THE TREAT OF MY LIFE!...

... Had it yesterday, without even having anticipated it at the Africa Stage of the ongoing (it’s still going on today) BT River of Music Festival.

How about getting to the most astonishing venue by the Thames, The London Pleasure Gardens, at the sound, in the distance, of Angelique Kidjo’s powerful voice and dance and when you’re approaching the stage she introduces an absolute idol of yours: Hugh Masekela!...

And you can't believe your eyes or ears… and you’re just so grateful and amazed by the surprise (…true – I went there, by invitation, without even knowing who was going to be there…) that all you can think is: now I know that I will not die without having seen Bra Masekela live as I feared here . And this is so in spite of later being sadly made aware that I had actually missed his own show earlier in the day...

Then you get, among other greats, King Sunny Ade and his court and a mega show by Babaa Maal and all the African Family!...

And in between it all the amazing colourful, multinational, all-age audience, with the local African 'royalty' mingling with everybody (e.g. Baroness Amos just passed by me at some point)… and the food stalls with African, Caribean, Asian and other origins’ specialties!...

And best of all: it wasn’t raining, it was the first day for several weeks in a row that it didn’t rain!…

It was all part of this call:

“Join us on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 July for a once-in a lifetime weekend festival of music welcoming you to London the weekend before the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. A spectacular global summit of rhythm and song, the two-day free event will act as a curtain-raiser for the sporting celebrations to follow and will feature artists representing all Olympic and Paralympic nations, from the largest nations to the tiniest ocean island speck. Arguably the most ambitious musical event ever staged in the capital, BT River of Music will present the city's residents and visitors with a unique opportunity to sample a kaleidoscope of the world's most vibrant contemporary music. Established, award-winning and emerging artists from every part of the globe will be performing on stages at six iconic sites along the length of the River Thames each hosting music from a different continent. Flowing down the river from West to East…”

... Had it yesterday, without even having anticipated it at the Africa Stage of the ongoing (it’s still going on today) BT River of Music Festival.

How about getting to the most astonishing venue by the Thames, The London Pleasure Gardens, at the sound, in the distance, of Angelique Kidjo’s powerful voice and dance and when you’re approaching the stage she introduces an absolute idol of yours: Hugh Masekela!...

And you can't believe your eyes or ears… and you’re just so grateful and amazed by the surprise (…true – I went there, by invitation, without even knowing who was going to be there…) that all you can think is: now I know that I will not die without having seen Bra Masekela live as I feared here . And this is so in spite of later being sadly made aware that I had actually missed his own show earlier in the day...

Then you get, among other greats, King Sunny Ade and his court and a mega show by Babaa Maal and all the African Family!...

And in between it all the amazing colourful, multinational, all-age audience, with the local African 'royalty' mingling with everybody (e.g. Baroness Amos just passed by me at some point)… and the food stalls with African, Caribean, Asian and other origins’ specialties!...

And best of all: it wasn’t raining, it was the first day for several weeks in a row that it didn’t rain!…

It was all part of this call:

“Join us on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 July for a once-in a lifetime weekend festival of music welcoming you to London the weekend before the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. A spectacular global summit of rhythm and song, the two-day free event will act as a curtain-raiser for the sporting celebrations to follow and will feature artists representing all Olympic and Paralympic nations, from the largest nations to the tiniest ocean island speck. Arguably the most ambitious musical event ever staged in the capital, BT River of Music will present the city's residents and visitors with a unique opportunity to sample a kaleidoscope of the world's most vibrant contemporary music. Established, award-winning and emerging artists from every part of the globe will be performing on stages at six iconic sites along the length of the River Thames each hosting music from a different continent. Flowing down the river from West to East…”