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Welcome to the
April 2008 edition of MCC’s monthly
digest, designed to bring you the latest views, coverage and headline news from
our multi-cultural market.
This month is a
special edition as Head of MCC, Rakhee Vithlani, took to the streets of
India and shares some of her
experiences below.
Please feel free
to comment on any of the issues at mcc@webershandwick.com ,
we look forward to hearing from you!
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April…
India
Wow…
My mind is still
spinning from working in Delhi and Mumbai for almost three weeks.
India is a country which is as
exciting as it is frustrating.
The stats are there
- second most populous country, seventh largest by geographical area, world’s
twelfth largest economy (at market exchange rates), third largest in purchasing
power, blah blah blah. But what is it really like? Well, if someone asked me to
describe my experiences in three words it would be love, war and peace.
Love because the
country is fundamentally the most romantic place you could ever go to if you
allow yourself to get swept away with it all. The landscape, the language,
entertainment, people, even the food is just love-ly. And yes, this applies to
Mumbai too.
War, because every
day, no matter who you are, you will have to argue or fight with someone
somewhere. For me, it was every time I got in to a taxi or bought something at a
stall and had to argue for 10mins as they saw that I was British and tried to
rip me off. Don’t get me wrong, the amount I argued over was tiny in pound
terms, but it’s the principle of asking foreigners to pay double the amount for
the same thing which wound me up.
And peace. For me,
there is nowhere in this world I feel more conflicted than India.
Being a British Asian woman is particularly
difficult because I’m never quite sure which hat to wear - Traditional vs
modern? Career woman vs homegirl? Outgoing vs shy? I ended up just going with
the flow in a bid to try and keep myself out of
trouble.
However this
confliction is balanced with an inner feeling of complete peace which I also do
not feel anywhere else.
As for business,
well, I have 5 top tips for anyone going to India
to work.
Check them out
on http://www.candidculture.com
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Out & About…
The Harder They
Come @ The Barbican until 5
April 08
This exhilarating
production is based on the groundbreaking film of the same name. Young singer
Ivan Martin heads to Kingston with dreams of becoming a reggae star,
but the harsh reality of the Jamaican music scene drives him into a fast and
furious life as an outlaw.
1001
Inventions @ Museum of Croydon until 3rd May
08
The 1001 Inventions
project strongly emphasizes how Muslims, working harmoniously alongside people
of different faiths and races across Europe, Asia and Africa, were able to contribute extensively in many fields
including science and medicine.
Into the
Hoods
@ The Novello Theatre
until 10th May 08
Dance and ballet,
Zoo Nation updates the action to an urban setting, telling the story of two
children lost in the ‘hood’.
For further
information about the dance company http://www.zoonation.co.uk/
Playball touring the
UK
This unique dance
performance was founded by Artistic Director, Nina Rajarani. The dance troop,
Srishti, create and present work that maintains the authenticity of Indian
classical dance and music, whilst presenting these forms in innovative ways and
within contemporary contexts.
UntoldLondon
celebrates 15 years of Asian underground music at Museum in Docklands. The 90s
saw the explosion of Asian underground music in East London, and UntoldLondon
brings together the key performers, music historians and DJs to reminisce about
the local roots and politics of this global music phenomenon.
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MCC’s World
What we’ve been
up to…
Trading
Places with the University of Oxford
Last week saw MCC
launch the University of Oxford’s new initiative, Trading Places.
On the 17th & 18th of March, MCC visited Manchester
and Stretford Grammar School, along with Oxford alumni, Catherine Bray (Editor,
4Talent) and Frazer Howard (Creative Director, EHS Brann Group) to engage young
students in an interactive activity session.
Ex-EastEnders star,
Nabil Elouahabi, also joined in the Manchester initiative to add a bit of showbiz
pizazz! Local media including the Manchester Metro, Stretford & Urmston
Messenger and Slough Observer also popped in to photograph the winning
groups.
Trading Places is
part of the University’s campaign, Pioneering Ambitions – aimed at attracting
the brightest and best ethnic minority applicants to the
University.
The initiative
involves taking successful Oxford alumni in to
various comprehensive schools across the UK to
engage Year 9 students in a ‘work style’ activity
challenge.
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News…
Almost
4,500 miles separate Ealing from the heart of the Indian film industry in
Bombay. But when
Britain’s first official
Bollywood acting school opens in the West
London borough in September it will present itself as a short cut to
superstardom in the world’s biggest film industry.
What
cultural barrier?
London's rich ethnic mix,
which includes many different languages, creates plenty of niche markets,
particularly in publishing and radio, London has always held an attraction for
immigrants. At the last national census in 2001, it was recorded that 7.5% of
the British population was born overseas. From the 460,000-plus Britons born in
India to the 1,000-odd
Luxembourgers who call Britain home, this enormous diversity is well
represented in the London population.
Portraits
of respect
Photojournalist
Simon Rawles found migrant care workers to be hard-working and popular, doing
jobs no one else wanted. So why is their future in the UK so
uncertain?
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Look out
for
…
Jahcoozi
Sasha
Perera, Oren Gerlitz and Robot Koch make up the band Jachoozi. They first met in
Berlin in
2002. Known for their vocals and electronic beats they slowly made a name in the
city as one of the hottest bands. They are also known for organising two of the
biggest parties in Berlin - Grimetime and Boombox.
Kuljit Bhamra
Kuljit
Bhamra is one of the most inspiring and influential musicians, composers and
record producers on the British Asian music scene. A pioneer of the worldwide
Bhangra phenomenon, he combined traditional Indian rhythms, with western
instruments and multi track recording techniques, thus transforming Punjabi
music into a new dance floor sound.
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