Scene + Heard is the creative crew bringing music and film from the black diaspora together

Following a brief hiatus, S+H return on March 25 at the Africa Centre with a special screening of acclaimed music documentaries Woza Taxi and Idunu Taxi which focus on the music and fashion subcultures of Durban and Lagos respectively. Created by the Rome--London visual collective Crudo Volta and led by founder Mike Achode, both features reflect on the Gqom movement in South Africa and the Afrobeats scene in Nigeria.

Using the taxi as a device to document the development of the contemporary music scenes of the African diaspora, the format offers an insight using the vehicle as a facilitator in transit between the West and Africa in sharing and preserving fresh creative narratives. The respective documentaries feature a new wave of artists and producers from both countries including Julz Da Deejay, TLC FAM, Teni, Young John and Slimcase to name a few. Both embody the link between the traditional and the new sonic hybrids that emerge from the intersect of Zulu and Yoruba culture collides with technology.

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As a welcome positive representation of Africa, the world’s youngest continent, Taxi Waves chronicles what it means to be young, black and African which is far from a monolith and more nuanced than lazy ‘world music’ comparisons.

The DIY spirit of Scene + Heard connects the diaspora and its importance as a safe space in a metropolis like London where seminal landmarks of black culture have been erased. Daley says: “As a person of the black diaspora, it was of the greatest importance that nights reflected myself, my people and our shared cultures. We were able to connect first, second and third generations through cult films and new music in one space”.

“The night has always been an ode to the beauty, inspiration and innovation of blackness.”

S+H event presents Taxi Waves: Woza and Idunu at the Africa Centre, Great Suffolk Street on Wednesday March 25 with a screening, discussion with Director Mike Achode and a special DJ set from Anja Ngozi