African Night Fever, Ropetackle and Easy Skankin present: Don Letts with Rhoda Dakar
Don Letts’ reputation has been firmly established in both the film and music world by a substantial body of work from the late 70s through the 80s, 90s and well into the millennium. His work has been exhibited in The Kitchen N.Y.C, The Institute of Contemporary Art, The N.F.T in London and was honored at Brooklyn’s BAM festival and The Milan Film festival. In March 2003, he won a Grammy for his documentary ‘Westway To The World’.
He came to notoriety in the late 70s as the DJ that single-handedly turned a whole generation of punks onto reggae. It was whilst as a DJ at the first punk club 'The Roxy' in 1977, that Don adopted the punk D.I.Y ethic and begun to make his first film 'The Punk Rock Movie'.
Don Letts feat. Rhoda Dakar
Saturday 12th April 2025
Ropetackle Arts Centre
Starts 8:00PM
Florence Adooni
Sunday 18th May 2025
Lewes Con Club
Starts 7:30PM
Kumasi highlife, spiritual jazz and stellar vocals in collaboration with Philophon Records founder and producer Max Weissenfeldt
Following a triumphant 70-date touring activity across Europe in 2023 and 2024, including appearances at festivals such as Roskilde, Down The Rabbithole, End of The Road and FMM Sines,
Ghanaian Fra Fra soul singer Florence Adooni readies the release of her hotly anticipated international debut album, A.O.E.I.U. (An Ordinary Exercise In Unity) on Philophon. Produced by long-time collaborator and Philophon Records founder Max Weissenfeldt, with backing from a young generation of talented highlife musicians from the southern Ghanaian region of Kumasi.
XODUS - The Sounds of Marley
Friday 30h May 2025
WESTBOURNE: Community Hall
Starts 8:00PM
Following the popularity and success of Steel Pulse & Strictly UB40, this strong core of seasoned founding musicians have since formed the Bob Marley & The Wailers Tribute Band - XODUS, who are often joined on stage by reggae legend, Steel Pulse founding member/keyboard player & songwriter Selwyn Brown (who spent a significant amount of time touring with Bob Marley & The Wailers, on the same events billing with Steel Pulse back in the 1980s.)
XODUS: The Sounds of Marley will play Westbourne Community Hall (AKA Westbourne Club, River Street, Westbourne, near Emsworth, PO10 8TG) on Friday 30th May
This will be our first show of 2025 in association with our Brighton-based partner African Night Fever and we can’t wait to get in the groove and dance the night away!
African Night Fever Presents: Valerie Ekoume
Saturday 28th June 2025
Ropetackle Arts Centre
Starts 8:00PM
Valerie Ekoume is a French Cameroonian singer songwriter based in France. A protégée of Manu Dibango and the Soul Makossa Group. Valerie’s versatile approach to modern music making makes her stand out in the new multicultural generation.
Headlining some of the biggest European Festivals in recent years with a wide range of partnerships and collaborations, makes Valarie a true champion of the new Afro pop Queen.
Blending the traditional sounds of Cameroon with modern twist of Africa all under one roof brings a delight and sounds of joy for all.
African Night Fever brings the sunshine spirits of Africa to BOAT, with a full day of music, workshops, food and more, all celebrating the beauty of African culture. The day is split into two events – Afternoon and Evening. You can buy a ticket to one event, or a Full Day Ticket for both.
In the evening, we have fabulous music from Musa Mboob & Xam Xam, who blend traditional and electric instruments to create a unique African sound. They are followed by headliners; Eparapo Orchestra, featuring one of the UK’s most celebrated Afrobeats musicians – Dele Sosimi. The word “eparapo” means “join forces” in Yoruba, the language of Afrobeat. In troubled times when so many seek to divide us, an expression of unity can be an act of defiance. A call to join forces, come together and celebrate the joy of music and community.
Africa In The Sunshine - Evening Event
Saturday 5th July 2025
Brighton Open Air Theatre
Starts 7:00PM
To celebrate 45yrs of Ariwa records, Joe Ariwa will be joined on stage by Jamaican superstars Big Youth and Nadine Sutherland. They’ll be performing their tracks produced by Mad Professor along with their well known hits.
One of reggae's best and most recognizable toasters, Big Youth broke new ground as a DJ in the early '70s with a flowing, chant-like cadence that was equal parts melodic, relaxed, and invigorating. His peak years between 1972 and 1979 spawned roots classics like Screaming Target and Isaiah First Prophet of Old, further solidifying Big Youth's style of applying his infectious vocal approach to heavy social and political lyrical topics. Things slowed down for the DJ in subsequent decades, but he remained active well past his '70s heyday, sporadically releasing new music, like 2005 album Musicology and Beyond the Blue, his 2021 collaborative album with French dub producer Brain Damage.
Big Youth // Nadine Sutherland // Easy Skankin DJs
Friday 15th August 2025
Lewes Con Club
Starts 7:30PM
The Cimarons, Samsara Collective plus Easy Skankin DJs
Friday 19th September 2025
Lewes Con Club
Starts 7:00PM
Join Easy Skankin for a night of Live Reggae music featuring the Legendary Cimarons Live on stage with local Reggae and Ska outfit;, Samasara Collective and Easy Skankin DJs.
Get ready to groove to the irresistible reggae beats and infectious melodies of the legendary ensemble, The Cimarons!
With a legacy spanning decades, The Cimarons have been the heartbeat of the reggae scene, captivating audiences worldwide with their soul-stirring music and unwavering commitment to spreading love and positivity through their tunes.
Founded in London in 1967 by a group of passionate Jamaican musicians including guitarist Locksley Gitchie, bassist Franklyn Dunn, and lead singer Winston Reedy, Cimarons quickly rose to prominence as pioneers of the reggae movement and the first reggae band in UK and Europe.
Their illustrious journey includes collaborations with reggae icons such as Bob Marley, (who was grateful to the Cimarons as his forerunners in Europe, Asia, Africa and the UK), Jimmy Cliff, Lee „Scratch” Perry and other legends of the genre. The Cimarons contributed to the evolution of reggae music, leaving an indelible mark on the genre.
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