CVFM Radio had an absolute blast at the Eid Fusion Festival! The day was filled with joy, cultural celebration, and delightful surprises that left a lasting impression on all of us.

The highlight of the festival was undoubtedly Chand Ali Khan Qawwal & Party UK's enchanting performance. Their soulful qawwali music resonated deeply with the audience, creating an atmosphere of spiritual bliss. The melodies transported everyone to another world, and we were truly captivated by the group's mesmerising talent.

While some stalls sadly had to be cancelled due to high winds, the Food Zone saved the day! We had the opportunity to savor a diverse range of cuisines, and one restaurant, in particular, stood out – Zaiqa Restaurant. Their delectable dishes tantalised our taste buds, leaving us wanting more. The scrumptious offerings from Zaiqa added an extra layer of flavor to the entire experience, and we can't thank them enough for their delicious contributions.

Throughout the day, we had the pleasure of meeting representatives from various organisations, including Cleveland Police, Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner, and the esteemed mayor of Stockton-on-Tees. It was heartwarming to see the community come together and celebrate diversity in such a harmonious manner. These interactions only reinforced the importance of events like the Eid Fusion Festival, which promote understanding and unity among people from different backgrounds.

As we explored the festival grounds, we were delighted to see the kids having a blast with the variety of rides and games. The joy on their faces was contagious, and witnessing their excitement added an extra layer of happiness to the event.

We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Eid Fusion Festival team for organising such a fantastic event. It was evident that a lot of effort and dedication went into making the festival a success. From the captivating performances to the array of activities and delicious food, everything was flawlessly executed.

Eid Fusion Festival 2023 was a resounding success, showcasing the richness of cultural diversity and fostering a sense of unity within the community. CVFM Radio is grateful to have been a part of this celebration, and we look forward to joining again next year for an even more remarkable event. Kudos to the entire Eid Fusion Festival team for their hard work and dedication in organizing such an unforgettable day!

#EidFusionFestival #EFF2023 #ChandAliKhan #Qawwali #Stockton #TeesValley #CVFMRadio #RopnerPark #UTB #FYP #ZaiqaRestaurant

Club Kali celebrates its 25th Anniversary with the World Premiere of its documentary film – Discovering Kali at the prestigious British Film Institute, part of this year’s ‘Too Desi Too Queer’ programme at the London Indian Film Festival.

The festival takes place from 22nd June – 29th June 2023 and there will be a second showing of Discovering Kali, at the Electric Cinema in Birmingham with both screenings featuring a talent Q-&-A.

For the first time ever, audiences will discover the story behind the iconic club and its impact on the lives of an intergenerational, inclusive LGBTQ+ community and relationship to South Asian heritage. Told through the lens of its pioneering founders DJ Ritu and Rita Hirani, the many
performers and community members over the years, the film documents the club’s 25 years of community, unity, education, and celebration. Club Kali started out as a monthly club night for the South Asian LGBTQ+ community in the mid-90s and quickly evolved to the worldwide
phenomenon it is today.

Co-founder Rita Hirani shares her thoughts,
“Club Kali has finally come out. We are intergenerational, international, the stories of our community are powerful, beautiful and to be celebrated. This film shares the joy, the journey and the impact this safe space has had on the community, how what started as a club night
became a global LGBTQ+ community.”

Club Kali started at the Dome, in Tufnell Park, it’s home for over two decades. Opening its doors to the sounds of the legendary DJ Ritu’s expertly mix of ‘Eastern flavours with Western classics. The music was a blend of Bhangra, Bollywood, Arabic music and Western pop appealing to the hearts and feet of an incredibly diverse community. Although Club Kali avoided mainstream media attention, people heard about it by word of mouth, supposedly the World’s best kept secret group became international, bringing the LGBTQ+ community together from all over the world.

The monthly and fortnightly club nights were celebrations of a global LGBTQ+ family; themed events marked Eid, Diwali, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Summer Solstice and united all faiths and cultures. The iconic Kali "Chutney Queens" – drag queens and trans folk dressing in
elaborate and ornate saris and jewellery greeted guests, performed rituals, and took charge of the annual birthday cake on stage.

The events at the Dome were so popular that alongside these, celebrity and artist performances took place at venues such as the Barbican, Institute of Contemporary Arts, the British Film Institute, the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Co- Founder and infamous DJ Ritu, who was awarded an MBE in 2023 describes,
“The Kali dancefloor was filled with a multi-cultural following, non-Asians with Asians who yearned to hear Hindi film music mixed with RnB, Hip Hop, commercial house, but sung in Hindi, Punjabi, or Urdu, and everyone united by dancefloor beats and rhythms. This was and remains a blessing.”

In 2021 Club Kali was awarded a LGBTQ+ Heritage Plaque by Islington’s Pride describing Club Kali as a place that helped to inspire communities across the country.

Join audiences this week in London and Birmingham to take a nostalgic trip down Club Kali’s memory lane and be a part of the 25 years celebration!

