Lisa Anne Jenkins

The Quiet Cherry Blossom

admin — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:56:35 +0000

In the wake of the mass earthquake on 11th March 2011 and the subsequent tsunami, Japan has become a no go zone. This is such a shame. I love the country, the culture, and the people and, during this time of year, it is at its most beautiful. Why? Because it’s Hanami the cherry blossom festival season and the trees are awash with pinks and creams, lining the streets and sprinkling passersby with petals. Families are holding picnics in Aoyama cemetery to recognise their ancestors in a season that celebrates rebirth and regeneration. The cemeteries do not represent death to the Japanese but the celebration of lives gone by. Small music festivals are held under the cherry blossoms at night in various parks around Tokyo. It puts a new meaning to the term ‘music under the stars’ and is a unique and magical experience.

A Life Less Ordinary: Jonny Cola And Heidi Heelz Interviewed

admin — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:24:23 +0000

Jonny Cola And The A-Grades release a new 7″ today – only a few months after the lead singer had a kidney transplant operation, with his girlfriend Heidi Heelz acting as donor. Lisa Jenkins reports

Q & A INTERVIEW: Ty

admin — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:07:39 +0000

Out 8th April, “Kick Snare And An Idea Part 1” is the first of two upcoming singles under the “Kick Snare And An Idea” banner, from the Mercury nominated producer, rapper and all-round preternatural musical talent that is Ty.

The 405 meets Viv Albertine

admin — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 10:08:57 +0000

After twenty five years away from music, influential guitarist and songwriter, Viv Albertine, releases her first solo album The Vermilion Border - out 5th November 2012 through Cadiz Music. The album features a renowned bass player on each track, and even reunites Viv with Mick Jones of The Clash, who plays guitar on ‘Confessions of a MILF’.

Getting Back Your Belief in Yourself

admin — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 18:00:03 +0000

“When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find ways to do it.” ~Dr. David Schwartz

Fifteen months ago I was in a rut. A rather large rut actually. The recession was well and truly in full swing and I was up to my eyeballs in credit card and loan debt.

The 405 meets Fatoumata Diawara

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:15:30 +0000

Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara (aka Fatou) was born in the Ivory Coast in 1982 then raised in Mali. As a child she became a member of her father’s dance troupe and was a popular performer of the wildly flailing didadi dance from Wassoulou, her ancestral home in western Mali. In 2002 she took up a career in acting, but as an unmarried woman in Malian society, she needed her parents permission to take it further. They refused permission and Fatoumata took the astonishing and life changing decision to flee her country unaided and start a new life in France.

A mecca for culture vultures – Belfast, Northern Ireland

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:52:03 +0000

Belfast is an innovative leader in the arts and a mecca for culture fans. The Council has put money into venues, museums, art galleries, and schemes to help the city become a vibrant cultural centre. Look down any of the winding streets and you will find a hidden gem, whether it is a coffee shop, a great restaurant or an eclectic music venue showcasing some of the newest talent on the scene. The city has the most amazing buzz to it and feels alive, whether you are walking beside the Lagan river at sunrise or hanging out in one of the many wonderful pubs (and believe me, the Guinness really is in a whole other league!) the energy of the place seeps under your skin, and I am not exaggerating when I say, a Belfast friend is a friend for life. The friendship may have been forged in Guinness and whisky, but it is one that will remain long after the hangovers.

My body, my disability

admin — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:56:26 +0000

“Spazzy, spastic, hop-along, teacher’s pet… come here, we want to talk to you!”

The Case For The Phillipines

admin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:54:53 +0000

‘If you have any problems getting through, just give them $100 US’ was the advice given to me when entering the Philippines for the first time. On my way back to Hong Kong, 2 weeks later, I was stranded in the Manila airport for 24 hours due to a typhoon. I had no money, no mobile phone and I was the only western female to be seen. I was also being clocked every half an hour or so by ‘security guards’ carrying AK-47’s. In all my years of travelling, I have never been as scared.