2006 ...

New Year's Eve:  ARCOLA THEATRE new year's eve party - FREE! - 7pm till late at the Arcola Theatre (Hackney E8), "take London's coolest fringe theatre, mix with live music, DJs & a bar full of alcohol, add you, shake vigorously!  Great space, informal & interesting environment, fab crown", Turkish / Balkan set by Kazum,  http://www.kazum.co.uk & http://www.arcolatheatre.com

New Year's Eve:  CLUB KALI new year’s eve Party at The Dome (downstairs), Tufnell Park tube, 10pm on, limited advance tickets available, "Bollywood, Bhangra, Arabic, R&B and dance classics spiced up by DJ Ritu, Riz & Qurra at the world's biggest Asian music-based LGBT club!",  http://www.Club Kali.com

New Year's Eve:  DARBUCKA - "new year's eve party, Lebanese food, entertainment & drink.  World music DJs & belly dancers on two floors. Come ready to party in a friendly & fun atmosphere.  Entrance £10 before 9pm, then £15.  Lebanese buffet £15 served from 7pm to 11pm.  You are advised to book a table!"  http://www.darbucka.com

New Year's Eve:  TURKISH FORUM UK & TURKISH-BRITISH WOMEN'S SOCIETY new year's eve black tie ball, 8pm to 3am, tickets £50 (including food) at Melia White House Hotel (Regents Park, NW1),  for tickets contact info@turkishforum.co.uk

Saturday 30th December - YALLA! regular Mediterranean club night at the Oak Bar (Stoke Newington N16), "Join us from 9pm until 3am & Rock the Kasbah with Turkish, Greek and Arabic music from Dj's Kappa G, Apollo Flo , Kat and guest Dj's. Girate with our belly dancers and taste our exquisite fruit shisha pipes and lavish cocktails."  Every 2nd & last Saturday of the month, entry is £3.00 b4 10pm and £6.00 thereafter.  http://www.oakbar.co.uk

Friday 22nd December - GLOBAL BEATS at Guanabara (Covent Garden WC2) with DJ & producer Russ Jones (the Hackney Globe Trotter) & Ritmos da Cidada (Rio-style samba) live, £8 after 9pm,  http://www.guanabara.co.uk

Thursday 21st December - Chilli Fried North presents SOUND OF THE WORLD DJ RELAY at Darbucka (Clerkenwell EC1), "Everybody will have their 15 minutes of DJ fame! Chilli Fried, the unique global beat club night, is very proud to host a party like no other, offering contributors to Charlie Gillett's Sound of the World website - from well know DJs, broadcasters & journalists to fresh faced first timers - the chance to show off their skill behind the decks.  There'll be some live surprises too!" Free,  http://www.soundoftheworld.com, http://www.chillifried.com

Thursday 21st December - A TASTE OF ARABIA with belly dancing 9pm at Viva Viva (right) (Hornsey N8), "Dip into the sensual art of belly dancing with our special show this evening.  This mystical eastern dance style has been used by seductresses for generations.  A combined performance of classical Egyptian, Turkish and north African dancing.  Let the hot rhythms take you on a mystical evening of dance, sword dancing & pulsating beats - you won't be disappointed!  Table bookings recommended.  Try our wonderful world food!"  Free event.  http://www.viva-viva.co.uk

Monday 18th December - LAUGHTER UNDER THE BOMBS, rehearsed reading at Theatre 503, Latchmere Theatre Battersea SW11, 8pm, pay what you can.  "The play Laughter Under the Bombs, a social comedy by Sharif Abdunnur, opened in Beirut on 3rd August.  The show went on literally under the bombs, yet played to a full house & the laughs were louder than any other sound." "All money raised will go to the displaced children & families who created the play in Beirut as they work to rebuild their lives.  The reading will be followed by music from fantastic professional musicians",  http://www.sulisproductions.com

 

