Africa Night

Africa Night and the Dutch Polonaise!

2012-01-23T21:43:00.000+01:00

So that was Africa Night in January 2012 then. After the good start in Nijmegen 2 weeks earlier, Africa Night Tilburg got off to an even more impressive start. If you were there last Saturday, you wouldn’t have suspected that January is always the worst month in terms of attendance. If the numbers from this edition are a sign of things to come this year, then we are in for the most exciting Africa Night year ever. It was a full house. As if 2011 was not exciting enough! This was going to be the year when we were going to introduce some new and exciting additions to the Africa Night experience anyway. So you have to watch this space!

Back to last Saturday, it was fun from the beginning to the end. Why? For one, this was another dancers’ edition. We knew it was going to be a special evening when the first 2 guys (!) came in and just went straight to the dance floor. They had no care in the world that they were the first and only persons on the big floor. They just did their thing. And as with all other dancers’ editions, these guys set the tone for the night. Everyone who came in after them just hung his or her jacket and went to the dance floor! By the way, the Nwanake song from Wyre & J.B Maina has now officially been adopted by the Africa Night crowd. Every time that song comes on, people just take it as a cue to do the Dutch Polonaise dance (hands-on –shoulders and in an ever growing circle or train). The Polonaise train during this edition of Africa Night Tilburg is the longest it has ever been. We suspect the next one in February (during Africa Night Tilburg) will be even longer.

And talking of dancing, if there was any doubt that music and dance are universal, just take a look at the short video of the lady dancing to coupe decale. If you are ever one of those who always look down and say white people cannot dance to African music, you will have to revise your thoughts now.

For us as organisers of these shows, we just get invigorated every time when we see hordes of happy people. Many of them keep coming back and bringing new people with them. “Somebody had told somebody who told me that Africa Night is the place to be, so I had to come and find out for myself”! That (and through the internet) is how our crowd always gets their information. And once they are there, we try not to disappoint them.

Let us meet again in 2 weeks, this time during the Africa Night Nijmegen in February and renew our musical vows to each other. Did we say our crowd rock?

The Africa Night 2012 party season begins.

2012-01-09T18:40:00.001+01:00

There we go again! The first Africa Night of the Gregorian year 2012 has just come and gone. In a way it was a strange one. Not in the least because it was the first time ever that Africa Night Tilburg would not take the honour of being the first Africa Night of the year. This year the honour fell to the current youngest member of the Africa Night City family, Nijmegen. It was strange because we’ve never had an Africa Night so early in January before. But going from the experience of the years gone by, we knew that any January edition of Africa Night was going to be a “slow” one. This is because of the very expensive December month in The Netherlands (The "Sinterklaas", the Xmas and the New Year celebrations).

For a new city like Nijmegen, this meant we would have been happy with just a third of the average crowd we had during the first 2 editions. In the end, and despite the very long wait before the party really got swinging, we had more than two thirds of the crowd partying at this edition. And what a joy it was to see one of the great Africa Night Tilburg phenomenon play out in Nijmegen. More than half of those who came this time around were new people who heard of it through friends and/or found it through the internet on our www.africanight.nl website. This means that we are always welcoming new people to ANN which keeps it fresh and exciting.

Just like its big sister Tilburg, Africa Night Nijmegen is already producing some highlights that make each edition stand out from the other. This time around we had groups of Liberians and Angolans dominating the dance floor. And with Angolans that meant some Kudoro dance moves! See the short video here for some after party moves by the guys. But for us the two best dancers of the night were two ladies from Arnhem who just blew us away with their very natural dance moves.

Whatever happens, Africa Night Nijmegen is here to stay and that means more fun in 2012. See you every first Saturday of the month in Nijmegen!

Africa Night 2011 (in words, sights & sounds)

2011-12-28T23:23:00.000+01:00

2011 will go down as the best Africa Night year so far. We had try-outs in Maastricht and Almere which did not really work out. We also welcomed Nijmegen as a permanent member of the Africa Night family. Africa Night Tilburg, where it all started, grew even more. So much so that in 2011, if there were less than 250 people in Tilburg, we thought it was an average evening! We know of several Africa-themed shows in The Netherlands that would kill for 250 guests!

We are always grateful for the people who come to our shows. We do it with lots of love and we get tons of love back. Africa Night Nijmegen was the surprise packet of the year. With a short time to prepare but with great help from many of our well-wishers, ANN just took Nijmegen by storm. It is as if we have been there forever. Our heartfelt appreciation to all who helped with the flyers, the mouth-to-mouth advertisement and assisted in finding a good location for Africa Night Nijmegen.

In 2011 Africa Night got some very stiff competitions from several angles and corners. We generally succeeded in holding our own. We have learnt that staying true to our values is always appreciated by our ever growing patrons. We never copy others and when the others do try and copy our concept, we just accept the compliments. Africa Night celebrated 13 years of existence in 2011. It was a great party. So also the December shows in Tilburg and Almere where guests got some cute presents in form of a CD and/or a DVD. Nijmegen will be next in January! It is our way of saying thank you for making Africa Night the biggest of its kind in The Netherlands.

The year 2012 promises to even be better and full of more pleasant surprises. Watch out for the Africa Night Specials coming to various cities around you and the first Africa Night Music Festival amongst the new initiatives that will bring Africa closer to the lovers. We are happy to be at the forefront of this new and exciting dawn of African entertainment in The Netherlands and beyond.

If you have any questions or suggestions about any of the points here check our website www.africanight.nl or add us on Facebook www.facebook.com/africanight , like us on www.facebook.com/africanight1998 and ask your questions during a chat with us. We also have a twitter account where you can follow us; twitter.com/africanight. Our YouTube channels are at www.youtube.com/africanight1998 and www.youtube.com/africanightevents. In other words, we are just a mouse click away!

We leave you now with some sights & sounds of 2011. We bow in awe of all who made this the greatest Africa Night year ever. We are so ready for 2012!

Nijmegen is full of love for Africa Night

2011-12-05T18:56:00.001+01:00

Nijmegen is full of love. This much we know now after just the 2nd edition of Africa Night Nijmegen. Africa Night is already being warmly embraced like a long lost and newly returned prodigal daughter. Unlike Tilburg where we created the Africa themed party from scratch, Nijmegen had a long tradition of Africa themed party. But somewhere along the line many of these shows have long stopped or are just in a kind of self-induced coma. However that is never a guarantee that Africa Night would be welcomed with open arms in Nijmegen. That is why we have been so overwhelmed by the reception so far.

When you consider that last Saturday was a traditional family night in Holland. Everybody was supposed to stay home with family and exchange gifts, feast and just chill. Against this backdrop, this edition of Africa Night Nijmegen was a big success. Although many of those who came the first time in November stayed at home (with family), number wise, more people came this time than the first time! And what fun they all had! Highlight of course was the way our South African guests reacted when the music of DJ Cleo (Sky is the limit) was played. We can still hear the scream of joy in our ears as they danced to good old Kwaito!

What was also nice is the symbiotic relationship Tilburg and Nijmegen have with each other. Tilburg - Nijmegen is about an hour’s drive. The lovers of Africa Night in both cities have always found the distance not a big problem on their way to experiencing the Africa Night fun. It is an old tradition that many people from Nijmegen always come to Africa Night Tilburg. Now Tilburg seems to be returning the favour big time! So many familiar Tilburg faces at last Saturday’s show it felt like a reunion. Which makes us wonder; why do Tilburg and Almere not have the same kind of magnetic attraction to/for each other. It is so rare to see people from Tilburg gracing Africa Night Almere even though the trip takes just 20 minutes longer than to Nijmegen. Just a thought.

Once again, thank you Nijmegen for the warm embrace! Let’s meet again on the 7th of January 2012 to do an encore! And if you cannot wait that long, there is always Africa Night Tilburg (17-12-2011) and Africa Night Almere (24-12-2011) in between.

Even when it is misty, Kenyans have Fun!

2011-11-21T16:12:00.001+01:00

No one has ever accused Africa Night of being boring and uninspiring. Once we departed for the November 2011 edition of ANT (Africa Night Tilburg), we realised this was going to be a long but special evening/night. Heavy and thick mist was predicted. We knew this meant that some people were either going to come late (what’s new!) or just skip this edition of ANT. The further we drove the more we realised how thick and tricky the mist situation was going to be. At some point visibility was down to just a few metres. News on the radio was equally unnerving. Apparent 30 vehicles had a chain collision the same evening as a result of the mist.

The venue itself got to a very slow start. Normally when we get there, everything is ready and we only have to plug our equipment and we are ready to party. But this time around, there was a bit of a delay. With some frantic work, we were ready just on time for the first Africa Night Tilburg guest. It was a forebode for what was going happen later in the course of the night. Twice during this edition, the sound system lost power! On both occasions we could quickly restore the music, but we were not really happy about the situation. However, once again our guests showed considerable patience and understanding. Once the power was restored, they just went on like no one cared.

There were several highpoints in the night that still made this an Africa Night like no other. This edition could just as well be the Kenyan ladies edition. And when a group has as much fun as this group of ladies (and some gentlemen) have, it was bound to be infectious. So when Wyre and JB Maina were belting out Mwanake and Madtraxx was playing Get Down, it was just a joy to see the ladies form an ever expanding big circle. The circle just kept growing bigger as other partygoers joined in the fun. And so it went on the whole night. This time the night went on even longer than normal because we decided to make it up to the guests for the two power failures.

In the end and in spite of the hiccups, the guests had so much fun it was easy to forget the earlier problems. We can’t wait until the Xmas edition which promises to be a big bash! By the way, to all who may be reading this; there is a recommended dress code for Africa Night Tilburg in December. The theme is Black & White.

If you don’t want to wait until the Africa Night Tilburg December Xmas bash, you can join us in Nijmegen on December 3 for ANN (Africa Night Nijmegen!)

Nijmegen whatever it was, we want some more!

2011-11-07T21:03:00.000+01:00

When Africa Night Tilburg started long ago (13.5 years to be precise), we had a feeling it was going to become something special. We were right and 13.5 years later, Africa Night Tilburg has grown to be the biggest of its kind in the whole of the Benelux. ANT as we like to call it, attracts an average monthly crowd of about 300 African music lovers.

For 12 years, we resisted the pressure to start Africa Night in other cities in The Netherlands. But starting in 2010, we decided to succumb to the enormous pressure and hit the road. Since March 2010 we’ve been to Rotterdam, Maastricht, Almere and now Nijmegen. In none of those first 3 places did we have that special feeling we had in Tilburg all those years ago.

That was until Saturday 5 November 2011. That was the day the inaugural Africa Night Nijmegen (ANN) took place. What a reception ANN got! We have to say we were a little apprehensive of the kind of reception Africa Night was going to get in Nijmegen. This was borne out of the fact that until now, Africa Night has been met with (in)different levels of enthusiasm since we ventured out of Tilburg. We were going to be happy with any figure of around 80 people. And this did not even take into consideration the fact that there was going to be a live show from a popular Guinean singer at a rival location. It was good we did not know this beforehand otherwise we would have been even more pessimistic of our chances. But we needed not worry at all. Nijmegen opened its arms wide open to embrace us and the final figure was close to 150 people!

The pictures and the videos tell the story better than we could ever tell with words. The feeling we had when we left Nijmegen early on Sunday morning was the same feeling we had in May 1998 in Tilburg. Nijmegen feels good. We think this might be the beginning of a second love affair. We are sure ANT will not mind ANN giving us some more love. Thank you Nijmegen. Thank you to all who came. Most importantly, a big thanks to those (you know yourselves) who not only inspired our coming to Nijmegen, but also did their best to spread the word! Let’s all do it all over again on Saturday 3rd of December 2011. Same place. Same time! Don’t forget to join us in between in Tilburg on Saturday 19th of November 2011 for the mother of all Africa Nights!

Africa Night - A house built on Love

2011-10-17T18:17:00.000+02:00

The Africa Night Tilburg crowd broke with their longest standing tradition last Saturday. Readers of our blogs would have noticed how many time we have complained over the years that the guests never come early. Well, this time around, they came very early. There was already an almost full house at 23.30 hours! And they just kept coming and coming. So much so that at the end of the night, this edition of Africa Night set a new record as the busiest Africa Night Tilburg in 2011. The last paying customer came it at 02.45 hours, which is kind of funny because Africa Night officially finishes at 03.00 hours.

And the crowd is getting younger, more diverse, more open and more new. It is always surprising how many new people always show up. Our goal of spreading the African musical love gets fulfilled every month. We are just happy we are able to bring people together to enjoy music. And when you hear the crowd screaming for more at the end of the night, you knew you are at least doing something right.

On Saturday 22nd of October, the Africa Night train moves to Almere for the 2nd edition of Africa Night Almere. The first edition last month reminded us of how far Africa Night Tilburg has come. In Almere we have to build the whole show again from scratch. It might take time, but we are ready for the challenges.

So if you were in Tilburg last Saturday, or if you missed it, this is your chance to join us to build something very exciting in Almere. Africa Night Almere needs you. Come and become a part of history. Let’s meet on Saturday 22nd of October 2011 at Partycentrum The lake to party and give Almere some African musical love!

Africa Night, do we have a date?

2011-09-19T20:56:00.000+02:00

This edition of Africa Night Tilburg was one where only better things happened. After the 30 minute musical trauma of the inexperienced guest DJ of last month, a lot of our guests seem ready this time to be fully entertained. And entertained they were! The more we entertained the guests, the more they seemed to entertain us too. It was one of those Africa Nights when you just have to conclude that the public was bent on having fun no matter what.

It all began well with the fine-tuning of the sound system which had threatened to let us down in the past 2 months. Having secured the best quality sound in the last 3 months, the DJ and the crowd were on top of their games. And even though the rain started pouring around midnight, it only seemed to encourage the guests to pour in, and in great numbers.

We have in the past talked about the Senegalese guests doing their Mbalax thing and how this was always a pleasure to watch. Now move over Mbalax and Senegal, the Bongo Flava/Genge lovers stole the show this time around. Once these East African music started playing a group of ladies and gentlemen from Kenyan, Burundian, Rwandan, Ugandan and Tanzanian descent just took over the dance floor. It proved to be very infectious as many of our European clients joined in the fun. What a joy to watch! Everyone seemed to momentarily forget the scorching heat in Partycentrum Oase and got lost in the euphoria. As a DJ, one could not get a better appreciation than this.

It is just nice to see the power of music in full flow again. As we try once again to extend the reaches of Africa Night to other cities, we can only hope that over time, we can continue to bring so much joy and enthusiasm wherever we go. The first test will be during Africa Night Almere this Saturday. You are all invited to Partycentrum The Lake in Almere to dance and spread some African love. You know you can always trust us to facilitate a good party. Once you come in your numbers, we know we can always trust you to create the best atmosphere anyone could hope for. So let’s meet again on Saturday 24th of September in Almere for the take off of Africa Night Almere. Do we have a date?

