Concert & Album Launch: DJ Raph – Sacred Groves, Apr. 21 2018 @ Kuona Artist Collective

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Date: April 21, 2018
Venue: Kuona Artist Collective
Time: 2-10 pm
Entry: Free
Lineup: DJ RAPH (Noland, Nairobi), Gebrüder Teichmann (Noland, NRBLN – BLNRB, ten-cities.com, Berlin), Jinku, Lerb, Abaki Simba Troupe

Album presentation at 6 PM.

Deco by: MAASAI MBILI ART CENTRE, Nita and Kuona Artists Collective

About
Sacred Groves is the debut album of Nairobi-based producer DJ Raph. It is a gem of a record: Considered, emotional and contagious. Sacred Groves opens up a timeless musical universe that is both ancient and futuristic; a deep melange of modern electronic bass music, African chants and traditional rhythms. It was released by Noland, Berlin and produced within the context of the curatorial project Mashup the Archive.

Mashup the Archive was a project of the Iwalewahaus, University of Bayreuth, Germany, dedicated to activating and making visible the extensive archive of African art that has been collected over the last thirty years. Working with Sam Hopkins as guest curator, young African artists-in-residence and a series of mini-festivals, the project explored accessible ways for new audiences to experience this rich cultural heritage.

Based on weeks of research in the extensive music archive, DJ Raph’s album fuses traditional and contemporary elements to create a sacred sound. His set will be embedded within other musical talent from Nairobi and followed by a set by Noland labelheads Gebrüder Teichmann from Berlin.

In cooperation with the Goethe-Institute Nairobi, elctronic duo Gebrüder Teichmann put together the initial projects in BLNRB & TEN CITIES. Since 2015 the brothers run NOLAND as a label and platform for electronic music with a transcultural aproach.
It grows from their deep roots in the underground and DIY-culture of the 90s and has been nurtured by recent fertile intercultural projects and collaborations. The Sacred Groves record release party, will be their first appearance back in Nairobi after 7 years.

Admission is free!

#SacredGroves cover artwork by nita.

La Belle Époque (Under Famous French Chef Christian Caldara) brings out South Western French Cuisine for Goût de France, Mar. 21 2018 at Alliance Française

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La Belle Epoque Restaurant a the French Cultural Center
Located inside the Alliance Française, La Belle Époque restaurant is a cosy French restaurant and one of the five restaurants taking part in Goût de France today (March 21, 2018).

Run by Christian Caldera, a famous French Chef, who first came to Kenya in 1974 just before he clocked 18 years. Christian’s first big break was servicing the newly built Gigiri UN Complex – which at that time needed a Chef to cater for the high profile guests that would be streaming in the country for meetings – there. He has been in the restaurant business ever since – which has seen him become the first Chef to set shop at the French Cultural Centre in Nairobi, operating a restaurant there from 1977 to 1991and later partnering up with Alan Bobbe of Alan Bobbe’s Bistro at Koinange Street.

For the Good France dinner, Chef Christian will be serving a one off dinner meal made up of three courses inspired by the South Western region of France.

Chef Christian Caldara during the interview at the Alliance Française Nairobi

According to Caldera, cooking is a philosophy that requires precision and value. He believes that the visual presentation of any food should not come before its quality. It is why he loves using the products in Kenya as they are high quality and fresh.

“I am extremely picky about what I work with, and Kenya has extremely good products that are not easily available in other markets,” the self-taught chef said.

He also believes that to be a world-class chef, you need to combine good product with good technique that is not only refined but finessed. The third thing would be to teach others about the process itself and being kind.

For today’s event, the guests will have a choice of rillettes de canard (duck rillette) or salade de gesiersconfit (gizzard confit salad) for the starter.

The chef prepares the rillettes de canard by chopping the duck and slow cooking it in fat until tender. The next step is to shred the duck and to cool it with fat to create a paste. The paste is then spread on bread.

The gizzard salad is also prepared in duck fat and served with mixed greens.
The main dish will be a choice between Confit de canned (preserved duck) and entrecote bordelaise (steak bordelaise).

For dessert, guests will have a choice of Crème Brulee and tourte sucrée de pruneaux, flambée à l’armagnac (Sweet pie with prunes and Armagnac) served in a pipe.

There will be an assortment of wine from South Western region of France to accompany the meal.

Location: La Belle Époque, Alliance Française
Time: 7pm onwards
Cost: KES 2500 (exclusive of wines)

https://www.facebook.com/nairobinow/videos/10155361334741334/

For Reservations: Contact Phone number +254 746 440 550 and/or e-mail labelleepoquerestau@gmail.com

By Nduta Waweru. (Video by Larry Asego Photography and Gilbert Nyangor.)

A Taste of France, March 20-23 2018 at Heron Portico’s Mdalasini Restaurant

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Chef Milos Ristic Outside Heron Portico Hotel Nairobi. | Photo: Robert Njathika
Goût de France is an annual international event that takes the taste of France to the world.
This year, it is taking place on March 21, and Mdalasini at Heron Portico is one of the 150 restaurants taking part in the event.

Heron Portico’s head chef, Milos Ristic, says that French cuisine is one of the richest in the world and dictates the standards across the globe.

“Some of the popular French dishes include the Crème Brulee, a dessert made with only four ingredients: eggs, cream, sugar and vanilla. And for a lot of people breakfast is not complete without a croissant,” Milos says.

To indulge you, the Mdalasini Gout de France menu comes with seven dishes for the dinner serving.

For Hors D’oeuvres, you get to the Salmon Tartare and Worm pear salad, which includes blue cheese, almond and honey dressing.

