MWAH X

Well that's it I'm back in the UK...
You can carry on following the journey though at www.afroreggaedigital.com - there'll be new shows added all the time to the Introductory Programme currently broadcasting on the stream... There's also loads on the website - sets from the Favela Feva parties, picture galleries and pages from the students... Please log on now to www.afroreggaedigital.com - we want you to listen, and we want to know what you think so please email any comments to izzy@afroreggaedigital.com...
I tell you what it's been a blast, and continues to be... In many ways this doesn't feel like the end of a journey but the beginning of one... The radio station is up and running - we're recording shows with the AfroReggae family as well as guest artists and DJs; the first group of 24 students are about to embark on their formal 6 mth Radio Production & Web-based Media course, learning a range of skills from journalism to production to photography and DJing; the fundraising events continue with another Favela Feva party at Guanabara in September and BrazilianBeatz in Bristol on Nov 1st...
There's a lot to do, so it's time for me to go... I'm about to get on with writing another of the workshops (still a few left to start..!)
I want to send much love and respect out to everyone I met and spent time with in Brazil...
At the moment I am mostly feeling the word: Suadade
I miss you... but distance can't get in the way of love
Thank you also to everyone who supported from the UK - you have all made this possible not just for me but also the station, the students... who knows how far it can go..? AfroReggaeDigital is testimony to what can be done when we pool our efforts and work together for the common good... so thank you to everyone - in Brazil, the UK, all around the world, let's keep AfroReggaeDigital alive, on air and listen! New audio & visual content on the website all the time, hold tight for the live show coming soon too!
Kay I need to jump off of here... they tell me it's all about facebook now (4 months away and it's true - so many things stay the same, so many things change...) So I've got a page (look for Izzy Fairbairn) and there's an AfroReggaeDigital network going on too - www.facebook.com
So if I haven't seen you already I hope to hear from you soon...
Tchau (for now...) & Big Love, Izzy (not) in Rio (anymore) Xxx

HAPPY 14th BIRTHDAY to AFROREGGAE

Well I know I've been very bad staying away for so long... It hasn't meant there's been nothing to talk about though... The big news is is that THE STATION IS ON AIR... We had a big strategy meeting (gosh) a few weeks ago now, and kind of a second smaller one today where we've decided the immediate objectives for the station. There's been a show on loop up since Monday 4th June. This will be added to with various bits of audio - shows and inserts - from the AfroReggae family, students, guest artists and friends of the station, until September when we launch the schedule with a daily live show and regular shows online from the students. School term, so to speak, starts officially on July 9th and until then there'll be regular workshops creating content for the online stream and site. So please keep checking www.afroreggaedigital.com for some wicked beats and interesting (guaranteed to be..) radio from now.
In between the meetings I've been pre- and post-producing the show... got the red eye computer editing look totally down and had to play a lot of musical computers. I'm sad to say my laptop is not happy - she's got no space left in her at all and half her monitor is cracked so i'm currently writing this on a third of a normal screen size...... which means i'm gonna try and keep this short (oh dear she just went dark then not a good sign - i'd better be quick...) So bleary eyed in the middle of the edit I went on an amazing holiday with the fam... We went to the 2 sides of Iguacu (Wow - the power of the water, the rainbows, the serenity, the intensity) and staying in a lodge on the Amazon River... Chilled out with the monkeys and watched the sun rise/set to the sound of the jungle... Incredible - big up, thanks and love to the beautiful family.. Was a great week... XxX

Mario & I went to see Brazilian Saxaphone star Leo Gandelman at the old Rival theatre after checking out art at the National Museum - very cultured.

Taking some time off (Gasp)

So since last week I've had a meeting about the long-term funding for the station and done two full days of workshops. I've been teaching the students about Vox Pops and introducing them to the concept of interviewing. We incorporated a visit by 19 Natura staff - a natural cosmetics company that sponsors AfroReggae - into Tuesday mornings' workshops and got the kids to teach the basics of jingles and on-air delivery in 15 minute sessions. I have bought more equipment for the studio including a big clock and clipboards. I have also (thank the lord) had the chance to catch up on old emails and things to do!
AfroReggae have advised us to slow down with the project in order to take stock of what we've achieved and allow AfroReggae, as an organisation, to catch up. Although there's still a great deal to do in terms of compiling workshops and updating the website I am trying to heed their advice! We have a big strategy meeting on Wednesday when we will, as a team, decide the future steps of AfroReggaeDigital... We have reached a real turning point with the project. Everything so far has gone incredibly well and everyone is very happy - we must now ensure things carry on as such (which never fear, I'm sure it will!!)

