Tabla de contenidos para Issue 10 en KOL Social

The watermelon has long been a racially motivated thorn in our side. The caricature of the “negro”, the shininess of the black skin against the exaggerated white clown’s mouth savagely devouring the red ripe fruit had the sole purpose of presenting a whole race of people as subhuman. Deeply entwined with blackface, a popular theatrical form that sprung up in the 1930s, it was part of a campaign to normalise depicting Black people as inferior. Characters were lazy, lying or buffoonish – stereotypes that are still with us today. So why were African-American stage performers in the 1860s plastering burnt cork or black greasepaint onto their faces and demeaning themselves for the sake of entertainment? Is this where the willingness to parody our own people began? The answer is long…

With over 40 years in the entertainment industry, Jamaican-born Roy T. Anderson is a actor, producer and writer, with credits alongside Hollywood heavyweights such as Denzel Washington and Jamie Foxx. A renowned stunt actor and coordinator, he has won numerous awards and taken multiple world records. However, a need to showcase the underrepresented in Black history brought another shift in perspective to an already gilded career and Roy found his new calling – as a filmmaker. And he dug deep. His first documentary, Akwantu: The Journey, tells of legendary Maroons of Jamaica and their gallant fight for freedom. Hot on its heels followed Queen Nanny: Legendary Maroon Chieftainess (2015), which documents the struggle for freedom by the Jamaican Maroons, led by the indomitable 18thcentury military genius, Nanny of the Maroons.…

Zéh Palito is not an artist whose work is easily contained – sometimes literally. The ambitious site-specific murals that are something of a trademark of his are as likely to be found on the length on a seven- or eight-story building as they stretched tens of feet along a wall and have been commissioned by the likes of Nike, Apple and even Rio De Janeiro airport. But even the smaller-scale figurative canvases he paints are so full of colour and vitality, it is as if they are about to burst from their frames. All this is intentional – Palito’s practice is designed for engagement. Drawing inspiration from Brazilian and African cultures, his work aims to elevate, inspire and celebrate marginalised communities and underrepresented voices, and seeks to promote a relationship…

At just six square miles, Islington is one of the smallest boroughs in London, yet it bursts with contrast, vitality, modern culture and diversity. Nestled on Cooper’s Yard, just behind bustling Upper Street, Charlie Allen has been creating bespoke men’s suits and made-to-measure tailoring in his courtyard shop for over 30 years. Such is his reputation, he has dressed the likes of actors Lenny Henry and Adrien Lester, footballer Theo Walcott, author Nick Hornsby, Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason and even royalty – HRH Princess Anne. The list is endless. With none of the pretension associated with the world of Savile Row, the large store is welcoming – much like its proprietor. Elegantly dressed mannequins stand guard to a backdrop of rows of suits in various stages of development, with mementos…

Dining out is a big deal in Copenhagen. Since the Manifesto for New Nordic Cuisine was conceived in 2004, Danish cuisine has undergone a rapid transformation, placing the country high on the list of gastronomical destinations for food lovers. Bucket-list heavyweights include the likes of NOMA, Geranium and Kadeau, to name a few, but there are plenty more to be discovered away from the Michelin Hall of Fame. Whether you wish to try traditional cuisine or something with a more international flavour, there are food outlets – from cult classics to hidden gems – to experience at least once. Barr At Barr, acclaimed chef and restaurateur Thorsten Schmidt – in partnership with chef René Redzepi (of Noma fame) – elevates classic Nordic food to new heights. Located by the Inderhavnsbroen…

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The work of London born and based multi-award-winning photographic artist Kalpesh Lathigra occupies the space between documentary and art. Exhibitions include Lost in the Wilderness at Webber Gallery, London, Return to Elsewhere for Photoworks/Brighton Photo Biennial 2014, and his work has been displayed at the National Portrait Gallery, PhotoEspana and Noorderlicht, among others. His latest book, Memoire Temporelle, a collaboration with editor Emmanuelle Peri, was shot on location in Mumbai, India, and explores the idea of perceived and real memories. Your work sits between art and documentary – what drove you to move between those two realms? When I was a photojournalist, I think I became frustrated by the necessity to be objective in the projects I undertook. Working between documentary and art allows me the space to be subjective…

