Tiata Delights, a week-long festival of new work from emerging and established African writers, launches later this month at the Soho Theatre in London. Six plays will be showcased as rehearsed readings with live musical accompaniment from James Lascelles/Juwon Ogungbe.

The writers include Nayesh Radia, by Lizzy Dijeh, Lucian G W Msamati, Levi David Addai and Beminabu Kebede. It will take place from 23rd – 28th April 2007. More on sohotheatre.com

The talented pianist Zoe Rahman has unveiled a series of performance dates around the country. Firmly establishing herself as one of the brightest stars on contemporary jazz scene, her most recent album, ‘Melting Pot’, was short-listed for the Mercury Prize and was voted ‘Jazz Album of the Year’ at the 2006 Parliamentary Jazz Awards.

Born in Chichester, UK, Zoe studied music at Oxford University. She has since built up an interesting CV, playing punky worldbeat with Terry Hall and Mushtaq (Fun Da Mental), trancey Arabic folk with singer Reem Kelani, and superior hard bop with drummer Clark Tracey, as well as writing for the theatre.

13th and 14th April; Pizza Express Jazz Club, Dean Street, London.
Saturday 28th April; The Drum, Birmingham

More dates on her website

Yorkshire county is planning an IIFA Fringe Festival this year alongside the main Bollywood awards weekend. It will include a ‘Bollywood Bazaar’ in Bradford, a mela in Leeds, a ‘Bollywood in the basin’ dance and arts event in Sheffield and another mini-mela in York. More on the Yorkshire Tourist Board website.

Last week Amitabh Bachchan (pictured) visited Leeds Civic Hall to raise curtains on the IIFA awards 2007.
More pictures at DesiMalai