DJ Andy - hands in the air..

Crazy Scratching

SP & The Drum n Bass tent

In between catching the sites of the city we raved at Skol Beats for my birthday. Had a wicked time and it was real nice to see some of the DnB boys. Caught joke, drinks and had a little dance with Fabs, Groove, Dynamite, D Bridge, Friction, SP & Calvin. Marky did some crazy scratching and DJ Andy - a Brazilian DnB DJ - played a stormer - a wicked old skool set. It wasn't the right atmos. to get audio for the station so I'll be sorting that out when I get to London. Thanks to Edo at Bulldozer for sorting out the AAAs anyways...

Buildings and Cars...

Buildings and cars...

SP was all buildings and cars

Had a wicked time in Sao Paulo last weekend although I have to say I didn't much like the city... so much pollution, so many stressed out faces, so much concrete, so many buildings, so many cars...

So last Thursdays workshop was great! In the morning Carlos, Valnei and Tatiana prepared a show on James Brown (it was the day of his birthday on Thursday May 3rd). They did some research, picked some tracks and wrote a script. The show was broadcast on Saturday - it should be going up online - watch this space. In the afternoon Paulo and Victor got to grips with the decks after recording vox pops around the centre and in the streets of the favela. They were asking people the question 'What do you think of AfroReggaeDigital?'. Braps to Mario and Fabio who did a wicked job helping us out with the workshops.

We did also work at Marcelinho's house honest

Saturday workshop

Ok so I ended up passing out and not making it to Premier even though i was down plus three on the guest list - gutted. But then I guess I needed the sleep. Woke up (relatively) fresh for Saturdays workshop which was great - the busiest it's been so far with a real energy in the studio. We got some of the students writing scripts for their first live shows - programming music, formulating links for example, and others recording or editing vinhetas. The four hour session ended up with them using the desk and practicing talking on air.
Managed to take Sunday off, bar a meeting, and wave goodbye to Marky boy who's now flown back to Bristol. Ritchie's also left to return to the beach life in Bahia. On Monday we quietly LAUNCHED THE STATION!!!!!! The day was spent in the studio with the students, preparing for their shows in the morning, and actually doing them in the afternoon. They will be available to listen to online shortly at www.afroreggaedigital.com. Also up there will be audio from the two Favela Feva events. In the evening I had a meeting at Marcelinho Da Lua's house about getting local artists involved in training the kids. You gotta check out this guy - a real talent http://www2.marcelinhodalua.net/. Unfortunately Marcelinho can't help with the party because there's not going to be one. We had a meeting with Damain from AfroReggae on Tuesday (another bank holiday - May Day this time as I guess everyone knows!) and they think it best we hold off on a big event until the station has had time to integrate fully into the AfroReggae family first, which is fair dues. To be honest, it certainly saves me the headstress of organising it and I can concentrate more on finishing the workshops, finalising the station schedule and most importantly working more closely with the kids.
Was up in Lucas today (Wednesday) although the workshops didn't go so smoothly as there was a power cut in the centre, a shame as we were due to do more live shows today. There's plenty more opportunity to do them though so all is not lost. I'm sure we'll be able to fit in a few tomorrow in between the workshops. We're just getting the kids used to being on air at this stage and there's no formal show structure in place yet. That's part of the next stage.
After a day of workshops tomorrow, I'm off to Sao Paulo (horay i'm so excited) straight from Fevre - Mario's drum n bass night. We're sleeping on the bus and then spending a few days in SP for Skol beats and my birthday. Will only be on my phone during that time, if i don't hear from you, see you on the other side... She's getting older.

By the way, Sergio is that guy in the white shirt with a big grin third from left below the main picture...

I was sitting right behind Sergio three rows back (we were early - 10 mins)