Ramadan, DJs, Men and Africa Night

2011-08-23T12:08:00.000+02:00

When the history of Africa Night Tilburg is written, the Augusts 2011 edition will go down as one of the most bizarre editions ever. First was the expectation that is was going to be a very quiet evening because this edition fell in the month of Ramadan. A significant number of our clients are Muslims, so we knew most of them and their spouses will not be show up. And this was generally the case. But we were wrong about this Africa Night being not busy. At the end of the evening, there was little difference in terms of numbers compared with the busiest of months. In fact, the owner of the hall (who is responsible for the drinks and all) told us it was his best night ever in terms of sales!

Another bizarre thing was the fact that we almost had to pray before the men could arrive. Right up to the half of the evening, the women were outnumbering the men by about 5 to 1. In fact lot’s of ladies came to mischievously us to ask us to open the sealed cans where we kept the men! A big “disaster” was averted when the men started trooping in from around 00.30 hours. In the end though, there were still more women than men during this edition.

Perhaps the most confusing for our August guests was the presence of a guest DJ. DJ Brizzle is a young guy from Thailand who grew up in Ghana and is well into the Ghana music scene. His cameo appearance behind the DJ table was met with a kind of bemusement. It was apparent that both the DJ and the audience did not feel each other. Why? We think it is because he was playing a certain type of good music that was not the music of the target group. In short, good music, wrong crowd. So for a period of time, the dance floor was going empty, something that is a rarity at Africa Night. But the resident DJs ensured that the rest of the night went as smooth as ever.

A very big shout out to our ever growing East African contingent! You guys made one DJ blush with joy the way you reacted to his music. It was just nice to see you dance like there was no tomorrow and it was our great pleasure to entertain you. Karibu sana! Need we thank all of those who always come from Belgium and Germany every month too? Yes we do thank you too. And those from Groningen, Arnhem, Amsterdam, Kampen, Almere, Nijmegen, Utrecht, Eindhoven etc. Through you and with you, we are spreading African music to every hook and corner of The Netherlands and beyond.

Let’s do it again in Tilburg and Almere next month!

Africa Night Tilburg - Send down the rain!

2011-07-18T15:55:00.001+02:00

Rain rain go away come again another day, Africa Night is coming to town! This was without doubt the rainiest edition of Africa Night Tilburg ever. Once it started raining on the Africa Night afternoon, it just kept pouring non-stop. Given that this edition fell in the middle of the month and in the vacationing season, we knew this was going to be the least visited Africa Night Tilburg edition so far in 2011. We knew or better said, we thought we knew! Apparently the Africa Night patrons are made of sterner stuff than we imagined.

And until about 23.45 hours, we were on course to being proven right with only about 20 people sitting forlornly in the dancehall. But then the monthly Africa Night miracle began. First in ones and then in twos and finally in hordes, the Africa Night party-goers descended on the dance venue like bees in search of honey. In less than half an hour, the dance floor transformed from a deserted desert into a merrily overfull and joyous dance arena.

Did the rain stop? No! Even as we are writing this, 2 days later, it is still raining like no man’s business. We think the party-goers just needed their monthly dosages of Africa Night. You see, most times, we interact with our guests and sometimes their logic is so charming and amazing. For example, this lady who came from Nijmegen gave us the masterpiece of the Africa Night logic. In Nijmegen on the same night was the start of the yearly party preceding the legendary 4-day march which attracts tens of thousands of people around the globe. This pre-party is always the place. So why did she choose Africa Night above the biggest party in her city? Because of the rain! Those parties are also mostly held indoors. But this Africa Night lover chose to drive about 80 kilometres in the rainstorm just to get away from the rain in Nijmegen to the rain in Tilburg! That is the Africa Night logic for you. That is why the Africa Night guests are the most special ones anyone could wish for. Ms. M. if you are reading this, we are really glad you also started your birthday party last Saturday at our show.

Thank you all for the love, for the music, for your kind words and for helping to spread the word every time. But mostly, we thank you for just coming to have fun. We hope to see you again in 5 weeks. So let’s do it all over again then.

Let the pictures do the talking!

2011-06-20T22:04:00.002+02:00

Sometimes we just don’t know where or how to start, so we just let the pictures tell their own stories. You might want to check out the whole picture gallery @ www.africanight.nl/foto

See you all next month!

This is what we are talking about!

2011-05-24T18:52:00.001+02:00

And so it came to pass that an idea that was conceived out of frustration 15 years ago, that became a reality 2 years later, is growing in name and fame 13 years later. 13 years on, we are proudly not looking back in anger but always looking forward with a determined hope that the best is still ahead of our baby, Africa Night.

So it was this May 2011 that Africa Night celebrated it’s rites of passage from its childhood years to its puberty years. Africa Night is now a promising teenager whose outlook remains very bright. The 13th year party had everything that has made Africa Night the place to be. People coming late and then coming in droves! People feeling at home and then feeling loved. People sweating in the heat but just keeping on dancing. Regular guests bringing new guests who then ask themselves why it had never occurred to them to come earlier.

And then the music stopped! Out of nowhere the sound system just gave up the ghosts around 01.30 hours. Big hug to all our guests. They were just as surprised as we were and after some initial disbelief just went on socialising without much complaints as we went about fixing the situation. Tried as we could, we could not breathe any life to the sound installations anymore. But there was plan B! We switched over to the backup installations and the party just went on as if nothing happened. To compensate for the loss of sound, Africa Night went on an hour longer than normal. But even then, people seemed not to have had enough!

The highlight for this writer though has to be the last hour when members of the audience took it in turn to put on an elaborate festivity, cardboard crown brought by one of our guests. We ‘ve never seen people having so much fun. It was the best 1 hour of Africa Night ever. And that is what we are talking about! It was the perfect way to bring a nice night to bed.

We have always remained true to the pledge we made at the beginning of this journey 13 years ago. Africa Night will never be an ego trip for its organisers nor its deejays. It is about the audience and about the music. We are just there to facilitate. We are never the story. The music and our patrons are the main actors who narrate the story. And there is a reason why it is Africa Night and not African Night. We pledged at the beginning that our idea was going to be about the love of Africa music. If you love Africa music, you have to always feel welcomed at our show. Naming it African Night would have subconsciously implied that it was/is only open to Africans. We are happy we made the choice to call it Africa. Just come to any given Africa Night, you will see that ours is an open door to all nationalities, races, sex, sizes etc. No apologies.

And we are definitely refusing to go the tribal way. We don’t care where the music is from in Africa. If it is good music, we will play it. If it is music with roots in Africa, we will play it. Full stop. By doing that, we are discovering the unbelievable depth of the African musical heritage. When we started 13 years ago, the repertoire was made up of just Ndombolo from the Congos and Mbalax and Salsa from Senegal. As time went by the following joined the fray; Bongo flava (Tanzania), Genge (Kenya), UG (Uganda), Naijapop (Nigeria), Coupe decalle, Zouglou etc. (Ivory Coast), Hiplife (Ghana), Rai (Algeria), Kwaito & House (South Africa), Zouk, Kizomba, Kudoro, Funana (Cape Verde & Angola). So did music genres from Guinea, Togo, Sudan, Botswana, Ethiopia, Madagascar etc. We think you get the idea! The more we researched, the more we found. And the audience have always reacted positively.

Africa Night is unique because we don’t follow the trends. We set the trends. And That’s what we are talking about!

The end of another era.

2011-04-18T21:32:00.000+02:00

The April 2011 edition marks the last edition of Africa Night as a 12 year old. From the next edition in May, Africa Night will be a 13 year old phenomenon that is just growing in size, status and relevance. When we started in 1998, we could not have dreamt that Africa Night would still be relevant in 2011. But yes, Africa Night seems to get a new lease of life as the years go by. More about this in the next blog.

Looking back at the April edition, what started out as a predictably very quiet night ended up being our best April ever in terms of the turnout. We don’t actually have much to say about the night that has not being said a couple of times already. So we will just let the videos and the pictures do the talking this time again.

But whatever you do, please join us for the May 2011 edition of Africa Night.

A year at the oasis of musical love!

2011-03-21T17:53:00.000+01:00

A full 2 days after the fact, we are just realising that this March 2011 edition of Africa Night marks the one year’s anniversary since we moved to the present location. We’ve been having so much fun since we moved there that it seemed like we have always been there. Everything about Partycentrum Oase fits into Africa Night. The location, the ambiance, the personnel, the club owner, the setting and above all the guests make this location one that people just love to visit. In the nearly 13 years since we started Africa Night, Partycentrum Oase is our 4th location. We remember thinking might be too big a location to host Africa Night. How wrong have we been proven since then. The people just keep coming in hundreds. A full house is almost always guaranteed!

It is always great fun at Partycentrum Oase from the beginning to the end of the night. Granted, the deejays try their best to play good music. But if the guests don’t feel comfortable about the location, they would still be having second thoughts about coming every month. Even in the extremely cold and treacherously snowy December night in 2010, Africa Night still managed an almost full house. That is what a good location and good music can do to the real lovers of Africa Night.

We have just done the first year at the Oase, we hope this is the first year of a very long marriage between Africa Night Tilburg and Partycentrum Oase. Oase is Dutch for oasis. It has been so far an oasis of musical love for us all. Let’s toast to that!

Africa Night - labour of love

2011-02-21T21:25:00.000+01:00

February is the lovers’ month and the guests really showed us big time love during this February edition of Africa Night Tilburg. The tone was really set by a gang of 7 that came really early and just took control of the dance floor. As it happened, everyone who came in after that just joined these happy dancers on the dance floor. It worked like a magnet. People came in, saw the action on the dance floor, quickly threw away their coats or jackets and just joined the action on the dance floor. Before you knew it, the dance floor was full. This was even before midnight!

Sometimes, everything at Africa Night just seems to fall into place. This was what happen during this edition of Africa Night. Whatever the deejays played, the people just danced the night away. And sometimes little things seem to bring great joy and happiness to people. Like when a guy approached the deejay and asked if he could play some Bongo Flava (Tanzanian music). To be honest, the main musical focus at Africa Night is always centred on West Africa. That is because the majority of the African guests seem to be West African. This time around though, there was clearly more East Africans than usual. When the deejay obliged and played some Bongo Flava, the house almost came down! It was cheer magic to have witnessed how the dance floor reacted to Professor Jay’s classic, Hapo Vipi.

February was also the first month without a dear friend of Africa Night. We paid a short tribute to this best of dancers. It was heart-warming to see how the guests reacted to the short tribute. Sabi (our dear departed friend) would have been very proud to know that people who had not earlier heard the news of his passing, felt genuine shock. Those who already knew, were still visibly moved to see a picture of him on the video screen. Of course there could only be one music genre to honour him. Yes, Salsa it was and people joined in the Salsa dance as Africando said a final goodbye while Sabi was dancing on the video screen. It was the way we felt Sabi would have loved it.

We are really very happy to note that Africa Night Tilburg never bores and always seems to reinvent itself every month. We organise these shows with love. We are always happy at the amount of love we receive in return. Love that always keeps giving. We can’t wait until the March edition.

Africa Night Tilburg (January Twenty Eleven)

2011-01-17T08:07:00.000+01:00

The guests arrived very late. We were concerned that most of the guests did not realise that the 15th was the 3rd Saturday of the month. (January has 5 Saturday s which can be quite confusing for many).

At midnight there were so many women, one could be forgiven that this was the Ladies Night edition of Africa Night.

People were at first reluctant to dance. This is a very rare phenomenon at Africa Night.

This edition effectively started at 12 midnight. Once people started trooping in, they just did not stop!

And once the dancing got started, the guests just stayed glued to the dance floor.

So many new faces from far and near came to enjoy the gift of music.

The Deejays had a great time testing out the new Pioneer set.

When the night was over, the guests were asking for more. Pity they did not come earlier to maximise the Africa Night experience.

If this first show is a sign of things to come in Twenty Eleven, then this is going to be another Africa Night year.

We closed on this day feeling like we won a millions €uros. This is because our guests went home with a satisfied feeling.

Let’s just hope that the first Africa Night in Maastricht on Saturday 22 January will be the beginning of the new Africa Night experience in The Netherlands.

The Africa Night junkies!

2010-12-20T19:56:00.000+01:00

If you are looking for party addicts, you don’t need to look further than Africa Night Tilburg last Saturday 18th December 2010. After having gotten over the disappointment of the last minute cancellation of Africa Night Rotterdam, it seemed December 2010 was destined to be a disastrous one for Africa Night. The weather forecast was nothing short of disastrous. The whole week had seen more traffic jams as a result of the Siberian conditions in the Netherlands. And the big freeze was expected on Saturday evening. The weather and traffic agencies issued a code Orange advice to people. Stay home! Buckets of snow was expected in the early evening. The airports and the whole of the South Limburg and many parts of the country were already blanketed with 20cm of snow. The roads were going to be very slippery.

In the event we just thought, we’ve had a very good run with Africa Night. All troubles and setbacks seem to have avoided our path in the 12.5 years we’ve been entertaining the people . We’ve been really lucky. Now December was going to be ending on a very low note. We left for the venue thinking if more than 30 people turned up, we were going to be more than happy.

If 30 people turned up, they were going to be the 30 most crazy people on earth! But apparently there are more people suffering from the most acute form of the Africa Night addiction. Much to our disbelieve and even pleasant shock, Africa Night 2010 ended on a very high note. It wasn’t a sell-out as is usually the case in December, but it was... let us put it this way; just check the pictures and the videos of the show. You’ve just got to see it to believe it. Happily everyone (from as far as Belgium, France and Germany) got back home safely.

We would just like to thank you all for making 2010 another great year for Africa Night. As we embark on a new and hopefully exciting adventure in Maastricht in 2011, we hope you’ll always keep us in your heart. We will always do our best to find new ways of entertaining you. We wish you a very happy festivities in the coming days. Keep yourselves warm by listening to our 2010 CD!

The Africa Night poetry gallery

2010-11-22T18:54:00.000+01:00

Pictures are like poetry, subtle but they paint a gallery of emotions. This latest Africa Night in Tilburg was poetry in motion. So sit back and enter the Africa Night Tilburg (November 2010) poetry gallery. More poetry can be found on www.africanight.nl/fotos/index.htm

Africa Night of the firsts

2010-10-18T20:57:00.000+02:00

For everything there is a first. This latest edition of Africa Night Tilburg provided 2 firsts.

This past show in Tilburg will go down in history as the first one where we started late. Secondly, it was the first one which the main organiser did not attend. The reason for the first piece of history is the fact that the co-organiser got stuck in a traffic cul-de-sac and could not get to the venue at the usual time. You can imagine the panic that ensued. Never has it happened that we were present on the dot of 22.00 hours when the show begins. Even the DJ, as it turned out, got caught up in the traffic mess too. In the end the show the show went live with an half hour delay. Happily enough, the guests who were early were very understanding.

After attending almost 160 consecutive Africa Nights, the main organiser decided to take his first break in almost 12.5 years. It was a strange experience not being present at a show. But in the event, the show must go on and it went on like there was no tomorrow! Once you see the pictures you’ll agree that Africa Night is bigger than any one individual. We are very happy with the baby that was conceived in quiet frustration 14 years ago.