For ticket booking information please visit the festival or BFI website:

Friday 23 June @BFI 6pm, South Bank, London.
Tickets: https://bit.ly/Kali25BFI

Sunday 25 June @Electric 6pm Cinema Birmingham
Tickets: https://bit.ly/3NxxmFw

Discovering Kali – 25 years of the legendary Club was made possible with funding by
Awards for All National Lottery Community Fund (in 2020)
Directed by Matt Mahmood-Ogston

Join in the conversation:
#clubkali #discoveringkali #loveliff
Discovering Kali Insta / Facebook / Twitter

London Indian Film Festival
British Film Institute
-Ends-

Watch Trailer: https://bit.ly/KaliTrailer
For further information and interview requests please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Here at CVFM Radio, it has become customary to celebrate the last week of the holy month of Ramadan with a gracious community meal at a local eatery. 

This year, The Mint Leaf restaurant at Sirkars was our proud host, and together we put on a lovely evening’s showing on the night of Tuesday the 18th. Mint Leaf owner Ejaz Hussain was in attendance, and he and his team presented a sumptuous feast for 72!

CVFM director Idrees Rashid is the brains behind the meal. He organised a livestream running throughout the dinner, which merged seamlessly with the ordinary evening’s Ramadan broadcast in-studio as crew and volunteers drifted from the studio to the venue. A  link to the livestream can found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMa6d7we_7E

Aman Hussain, 24, provided moving vocals as he sung a rendition of the Adhaan (the traditional call to prayer) shortly before the feasting commenced.

The event saw attendance from a range of local dignitaries, including chairperson of the Tees Valley Muslim council Shaufqat “Charlie” Rashid; Kew and Gordon Lim representing the Chinese community; Bini Aria, the winner of a BME achievement award last year; and Middlesbrough’s own Mayor, Andy Preston, and his deputy Mieka Smiles - highly relevant people in light of the upcoming elections.

Below you can find a rich photo gallery showing off the highlights of the evening’s proceedings - in my humble opinion, the imagery of the luscious, authentic Kashmiri buffet should speak to its flavour more than any words I could type!

Today marks the end of Ramadan - Ramadan Mubarak - and with it a great celebration for the strength and spiritual fortitude of the Muslim community, in honouring their noble tradition of fasting, reservation, humility, charity and sharing. 

We take our hats off to the Islamic populace of Middlesbrough, here at CVFM, 104.5 - and hope that you’ve enjoyed the month of special edition broadcasting that accompanied the sacred fast. Stay tuned as we resume regular broadcasting, with familiar faces such as Baker Lillivick, Mike Clarke, Steven Peacock and myself preparing to return to the air.

United Agents present…

Katherine Ryan: Missus European Tour 2021-22

 
‘A comic in supreme command of her shtick’ – The Guardian

‘One of the stand-out stand-ups of her generation’ – The Times ****

"Poised, uncompromising and often savagely hilarious" – The Scotsman ****

‘Flawlessly delivered... this is stand-up comedy that slaps you countless times around the face and leaves you aching with laughter. Be in no doubt, Ryan is among the very best out there’ – The Telegraph ****

Star of Netflix smash-hit series The Duchess (along with two global Netflix comedy specials: In Trouble and Glitter Room), comedian and TV’s Katherine Ryan makes a hugely welcome return to the stage with her brand-new show Missus. Having previously denounced partnership, Katherine has since married her first love… accidentally! From October, the tour will take in incredible venues all over Europe – and last well into 2022. Further shows have also been added at the London Palladium (5 th -7 th May), after the first three dates sold out, and at The Regent in LA (30 th April) as part of the Netflix is a Joke festival, to satisfy phenomenal demand. A lot has changed for everyone, and we can look forward to hearing Katherine’s always-hilarious new perspectives on life, love,and what it means to be Missus.

Award-winning comedian, writer, presenter and actress Katherine Ryan is currently dominating the television and live comedy scenes, both in the UK and abroad. She will soon be seen as the host of the highly-anticipated comedy series Backstage with Katherine Ryan for Amazon. Katherine starred in, wrote and executive-produced her sitcom The Duchess, which was released in 2020 and leapt to the top of the Netflix UK chart. She has filmed two critically-acclaimed Netflix Global stand-up specials – Glitter Room and In Trouble. Katherine can currently be seen hosting primetime BBC Two jewellery-making competition series All That Glitters – which returns soon for a second series, and recently hosted ITV2’s marquee show Ready to Mingle. She has been a stalwart on all the UK’s major panel shows, and has co-hosted six series of Your Face or Mine alongside judging four series of Roast Battle for Comedy Central – as well as being a judge on Netflix’s first panel show The Fix. Outside of television, Katherine has sold-out venues across the world with her unique shows and she has also written a book – The Audacity – which will be published by Bonnier on 30th September as a super lead title. Her podcast Telling Everybody Everything frequently tops the podcast charts, and is hosted by market-leader Acast.

Katherine Ryan will perform live at the Globe Theatre in Stockton on Thursday the 10th of November - so don't miss out!

TICKETS: www.livenation.co.uk

MORE INFORMATION: www.unitedagents.co.uk/katherine-ryan
FURTHER PRESS INFORMATION: Amanda Emery at Emery PR
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tel: 07702 604735 @emerypr