Also went up to Catagalo - the favela in between Copacabana and Ipanema beaches this week to discuss designs for girls AfroReggaeDigital T-shirts. There's a team of lovely ladies, seamstresses making beautiful clothes, in the As Criancas Esperanca building at the top of the favela. The building itself is amazing, real 50s concrete architecture, and houses various activities - basketball, football, circus, boxing, computers, radio, even a swimming pool. Looking over the pool is the most incredible view of Rio I've seen so far - beats even Corcovado or Sugar Loaf I reckon - with its steep mountainous backdrop, the lagoa on one side, Ipanema town and beach on the other. The sound of the kids having fun, splashin around in the bright blue pool, just added to the sense of beauty... will have to take a picture next time, unfortunately my camera had run out of battery - boo. Had a great lunch of chicken, rice and beans cooked from fresh and then caught the lift down to the streets of Rio (in record time). There is still the basic structure of a 5 star hotel, complete with lift, which got abondoned during building as the favela started to grow around it. The residents now use the lift, with permission, for (roughly) hourly intervals at morning, noon and evening to travel up and down from the favela. Handy when you've been doing the shopping.
The morning before Catagalo I went to the inauguration of the new Funarte president, where Gilberto Gill was also speaking. We were invited on the premise of an introduction to speak to O Signor Gill about AfroReggaeDigital although he was mobbed after the ceremony and we decided to leave it until another time - he is a great friend of AfroReggae so we hope to make him aware of the project at least.
Today I have been on the computer all day, with a break to sort out my visa. Have just done the latest report for 5Live - listen back for the next 7 days - it's the Up All Night programme, and am just about ready for bed before a day of workshops at Lucas tomorrow. Although DJ Premier and The Racionais at Circo Voador is tempting...

Ariane at the desk

Had another great week of workshops - it's so nice to see new kids at the lessons everyday. Our latest recruit, Pedro came in to take a look round on Wednesday and then stayed and learnt how to speak into the mic and edit his own jingles. He arrived shy and left smiling, which is what it's all about. Ariane is emerging as a real star and has nearly finished planning her first live show which airs next week.
In fact we're all gearing up for the first live shows on April 30th when the station soft launches. You'll be able to listen to the progress of shows on the website - expect broadcast to be shaky at first but by the time we go to press and hard launch on June 4th, to co-incide with the party on the 6th, we're hoping to have ironed out any creases. Check out the new website online at www.afroreggaedigital.com. Marky boy has done an amazing job putting it together - we've had to eliminate the flash element of the site because the connection is just not good enough here in Brazil to support it. We hope you like the new version too.

So the other big things that happened last week revolved around meetings... On Wednesday I met with Marcos at Canecão. Canecão is an old skool venue in Rio, been going for something like 50 years I believe, and puts all the biggest selling Brazilian acts on stage. It's opening a new club, around 300 capacity, on May 3rd right next door to its original venue. They'd just installed the light system when i went round, the sound was on its way. It looked like a swish warehouse, painted white with a bar area at one end and a small stage at the other as well as a chill out "room" just outside - perfect for an AfroReggaeDigital launch party! Yep it's happening - June 6th - to coincide with AfroReggae's birthday party the same evening (which stops at 10.30 when ours begins) - a party in Rio to inaugurate the station! We're hoping it's gonna be at Canecao - still awaiting another meeting to settle details but the initial meet was positive. Details to follow.
There will also be parties in Parada de Lucas, the UK (braps to Kase) and the US (braps too to Shobhan & Smash). Thanks also go out to Approach who are now handling our press here in Brazil and the team at Funarte who gave us loads of great leads after a really enjoyable meeting.
After all that rushing around I was glad for another bank holiday weekend this weekend. This time the Brazilians have been celebrating St Georges Day (hey is this fair?!) and I got a day off on Saturday chilling round Julianna's flat with some wonderful people and an incredible view of the Red Bull race...

Going out to the 1Xtra crew... just one of the many pieces of wicked graf out here

Last week we were also teaching daily workshops, which felt even more real now we've got a room of our own to teach them in, which comes complete with computers Dr Mark has waved his magic wand over - they're now fitted with extra RAM, sound cards and have all the software we need to broadcast and teach. We're establishing who the most passionate students are as well as welcoming new faces. The numbers started low per class at the beginning of the week - 2 or 3 - but climbed to around 6 by the end (6-9 per 2 hour class is our ideal). We'd never know which students were turning up for which class so had to freestyle a lot of the lessons, deciding what to do at the start of class as well as having to teach 2 or 3 different levels at the same time. During one lesson, Ariane started using her links and jingles in BPM and Junior got to grips BPM itself whilst Douglas and Fraser recorded and edited their first jingles. Couldn't have done it without the help of Helen Clegg - all round bad girl and ex-1Xtra Producer - who did a wicked job teaching the kids and who we're hoping will become a regular on the Parada de Lucas scene.

It's a family affair... one of the many curved bits

Horay! We now have a fully operating studio complete with hand crafted studio desk... Big big thanks to Wagnon and his son who spent time and attention on the desk. Not only does the desk look amazing it was also great to get it made locally, putting the money some of you guys helped to raise positively and directly into the favela.

Amanda getting stuck in with the material for the studio ceiling

Sending out love to you all... xx

The Boy!