by | August 30, 2012

Ayah Marar: new age drum and bass bird

the unstoppable Ayah Marar

Among those ‘in the (music) know’, there is a great deal of buzz around Ayah Marar.  And none of it is by accident.  Jordon born and raised, Ayah moved to the UK when she was 17 and has immersed herself in the drum and bass scene since then. She has collaborated with Calvin Harris, Camo & Krooked, DJ Marky, Toddla T, Total Science and many of the finest bass music producers around – and I was lucky enough to see her perform last Friday night at Notting Hill Arts Club (after our meal at Santo).

Posised to explode in 2012, Ayah is launching own label Hussle Girl and is determined to unleash her mighty bass music on anyone in her vicinity. Mind Controller was the first single to be released on Hussle Girl and Unstoppable was released on 19th August.

After her performance on Friday night, I caught up with her to find what makes this very cool chick click:

Which is the first tune you remember?

‘Here Comes The Sun’ by The Beatles, my mum use to sing it to me as a child.

What sort of exposure did you have to music growing up?
Lots of it!  I played the piano and did dance for over 5 years. I never went to music school but it was always surrounding me.
Who or what inspires you?
The fact that you can change someone’s mood with something very simple. We tend to overcomplicate our ambitions and make it harder for ourselves.  It’s the little things that count towards a bigger picture.
Who would you love to sing with?
Frank Ocean, Prince, Robyn, Sean Paul.
Early bird or night owl?
I don’t sleep, so night owl, but I don’t sleep in, so bit of both.
Which is your favourite part of London?
Brixton and the Southbank.
flip flops or stilettos?
Flip flops ONLY on the beach if at all … Otherwise heels, Converse or DMs.
Where would we find you chilling out after a big gig?
At a friend’s house with a glass of red wine.
Tell us about Unstoppable?
It’s my new single, produced by Camo & Krooked whom I’ve worked and toured with.  It’s a bit of a summer anthem, something inspiring I hope!
Where to next?
The album is out 15.10.2012 and it’s called THE REAL, I hope to be doing a lot more shows after that, and writing.  Maybe even start on album two!  I’m working to get my independent label HUSSLE GIRL off to a good start.
Tell us a secret about your music …
I always tell the truth.
You can hear Ayah’s Unstoppable here – or download it here.

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by | August 29, 2012

Santo: tortillas & tequila en el Portobello

Firstly, I owe all of my foodie followers an apology.  Not long ago, I insinuated that London wasn’t necessarily a good place to find a commendable Mexican meal.  Discúlpeme (as they say), it was what I honestly believed.   That was, until last Friday night.

Santo – 299 Portobello Road

Eating with one of His newish work colleagues and brilliantly entertaining actress (as well as producer) fiancée, we drank and ate like under nourished Mexicans at Santo, located at the less glam but perhaps more interesting end of Portobello Road.

For those of you who have known me longer than 5 years, you might remember my 35th birthday party.  It was at exactly this venue, under a different name and management and, if MY memory serves me right, we partied like Mexicans that night too.

Anyway, back to last Friday evening.  The menu at Santo is as extensive as the owners’ (who are brothers) facial hair.

owners of Mexican, Santo in W10

It clearly distinguishes a burrito from a taco and a quesadilla from a cazuela and allows you to pretty much decide on what should fill it once you have made the above choice.  A jug of margarita (£45) was ordered and arrived with frozen glasses suitably laden with salted rims.

As we tucked into the utterly delicious margaritas, we shared all the obvious starters:  Salsa Mexicana (£4.50), Nachos (£11.50) and Guacamole (£5.50). And, because I was the nominated driver that night (having been driven all over Ibiza by Him), I argued my case that we should call Scooterman without further ado.

My main course was spectacularly Mexican.  Opting for a Pollo Verde Cazuela (£11.50), I was presented with a hot bowl of chicken cooked with coriander, green chilli and green tomatoes as well as six soft corn tortillas so that I could essemble my own tacos. A fun and messy task after highly alcoholic margaritas!