The entrée for the night will be the salade nicoise, a dish originating from the French city of Nice. While traditionally, it is made of tomatoes, eggs, Nicoise olives and anchovies, Milo’s version will feature fresh tuna, egg, lettuce, tomato and cucumber.

Before the main dishes, guests will be treated to a serving of strawberry sorbet, just as per the classical 7-course French dinner menu.

Guests will then get to choose from three main dishes, also called la plat principal: scallops, lamb chops and steak.

Lovers of seafood can select the scallops—pan-seared and accompanied with asparagus and pancetta.

The lamb chops come with a mixture of herbs, baby potato and Brussels sprouts while the flambé steak Diane is served with cauliflower mash and asparagus.
With the flambé steak Diane, guests will get to watch as it is prepared and flamed right before their eyes.

After the main dishes come the plateau de fromage (a selection of cheese). On the offer will be blue, camembert, feta, goat and cheddar cheese as well as fruits, spreads and breads.
To finish off the meal will be a choice of dessert from the dessert menu.

Every meal will come with a serving of wine specially provided for the event and sourced from various regions of French to give the guests the true taste of France.

Dates: March 20-23, 2018
Meal: Dinner
Time: 6-11pm
Cost: KES 3,950/- (exclusive of wines)
Venue: Mdalasini Restaurant, Heron Portico – Nairobi

For Reservations: Contact Phone number +254 731 988 834

https://www.facebook.com/nairobinow/videos/10155353239741334/

Find more information, on Mdalasini and Chef Milos Ristic, here

By Nduta Waweru. (Video by Larry Asego Photography and Gilbert Nyangor.)

The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler, Mar. 20-21 2018 @ Kenya National Theatre

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The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler

Dates: March 20-21, 2018
Venue: Kenya National Theatre, Harry Thuku Road, opposite The Fairmont Norfolk Hotel
Time: 7:00 pm
Tickets: Advance KES 3,500/- (available, here) and KES 5,000/- at the Gate

For info, call: +254 707 305365

In support of Come Together Widows and Orphans Organisation

The Vagina Monologues
An Obie Award-winning whirlwind tour of a forbidden zone, The Vagina Monologues introduces a wildly divergent gathering of female voices, including a six-year-old girl, a septuagenarian New Yorker, a vagina workshop participant, a woman who witnesses the birth of her granddaughter, a Bosnian survivor of rape, and a feminist happy to have found a man who “liked to look at it.”

Twenty years ago, Eve Ensler’s play The Vagina Monologues gave birth to V-Day, a global activist movement to end violence against all women and girls (cisgender, transgender, and gender non-conforming).

Directed by Kaz and Produced by The Arts Canvas / Mumbi Kaigwa

Concert: with Siti and the Band (from Zanzibar), Mar. 8 2018 @ Alliance Française Gardens

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Siti and the Band | via A/F Nairobi
Date: Thursday, March 8 2018
Venue: Alliance Française Gardens
Time: 7 pm
Free Entry

About
On the occasion of the 2018 International Women’s Day. Zanzibari music group ‘Siti & the Band’ led by vocalist and oud player, Siti Amina Omar. Amina overcame family and societal pressures to study taarab music at the Dhow Countries Music Academy. Together with her cousin Rahma Ameir (violinist) and Gora Mohammed (qanun player), she founded ‘Siti & the Band’, following in the footsteps of legendary female musicians from Zanzibar: Siti Bint Saad and Bi Kidude.

The trio’s music is a swinging mix of traditional zanzibari rhythms with contemporary musical styles.

Out of Town/Travel: Explore the Unknown, Mar. 3 2018 @ Savage Wilderness – Sagana

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Date: March 3, 2018
Venue: Savage Wilderness Sagana
Charges: KES 8,500/- inclusive of transport to and from Nairobi, meals, and listed activity fees.

About
Explore is a Travel Adventure Race born from the love of the outdoors. We try and keep an open mind at Explore, anything can happen when you yearn to “explore the unknown”. In this regard the races will be open to explorers who want to see Africa in a different light and don’t exactly mind not knowing where they will end up in this epic adventure.

RACE FORMAT:
Players in teams of FOUR get to attempt several activities within a specified time limit and get points in each. The tasks include but not limited to Rafting, Mountain Biking, Running, Trekking, Wall Climbing, Treasure hunt. Remember anything can happen at Explore and so keep an open mind and ready to play..

VENUE:
Savage Wilderness leads the way in Kenyan adventure tourism providing unique, breathtaking experiences in one of Nature’s most beautiful environments

March 3rd
Charges; 8,500 per person
Price include; Transport to and from Nairobi, Meals, Listed activity fees.

Find more information, here.

Dance: Unknown by Dancer and Choreographer – Adam Chienjo, Feb. 24 2018 @ Goethe Institut

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Date: February 24, 2018
Venue: Goethe Institut, Nairobi
Time: 6-9 pm
Entry: Free

About
Can we value what we don’t know? Is it possible to experience that which we cannot perceive? Can we then touch the soul of the unknown, can we make contact with it, could we listen to it? Can we feel the texture of the unknown? How does it move? From what direction does the unknown come from and to which direction does it go? Can we describe the unknown as still? Is it silent or is there sound and resonance? Is the unknown within time or is time within the unknown? To what extent does what we know contribute to the experience of the unknown?

Of happenings and experiences from the past, present and future, Unknown is an investigative journey through the experiences and places unknown and therefore deemed unperceivable but felt, can be proved, imagined and accepted as fact. The performance was developed by dancer and choreographer Adam Chienjo during a residence programme in Scotland and involves experimental dance and mixed media. It is accompanied by music that was composed specifically for this project by Ronnie Goodman and a video work by Raymond Ndikwe.

Admission: free.

Find more information, here.