Since its birth almost 12.5 years ago, Africa Night in Tilburg has never disappoint. We are betting that the Rotterdam edition will in time be as exciting as the Tilburg edition. And as we wait for the Maastricht edition of Africa Night to take off in January 2011, we are sure to entertain you for years to come.

Africa Night welcomes Limburg!

2010-09-20T20:32:00.000+02:00

Is there nothing to write about the Africa Nights in September? Plenty! Too much that we could have written a long epistle. But we don’t want to bore you by repeating the obvious.

There is a big news that we don’t want to keep to ourselves though. It is the news that Africa Night is welcoming a 3rd city starting from January 2011. Yes, the rumour s are true. Maastricht will be the latest city joining the Africa Night family. We hope all the good people of the Dutch region of Limburg will be joining us in the new year.

Watch this space for further breaking news!

The pictures, the heat and the surprise!

2010-08-23T22:14:00.000+02:00

One of the regular rituals on any given Africa Night is the taking of the pictures at the show. We take the pictures for a variety of reasons. These include just capturing the spirit of the night, letting those who have been at the party to have some memories to hold on to. We also do this to let those who could/would not come to have a sense of what they are missing. These picture- impressions also help to give the people who have never been there and may be willing to come an idea of what they can expect. This has helped to reinforce or dispel some preconceived ideas about Africa Night; like the kind of people who come there and even the dress code. Pictures, after all, tell a million stories.

Over the years we must have taken like tens of thousands of pictures. The best pictures are meticulously selected and every Monday after an Africa Night, they are placed online. It goes without saying that the picture pages are the most visited pages on the Africa Night website. We take great care to make sure the pictures that are placed, are ones that are good and not ones where the subjects in the picture are in any kind of unflattering pose or position; you know those kinds of pictures where you think you are posing right and then you see the result and your eyes are closed, of sweat is just dropping on your nose or even someone or something shows up in the background that is not supposed to be there. These kinds of pictures are always deleted. The result is that sometimes someone actually poses for a picture with the intention of seeing it online on Monday and finds out, rather to his surprise that his/her picture is not there. Most of these people are kind enough to ask during the next Africa Night what happened to their pictures. Of course they are always grateful that we did not upload pictures of them looking..eh..stupid.

Generally, people don’t mind being on the pictures, for which we are grateful. But as with nearly every rule, there is always an exception. A very tiny minority really will go a long way not to be in our snapshots. Some just dive for cover, while some approach us to ask politely that their pictures not be taken. Some are not polite at all! There are people who have threatened to smash our cameras. And once in a while we have people calling us on Tuesday to demand, politely or otherwise, that their pictures be removed. Some of the reasons people give for not wanting to be in the snapshots vary from the reasonable to the ridiculous. You’ll be surprised at some of the rationale behind it. But it is not our place to divulge the details here.

It goes without saying however, that we sometimes, perhaps cheekily, ask these “conscientious objectors” how they came to know about Africa Night. To a man, their answer is that they found out online via either our website, forum, blog, Hyves, Netlog and or Facebook. They have seen the pictures and they could see that the atmosphere at the Africa Night is really great. Which begs the question; if everyone would object to his picture being taken, how would these naysayers have been able to have a sense of the Africa Night experience? But do you know who the people are, who are always the first to check out the photos on Mondays? Yes, our objectors! They spend loads of time ogling at the pictures of others while wishing to stay anonymous themselves! To those of our guests who allow us to share their experience and capture the true mood of the Africa Night, we are extremely grateful. End of our digression!

Ok, this is the part you may have been waiting for. How was this last Africa Night? In short, it was hot. The current Ramadan ensured that some of our Muslim guests did not show up. Thank goodness for that! We still had an almost full house though. If everyone had showed up, we would have moved Africa Night outside, to the gardens of Partycentrum Oase, just to ensure that no harm was done through the heat. It was an unusually warm August night. And even with the in-house cooling installation blowing at full power, it just stayed hot. Did this affect the dancing of the people? Probably. But you’ll have to give our guests lots of credit for their endurance. Even with sweat streaming over from their faces to every part of their bodies, they went on dancing, hanging on to every beat DJ Aziz was dishing out.

But the highlight has to be the group of 10 who came for the first time to Africa Night because the wife of one of them was celebrating her 40th birthday and he wanted to surprise his wife. I think it was a very successful treat, not only for his wife, but for all of them in the end. You could see that they had loads of fun and the pictures do really show this. All in all we had another unforgettable Africa Night.

Sorry folks, we all have to wait another month for an encore!

Africa Night Tilburg - The never ending love story

2010-07-21T21:40:00.000+02:00

One of the aspects of Africa Night that many don't know is the preparation that goes into making a typical Africa Night go smoothly. I will not bore you with the whole stuff we have to do. Let's just say, once one Africa Night finishes, work already begins with the new one. In short, it takes us 4 (sometimes 5) weeks to prepare for 5 hours of Africa Night.

The next Africa Night always begins with the evaluation of the last one. The first part of the evaluation is always right after everybody has gone home. We sit there with the owner of the club and we compare notes about how the night went. We take notes of the good, the bad, and the unexpected part of that particular Africa Night. In most cases, the club owners always choose to highlight the unflattering parts of the night. We listen and we learn and the next time, we act. We are used to this. But it always felt like a one way lecture.

At the current location, the vibes are markedly different though. We evaluate the night from the positives angle. The club owner is a guy who is really very open. He says what he thinks and we say what we think. We compare notes and mostly, we almost always come to the same conclusion. Because of this openness, we are both constantly looking for ways of making the Africa Night experience even more enjoyable for our guests. After the July edition of Africa Night for example, we told him about the fact that the guests complained that it was too hot. There is actually an air conditioner in the club, he said. He will go and give it a short service and will be on next month if the weather so dictate. Now, that’s my type of man. No bla bla, just instant action!

This has always been the way it is since we moved to Partycentrum Oase. This positive attitude is felt by the guests too. They have been coming in their droves. From the people behind the bar to the security men, everyone is just so in sync. That is why Africa Night Tilburg is flourishing more than ever before. Africa Night feels at home where it is now. It puts a spring in our legs when we are preparing for the next Africa Night in Tilburg.

Africa Night Tilburg, without the Vuvuzela

2010-06-22T22:01:00.001+02:00

Sometimes dreams come true. For us the June edition of Africa Night Tilburg was like a sweet dreams wrapped in the warm clothes of reality. Unlike the may edition when the hall was too full, this edition attracted just the right number of people to justify its label as a dance event. It was busy enough to inspire and there was space enough to dance. Africa Night is after all a dance event. The atmosphere was great and the party goers all seemed to enjoy themselves. Some came with their newlyweds, some in groups and others alone. But like a river delta, they all combined to join the musical ocean that Africa Night Tilburg has become over the years. And when the music is right, the night is always full of magical moments. If music is with us, who can be against us? The was one big disappointment about the night though; no one brought their Vuvuzelas as we requested through the social media! If you’ve never been to the Africa Night, you obviously are missing a lot of fun. See you all next month.

Let it be said

2010-05-17T22:07:00.004+02:00

Let it be said that Africa Night is now 12 years old. Let it be said that without making a big deal out of it, the May edition of Africa Night was one of the biggest and the best Africa Nights ever. Let it be said that we are so proud of ourselves for making it this far even when others were falling by the wayside. Let it be said, that we have the best public in the whole world. Let it be said that without this public, Africa Night would have been consigned to the footnotes of history, like some other Africa themed shows in The Netherlands which are now in the graveyard of unsuccessful shows. Let it be said that we are giving it all to continue to be relevant to the needs of our public.

Let it be said that even when we’ve had to stop at old locations, it is mostly members of our public which help to find better places to continue our unbroken run. Let it be said that changing locations have been the bane of many African shows in The Netherlands. Let it be said that our Africa Night continue to buck this trend because the attendance always seems to grow significantly when we move to a new location. Let it be said that when we started in May 1998, we were happy to entertain. Let it be said that in May 2010 we are just as happy to entertain the patrons of Africa Night.

Let it be said that the guy who walked up to us last Saturday to announce that he was there the first time brought a sense of joy and pride to us. He reminded us (without saying it) of our sense of purpose and responsibilities to always strive to put our public first. Let it be said that we thank Canada, France, Finland, Norway, Belgium, Germany, Britain, Senegal, Nigeria, Gambia, Kenya, Surinam and some other foreign, far and exotic countries where people have specifically travelled from just to be part of our show. Let it be said that citizens of these counties and more who live around these shores always come to Africa Night. Let it be said that on a given Africa Night evening, citizens of all continents of the world are always present. Let it be said that The Netherlands, our host and adopted land, is always well represented. Let it be said that if countries and their leaders get along the way the Africa Night crowd do, we will not call this place planet Earth but planet Heaven.

Let it be said that our pledge and goal 12 years ago was to use music to emphasise that which unifies different peoples. Let it be said that when you come to a typical Africa Night, you will be a witness to the fact that music is a true unifier. As we enter the 13th year of sheer pleasure of organising Africa Night, let it be said that we are happy to say that since heavy snowstorms, sandstorms and rainstorms have never deterred our loyal public from coming to Africa Night, we shall always do our best to entertain you while this mutual musical journey lasts. Let is be said that we will continue to do this with humility and utmost love.

Africa Night Rotterdam; breaking with traditions

2010-05-09T20:59:00.000+02:00

I am almost glad to report that this latest edition of Africa Night Rotterdam will be remembered as the longest but most uninspiring Africa Night ever. Almost glad because I was beginning to sound boring writing how good our Africa Nights always were. And even though it is always true, it was beginning to sound like an old LP.

Having started at 22.00 hours, my intuition already convinced it was going to be a long night. Figuratively and literally it was. If you considered that the first 2 (previous) editions of Africa Night Rotterdam ended at 03.30 hours, you’ll understand what I mean knowing that this 3rd edition dragged on till after 04.45 hours. I say after 04.45 hours because when we, the organisers, left at 04.45 hours, there was still a sizeable amount of Africa Night partygoers, who were still having too much fun to leave! Happily for them, they could stay on because there was an after-party in the same venue which started just as we were leaving.

The night was long also because people seemed to take their time to turn up. When they did, it was just in ones and twos. The result was that even though there were a lot of visitors in the end, the venue did not at anytime look full. Purely on the numbers of visitors, it should have looked full if everyone had arrived during the now legendary Africa Night arrival hour. The Africa Night arrival hour, for those who do not know it, is the time between 23.30 and 00.30 hours. In that one hour window, every Africa Night venue always transform from nearly empty to very full. But the visitors to this edition of Africa Night broke with tradition and just came when it suited them! In fact the largest batches of visitors arrived between 02.30 and 03.00 hours.

The music was good even if you had one or two people who did not share this opinion. But true to the uninspiring spirit of this night, one practically had to drag people to the dance floor. Sigh!

We had the legendary DJ Erick in the house and he even guest deejayed some beats. It was nice to welcome the Kenyan contingent he brought with him! On another note, based on the feedback from the visitors to the first two Africa Nights in Rotterdam, we were able to persuade the owner of the venue to adjust the price of drinks to reflect the normal Rotterdam standards.

All in all, it was a night so wanting of inspiration that the ladies taking the jackets and at the box office did not once go inside to see or feel the dance floor. To build Africa Night Rotterdam to the level of Africa Night Tilburg, we have loads of work ahead. We are up to the challenge, but we have our work cut out.

The Africa Night Soul Train

2010-04-19T21:36:00.001+02:00

The latest Africa Night has come and gone. What is left are the sweet memories of a night that threatened to be a long one but ended up being a most enjoyable April night. Things sometimes go so smooth at the Africa Night, it is scary. I know I’ve written about Africa Nights in the past that have exceeded our expectations. This was one of those nights again.

If you consider the fact that the venue was maybe 10% full just before midnight, you’ll appreciate one’s elation and amusement when one blinked and the venue was full to the brim half an hour later. It is always nice to see new faces at Africa Night. But the Tilburg branch is now making a habit of attracting many new clients during each edition lately. This time around, I could have sworn that the new clients outnumbered the old almost 2 to 1. It gives the Tilburg edition a kind of freshness that one misses by other shows like the one we call Africa Night.

It was particularly nice to see Vivian our part-time Dutch blogger return to Africa Night after a hiatus of about 4 months. (By the way Amavee, our regular Dutch blogger, missed her first Africa Night Tilburg since she first came almost 2.5 years ago!). It was also nice to see our Antillean friends come back after enduring the bereavement of their mother in March.

The highlights of the night? They are too much to mention. You just had to be there understand what I mean. One word that comes to mind when I think of this edition of Africa Night Tilburg is; fun! We had lots of fun and hope to have more in the coming months.Africa Night Tilburg is like a monthly meeting of souls on the same wavelength. Once you enter the Africa Night train, you can just relax, be yourself and dance the night away. The next stop for the Africa Night Soul Train is at Club Spaceball in Rotterdam on Saturday 8th of May 2010. You are invited to come and join the fun.

The Africa Night Rotterdam marathon

2010-04-12T18:49:00.013+02:00

The second edition of Africa Night Rotterdam has come and gone. It was a most enjoyable party. Two things became obvious to us after this edition; there is a real craving for a party like Africa Night in Rotterdam. The second thing is that we, as the organisers really have a lot of work ahead if we are to make Africa Night Rotterdam as great as Africa Night Tilburg. But we like the challenge.

The party people came earlier this time around. The hall was already more than half full by midnight. Although it took a while for the guests to embrace the dance floor, the music was great. But once they did take to the floor, it was really fun to see how much they enjoyed their night out. We had lot’s of guests come to us before, during and after the party to encourage us to organize similar party events in other cities in The Netherlands. I take that as a vote of confidence that we are doing a good job.

Happily this time around, it was not as hot inside the venue as the first time. In terms of numbers, there were just as much people as the last time. The striking thing though was the fact that more than half of the guests were not at the first edition. This is the kind of regeneration that we are used to in Tilburg. It is always good to have new faces every time. That way, it does not get boring.

We’ll have to find ways of expanding the show to make it bigger and better for the guests. It is a marathon and we are just at the beginning of the race. Next month promises to be even better.

Africa Night Cowboys & Girls!

2010-03-23T22:28:00.000+01:00

If there is a delay in updating blog after an edition of Africa Night it could mean either of two things. It could be because the blogger is low on inspiration or it could mean that one is just too excited to put their thoughts to paper. The latter is definitely the case after the latest edition of Africa Night Tilburg.

It was a night of firsts. It was the first time Africa Night was organised in a Country & Western themed location. It was the first one in Tilburg that made use of security guards. It was the first one where we did not have to worry if the location was not too small to accommodate the guests. It was the first one where people who wanted to smoke had their own place and those who did not could just enjoy the fresh, sweaty air. It was also the first one, where almost to a man, people were satisfied with the choice of the location.

Having worried and fretted about the reaction people might have about the new location, it was just satisfying taking in the ringing endorsements of the guest. You could see the surprise and the amazement on the faces of the guests as they strolled in after passing through the security control. One by one they took in the beauty of the new location and smiles of acquiescence lit their faces.