Santo bills itself as a ‘home cooking’ joint and that’s exactly what it feels like.  The authentically minimalist restaurant was packed with 30 and 40-something Notting Hillers by 9pm on Friday night and felt buzzy.  As we left for Notting Hill Art Club (future blog post), DJ Flex was warming up at the back for after-dinner salsa movers.  Sombreros, ponchos and a great big beard – I reckon everything goes at Santo after those jugs of margarita.

Santo 299 Portobello Rd, W10

 

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by | August 28, 2012

Tamara Fogle: Bag Lady

Fogle bags

Interviewing Tamara Fogle, designer and founder of the Tamara Fogle brand of bags, has been one of my favourite West Londoner interviews to date.  I first caught sight of her bags in The General Trading Company and now, I’m a proud wearer of her Portland bag.

Are you West London born and bred?

Absolutely. My parents moved to Ladbroke Road when I was 10 years old and I have lived here in Notting Hill ever since.   My brother, Ben and his family live in the next road and my parents are still in the area too.

How did you fall into handbags?

I have been making handbags for ten years now.  In the very early days I sold my home-made bags in Portobello Market. I have to pinch myself when I stop and realise that the Tamara Fogle brand is now sold worldwide.  In the days before I founded the business, I was an interiors stylist for magazine shoots, but I have always been massively inspired by vintage and antique textiles.

What is it that you love about living in this area?

I know many locals are scathing of the way the area has changed, but I love it.  The way it is constantly evolving fascinates me.  As a creature of habit, I love a drink at The Cow, a cup of tea and custard tart at Lisboa on Golborne Road and I often grab a coffee at Coffee Plant on Portobello before walking the dogs.  Despite its popularity with tourists, the area still has a village feel.

Ben Fogle’s sister, Tamara

Tell us where you like to shop?

Wherever possible, I prefer to shop in independent retailers.  My local favourites include Lutyens & Rubinstein for books, My West Village for clothes (both on Kensington Park Road) and St Helen’s Foodstore.

Do you find the area inspiring?

Primarily I am inspired by fabrics and textiles, particularly vintage ones, so whenever I visit the Friday vintage market on Portobello, I tend to come home with tons of ideas. (Tamara has a line of bags made using Hungarian grain sacks dating back from the 1800s).

How many of your customers are West Londoners?

Quite a few of my friends and family carry my bags!  However, now that I sell across the country and in places as far flung as Japan, USA, Australia and Scandinavia, I suppose West London is just where they all start.  Each of the bags is named after my local roads so the owner is reminded of their roots!

What’s next on your to-do list?

I am working on a line of bags for men as well as some casual-looking plimsolls.  As with all my products, they will be very much dictated by the fabric I choose.

www.tamarafogle.com   +44 (0) 7973 177 035

 

This interview also appears on West London Living.

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by | August 27, 2012

Interview with a Hitman – review

Goss as Viktor in Interview with a Hitman

He likes to tell everyone that we have different tastes in films.  But, because we do love our DVD/sofa nights so much, I find that we both compromise well on the amount of art house and gunshots accordingly.  I had taken the review copy of Interview with a Hitman with us to Ibiza but… a night in just didn’t happen… as you can perhaps imagine.  So, I returned to yet another polite yet persistant email from the PR asking when and if I might get around to reviewing this film.  With the DVD launch date of today (Monday 27th August), time was not really on my side.  So, last night we finally sat down for some drama.

Even though this is Perry Bhandal’s debut as writer and director, this film is certainly not lacking in the drama department.  The story of Viktor (Luke Goss – yes, from olden days brother band Bros!), a Romanian hitman, unfolds as a long flashback via the medium of an interview.

Luke Goss pulls the trigger

First as a boy groomed for the role while he lives in the brutal Eastern European slums and then as he grows into a man who wishes to flee his past.  Make no mistake, Viktor (Goss) is as tough and indiscriminate as he is intense and, pretty early on, the film’s stance is revealed as an intimate character study rather than an endless barrage of bullets.  On top of this, it is stunningly shot without too much fuss, too many ridiculous one-liners or unnecessary tension.  And because Interview with a Hitman is so realistic in its portrayal of this slick assassin, we are left entirely unsure if he will ever be able to leave his past behind him?

As I mentioned, it goes on sale today (Monday 27th August 2012) and is, without doubt, a perfect date-night-on-the-sofa film.

Interview with a Hitman DVD costs £7.99

 

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