Zambezi Express reviewed

Zambezi Express is a show that leaves you wanting to visit Africa and experience that energy from its source. It’s not called the Happiest Show on Earth for nothing! I was lucky enough to be sent by BANG Radio to review Zambezi Express on its opening night this week. What vibez! A melody of colour, movement and song which is exactly what you need after a non summer in a recession.

The performance was all at once hypnotic and intensly energising - I was nodding my head, clapping my hands and I have to admit I did my all essential African ululating more than once!! (For those of you who don’t know what that is please leave a comment and I’ll reply in audio).

The show tells the story of Zilli, born in the slums of a mining township in Zimbabwe, on his journey to the big city to fulfil his footballing dream.  Told in amazing dances and songs performed by a talented crew of actors – all authentically African, this show will blow you away.

It has something for all audiences from drama, conflict, history, change, diversity and a search for a purpose. All in all a moving depiction of how dreams come to be through devotion and persistence.

It has so inspired me to find the dancer in me and explore my African rhythm. if there were more like this, I would be a regular theatre goer.

Zambezi Express is showing at Riverside Studios until 27^th September. You MUST MUST MUST go and see this.

Jennifer

All pictures by Paul Tomlins

My week at BANG & Bigga

Day one

I arrived at BANG Radio and Bigga Fish at 10 am, I was a bit worried before I got there that I wouldn’t really fit in because I’m a 15 year old school girl and everybody else was older than me. I thought that maybe I would be patronised or left to make tea for everybody but not actually experience how it would work out to actually work in an office/radio station.

But as I arrived at the doors I immediately met one of the workers from Bang and Bigga Fish named Ben (Bigga Fish Marketing Manager) who seemed happy, he showed me how to get into the building as I was having trouble with that and asked what my name was and if I was working at BANG and Bigga fish for work experience.

I was shown around the premises by a lady called Helen (BANG Edutainment General Manager) she also told me who everyone was, I was told that for the rest of the week I would be working on reception and I was shown how to handle phone calls and when and how I should let people into the building.

My first task of the week was to sign onto the Bigga fish facebook and answer questions and queries on the Bigga Bubble Birthday Bash and any other questions I could answer, I continued to do this for the rest of the day along with answering the phone until four 4 when it was time to go home. I was glad this were my work experience, it was perfect for me and where somebody else could have found it boring, I loved it and felt very professional.

Day two

On day two I came in and was asked if I could help flatten some boxes so they could be recycled. After that I logged back into the Bigga Fish facebook for a little while then I went to have lunch. After lunch I was asked by Nii (Bigga Fish director) if I wanted to sit in on a board meeting regarding the Bigga Fish foam party, which I hastily agreed to, as I had always wanted to see what happened in a board room meeting because I want to own a music based business when I’m older, which could possibly mean owning a promotion company or putting on musical events/raves so it was ideal.

After the meeting it was almost time to go home, before I left I was asked by Nii what I learnt from the board meeting and I had learnt that it does take a lot of brain power to insure things run smoothly and you cannot be scatty nor forgetful. I also got a few ideas on how to set a board meeting out so I will keep that in mind for when I’m older.

Day Three

On day three I came into work and was asked by Veronica (BANG Radio Marketing & Communication Assistant) to sign onto the Bigga Fish facebook to accept friend requests and answer any queries there were and then I counted the money in the petty cash jar had my lunch break and dealt with facebook again and when I was finished I was given a list of members of the street team and asked if I could call them up to inform them of the meeting that was coming up, after that I went home.

Day four

On day four I was asked to copy up a few notes from two board meetings when I finished I when for lunch and when I came back I was asked to make a poster advertising the Drop In centre and all the interesting things you can do for free in there by Lynnike (BANG Edutainment Training Coordinator Assistant). It was on Photoshop which I thought I was quite good at using but evidentlly I wasn’t that great with it!!

It took me ages to get the hang of it until I decided to Google it to see how it worked, and then from there it wasn’t as hard to use but I still didn’t finish it on that day in the end!

Day Five

I didn’t go to theBANG and Bigga fish’s office, I went to the Camden Round House as a member of the Street Team, I arrived at Saturday’s Bigga Bubble Birthday Bash  at 4:30 pm,  so we had to prepare and make sure we knew what we were doing for the event, my job was to come out of the hall at 8-9pm and get people’s details so that we could inform them of when there is another rave, and maybe sign them up for the street team so they could help out with events as well as getting lots of treats such as getting into events free and going on stage with the acts.

When I wasn’t helping out with the street team I was able to have a load of fun in foam! Inside the main hall it was full of people dancing and having a fun time and the foam only made it better!

Overall

My time at BANG and Bigga Fish has been fun and eventful. It just makes me more than sure that this is what I want my future career to be about. Working at BANG Radio and Bigga Fish was a great experience for me, I loved the atmosphere and everybody was friendly, I enjoyed every minute of it and I would do it again.

I think that the staff are fun but they also know when to be serious and work. In the beginning I was scared of Jennifer (BANG Edutainment’s CEO) because I first saw her in a board meeting and she seemed very stern but I then saw that she wasn’t stern all the time but in the board room its time to “get down to business.”

Nii was also the same and was a perfectionist. Gabriella (BANG Radio’s Station Manager) was always chirpy and full off energy and Lynnike was the same too, everybody else was really nice too. I liked Lynnike & Sefa’s drive time show and also Bruce Wayne’s bangin’ Afternoon.

Jessica x

PS added by Gabriella: Jessica has been a great asset to our team for the time she’s been there, I am sure she will grow up to be a very successful lady! Good luck girl!

Bigga Foam Party was biiig

Hi, my name is Jessica I’m 15 and doing my work experience at BANG Radio and Bigga Fish. So far my time at BANG and Bigga Fish has been fun and eventful and I’ve loved every minute of it. It just makes me more than sure that this is what I want my future career to be about.

As a member of the Street Team, I arrived at Saturday’s Bigga Bubble Birthday Bash  at 4:30 pm,  so we had to prepare and make sure we knew what we were doing for the event, my job was to come out of the hall at 8-9pm and get people’s details so that we could inform them of when there is another rave, and maybe sign them up for the street team so they could help out with events as well as getting lots of treats such as getting into events free and going on stage with the acts.

When I wasn’t helping out with the street team I was able to have a load of fun in foam! Inside the main hall it was full of people dancing and having a fun time and the foam only made it better! The acts were really good and when Dotstar – stick up came on I just had run back inside and dance for that song then I came back outside to complete my hour of collecting details.

Jessica Sirius

PS check on the video of the night right here

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