It was a night of severe, almost tropical, rainstorm. But that did not stop the party-goers from defying the storm to come to Africa Night Tilburg. And as usual, there were people from far and near. A lady who was at Africa Night Rotterdam the weekend before, came up to me and proclaimed her love for Africa Night. She has found Africa Night now and she was not going to let go!

One big disappointment though was the fact the only a few headed our call to come in Cowboy dresses! Maybe they were just too shy! But in no way did that affect the spirit of the night. The night ended exactly at the usual time 03.00 hour in the morning. Not that it was our intention though. While playing what was supposed to be the last song of the night (Lucky Bube – Ding Ding Licky Licky Bong), the deejay installation just ceased. Just like that! At first the crowd thought it was just the deejay encouraging them to sing along. But as the realization sank in that something was really wrong, one could feel the sense of deflation from the guests.

It was a very cruel end to one of the most positive Africa Night ever. This is because in between, we had our usually but always spontaneous Mbalax dance moments. The Mbalax circle seems to be getting bigger and bigger every month in Tilburg as more people lose their inhibitions and join the fun. Who needs a professional live show when our guests can give their own? The whole positive vibes swept through the night. Once people got to the dance floor they just stayed there and dance all night long to the music of DJ Aziz, the resident disc jockey.

Africa Night Tilburg has found a new home and all her true patrons have followed and felt at home. Together, we will rock this Cowboy saloon like it’s never been rocked before.

Africa Night Rotterdam train has arrived!

2010-03-16T19:33:00.003+01:00

So after several months of preparation and anticipation, Africa Night finally hit the city of Rotterdam last Saturday 13 of March 2010. Even though one did not know what to expect, the indications were that Africa Night might become a hit in Rotterdam. Still after all the preceding hard work, it was a strange feeling during the night itself to just sit nervously back and watch how the night was going to unfold.
From the moment the first guest came in, it was obvious that our effort was going to bear some fruits. Rotterdam was always going to bring its own dynamics. It turns out a lot of people found the location a bit too difficult to find. And some, mostly the few who knew about the ambiance of Africa Night in Tilburg, were surprised to be met by security guards at the door. Being frisked was never a part of Africa Night experience. But hey, the world is changing. It is the sign of the times. (Please note: starting from the March edition Africa Night, even in Tilburg, everyone will be frisked!)
But once the guest came inside, they just seemed to take in the Africa Night atmosphere and enjoyed themselves to the maximum. Some things were naturally different than the organisers were used to, but the music was the same and just as entertaining as ever. The night went on till about 04.15 hours when the guests seemed to have had their fill.
In the end there were more people than one had expected but less than one had hoped for. To be sure, for a first Africa Night in Rotterdam, the attendance is very encouraging. Judging by the reactions of the guests, Africa Night Rotterdam can look forward to a bright future in Rotterdam. There were lots of positives to take away and build on in the coming months. We have a lot of work ahead. However we have always perceived working hard for Africa Night as a luxury problem. Somehow, we will always find the energy to make Africa Night better.

The Africa Night train has arrived in Rotterdam and the city will never be the same!

Africa Night moves forward to the next level

2010-03-01T21:10:00.005+01:00

How is the best way to describe the valedictory Africa Night at the Bosvreugd? Every superlative can be used without it descending into hyperbole. As far as saying goodbyes goes, this was one of the most enjoyable bye byes ever! It was a befitting way to say bye bye to the location that has housed Africa Night for the past 3 years and 2 months. I will not waste to much words to describe how a great night it turned out to be. I will just let the pictures tell the story. Was it sold out? You bet!

Starting in March 2010, and by popular demand, Africa Night will be held twice a month. In Rotterdam, (every 2nd Saturday of the month in Club Spaceball) and in Tilburg, (every 3rd Saturday of the month in Partycentrum Oase). We don’t need to beat our chests, but for as long as our public wants, we will be the only gigs in town.
Join our forum (www.africanightforum.nl) to see what people are saying about Africa Night. You can also read the monthly Dutch language impression of Africa Night by a regular visitor to the Africa Night on the Dutchblog www.africanightforum.nl/blog

Valedictory Africa Night party in Bosvreugd!

2010-02-20T18:39:00.003+01:00

The February edition will be the last edition to be held at the present location in Tilburg. This last Africa Night in Bosvreugd will take place on Saturday, 27 February 2010. You are all cordially invited to join us. We are saying bye-bye to this location with a bang!
We are not stopping in Tilburg though. We are just moving to the next level!

Bye Bye Bosvreugd, Hello Oase!

Starting from Saturday 20 March 2010, Africa Night Tilburg welcomes you all to Partycentrum Oase, Zevenheuvelenweg 24, 5048 AN Tilburg. This new place is easier to find, has style, and is bigger and cosier. You can see for yourselves!By the way, if you can not get enough of Africa Night, starting from Saturday 13 March 2010, Africa Night will also roll into the 2nd largest city in the Netherlands, Rotterdam! Check http://rotterdam.africanight.nl for more information.

Mbalax meets Coupe Decalle

2010-01-20T20:43:00.005+01:00

The Africa Night 2010 season has just truly begun. The year 2010 will be a very exciting and defining year for Africa Night. We have made the conscious effort to add another city (Rotterdam) to the Africa Night family. Starting form Saturday 13th of March 2010, Africa Night will also be held in Rotterdam; the second biggest city in The Netherlands.
But to the business at hand; the January 2010 edition of Africa Night will be remembered as the dancers’ edition. Even though the weather was really uncooperative (snow and slippery again), we had an almost full house. Even after almost 12 years of doing this, you never know what to expect. To our very pleasant surprise, the party people just claimed the dance floor this time around.
It was as if people just came to dance and every other thing was secondary. Some were a bit concerned about the news/rumours that Africa Night was going to stop permanently. But after assuring them that the real news is that we are moving to another (bigger and better) location, the only thing left for them to do was to take the dance floor hostage!
Normally the guys dancing to the Mbalax (Senegalese dance) always steal the shows with their cameos during the Africa Night. They just start to do their stuff spontaneously and people always formed a circle around them. It is always a spectacle to enjoy. The January edition of Africa Night was in that respect not very different. However, the reason I am writing about this is that during this edition, some guys just decided to form their own Coupe Decalle dance circle. Coming just after the Mbalax, it was a spectacle to enjoy. Who needs expensive live shows when we have our unscripted performances in the house?

If it's freezing, Africa Night will keep you warm!

2009-12-21T18:21:00.003+01:00

So that was it then as far as Africa Night in 2009 is concerned. Even if we were the best scriptwriters in the world, we could not have written a better, more exciting and suspense filled end to Africa Night in 2009. In the end, the December edition became a story of love, disappointment, perseverance, joy and disbelief. I can not begin to go into the details of this cliffhanger ending to the year’s ending Africa Night. I wouldn’t know where to begin.
To be perfectly honest, I was expecting the gloomiest Africa Night ever. From the moment we saw the weather forecasts for the day, that it was going to be touch and go. It was going to be the coldest day of the year so far with temperatures predicted to hit -12 degrees with heavy snowfall. Anyone who was going to come to Africa Night would have to be a brave person because of the predicted slippery roads and the blizzard. If 50 people were going to be present, I was going to be very happy indeed. You only had to look outside and see the 15 cm (and rising) snow to know people were going to be discouraged from going out this day/night.
Apparently we keep underestimating the resolve and determination of the average Africa Night patrons. One by one they just kept dropping in, many dressed (as previously requested) with a “touch of red”. Red was meant to symbolize this festive season of love. A lot of love was in the air at this Africa Night. At the end of the evening, we had more than a full house! Funny was the fact that everyone who came in thought he was just the only one taking high risks to come to Africa Night until they saw that many others like them did not want to miss their monthly Africa music fix. The personification of this had to be Jaymee (pseudonym) who drove all the way from England, bracing the snow and the long traffic jam at the channel tunnel in France just to join the fun. She was disappointed and apologetic that she couldn’t arrive on time to partake in the Xmas diner ahead of Africa Night! Jaymee, we take a deep bow for you! People like you are the reason we go on with Africa Night.
We can look back to this as being the most successful Africa Night year ever. Next year will be a very strange year, but we are looking forward to the challenges ahead. One thing is certain, 2009 will be the last full year that Africa Night, the nomad, will be spending at the present location. We have to look for a new and bigger location for our show in 2010. We will keep you all posted.
We just want to round off this piece by thanking all of those who have contributed their bits and pieces to making Africa Night bigger and better every year. We wish to specially thank, our Dutch bloggers Amavee and Vivian, Abdou and Yaya (our ever present friend and helpers), the ever welcoming ladies at the door Monique, Linda, Jane and sometimes Anna. DJ Aziz also deserves a special shout out. He has stepped into the big shoes of Africa Night deejay and made them his own, seemingly without much effort. When Rotterdam joins in the fun from March 13 th 2010, we will all be there to make sure Africa Night will keep entertaining you.
We extend our season’s greetings to you all.

More people, more problems!

2009-11-23T19:53:00.004+01:00

A lot of Africa themed party organisers in The Netherlands will kill to have the kind of large crowd we attract at the Africa Night. The reasoning goes like this; the more visitors, the more excitement. More people equal more money. But this is a kind of slippery slope reasoning with foundations built on thin air. Africa Night operates with a couple of true lovers. It has always been a labour of love and was never based on financial aggrandisement. In the more than 11 years of Africa Night, the gate fee has been virtually unchanged. This is because as long as we are able to cover our costs, we are happy to keep the gate fee the same. Africa Night is happily not our source of income. If Africa Night stops tomorrow, I will not miss a cent at the end of the month. It is as simple as that.
The Africa Nights that have been the most satisfying are those that attracted a manageable number of visitors who came with the sole purpose of having fun. If our guests have fun, we have fun too because it gives us a satisfying feeling of fulfilment. 150 fun and music loving people are always better than 300 fee paying onlookers. Money is and never will be an issue at Africa Night. The more people present at a given Africa Night, the more we the organisers have to work to make sure the evening passes without any irritating incidents. The times when some guests have behaved badly are the times when attendances have been over the top. This was the case at the November edition of Africa Night.
While some of the visitors were elated because of the large crowd during this edition, we knew we had to hold our breath. Or worst fear became reality just before the night was due to be over. Some guy who had one glass too much to drink got into some kind of trouble with a group. Happily, it was just at the end of the night and we were able to usher the guys outside. But once outside, all hell broke loose. One could just watch and hope that the worst would not happen to the guy who provoked the pandemonium. In the event, the whole thing took a comical look once sanity was restored. There was this guy, heavily battered, shirtless, and missing his right shoe, but still shouting that he was ‘the man’ long after everyone was gone. I just wonder how he got home on that cold and wet morning.
Reading the above you would think the “fight club” was the only important thing that happened last Saturday. Nothing is further than the truth. The night was by far the busiest of the year and we continued to be amazed by first time clients (nowadays the majority) who think they are the only ones from afar. Take the example of the guy who came to me to declare that he thinks he is the only one outside Tilburg who was there on the night. He came from Utrecht about 80 km away. So I showed him round to guests who were from Deventer, 130 km away; Zwolle, 150 km away; Groningen, 250 km away; Antwerp Belgium, 75 km away; Hamburg Germany 490 km away; Nantes, France 630 km away. I think he got the gist!
As we approach the end of another eventful Africa Night year, I have to say whatever happens; Africa Night will definitely take a new direction next year. We are currently exploring various possibilities of building on the success of the past eleven and half years. Watch this space. There are lots of exciting things in the pipeline!

Africa Night - The Happy Nomad.

2009-10-19T08:06:00.005+02:00

As Africa Night goes, this one was very strange in both a positive and weird kind of way. The strangely positive part is that people actually came on time this time around. And the house was already full before midnight. It was the beginning of the cold winter months so the coat lady at the door had her work really cut out this time around. Sometimes people came in 2s, sometimes in 10s but by the end of the night, the house was really full. This time around we brought the video show back to add extra dimension to the night.
There is a real danger of sounding boring every month when this piece is written. After all, how many times can one possibly write that Africa Night is really great and all that? But the truth is, the atmosphere at this edition was really electrifying. It was the Africa Night of the dancers and the fun lovers. When the DJ and the crowd are on top of their game, one is blessed with a show that really breathes musical harmony and sheer joy. You just have to see how some of the pictures capture the spirit of Africa Night.

There is a also the fascinating chain reaction that is triggered by people who “accidentally” came to Africa Night once and liked it. I could count 5 sets of people at this edition who “discovered” Africa Night just a couple of months ago. Since then, they have been bringing new friends and generating all sorts of positive publicity for Africa Night. Sometimes, we are just perplexed at the length others will go to come to the show. But I will not bore you with the details.
The weird thing about this Africa Night edition was the two pieces of news that we got this time around. One concerned the death of a guy from Senegal who was on a short holiday in The Netherlands and visited our show last month. He has heard about the show in Senegal, he said and always looked at the monthly pictures. Now he was glad he could be at our show in person. And now he is no more. He passed away before he could return to Senegal. We hope he has found peace wherever he is now.
The other piece of news is a little cryptic. Africa Night has always been the happy nomad. We move around a lot just to stay around a lot. We have been like a child inseparable from its loving parent. Home is always the sweetest place to be for such a child. However, the period is approaching when Africa Night will be of age and will have to break the umbilical cords that have restricted its freedom and movement. Home is for a nomad sweet, but the freedom to discover new pastures is even sweeter for the musical nomad. The Africa Night train goes on. It waits only for those who are die-hard lovers. The next couple of months will test all of our resolve! If you understand this last part of my write-up please drop us a comment! I may buy you a beer at the next Africa Night!

Whatever happens, the next Africa Night will be one to remember. I promise you that. Just bring your dancing shoes!

Ramadan & Africa Night (part 2)

2009-09-22T20:59:00.006+02:00

The moment we realized that September edition Africa Night would fall right at the end of the Ramadan, we knew it was going though going. A considerable number of our clients are after all Muslims. Past experience has taught us that the Ramadan is always a moment when attendance at Africa Night is always the year’s lowest. The same was true of this edition. Low is however very relative. Even when attendance is lowest during our show, it is still higher than the highest attendances at comparable shows in other parts of the country.

High or low attendance, the Africa Night fun train goes always on. It was a show where we were reminded of how our clients do their best to make Africa Night the monthly place to be. This time around, I had to pick up 2 guys from the central train station in Tilburg who were coming there for the first time. These guys (one from Niger and the other from Gambia) live in Belgium. They heard of Africa Night from a Germany who has been to Africa Night a couple of times. That is the magic of Africa Night. It is the word of mouth from our guests that has made Africa Night what it is. Of course a couple of people who were there for the first time in August came this time with more of their friends. It makes us feel warm inside. Big thanks to all of you.
On a personal note, a cousin of mine came over from Africa to join us for this edition of Africa Night. But so did 4 of my friends from Germany. It is always nice when family or friends walk in to join in the Africa Night fun. This edition was permeated with an easy, nice and cosy atmosphere.
On a final note, this whole year, there has been one striking phenomenon at every edition of Africa Night. More than 70 % of all the visitors to any given Africa Night in 2009 have been new and first time visitors. Now if all those who have been to at least one edition of Africa Night since its inception were to one day all turn up, we will need to hire a large stadium to accommodate them!

