Mama Jumbe’s – An oasis of African culture in the heart of East London

The phenomenal march of Afro beats to the foreground of global pop music is hard to miss. With its pulsating energy and groovy rhythms, the genre has achieved staple status on London’s urban music scene and given a new sheen to African music as a whole.

But for most people of African heritage who live in London, the craving for live performances of African music often goes unfulfilled as there are very few options to pick from.

Enter Mama Jumbe’s, acornucopia of African culture that combines a restaurant serving gourmet African staple dishes and an offering of late night live entertainment and thrilling sets from London’s top DJs.

Nestled in the superbly diverse borough of Newham, Mama Jumbe’s has just carved a niche on the London African music scene. Owner and manager Terrence Jumbe has announced an artists’ residency programme that brings top performing artists to the UK from different parts of Africa.

The eclectic roster of performances kicked off with Brian ‘Buula’Mugenyi, an accomplished Ugandan saxophonist and singer-songwriter who is based in Nairobi, Kenya. He has just wrapped up his residency at Mama Jumbe’s, but not before dropping in at Ronnie Scotts, London’s world-famous jazz venue, for an impromptu performance.

“We’ve got an exciting line-up over the next few months, and right now at Mama Jumbe’s is Zimbabwe’s edgiest comedian, Q Dube,who’s already taken up residency and will see out the month of October,” Terrence said.

And fast on the heels of the comedian will be Kenyan Afrosoul songstress Dela, whose hit ‘Mafeelings’ is all the buzz throughout Swahili-speaking East Africa. Zimbabwe’s leading female Afrojazz sensation, Edith WeUtonga,and Ugandan luga-flow rapper Mun-G complete the line-up announced so far.

Relatively unknown to international audiences, the line-up is a clutch of Africa’s fresh artistic talent, each of them creating waves at home and also abroad among their national diaspora communities. They will be joined on the bill by popular UK-based artists.

“Much of African live music in London comes courtesy of one-off summer music festivals, such as WOMAD,” Terrence explained, “But during their residency, our artists will typically perform four or more shows at Mama Jumbe’s whilst staying at the Duke of Fife Hotel, which is just upstairs!”

The dance floor and stage at Mama Jumbe’s is located downstairs from the restaurant. Much like the iconic Jazz Café in Camden, which is adored by patrons for its sheer intimacy, Mama Jumbe’s allows performers and fans to interact up close, making the experience especially personal and memorable.

“Added to this unique intimate experience is the fact that our tickets rarely cost more than £10 – we believe that we offer a concert experience that can’t be matched anywhere else in London,” Terrence added.

With the new artists’ residency initiative, Mama Jumbe’s has come into its own as an oasis of African cuisine, fashion, music, art and literature in the heart of East London.

Such an expansive cultural vision would be an impossible ask for any single establishment to meet, had Mama Jumbe’s not already distinguished itself as the hangout of choice for many of London’s Afropolitans. Each year, the venue hosts African independence parties for all of the continent’s 54 countries.

The restaurant opens for food and drink service from 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 3pm on Sundays,morphing into a music and dance venue from about 11pm.

For event listings, see www.mamajumbes.com