Noma – that most celebrated of Danish restaurants – is just one good reason to head to Copenhagen. But The World’s Best Restaurant (for which it has taken the gong in 2021 for the fifth time), with plates that feature live ants, dried moss and mould, is not the only reason the Danish capital has risen to become one of the fastest growing destinations for a European city break in the past couple of decades. It is as rich culturally as it is gastronomically, the governmental centre of Denmark and one of the major financial centres of northern Europe. It’s also the epicentre of all things Nordic Cool. What’s not to like? Relatively flat, with Møllehøj as the highest natural point in Denmark at only 170.86 metres above sea level,…

BUSINESS CONSULTANTS GAFA A boutique skills-transferal consultancy providing world-class emotional intelligence training, coaching, business development, marketing, communication and management-consulting knowhow to entrepreneurs and leaders through a five-step programme. The firm is committed to supporting Black people. gofrontline.com EVENTS CURLYTREATS Festival Presents Dear Black Women Now in its nineth year CURLYTREATS Festival presents Dear Black Women - a day of curated panel talks, interactive workshops, solution-oriented seminars, performances, and awards dedicated to Black women and intersecting identities. In celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day the timely event will be held at Novotel London West on Saturday 5 March 2022, 11.00 am – 7.00 pm. Tickets from £20. curlytreats.co.uk *KOL Social is a media partner and will be exhibiting at this event. Join us! BEAUTY KOL Cosmetics An independent…

Tsharna Daniel The R&B and soul singer-songwriter studied at the Music University of BIMM London and in her short career has already made appearances on BBC Radio and at Hackney Empire. She talks to southern rock, alt-country blues singer and songwriter Amythyst Kiah about bluegrass, Black authenticity – and the long shadow of Kiah’s mother’s suicide in Reclaiming the Beats. Page 28 Zena Tuitt Co-founder of Niche on Demand, a studio set up to executive produce a diverse range of authentic Black stories, Zena has worked with creatives over the past 20 years. She spent 14 years at Ernst & Young working in global business development and management consulting roles in the UK, US and the Caribbean, and is a trustee of Theatre503. She explains why intellectual property has as…

Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel Black Cake is one of the most anticipated literary debuts of 2022. A family drama wrapped in a murder mystery, plans to get it on to screen are already underway – and that’s before it’s even been published. And not just any old screen, either: US network Hulu triumphed in what was a heated bidding war to secure the adaptation from Women of the Movement creator Marissa Jo Cerar (who is also writing the screenplay), Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. No wonder. With a plot that spans decades, a diverse cast of characters and locations as far-ranging as Jamaica, Italy, Scotland, England and America, it promises to translate brilliantly from page to screen. Quite the achievement for a first-time novelist, we think…

A mythyst Kiah is a musician of many talents. Born and raised in Tennessee, the southern rock, alt-country blues singer and songwriter first learnt to play the banjo at 13 before moving to guitar a decade or so later. As showcased on her recent album, Wary + Strange, she conveys her truth through the fusions of alt-rock and old-time music, which heavily influenced her early music career. Heralded as “One of Americana’s great up-and-coming secrets” by rock bible Rolling Stone Kiah’s song Black Myself was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song and won Song of the Year at the 2019 Folk Alliance International Awards. You majored in bluegrass music at East State University. How has this shaped you? In my mid-20s, I decided that I wanted…

SERAFINE1369: From Darkness into Darkness A new installation by the London-based artist and dancer Jamila Johnson-Small, previously known as Last Yearz Interesting Negro 2015-2020. The multimedia installation is the artist’s first work for a gallery setting that is not dependent on the live presence of the artist. It focuses on the artist depicting mythological archetypes through dance, with restrained movement signifying control and abandon. The exhibition is part of the Tate Britain’s Art Now series of free exhibitions showcasing emerging talent. Runs until 3 January. tate.org.uk Shahzia Sikander: Infinite Woman Pakistani by birth, American by residence, Shahzia’s work engages with history and the multifarious ways in which it is formed and deformed over time, particularly through the written word. Fusing traditional Indo-Persian miniature painting with minimalist abstraction, her work establishes…