Africa Night is hot. Africa Night is fun!

2009-08-17T14:47:00.004+02:00

Ok where do I begin? You see, every month I try to put into words my impressions about that month’s Africa Night. I have been doing these write-ups now for about 5 years now. My major angst every month is the fear of being repetitive. That is a major possibility if you are writing about the same theme every month. This month, I am going to befriend and embrace that fear. I am going to just be repetitious and I am not going to make apologies to myself. I will make my fear take over and rule me for this one month only.

Why I am saying this? It is because the August edition of Africa Night has to rate as one of the best ever. It was certainly the best in 2009. Followers of this blog would have read something like this many times before. De javu? Yes. This is the feeling you get when everything seems to come together to create a great party and atmosphere. And I am proud to say that this honour seems to fall on us time and time again. So pardon me if you’ve read something like this before.

Every sign pointed a very ordinary Africa Night in August 2009. It is a vacation month in the Netherlands. So you expected people would be away with the family and the loved ones. It is also the height of the festival season in these shores. Every weekend, there are numerous open-air (free) festivals to choose from. On this Africa Night weekend, there were 4 or 5 to choose from. But the major pointer to a very ordinary Africa Night was the weather. It was a very tropically warm day with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius. Even in the winter, the hall where we organize Africa Night is always natural warm when the party people are having fun. So you can imagine how warm it was going to be like on this, the warmest day of the month so far. With that in mind, I did not think anyone was going to want to brace the heat. So I expected a few people might stay away. Also this edition was right in the middle of the month (the 15th). And even though everybody knows that our show is always every 3rd Saturday of the month, there are a lot of people who always get confused every time a month like this has 5 Saturdays. These people always show up a week later! Lastly, a couple of the diehards of Africa Night had already told me that for various reasons, they were going to skip this edition. Almost the whole of our Belgian contingent was at various open air festivals.

At the beginning of the night, I was sure I was going to be proven right. Until just about 23.30 hours, the hall was virtually empty. In the event the ordinary became the extraordinary. People just started pouring in. In the end we had the busiest night of the year so far. What makes it even special is the fact that more than half of the visitors were new people. This is a phenomenon that has kept Africa Night fresh and refreshing through the years. I remember remarking to a regular visitor that it seems people who cannot come always called-up other people to replace them.

And hot it was on this edition. I am sure it would have been more than 50 degrees Celsius inside the hall at a point. It was like dancing in the sauna. People were sweating but seemed oblivious of this because of the great ambiance inside. The DJ was at his best and seemed to elevate the art of music selection to an even higher level. When I spoke with him about this, his reaction was that since this people came to dance, he was going to oblige them! However it was so hot that we decided to throw all doors and window open at around 01.45 hours. This really helped to bring the temperature down.

My personal highlight of the evening was the young Dutch lady who was there for the first time and saw a guy that she last saw 6 years ago in Guinea! What are the odds of that happening? They had lost all contacts and here they were, coincidentally brought together by Africa Night. Sometimes, Africa Night makes things happen.

Africa Night July 2009 photo book

2009-07-20T19:58:00.009+02:00

I could write a million words about the July 2009 version of Africa Night. But I won’t. I will just let some of the images of the night do the talking! But suffice to say that the Africa Night guests never seem to take a vacation. We love you all. You made our day and night again.

Check the full range of the pictures on www.africanight.nl

Inspite of the odds, Africa Night is a winner!

2009-06-21T21:57:00.003+02:00

We knew it was going to be a huge night. And huge it was. From the moment the first 4 guys came dancing inside, we knew it was going to be that kind of night when only an act of God, could keep the guests off the dance floor. At the end of the very eventful night, we were more than proved right. It was a night when everything just jelled in the right kind of way. Even when the odd guys started making trouble with each other because of a girl, the other guest just went on dancing like it was the last ever Africa Night!Like I wrote already on our bilingual forum, I think I might start looking into the feasibility of organising an “Africa Night for Idiots.” This will specially be for guys who to go to a party, pay €5.00 and for whatever reasons begin to fight instead of just having fun. Some of those guys turned up during this show. It is just a pity that I have to sometimes dissipate my energy trying to point out the stupidity and futility of their actions. Of course it always ends up with me sending the guys home. So you take a shower, put on your party clothes, drive sometimes 100 kilometres to get to Africa Night, spend 20 minutes inside and put on your boxing gloves because you apparently forgot your dancing shoes and senses at home. I can see it in front of me already. “Africa Night for Idiots” could well be the next biggest event in the land!
However, once these people were shown the door, one could get on just feeling the positive vibrations blowing through the Tilburg air. I have not seeing so many smiling but sweaty faces for a while. The deejay was really on top of his game, but the guests made his night too. The image that stayed with me throughout the night is the image of the German couple who drove all the way from Stuttgart (530 km) with their Kenya daughter. Their daughter has been to Africa Night before and liked it so much she invited her adopted parents to join the party. This couple had so much fun, it was like they were enjoying a second youth at the Africa Night. I am sure they’ll be back! I sure had lot’s of fun seeing them have so much fun.
So ladies and gentlemen, the first half of Africa Night in 2009 is behind us now. If the first 6 months of Africa Night in 2009 is a sign of things to come in the second half of the year, then we are all in for another great year. Africa Night will continue to strive to do its best to entertain you!

11 years of Africa Night pleasure!

2009-05-18T20:34:00.004+02:00

And that is 11 years! So the dream lives on. 11 years of organising Africa Night and still the party goes on without showing any sign of losing steam. We had thought this anniversary was going to attract fewer guests because it fell right in the middle of the month. To cut a long story short; we had a full house. And it was one of those days when everything just went right. The music was great, the guests were lively and the atmosphere was cosy and bothering on romantic. Just check out the pictures on this link. They speak for themselves.

11 years ago, two people (one pregnant!) were going house to house with flyers inviting other people to the Africa Night. 132 editions later, people are still going to Africa Night to partake in the sweet fruits of labour of those two people. We have always been humbled by the support and loyalty of our guests over the years. We hope that in the coming years, Africa Night will, with your continued support, ascend to the next level.

Yes we have not run out of ideas. The next innovations are just around the corner. All we can ask at this point is just to say “watch this space” for news about the good things ahead.

Africa Night's monthly rebirth

2009-04-19T19:38:00.002+02:00

Thank God Africa Night is not dependent on the presence of the same group of people to survive. If that were to be the case, Africa Night would just have become another unnumbered victim in the graveyard of failed Africa-themed dance nights in The Netherlands and Belgium. The strength of our Africa Night lies, amongst others, in renewal. Every new Africa Night is a renewal. The hardcore group of patrons who come every month, number just in the twenties. That means the other people who regularly grace our show are either people who are there for the first or people who come once in a while. The new faces make sure Africa Night stays refreshing and strong.
As we approach the 11th anniversary of the commencement of Africa Night, we can look back at a fulfilling endeavour that was borne out of exasperation and a little anger in May 1998. Looking at the figures, we have, entertained at least 25000 people in the last 11 years, stage the Africa Night in 3 locations, gone through 7 deejays had a couple of media interviews, had several bands grace the occasion, given countless gifts to our guests, received even more gifts from our guests.
On several occasions, the guests have been the source of strength and inspiration that guided us through some patchy times. Some guests/patrons have become friends. Some have met the love of their lives at the Africa Night, while some are still looking. We have entertained peoples of all cultures, race, sex, religion, sizes and shapes. At the latest Africa Night, we had people from Thailand to Tanzania, from Italy to Ireland and from Somalia to Spain. In short, we have entertained people from all over the globe with the possible exception of the Eskimos. But surely by the time we are done, even the Eskimos would have been part of the rich folklore that Africa Night is becoming.
That said, the sentiments expressed above were inspired by how the April edition played itself out. This edition just summarizes what and how Africa Night has become over the years. To avoid the risk of constant repetitions, let us just say, it was a befitting way to round up the 10th year of Africa Night. We just hope the fun just keeps going on and on.
PS. You can follow Africa Night on twitter on http://twitter.com/africanight

Our appreciation for the one and only......

2009-03-23T21:20:00.005+01:00

We have had a lot of experiences at the Africa Night, but last Saturday we were able to add another unique experience to the Africa Night folklore. When we got to the venue there was a group of ladies waiting patiently for us. What is unique about this is that this has never happened before. It was not as if we were late or something. They just wanted to have fun, as much and as soon as possible. The group comprised of 2 ladies from Kenya, one from Turkey, one from Slovakia and one from Romania, all friends.
In any case, these early birds were to be the pointers to what the night held in stock. Readers of this blog would have been aware of the numerous times I complained that the guests were always coming too late. During this edition of Africa Night, the guests actually came very early and stayed till the very end. The house was already full before 23.30 hours. As always, people came from far and near and the atmosphere was electrifying. People were dancing like there was no tomorrow. DJ Aziz was on top of his game! The guests left with a very satisfied look on their faces.It is not often that we mention names here. However, I have to make an exception here. There is this lady who in such a short time has become a true fan of Africa Night. This lady, Amavee, came in contact with Africa Night just about a year and a half ago through our forum. She came to her first Africa Night in January 2008 and has not missed a single show since then. While this in itself is not really unique, she has become a kind of Africa Night ambassador promoting Africa Night wherever she goes. She keeps a monthly Dutch-language blog about Africa Night. She is most active regular member of the forum.She invites just about everybody through her Hyves page to Africa Night. In short, she has become an indispensable member of the Africa Night family in such a short time. What’s more, she lives more than 2 hours away from where Africa Night Tilburg is held. And she is very modest about it all. Amavee (which is her pseudonym) , if you are reading this, we just want to thank you for your unflagging support. If everyone were to be like you, we would be struggling to find a stadium to contain the guests. Our appreciation to you is really heartfelt.

The United Nations of Africa Night (and Carnival)

2009-02-23T12:50:00.009+01:00

What a night to have a really “quiet” edition of Africa Night. It was the carnival in Tilburg and the rest of the Brabant/Limburg regions of the Netherlands, so one was braced for a very playfully “loud” edition of Africa Night. We expected quite a number people to turn op in funny, colourful costumes. In the event only a few people turned up in their carnival costumes, DJ Aziz (looking great in his 50’s type Afro wig!) being one of those. Cleopatra was also in the house!Of course there were a lot of visitors who adopted a cautious attitude. They brought their costumes, left them in their cars, came in to check if others were in their costumes and when this was not the case, heaved a sigh of relief that they have not made a fool of themselves! That was the “quiet” part of this Africa Night.

With the carnival, you never know what to expect. It could be a slow night or it could just be jam-packed. In the event, it was a night like many others. We had a full house and the DJ was in his elements. He was really on top of his game. A couple of people came to me to mention how quickly DJ Aziz has fitted in. It seemed to those people that he has been playing at the Africa Night for ages. Well, it was just his 3rd gig at Africa Night in Tilburg and he made the people dance like there was no tomorrow, so much so that even when we played longer than normal, the visitors were still yearning for more. A word of advice guys; show up on time, then you’ll have more hours of fun.One of the things that make Africa Night really unique is the diversity of its patrons. There are young and old, big and small, white and black, tall and short. The diversity in the nationalities is even more striking. During this last edition of Africa Night, I lost count of how many countries were represented this mini United Nations. Apart from a very large Belgian contingent, there were also the Dutch of course. We also had “representatives” from The Antilles, Congo, Surinam, France, Nigeria, Mexico, Ghana, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Morocco and Poland just to mention a few. I think the only continent that may not have been represented on this edition was Oceania. But don’t even bet on that either. We’ve had Australians before. Maybe they were there but were incognito! All of these different people have one thing in common; they come to have fun and savour the atmosphere and we try to do our best not to disappoint.
It is always interesting how people find out about Africa Night. One guy (from Surinam) who came for the first time to this edition of Africa Night and lives in Rotterdam, actually heard about it the previous day when he was in Belgium! Of course a lot just stumble across it on the internet.
It was also a night of having some old-fashioned conversations with a couple of visitors, some old and some new. Like the one I had with “African Queen” (that’s her pseudonym). We had a very short and very pleasant conversation. She came this time with her Mexican friend and she could not believe it when told how long Africa Night has been going on. She lives in the neighbourhood and she just came for the first time last month and she was sold right away and that is why she came with her lady friend this time around. She wondered aloud about how it could have been possible that she had missed our show all these years. But from now on, she promised, she was going to do her best to be there every time. Can I get an Amen to that?

2009 has just arrived, @Africa Night!

2009-01-19T15:07:00.007+01:00

There were many ways Africa Night could have begun in the year 2009. But without being consciously aware of it, we chose the best option! Or better said, Africa Night just picked up from where it stopped in 2008. We began this year with a spectacular live show from Friction a band fronted by the Ghana-born singer songwriter, Musah Haruna. As shows go by, this was one of the most satisfying live shows that has ever graced Africa Night. The group was very good but most of all, the guests seemed to really enjoy it too. For once no one came to us to complain about the music and every one actually was dancing along with the sound of Friction.
The beginning of every New Year always seems to be a reflection of how the rest of the year will be. If this is true, this year promises to be one of the most exciting but also one of the most challenging. Most exciting because the public seems more and more relaxed. We know of people who can no longer do without Africa Night. Also we are aware that ours is one of the few Africa music themed parties that is still thriving in The Netherlands. This however brings a challenge with it. It means a lot more people are going to be frequenting Africa Night in Tilburg. This may in turn mean that some are going to be those who have no regard for the simple rule of Africa Night. You come to Africa Night for one reason alone - to enjoy yourself and not spoil the fun for the others. Which was what some guys attempted to do during the last Africa Night. Will anyone explain to me why a person leaves his house, pays to partake in a party and then makes a fool of himself by fighting? We have a policy at the Africa Night though; one strike and you are out. The guys who made fools of themselves will not be partaking in the fun again. That much is sure. We just hope this kind of incident will not be prevalent this year.
Back to the fun. This edition marked the first edition that DJ Aziz officially takes over as the DJ during Africa Night. He has surely started with a splash! Everyone was taken into the flow of the music he chose to play and they were full of praise for him at the end. I think judging from the compliments he got during this show, he can start his own fan club now! To the rest of our faithful guests, we are always thinking of ways to entertain you. In 2009, we hope to take Africa Night to the next level. Just watch this space!

DJ Le General Bows Out. And gracefully too!

