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Ticketmaster has been announced as the exclusive ticketing partner of YolanDa Brown’s latest venue, Soul Mama.
The London-based Afro-Caribbean restaurant and music venue will open this September at The Gantry in Stratford after Brown and music manager Adetokunbo “T” Oyelola set a Guinness World Record for the most money pledged on a Kickstarter restaurant project, raising £248,148.
The venue will regularly host local and emerging artists, with a strong focus on jazz, soul, gospel and reggae. MOBO Award-winning British saxophonist Brown will perform a three-night headline run this October, with the launch programme also including Omar, Bill Laurence from Snarky Puppy, YellowJackets and Terri Walker.
“We look forward to bringing Soul Mama to life, supporting independent artists and championing a venue that truly cares about diversity,” says Tim Goom, Ticketmaster client development director – music. “YoLanda and T have done incredibly with their record-breaking Kickstarter campaign, and we can’t wait to see how Soul Mama will change the game for live music.”
Soul Mama’s fundraiser launched last year with a selection of packages available to purchase – from tickets to Brown’s first concert at Soul Mama to pre-booked meals and memberships.
“We aim to create a space where diversity in music and venue ownership thrives”
“Having Ticketmaster as our venue ticketing partner is a significant boost for Soul Mama,” adds Brown. “This collaboration not only underscores the importance of supporting grassroots music venues but also amplifies our mission to provide a platform for emerging artists.
“We aim to create a space where diversity in music and venue ownership thrives, ensuring that every artist and visitor feels a sense of belonging and community as we build this special venue together.”
Brown, who toured with the likes of The Temptations, Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, Billy Ocean, Dave Stewart, Kelly Jones and Rick Astley. is chair of the BPI, a member of the Arts and Media Honours Committee and a broadcaster on BBC Radio 4.
Oyelola is a manager and promoter who owns entertainment management and consultancy brand Black Grape Global.
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The Great Escape has confirmed Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker as one of the keynote speakers of the newly revamped conference.
The UK music industry event returns to Brighton from Wednesday 15 May to Saturday 18 May, with the Council of Music Makers (CMM), The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), BBC Introducing and Youth Music each set to curate a day of the programme.
On the Saturday of the conference, Cocker will present Biophobia, a special climate-themed talk about getting to grips with nature. The session will be presented by EarthPercent, the charity founded by Brian Eno to help the music industry support the most impactful organisations addressing the climate emergency.
Giving the conference’s opening keynote conversation on Wednesday 15 May, Darcus Beese OBE will reflect on his career as the UK’s first black record company CEO and one of the greatest A&Rs of his generation, having signed and nurtured artists like Amy Winehouse, U2 and Florence and the Machine. This conversation will come soon after the publication of his upcoming memoir ‘Rebel With A Cause’.
“Without a doubt, this is set to be an unmissable event for the UK industry”
On Thursday, Tom Gray (chair of the Ivors Academy and Labour Party PPC for Brighton Pavilion) and YolanDa Brown (OBE DL, musician, broadcaster and chair of the BPI) will deliver another keynote speech, discussing what the industry needs to do to protect music copyright and culture on a legislative level.
They join two previously announced keynote speakers: Lauren Mayberry (lead singer of CHVRCHES) and Sacha Lord (chair of the NTIA, co-creator of Parklife Festival and the Warehouse Project and Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester).
Also announced today, the Association of Independent Music joins as the conference’s newest industry collaborator, hosting three sessions centred on the independent music sector on the beach on Wednesday 15th May.
Rory Bett, CEO, MAMA Festivals, says: “From cultural icons to industry legends, our revamped conference has truly been supercharged with the calibre of these keynote speakers. Without a doubt, this is set to be an unmissable event for the UK industry.”
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