at Fossdene School Community Hall. Which sounded just fine - except that this is the sort of thing I keep cancelling! So I decided not to confirm until nearer the time. Which is just as well, because - pretty last-minute - Eleanor Salter Thorn, from Tuned In London, just a short while ago advertised an evening of Iranian music with Shahab Azinmehr, with the World Music Meetup. I adore this kind of music - and for once, it wasn't all the way out in Rotherhithe! It's just such a trek.. no, this was in St. Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. Which, ironically, is just down the road from where I last lived.. anyway, much closer to me than usual for these concerts! Refugees and asylum seekers got free tickets.

I ate in The Lucas Arms, being convenient - there isn't much around where I was going. We'd been asked, during the day, to get there early - in the event, I got there before it opened at all! which was a tad inconvenient, in the cold. Happily, they did open for us a few minutes early. And it's lovely - renovated after an IRA bombing, it now boasts many Arabic influences in its courtyard:

Interestingly, they have a yurt behind this wall!

We had to wait a little while, and then we had our names checked, and could get in from the cold! Seating is unreserved:

I was the first of the group there - and when the organiser arrived, she was the last of the group there! Several had signed up to come, but it seems as though I was the only one to realise you had to buy a ticket - and now it was sold out. Happily, it turned out, it was also livestreamed.

As the MC established, the crowd was full of Iranians! Shahab Azinmehr took some time to explain to us some of the principles of Iranian music - but mostly, it was just a lovely, soothing evening of him on the sitar, accompanied by Fariborz Kiani on percussion.. Gorgeous. I don't hear enough of it, and I do look forward to more Meetups like this - so different from offerings by other groups. Nice, spiced apple drink available at the interval too. I hadn't realised, but there is actually a series of concerts here, called Listen to the World.. I can't seem to find information online, but doubtless I'll hear more in due course. And, with buses appearing without delay to whisk me home, I was back nice and early!

Tomorrow - back with the Crick Crack Club, woohoo! for Goddesses in the Garden, at the Chelsea Physic Garden. Features my favourite, Clare Murphy, along with Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, Laura Sampson, and Xanthe Gresham. Now, it's been so cold this week that I was worried - especially when I checked tomorrow's weather forecast, which is for unremitting snow! But upon closer inspection, I see it's indoors, phew! They have a gallery, it seems. Gee, I had visions of us all turning into ice sculptures.. Anyway, turns out this is now sold out, too.

On Thursday, my final booking - for the week - with Up in the Cheap Seats, for Brilliant Jerks at Southwark Playhouse. And wouldn't you know it, I still had credit on my Pay as you Go subscription, so got it for free!

And then it's back to Ireland for the weekend again. Now that the film listings are finally out for there, at the top of the list is one I hadn't heard of. My Sailor, My Love is an Irish, geriatric love story - a crusty old ex-sailor is looked after by his daughter, who gets in a housekeeper (Brid Brennan, looking a lot older than when I last saw her, in Brooklyn). The last thing she's expecting is for them to fall in love..