2008-12-22T22:02:00.014+01:00

We could not have wished for a better-sweet end of the year’s party than we had during Africa Night in December. The party was preceded by the second edition of the Africa Night dinner. It was one where everyone cooks and brings a delicacy from his own country. This year, we had food from amongst others, Senegal, Belgium, The Netherlands, Surinam, Nigeria and Morocco. And unlike last year when we had to wait too long for everyone, this year everyone was on time and we were all seated around 19.30 hours for a delicious meal. I made sure I tasted every food that was brought. They were so tasty, I helped myself to 3 rounds of food, which was a lot, considering the fact that I was the only one who did not cook or bring any food! I have a valid reason though.
December is also always the month that every visitor to the Africa Night gets a December gift from us and I spend the whole of this month working on the gifts for our patrons. Of course this year, I had to work extra hours because we were expecting extra people. In the end, the extra hours paid dividends because the patrons were really happy with this year’s gift which was surprisingly different than last year’s.
The good part of having a dinner before the regular Africa Night is the fact that Africa Night can begin in earnest as soon as the tables are cleared. So it was this time around that we could already begin with the music (and dancing of course) from just before 21.00 hours. At around 23.00 hours and to our pleasant surprise, the hall was already almost full! If you’ve read my earlier blogs, you’ll know that this is not a normal happening at Africa Night. Mostly people always turned up late but this time around it was different. What’s more, every one seemed to be in a very festive and expansive mood. This combination made for a very enjoyable Africa Night.The low point of the evening was also the highlight. Our DJ for the better part of the past 4 years, Le General (Benoumar) played his benedictory music during this show. Benoumar became our DJ at a time when Africa Night was already a niche in The Netherlands. Still he was able to put his stamp on the way guest danced and the way they listen to the music at our show. He has done that in sometimes very subtle ways and sometimes very overtly. In 4 years he warmed his way into people’s heart with his choice of music and an ever present warm smile. He served the guests like the Africa Night DJs before him never did. He was also one of the in house photographers, taking pictures of guests which the other in house photographer was not allowed to take. In 4 years, Africa Night has had a lot of pleasure from DJ Le General and hopefully vice versa.
But all things always come to an end. He gave us notice about a couple of weeks ago that he needed to stop. Not because he no longer enjoys it, but because of his new employment commitments. He has a new paid job which will sometimes require him to work on Saturdays and he did not want to let us down if his working schedule conflicts with Africa Night. He also has a lot of new private commitments. However, something happened on the week of Africa Night that showed the true strength of character of Benoumar and his love and commitment to the Africa Night cause. I am not sure he will be happy with me revealing the details here, but I feel that I don’t have a choice. So Ben, if you are reading this, you’ll have to forgive me if this is news you’d rather have kept under wraps.
Here we go: Benoumar had a very serious car accident while returning from work earlier in the week. So serious was the car wreck that he had to be cut out of the wreckage by the emergency service. By some miracle, he escaped serious external injuries. But he was kept under observation at the hospital and released the following day. But because of the impact of the accident, he had to wear a neck brace because of acute pain in his neck and all over his body. So it was touch and go that he was even going to be able to say bye-bye to the guests at his last Africa Night as a disc jockey. But defying all odds, DJ Le General showed up and without the neck brace to take his deserved bow at Africa Night. And even though he looked frail, only a few people would have noticed because he did his best to cover this. He played some of his best music ever at this edition of Africa Night.
We paused the music around 01.00 hours and asked guests to watch our Power Point tribute to him. Unaware that he was the subject of the tribute, Benoumar just went around snapping pictures like he always does whenever the other Dj takes over. As it slowly dawned on him that he was the subject of the Power Point tribute, you could see him fight the emotions that overcame him. The crowd did its best to honour him too and every step of the way, they showed this by giving him heartfelt rounds of applause. It was apparent that a lot of people are very sad to see him go.

On behalf of the whole Africa Night crew and family, I will like to wish Benoumar all the best in his new endeavours. We hope to see you once in a while when time and commitments permit.
The night ended a little later than usual. This was because the atmosphere of the whole evening was electrifying and the guests seemed to want to hang around to have more. All in all it was a befitting way to end the year. Hopefully 2009 will even be better. Africa Night starts the new year with DJ Aziz who has the enormous task of following in the big footsteps of Dj Le General in winning the hearts of the guests in Tilburg . I am very confident he is up to it.

Finally, Africa Night would like to wish every one a happy and melodious 2009. See you from the 17th of January 2009 when we have a live show!

At Africa Night, we belong together!

2008-11-16T20:17:00.007+01:00

After all is said and done, we belong to each other! These were the thoughts that swept through me throughout this edition of Africa Night. It was an Africa Night with a difference. The evening began earlier than usual. This was because we had formal presentation of our new pet baby www.kayuz.nl (Check it out. It is coming to an area near you soon and in your own language!). The presentation went better than one had dared to dream of and the reception was great. One left the presentation with the feeling that one is doing this the right way.
But back to the real business of the night; the November edition of Africa Night. We always knew this was going to be a different edition in many ways. Least of all was the fact that we were going to have a guest deejay for the night. Our in-house deejay had his first night off in 4 years so the honour to fill this big void was bestowed upon DJ Aziz whom we know from another Africa themed show in Utrecht. Dj Aziz did not disappoint! Of course at the beginning of the night he was searching for the ways to win over the public. But by the end of the evening, everybody was asking for more! Big kudos to DJ Aziz!
Everything just clicked on this night. The public came in droves. It was like we were going to give away money this time around. The atmosphere was electrifying and even though this was the 126th edition of Africa Night, it is like people can not seem to get enough.

We conceived the idea of Africa Night years ago and the public seems to like the formula. And even though some might sometimes be irritated or disagree sometimes with the way we do our thing at the Africa Night, these people keep coming back for more.

We might quarrel, we might bicker. The music always brings us back together. On this edition of Africa Night, the music and the atmosphere made us feel like we all belong together.

Africa Night in October (The shy edition!)

2008-10-20T18:36:00.003+02:00

Another Africa Night has come and gone and we are back to business as usual! This edition was the shy edition. This is a very new experience for us. More about this later. But first about a pleasant, almost forgotten, experience. For the first time in ages, our guests actually started trickling in on time. Much so that by the time it was 23.30 hours, the hall was already half full. You could imagine our surprise. 23.00 hours is usually the benchmark hour when guests usually start to come in. And usually around 23.30 the trickle becomes faster so that by 00.30 the hall is then almost full. The October crowd decided to be the early crowd. As you can then guess, we had a full house.
This brings me to my earlier point. From our experience, even there are 10 people in the hall, you will always find some, if not all of them on the dance floor at any given time. Not this time. Even though we had already close to 100 people by 23.30 hours, it was like the guests were wary of the dance floor! It could not have been the music because the dj was good. It was like no one wanted to be the first on the dance floor. On the other hand, it could have been that they were just happy to look at the video music show on the wall. We had a video show again like we had in September. You could see that a lot of our guests found this fascinating. For us it felt like it was distracting, but the client is king. Still we were under the impression that we had a lot of shy customers this time around.
Once the first person got over the stage fright and made acquaintance with the dance floor, there was no stopping the others! It was another memorable night full of new guests from far and wide. There was this group of Kenyan ladies of which one of them actually came from Germany just to attend our show. At the end of the evening, they all promised that we have not seen the last of them. Cool!
We got perhaps our biggest compliment of the night from a contingent from Belgium. Apparently, one Belgian lady remarked, you have a very unique setup. That I think is why yours is the only show of substance in town. She then went on to explain that all other places where the same type of music is played that she and her friends know, have gone out of business. From what she hears, we are not only the only show in town, but we have always been better than the rest. This lady made our night! Belguim, you are the bomb!

Ramadan and Africa Night

2008-10-06T19:59:00.004+02:00

The September edition of Africa Night seemed ages ago. I am getting a little bogged down with other pressing stuff that it seems I am not being really faithful to updating this blog on time. But I promise, as soon as I get my table cleared of all the pressing stuff, I will do my best to update the blog as soon as the Africa Night has taken place. That's that then.The last Africa Night was the Ramadan edition. That means that we had to make do with just half of our clientele because the other half usually observed the Ramadan and as such would stay during the holy month. Inspite of this there were enough people to make the night a good night as always. There were a lot of new faces as usual. The music was augumented this time with a video/beamer show that projected all the live videos of the artiests the deejay was playing. Our guest seemed to appreciate this and it is likely to become a permanent feature of the Africa Night experience from now on.
I have to say I am already looking forward to the October edition of Africa Night and hope to be able to give the readers a more inspirational writeup after that.

That's is folks! See you on the 18th of October in Tilburg.

Cocky? Who Us? Never!

2008-09-03T11:44:00.007+02:00

It is sometimes very easy to be cocky given the success of Africa Night in Tilburg. However, we try as much as possible to resist this temptation. The August edition of our show was the first one after the vacation and this time we were a bit curious as to how many (and which) people were going to show up. Going by past experience, we should know what to expect. The vacation period is unusually always very busy at the Africa Night. However, this time around, we had some reasons to really wonder if Africa Night was going to be as successful as in the previous months. For one, this edition fell one the 4th Saturday of the month instead of the customary and (now legendary!) 3rd Saturday of the month. And even though we had been telling everybody about this one time change, we still knew that many of our guests will still mix up the dates. In the end our worst fears were confirmed by the news that a lot of people showed up the Saturday earlier!

The second point is that because of the status of Africa Night in Tilburg, a lot of people always plan their stuff around our show. That is to say that, even potential competitors are always careful to plan their own shows so that it does not coincide with ours. But this time around, one potentially formidable competitor planned her own Africa themed dance event on exactly the same night. This was done of course because they, like some other people, did not realise that our show was taking place on the same night. This person also had a lot of add-ons that was supposed to entice people to come to her party. I think, having realised at the last moment that their show was going head-to-head with ours, she panicked. This is because she sent her people to spread word around that our show was either cancelled or that we have moved the show to the venue she was using. This was apparently to trick people into thinking that we were the same people behind their own show so that our loyal base will just move over to their venue.
This trick probably cost us a couple of guests or maybe not. In the end we had an even fuller house than in the previous 3 months! This is even more remarkable given the fact that there was a 2nd potentially bigger (annual) Afro-Caribbean theme event going on at the biggest music theatre in the city. Maybe some of our guests also took a peep in those other “kitchens”. Maybe that was why many came even later than they always did. But came they did and they came in droves. And as always, we welcomed a lot of new guests.

It was also one of those nights when the ladies outnumber the gentlemen. This prompted an exasperated remark from a lady who was new at our show. She wondered aloud if the African men were this very shy because this would be the first time she would attend one of these parties and no man would ask her the whole night for a dance! The guys just had a lot of dance partners to choose from that night. And with a disc jockey that seemed bent on raising his game to another level, one could not blame the other ladies for clinging to their men the whole evening.

We do not know how the other parties went. We know how ours went. It was a party to be proud of. But even though, we may sometimes be tempted to be cocky because of the success of our show, we will always resist this temptation. It is not cockiness that made Africa Night great. It is the service and respect we give to our clients that have made our show a unique one. We will continue to serve our clients as best as we can. We don’t need to be cocky. Our loyal client are cocky enough by staying loyal and ignoring all the overtures and false rumours from the other shows. To all our clients we say one big “Thank you”.

Joep bedankt! (Thanks Joep!)

2008-07-23T21:01:00.006+02:00

As Africa Night goes, this was one classical edition. The music was good, the weather was perfect and the guests had lots of fun. Traditionally during the summer vacation months, we always have a full house. So we were confident that this edition was not going to be different. However, we were curious as to what effect the Dutch government’s decision to ban smoking in all cafes and discothèques will have on Africa Night. In the event, the owner of the venue came up with a creative way of giving the smokers a chance to inhale their needed doses of nicotine! He just built a tent for the smokers.

As for the attendance, until around midnight, we thought for once we were going to be proved wrong in our guestimation. The hall was still nearly empty at a time when it should have been almost full. But we needed not to have worried. Between midnight and 01.00 hours, if you blinked an eye, you would have missed the hordes of people coming in. In the end the hall was very full without looking full! This was because the crowd had 2 different places to stay - the main hall and the smokers paradise!
Some people come some people go. Sometimes the people who make the most impression are the ones that stay the shortest. Joep is an example of those who need just a little time to make a lasting impression. Joep came to help us at the Africa Night in October 2007 at a time when we were short of hands at the door to take care of the coats and jackets of guests. For such a young guy (actually he is still officially a boy!), he just took care of business like he has been there for the past 10 years! He needed no orientation. He just worked like he was having fun. And fun he did have. It was always such a joy to see him there working and smiling and dancing whenever the situation permits. He became such a part of the setup that when he couldn’t come to the June edition of Africa Night, everybody (not the least the guests) genuinely missed him. When he came back during the July edition people were happy to see him again.
Some do not realize it yet but Joep has graced Africa Night for the last time as a helper. He is going on to greater things; in pursuit of his educational potentials. He will be going to a vocational university in another city. Yes; university! I think some who are reading this and know Joep will be thinking, “He is such a young guy to go to college”. You better believe it. He is one intelligent 16 year old! On behalf of the Africa Night crew, I wish Joep all the best in college. Africa Night will surely miss you. We hope you’ll pop in once in a while to share in the fun.

We will fade. But not in June!

2008-06-29T23:51:00.006+02:00

When you are the organiser of an event like Africa Night, you have to think at all times about what is good or best for the clients. The clients come first, second, third and last in all your considerations. If you don’t take your clients seriously, the chances of success will be greatly reduced. That is why some of the guys who have tried to organise Africa themed shows in Tilburg or elsewhere in the Netherlands are not succeeding long term. Most of them put their own short-term interest above those of their clients.

We, at Africa Night in Tilburg, try to do things the way they should be done. This means that in all the 10+ years that we have been organising Africa Night, the interests of the client have always been paramount. This was most evident during the May edition when we celebrated the 10^th anniversary of Africa Night.

Everyone had loads of fun. We made sure of that. However, we were too busy thinking of others, that we (the organisers) forgot to enjoy our own show! But since even we are made up of flesh and blood, we decided to put things right during the June edition. Of course we gave the usual attention to our guests. But we particularly made sure we had as much fun as the guests. It was particularly nice to see that the guests had fun watching us enjoy ourselves!

From next month the client will be king again and we will just fade back into the background and allow the client to take the centre stage!

The dream is dead. Long live the dream!

2008-05-22T00:00:00.006+02:00

Once upon a time was a dream
To form a team
That’d facilitate a deal
To bring all races together indeed
It was a dream born out of necessity
In a place called Tilburg city
10 fruitful years on
With lots of musical fun
The dream is all but dead
What is left in its stead
Is a smiling sun that always rises.
And a reality full of pleasant surprises.

This is how Africa Night was always meant to be!

2008-04-22T12:57:00.006+02:00

After a rather slow start to the evening, this edition turned out to be a very enjoyable one. Right until about 23.30 hours, the arena was still almost empty. This we thought was due to the change in the weather pattern during the weekend. For the first time in months, the temperature was close to 17 degrees so people apparently wanted to enjoy the weather before coming to the Africa Night. Who is to blame them? Initially the Africa Night crew had so little to do that even yours truly had time to play the cab driver and picked up a couple of our regular who were without a ride.

The slowness before 23.30 hours was just like the proverbial stillness before the storm. Just before midnight, guests started coming in hordes! It was a bit overwhelming for the crew members and we had to do our best to keep a little order at the door. One minute the arena was empty and you blinked an eye and the whole place was full to the brim! But the evening was really enjoyable with lots of good music and good fun all around. At the end of the show, we could see that our guests left feeling satisfied.

