Setting Da Standards (SDS Entertainment) have just announced their first virtual live jamboree named ‘The Bop Live’. The multi-platform event will host four main headliners and 15 supporting acts; exhibiting probably the best grassroots talent from London. The free festival will take place this Friday, November 27, and can be streamed live at 5pm on YouTube here.
The Bop Live was created to utilise the limited spaces available in the focal point of Croydon where musicians could communicate through live exhibitions. Through time an array of premises have sadly shut leaving these artists with restricted admittance to innovative spaces. The Bop Live has filled that quality in the form of this celebratory festival – the first of its kind in the heart of Croydon.
According to the festival’s founder Makeda Bennett-Amparbeng, “Croydon is often looked down on and you rarely hear positive things associated with it. Being from Croydon I know different and that’s what we at SDS are doing, changing that narrative.
We’ve seen first hand a plethora of talented creatives from this borough who deserve local grassroots spaces to showcase their talents. The Bop Live was created to not only shine a light on some of these creatives and the borough but also to invite other creatives from other areas to see what we the Croydoners are offering“.
Each stage has been carefully crafted and visually designed to incorporate Croydon’s eye watering venues portraying the ever vibrant live performance scene. The four scouted and timeless locations shot for this project were Reggaemasters, The Front Room, Project B and Limitless VR.
Stages were envisioned and crafted by The Floor Magazine, Yes Gurl and of course SDS each conveying a particular theme; an all female line-up, Croydoners only stage, rappers only stage and an alternative RnB stage.
The resident DJ for the festival is none other than the renowned Sáshi and looking into The Bop lineup, we are sure the talent will blow you away, the featured artists include Still Shadey, Flintz, Deanna Chase, Shivon Kane, Asha Elia, Coco Mageeda, Sharia, Shanelle-Jae, Isha Davis, Mychelle, Solaariss, Emily Mutaako, DXVL, Boy Nash and Le3 BLACK.
Setting Da Standards (SDS) is a community arts organisation predominantly driven by two youthful, black women determined to showcase and give recognition to the immense talent their hometown has to bring to the table.
The duo behind the events throughout Croydon, Makeda and Jade have worked tirelessly yet enthusiastically and their hard work sure has paid off with a portion of the artists who have graced their stage, going on to booking major festivals and signing record deals.
From monthly ‘hub nights’ to a completely fledged festival supported by The Arts Council England, this is one event you won’t want to miss, be ready to be entertained on the eve of Friday, November 27.
#Peace.Love.TheBopLive