Sunday 17th December - Celebration of Rumi concert, "Rumi: The Nuptial Night Interfaith Concert" (Notting Hill W8), "At the death of the great Sufi poet and sage Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, Muslims, Jews & Christians all joined the funeral.  This date on 17th December is traditionally celebrated as Mevlana Rumi’s ‘nuptial night’ when he finally joined in union with the Beloved.  We invite you to an interfaith concert of Mevlevi music, plaintive Yiddish songs & Christian spirituals, with readings from Rumi’s poetry in English & Persian."   http://www.caravansary.org

Saturday 16th December - Darbucka (Clerkenwell EC1), "Regular Arabic dancing night. Come groove, eat and shisha it up with DJ Karim & performance by Hannah",  http://www.darbucka.com

Sunday 10th December - the Brixton Winter Hafla, "the biggest belly dance celebration in south London", Telegraph Pub back room, Brixton Hill SW2, doors 7pm, performances by professionals (including Ozgen, Hannah, Fleur, Johara, Caasi, Anna & the amazing Brixton Bellydancers) & amateurs plus all the trimmings: shisha bar, Arabic DJ, souk, food & drink, email bellydanceuk@hotmail.com for more details

Sunday 10th December - Radical Roots, Cargo EC2 (left), featuring Turkish darbucka master Numan Elyer & notorious bellydancer Elif Tarakci!  http://www.cargo-london.com/event.php?id=699

Friday 8th to Sunday 10th December - London Fantasia dance festival, Britain's largest Arabic dance event, a huge choice of workshops with teachers from Egypt, Europe & the UK teaching a wide variety of styles (including tribal) with star teacher Randa Kamel from Cairo, plus souk (bazaar) and Saturday night hafla, a highlight of the belly dance calendar in London! Chiswick W4, a small number of workshop places still available ...  http://www.jwaad.com/fantasia.html

Friday 8th to Thursday 14th - back after a 2-year gap, the 4th LONDON KURDISH FILM FESTIVAL at the Rio Cinema (Dalston E8), "presenting an extraordinary variety of films made by Kurdish film makers or about Kurdish issues, packed with exciting, challenging & controversial movies, discussions with film makers & workshops for aspiring young film makers",   http://www.riocinema.org.uk  

Sunday, 3rd December - oh yes, it's back! the spectacular return of Hubble Bubble (right) with the "Intoxicated Ethnotronica" night, live performances from Oojami, Max Pashm, Stranger K and tribal fusion belly dancers Atalanta and DJ Russ Jones, also featuring belly dancers Sitara & Melissa, "a pulsating blast from the global jukebox" (Observer), Cargo EC2, http://www.hubblebubble.net/

Sunday 3rd December - Berakah Project concert, "music to make you close your eyes and dance in your head" (Times, 2006), Wembley, email for further details: berakahproject@yahoo.co.uk, http://www.theberakahproject.org/

Saturday 2nd December - "Arabic club night in Syrian-owned bar Darbucka ... dancing, delicious meze (new restaurant upstairs is quite gorgeous!), shisha, the sumptuous DJ Karim and performance by Hannah",  Clerkenwell EC1, http://www.darbucka.com  

Thursday 30th November - the unmissable Planet Egypt monthly belly dance showcase hosted by Anne White at Darbucka, http://www.planetegypt.co.uk/party_darbucka.shtml

Sign up free for brand new Turkish food, drink & travel magazine gusto Turkey (right), http://www.gustoturkey.com/?tpl=subscribe

Sunday 19th & Monday 20th November - Cairo Nights The Fara Tour, the touring belly dance spectacular (pictured left) organised by Farida Dance hits London at the Shaw Theatre, Euston NW1, http://www.farhatour.com/

Sunday 19th November - Arabic club night at Darbucka ... DJ Karim, belly dancing by Hannah, delicious meze, http://www.darbucka.com

London's very own Michaella (pictured left in green) takes second place at the "UK National Belly Dancer 2006" contest organised by Shafeek Ibrahim.

London-based Turkish beat boys OOJAMI release third album, Boom Shinga Ling (right), to rave reviews, "an impressive, energising release that puts the fun back into 'world' music", released by Miles Copeland of Belly Dance Superstars fame, CD widely available or buy direct from Oojami.