We made some new acquaintances (like Diana and Joyce who were there for the first time). We updated some old acquaintances (like Ivon who had been there a couple of times before and since a couple of months had become a member of our two forums). And then there was Cynthia. Cynthia studies (Psychology – University) in and lives close to Groningen. She is a regular visitor (along with her no longer camera shy boyfriend?) to Africa Night in Tilburg. You just have to feel blessed and honoured to entertain people like Cynthia. To put it in proper perspective; Cynthia travels more than 250 kilometres to visit Africa Night in Tilburg. That is at least a 500 kilometre roundtrip!

But she is not alone. People come from far and wide. After almost 10 years of Africa Night, one is able to look back to the dream that lead to this reality. It was a dream of bringing people of all races, sexes, ages, religion etc together using the unique Africa music as the common denominator. Yes, we are reliving the dream every month. Thank you all for walking out of our dream and becoming a part of our recurring reality. And yes, this is how Africa Night was always meant to be!

Shakespeare; "Beware of the ides of March!"

2008-03-18T21:48:00.008+01:00

The March edition of Africa Night has come and gone. So many highlights and one lowlight. Whenever Africa Night falls in the middle of the month, we always knew that there would be fewer patrons than normal. So we were prepared for a quiet night. As it turned out, there were far more guests than we expected. A lot more than during the February edition.

The music was different this time around. That was because the DJ (Le General) decided to be less predictable in his choice of music and be more daring and experimental. I think some of our patrons were caught off guard by this. It therefore took a little while to get the guests warmed up for the dance floor. However, once an Africa Night guest warms up, there is never a turning back! In the end, every one had a lot of fun on the dance floor and the DJ got lots of kudos and thumbs up from the Africa Night patrons.

I have to make a special mention of Tine. Tine is a young lady from Belgium who came to Africa Night for the first time in February. I think she enjoyed herself and felt at home with us. She was also at the Africa Night this time and it felt special for one big reason; it was her birthday! She was there with three of her friends to celebrate this event at the Africa Night. I think her friends also had great fun in spite of their initial apprehension about Africa music and men!

The low point was the guy, who the whole night, seemed bent on making a fool of himself. In the end he succeeded! He apparently thinks the women who came to Africa Night were some kind of objects he could just play with whenever and however he wanted. In the end, he went too far. And it was in many ways, his end. At the end of the evening he got into a fight with a guy who apparently was protecting the honour of his girlfriend. The ides of March! Well, that’s the end of him being welcome at the Africa Night. I told him in no uncertain terms that he is no longer welcome. If someone thinks he is going to just spoil the fun for the other guests, he should think twice. Our policy is simple; one strike and you are out. Period.

I have to end this particular blog on a positive and thankful note. This is in keeping with the spirit of this edition of Africa Night. There are four people who perform, unobtrusively, major tasks at every Africa Night. They are in fact the first faces of Africa Night the guest see when they come in. Those are the four people who welcome the guests, take their jackets, receive their fees and answer their questions. They are also the people who stay at the door at the service of the guests when it is freezing, when it is hot, when it is wet or when it is just windy. These are the people who wear a friendly face the whole night even if they can not join the rest of the guests on the dance floor. These people are sometimes first in the line of fire when some guests want to behave badly. I have almost never heard these people complain. They just discharge their duties in such a way that almost no one notices they are there! For me that is the biggest compliment one could give to these quiet smiling, helpful and selfless faces of Africa Night.

Whenever, you are leaving Africa Night the next time, just spare a thought for Monique, Linda, Joep and lately Jane. They are the people who spend 3 to 5 hours waiting and watching so that you could be reunited with your jackets when you go home! To these people and to those who have helped in the past, I take my hats off for you.

February will always be February

2008-02-19T10:10:00.006+01:00

There is something about February and Africa Night that I have yet to figure out. Africa Night has been going on now for close to 10 years and I have been checking the records; February is always the leanest month in terms of patronage. This Africa Night was no exception. All signs were already pointing to the obvious when I got a last minute call asking if we wanted to have a live act to perform at the show in February. Sensing this was a chance to buck the February trend, I acquiesced even though it was at a very short notice. This also meant that we had virtually no time to do any promo activities. The group, Percus Nomades, is a three-man act of body percussionist from Benin Republic.

The show itself was very fascinating. Three guys making all sorts of sounds of music with their bodies. I’ve never seen anything like that before. Hopefully, none of those pseudo human rights activists was present on this particular night. I remember thinking to myself that these guys must really have a thick skin what with all the beatings they were giving to each others’ bodies! With great enthusiasm they also played instruments as the calabash, talking drum, bamboo sticks and bottles to produce the rhythms Tipenti and Kaka of Benin. I was, because of extraneous reasons, too preoccupied to really enjoy myself. It was a short act lasting about half an hour. The audience seemed to enjoy the whole act.

And now for something completely different! You know how it feels when you are meeting a pen-pal for the first time in body and flesh? You are wondering if it is worth the while, if the person is the same like you imagined he/she would be like? Sometimes the reality plays a joke on you. Sometimes, the reality is just a friend. Well, two members of the Africa Night forum visited the show for the first time on this February edition. We knew they were coming because they already announced this on the forum. So there they were! In body and flesh! In reality, it just felt like I knew these two ladies already a long time. In a way, we already met virtually. One just feels rich meeting these kinds of people. Different ages, different countries (one is from The Netherlands, the other from Belgium) and on the surface, different lifestyles. Still one thing in common, they both have a fascination for things African. What struck me most is their openness and emotional generosity. I am not sure if these two people (Kompo and Tine) also had a chance to meet themselves on the night. But for me, having these people in my vicinity made me feel really blessed, honoured and thankful.

African music meets heavy metal!

2008-01-22T20:03:00.000+01:00

Some things change, some things never. It never seizes to amaze me how much things stay the same, just because they change and how much thing change just because they stay the same. Do you get what I am saying? Ok. It is a different year, but the way the January edition of Africa Night unfolded, it could just have been like the tens of other Africa Nights that were exciting and just pure fun to be at. Some things stay the same just by changing!

For one, dj Le General came in and announced that he was going to play a different kind of music on the night. And he did. And the public reacted like always in the same enthusiastic way they would have if he had played in his ‘normal’ way.

There were a lot of new faces at this, the maiden edition of Africa Night in 2008. But what’s new? It is always the same mix of new and old faces at our shows. That, I think, is why the show stays fresh and nice. And the young, cute couple from Amsterdam? It was especially nice to host them! They just came across our website (what’s new again?) and just decided to give it a go. Well they stayed through the whole show and we were glad to entertain them.

But the highlight of this show has to be Mieke who was also attending Africa Night for the first time. She attended after several months of persuasion from one of her colleagues who always graces our shows. It was very apparent at the beginning that she needed to make a little adjustment to the setting and the music. However, in the course of the evening you could see her initial discomfort being replaced by amazement and complete relaxation. She obviously was enjoying herself. It wasn’t until the end of the show and we got talking that I realised the magnitude of the adjustment she had to make. When asked if she had fun, you could see her eyes light up as she nodded, “I really enjoyed myself very much. And to think I am a heavy metal music lover!” That made my night!

Africa Night - Reflections

2007-12-19T20:10:00.000+01:00

That was it then. Africa Night has outlived 2007. What a year it’s been. We moved to the new location at the beginning of the year not knowing what to expect. At the end of the year, we could look back to the most successful Africa Night year ever! It’s been a year when we tried new things and charted new territories.

We’ve made new friends and consolidated old alliances. Bosvreugd is proving to be like a natural home to Africa Night. Joost (the owner of Bosvreugd) proved to be a reliable partner and keeps sharing his thoughts about how to make Africa Night even better. The guests seem to be having more fun.

We had our first live show for ages. The barbecue in August and the diner in December were new introductions to the Africa Night experience. Africa Night celebrated its 9th anniversary in 2007. We introduced the Africa Night forums (English & Dutch) both of which have proved a great addition to our little adventure.

The website was restyled and an E-card function was incorporated in the Africa Night website. At the end of the year, Africa Night got one of the best reviews as one of the friendliest and best shows to go to when going out in Tilburg. (Check out the review in Tilburg: de Anus van Nederland - Rene van Densen).

One of our longstanding crew member, Maureen, left this year to pursue greener pastures in Sweden. Linda and Joep joined the crew as Maureen’s replacement. On the negative side, some guests behaved badly and were promptly suspended from coming to Africa Night.

But overall, it was a year to remember for all the positive reasons. So much so that we are thinking of extending the Africa Night bandwagon to a second Dutch city in 2008. (watch this space!)

In all we could not have had a great year without the selfless support of people like Abdou and Yaya who always are present to lend a hand during the busy moments or at moments when the guest behaved badly. To all the ladies (you know who you are!) who gave us pep talks whenever these were needed; I say a big thank you.

To Lanre in Poland, who with a couple of the ladies (diehards) virtually kept the English forum alive; you have been a big help. To all our Dutch forum members; you are the best!

Africa Night and the family connections!

2007-11-22T23:41:00.000+01:00

This was one of those Africa Night shows when it was difficult for me to really have fun. Nothing spectacular happened. It was just that when one of the crew members of Africa Night can not be with us on a particular show, the rest of the crew always has to be extra alert on those days. On this day Monique, one of the cornerstones of our show, could not come because her babysitter was feeling under the weather. And even though the night eventually passed without any incident, I was too stressed out to enjoy what was otherwise a great night.

There were a couple of highlights for me still to remember the night by. Like the lady who always comes with a large entourage and who is always teasing and flirting (playfully though!) with me. On this night we actually had a ‘serious’ conversation during which she revealed that she is the last of 10 siblings and that 8 of those siblings (the other 2 are not resident in The Netherlands) are almost always at our shows! Now, I know all of these ladies and gentlemen. They are from the Dutch Antilles. They’ve been coming to Africa Night for at least 8 years now. I’ve always thought some of them were family, but that all the older ones were actually brothers and sisters? Whoa! I say the older ones because they are also always there with their children who are also ladies and gentlemen in their own rights! In short, we may have been entertaining at least 15 members of the same family without knowing it at Africa Night without knowing it. Whoa! Great. I salute you all. You bring colour and grace and love to our show!

The second and even more pleasant highlight for me was the fact that my cousin (from Africa) was also at this particular edition of the Africa Night. He had been planning to come to Africa Night for at least a couple of years. I don’t think he was disappointed at what he saw. He seemed to enjoy himself a lot. He is back in Africa now, but he is already planning his next visit to coincide with an Africa Night next year.

Well. Africa Night is like one big family anyway!

Lucky Dube - Africa Night salutes a hero

2007-10-22T15:15:00.000+02:00

Africa Night stood still to celebrate the life, the music and the influence of Lucky Dube. Around midnight, the guests during this Africa Night rose as one man to give Lucky Dube a deafening round of applause. It was one emotional moment for many and even I could hardly hold back the tears for a singing hero, too early gone.

It was really a poignant moment. I was proud that we could honour him this way. All through the night, the music was punctuated with that of Lucky Dube. People really warmed up to this. Africa Night saluted one of Africa's best sons.

The evening went on really great. The atmosphere was good. I think our zero-tolerance stance to some guests who seem to sometimes want to make trouble at the show, is paying dividend. It is really satisfying to see that people of all colour and race are feeling more and more comfortable and relaxed. There was just a real camaraderie.

Just like that……and just like….. Maureen!

2007-09-20T22:13:00.000+02:00

This Africa Night began with a kind of crisis management. At around 17.00 hours on that Saturday came a call from Linda who has been helping us by the door since the departure of Maureen. She (Linda) was not feeling well and you could hear that from her voice. This meant that we had three hours to find a replacement. I was not confident at all. But then again when the chips are down, you just keep going. A couple of telephone calls later and we were assured of an ad-hoc replacement.

After the euphoria of August came the reality of September! The reality of September is that there were fewer guests than usual. This was already factored in. This was due to the fact that this edition of Africa Night fell right inside the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. A substantial part of the patrons of Africa Night is Muslim. We knew before hand these people were not going to show up and with them, their partners.

One advantage of having less people turn up is that those who came had more space on the dance floor to perform their dance manoeuvres. And dance they certainly did! One of the highlights of the night for me was to see how Lut (a female patron) intermittently took virtual control of the dance floor with each of her two equally excellent dance partners for the night.

The absolute highlight of the night was the unannounced and surprise appearance of Maureen. Yes the Maureen! Maureen had always been there to help since the inception of Africa Night. But she left to live and work in Sweden in June 2007. (Read the full story elsewhere on this blog). Now she was just in town and just decided to drop in. Just like that. Just like…. Maureen. We were genuinely happy to see her again. It was as if she’s been gone for 3 years when in fact she has only been gone for 3 months. The funny thing was that after saying hello to everyone and dancing a bit, she just went to her usual spot and did her thing; welcoming guests and taking care of their coats and jackets. Just like she did for 9 years, just like …Maureen!

She is back in Sweden now. Maureen if you are reading this, we miss you!

August, August!

2007-09-01T15:22:00.000+02:00

August, August! If all days were like 18th August 2007 was for Africa Night, we will just be partying on cloud nine! This Africa Night was preceded by the first ever Africa Night barbecue. What we hoped would be a get- together of about 20 guests turned out to be a party of almost 70 people. Everything about the barbecue went better than expected.

It was the only day that week that the heavens did not open up. The meat and chicken were well prepared and the guest did their bit too. Under the sunshine there was enough for everyone to eat. Some of the guest came from Belgium, others from Germany. From 18.00 hours until about 20.00 hours, we were able to get to know each other better and even make new friends. The atmosphere was just great!

But better still was what happened afterwards. As soon as the guests had enough to eat and talk about, they just eased to the dance floor. In short, Africa Night (the dance part) began on this day at 20.00 hours! By 21.00 hours, we had a full dance floor! The music was electric and the people just kept coming and coming. More than 300 guests showed up in the end. DJ Le General who had just a day earlier returned from a 5 week vacation was in his element and in top form! It was so full and warm that we had to open all door and windows to enable more cross ventilation. Of course a lot of the people took the opportunity to take temporary refuge on the terraces and gardens of the Bosvreugd. When we stopped finally at around 03.15 hours, the people were still asking for more! 9 years and the guests still want more. Great!

Guests behaving badly! (Africa Night July Edition)

2007-07-25T16:41:00.000+02:00

This time, Africa Night took place on the 2nd Saturday of the month instead of the usual 3rd Saturday of the month. We were braced for a very low turnout because of this fact. Even though we had announced this several times and made people aware through all means possible, we knew from experience that many of our guests are fixed in their ways of thinking about the Africa Night. For 9 years it is been virtually held on every 3rd Saturday so why bother to check the dates? Duh! Coupled with this is the fact that it also fell right in the of the summer vacation, was enough to expect a low turnout.

In effect, the reality was that the attendance was just a fraction lower than normal. And again, it was hot! The atmosphere was electrifying and the partygoers had lots of fun. However, just as we thought it was all going to be only fun as usual, one guy got into a verbal (and almost physical) fight with the bar attendant! This was because the attendant could not serve him the same beer he already ordered and got twice. When the attendant tried to explain to him that the particular brand was out of stock, he got mad and in his rage almost jumped over the bar to attack the hapless guy. Happily, we were able get him out without any problems. He was apparently drunk.

Just as we thought that we could continue to enjoy the rest of the party, another fight broke out. This time it was physical! One guy who was already conspicuous the whole evening because of his over-exuberance apparent took his exuberance too far. He was touching someone else’s wife in a respect-less kind of way and the husband was not about to let him get away with it. It was mayhem! However, just when one thought this was going to signal the end of the night, it stopped. Just like that and everyone resumed dancing as if nothing happened. The whole incident took maybe 3 minutes.

One thing is certain; these two guys have visited Africa Night for the last time. They will never be allowed in again. It is funny how some people think that the fact that they paid €5.00 give them the right to spoil other people’s fun. Africa Night is bigger than any individual. That is why it is still the only show in town that is worth going to!

Africa Night Turns 9!

2007-07-20T10:24:00.000+02:00

Well, what a party! The 9th anniversary edition of Africa Night turned out to be a great one. Although we had to say ‘bye bye’ to Maureen (see previous post), it was a night that reminded us of why Africa Night is still going strong even after 9 years. A lot of people joined us earlier than usual the hall was already full before 12 ’O’ clock midnight. The dj was in his element and kept the partygoers on the dance floor for the whole night.

And it was hot! The temperature outside was around 20 degrees and inside it was close to 40 degrees! The people did not seem to mind though. They just went on and on! A couple of early birds were rewarded with a 9 month exemption from paying the gate fee while every guest on the night got a 9% rebate on the gate fee.

Africa Night is 9 years old and wiser. We are looking forward to the next 9 years.

Maureen is leaving!

2007-05-27T02:11:00.000+02:00

One of the most loyal crew members of Africa Night will be leaving us after the June edition of Africa Night. Maureen (on the picture) has been an ever present crew member from almost the first Africa Night. At the beginning, she was an employee of the owner of the Albatros (where Africa Night started) but she joined us as soon as the ownership of the establishment changed hands. She has never wavered ever since. Come rain or shine or even sickness, Maureen is almost always present. She is also one of the few people, that I could trust at the Africa NIght.

Maureen is leaving for a very good reason. She is emigrating! She will take a new full time job from the end of June. Her new job (which is actually her old job!) requires that she relocates to another country. I am personally proud of my association with Maureen over the years. I have known her for well over 13 years now. She has always been someone I could rely on. Even though I am very thrilled for her, I will surely miss her. I dare to say she is irreplaceable and I am already facing the prospect of replacing her with a little trepidation. The whole of Africa Night will surely miss her presence and grace.

Maureen, I am happy you have been an indispensable part of Africa Night. I am also proud that you have been a friend.

April Edition - The Chance Encounter!

2007-05-07T11:32:00.000+02:00

The last Africa Night in Tilburg will be remembered for its serenity. The atmosphere was very relaxed and smooth. In contrast to the March edition when the show was virtually overwhelmed by the number of guests that were present, the April show attracted enough people to fit into the hall.

Particularly pleasing during this edition, was to see some ''old" guests dropping by. These include Pete and Ans who are now living in The Gambia, but who always drop by whenever they are in the Netherlands. I had a chance to brainstorm and laugh with a guy from Norway who apparently enjoyed the show so much, he asked me to consider coming over to Norway to organise Africa Night there!

For me as the organizer of the show, it may even turn out to be even more interesting than it seemed at the time. This is because; I may have had a destiny changing encounter with one of the guests during this edition. Time will tell.

Africa Night - March edition

2007-04-03T16:11:00.000+02:00

The March edition of Africa Night has come and gone. And what a show and what an audience we had in March! The live show from the group; Nyacha was a great success. The audience and the group were at their best. It was just cheer pleasure to watch the interaction between the audience and Nyacha.

The audience number keeps increasing and if this trend continues, we might be forced to start turning people away. This is however something that is against the philosophy of Africa Night. We will continue to try our best to keep the audience entertained without losing the soul of Africa Night.

One thing though, given the reaction of the public to the live show, it goes without saying that we are now committed to scheduling more live shows in the future. We just hope that we have enough space for everyone of our potential audience.

First Live Show @ New Location

2007-03-05T17:02:00.000+01:00

Africa Night is proud to announce the first live show at the new venue. The honour falls on Nyacha - an 8 piece band from Mozambique. This band is currently touring The Netherlands and will make a scheduled stop at the Cultuurbos Bosvreugd on the 17th of March 2007. You can read more about this group on our main website www.africanight.nl

See you all on the 17th of March 2007!

Africa Night is kicking some butts!

2007-02-28T18:11:00.000+01:00

Two months ago, Africa Night was heading to the grave, almost dead and buried by the decision of the owner of the previous location to play God with the passion of the lovers of this unique show. Now, two months later, Africa Night is not only alive and kicking; it is kicking some asses too!

The movement to the new location has let to a sizable increase in the number of patrons of the African music disco night, so much so that the space is already proving too small to accommodate all the guests. And where usually the first three months of the year are usually 'quiet' months in terms of clientele, the first two months have broken all records already.

When you have a large crowd, the possibilities increase that one or two riff raffs will come in to try and spoil the fun. This happened during the February edition. For the first time since Africa Night began almost nine years ago, somebody physically (and without any provocation) attacked me. I will spare you the details. Suffice it to say that this did not spoil the fun everyone including myself, had on this February night.

There will be a live show from a band from Mozambique next month. I am looking forward to that!

Africa Night Forum is Born!

2007-02-16T22:06:00.000+01:00

Africa Night is becoming more and more interactive. Effective 10 February 2007, Africa Night can boost of its own forum! This forum became a necessity because of the need by some patrons of Africa Night to have a way to interact in the intervening periods between the monthly Africa Nights.

It is in fact not right to talk of a forum but fora. This is because there is a Dutch language based forum, http://www.africanightforum.nl/ and there is the English language based forum, http://www.africanightforum.com/

The introduction of the fora follows on the heels of the complete redesigning of the Africa Night website, the moving to another location of the monthly show, the introduction of the possibility of sending E-cards and the virtual resuscitation of this blog. Africa Night is really going places!

Africa Night Has Moved!

2007-02-05T21:21:00.000+01:00

After about 7 years in partycentrum Albatros (and around 2 years in Paradox), Africa Night has moved to a new location. From January 2007 Africa Night is held in Cultuurbos Bosvreugd, Reeshofdijk 12 in Tilburg.

This new chapter in the history of Africa Night gives the organiser of the dance party more creative space in taking Africa Night to the next level. As a result of its strategic location, one could organise summer events like barbeques and bring in more live shows and entertainment, just to mention but a few of the advantages of the new location. Above all, Cultuurbos Bosvreugd is a place that is easier to find than the present location.

We will continue to do our best to entertain you in the years ahead. You can always count on us. We hope we can continue to count on you too.

See you all in the Cultuurbos Bosvreugd!

Africa Night (The sub-zero temperature edition)

2004-11-25T11:21:00.000+01:00

The November edition of Africa Night was held against the background of the first sub-zero outside temperatures. We had almost more winter jackets to guard than we could handle. But as to be expected, once the guests got inside, they quickly were warmed up by the swinging and rhythmic sounds of African music. Some of our guests this time around came as far as Frankfurt in Germany, Paris in France and of course we welcomed some old visitors from Belgium.

By and large it was another great night that was made even more fulfilling by the fact that a deal was made with an African act, Trio Afrikana, to perform at the Xmas edition of the Africa Night on December 25th 2004. We are really looking forward to the next edition that will surely be full of surprises and enjoyment.

The new pictures of the November 2004 edition of Africa Night are already on the website. Check it out on http://www.africanight.nl/

Wilf & Trish Depart

2004-10-18T01:08:00.000+02:00

This latest edition of Africa Night had two themes running through it. One was the Moslim fasting period that started a day before the Africa Night. This meant that we expected that a couple of the regular guests will be missing. Last year’s Ramadan edition of the Africa Night drew the least guests in the six and half year history of the show. There was therefore a kind of apprehension about not knowing what was going to happen this time around. In the event, it turned out to be another successful and most enjoyable Africa Night. There were about twenty guests less than average but the atmosphere was just as electrifying as usual.

The other major happening as far as this edition of Africa Night is that Wilf and Trish Mbanga were attending Africa Night for the last time before moving to England. Wilf is an exiled writer from Zimbabwe who had been living and writing in The Netherlands for the past year. He and his wife (Trish) have also been regular visitors to the Africa Night. In their time here we’ve also been privileged to entertain their daughter and son. They always brought some kind of presence to the show. We will be missing them a lot and we wish them a nice time in their new place of abode. To Trish and Wilf, two of our most unassuming guests in the past year, we salute you.

Africa Night Xmas Treat

2004-10-06T11:45:00.000+02:00

The coming special Xmas edition of Africa Night in December 2004 will be one with a difference. Special for this edition, guests will be offered a chance to participate in Djembe and African dance workshops. Both of these will be under the guidance of experienced grandmasters from Africa. If you are interested in taking part in these workshops, we advise you to register fully in advance via www.africanight.nl This is because the workshop is available only for a limited number of participants. Registration is as such on the basis of first come, first served. After your registration, you’ll receive a confirmation with further details of the costs (it is extremely cheap because of the Xmas), time etc. Don’t miss this one time experience.

(Subject to confirmation) Apart from the usual potpourri of African dance music, there will also be a beamer show where the guests can enjoy a African music video on a large screen. There will of course be the usual December surprise for all of our guests.

Africa Night - September (The almost silent edition!)

2004-09-20T13:38:00.000+02:00

Africa Night, the September 2004 edition has come and gone. It was just like the old times even though this edition started on a very shaky, silent note. We started as always at 22.00 hours with the sound check having taken place half an hour earlier. Everything seemed ok. At 22.15 came the first sign of trouble. A CD got stuck in the CD player and just refused to eject. This happened just as the first guests were coming in! In the next 30 minutes, all efforts were geared towards repairing this problem while bemused guest kept trickling in. At 22.50 hours the problem was solved and the show could begin. Or so we thought. 5 minutes later, deejay Le General (he is named after Charles de Gaulle) came rushing by to announce that one of the CD players was not producing any sound! One could feel the panic in the atmosphere. The whole process of dismantling the CD player could begin again. The time was approaching 23.30 hours and there were already about 80 guests enjoying, with a certain bemusement, the quietest Africa Night ever!

Just around 23.40 hours, this latest setback was surmounted and Africa Night could begin in earnest. The mood quickly switched to that of pure enjoyment and sheer ecstasy as the deejays embarked on a musical journey through Africa and Africa in Diaspora. Guests started swinging happily to the rhythm of the melodious Afro beats.

A thought for one of our erstwhile regular guests and close family friend - Ans Honig. She was extremely conspicuous by her absence during this Africa Night. She was always a major presence. And even though it was a full house, it seemed incomplete without her. She is on a one-year working trip to China (You can read more about her in her weblog (http://hongkonghonig.blogspot.com/) This is the first Africa Night since she left and her exuberance was surely missed.

The night ended with an old R. Kelly slow song around 03.10 hours. Many guests left with a satisfied grin on their faces. Everyone is already looking forward to the October edition of the best show in town.

How Africa Night started

2004-09-15T10:05:00.000+02:00

Africa Night started in May 1998 in Tilburg, the Netherlands because of the necessity to provide Africans and lovers of African music an opportunity to listen and dance to, and enjoy the rich potpourri of modern swing and dance music the continent has to offer. It was difficult in those days for African people to go out and enjoy themselves in the discotheques in Tilburg. It was either one got turned away at the door or the music was one-dimensional house or techno. After being refused entrance by the fifth discotheque in 1997, I got so mad I wrote several letters of protest to various organisations including the press, the police, the anti-discrimination agency, the local Green party and the Mayor. Seven years later, I am still waiting for a reply!

In the meantime, I took the conscious decision to channel my anger into doing something positive to change the situation. This was because I realised there were many people in the same kind of situation as I was at the time. What was more, I realised that Tilburg also harboured a large number of Dutch people who liked Afro-Caribbean music. That was how the idea of Africa Night was born.

The first show took place in May 1998 and it was immediately obvious that the show was for many people, like manna from heaven! The first Africa Night took place at the current location i.e. Party Centrum de Albatros, or ‘The Boat’ as many people call it. (It is actually a large ship anchored in the old port of Tilburg). After a year, we moved to another location in Tilburg. This was because ‘The Boat’ changed owners. Africa Night stayed at this new location called Paradox for two years. In 2001, Africa Night returned to its spiritual home on ‘The Boat’. That is where it’s been ever since.

One of the reasons for starting Africa Night in 1998 was to provide, through music, an avenue for interaction amongst all races in the Dutch society. This goal is being achieved every time we have another show. It is always a thing of beauty to behold how the different races get along, with music as the catalyst. Africa Night attracts almost an equal number of Dutch and ‘foreign’ people. The public is from all segments of the society. They are young and old, black and white, rich and poor, jobless and employed. Today Africa Night is visited by people from all over The Netherlands and beyond! On a given night, there are guest from across Europe, from Belgium to Russia to Sweden! This is a source of pride to all. Africa Night is as such, a mirror of the society we live in.

It has never been intended that Africa Night would be a profit or moneymaking machine. The gate fee has remained virtually unchanged since its inception. Africa Night is just a labour of love that is blossoming and providing people the opportunity of going out once a month in Tilburg. This is especially true for many people going out without the fear of being turned back at the door. Africa Night has retained its flavour over the year. Even when the Deejays change or move on, the ambiance has always remained the same.

The atmosphere is cosy and it is one to cherish. Every once in a while, when it is affordable, there are live African shows. Most of these artistes have also contributed their own quota in making Africa Night a monthly cultural phenomenon in Tilburg. In the coming years we hope to consolidate our appeal and maybe increase the frequency of live shows for our audiences. However, this is contingent on how long we stay at our present location. This is because, in spite of everything, the existence of Africa Night is dependent on the whims and caprices of the owners of ‘The Boat’.

However, while it lasts, Africa Night will continue to serve its audience the best of African music and music with roots in Africa. For the best Soukous, Raï, Mbalax, Zouglou, Reggae, Hip-hop, Salsa and so forth, Tilburg is the place to be every third Saturday of the month.

Africa Night rocks!

Africa Night (Introduction)

2004-09-13T23:48:00.000+02:00

My name is Femi. I also go by the name of DJ Femoree. I organise a monthly dance night in Tilburg, in the Netherlands. This a dance night where we play mostly African music like Soukous, Rai, Mbalax, Afro-Beats, Zouglou etc. We also play music with roots in Africa like R&B, Reggae, Salsa and Merengue. We've been doing this show for more than six year now. It is a very unique show which attracts all races, all (adult) ages and sexes. You can check out the website on www.africanight.nl

Through this weblog, I will endeavour to keep you informed about developments surrounding Africa Night. The highs and the lows, the funny and the ridiculous, the changes and the innovation. In short, tune in to this spot to find out what is going on at the Africa Night. One in a while pictures of the monthly show will be posted here. Feel free to add your comments to this log. The next Africa Night is on the 18th of September 2004. See you there or see you later here.

Hakuna Matata!