'TOPOWA! Never Give Up' – OFFICIALLY SELECTED FOR RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

Today, Brass for Africa is pleased to announce ‘TOPOWA! NEVER GIVE UP!’, a PHIX Film production, directed by Phil Sansom & Inigo Gilmore and produced by Rupert Sansom. The feature documentary film will make its world premiere at the prestigious Raindance Film Festival, where it will screen online from the 28 October to 7 November 2020. The film features Brass for Africa musicians and jazz legend Wynton Marsalis, together with British virtuoso trumpeter Alison Balsom and saxophonist Jess Gillam.

‘TOPOWA!’ is the inspirational story of 12 talented young musicians, many of whom grew up as street children in some of the toughest slums in Uganda. From the dusty dirt roads of the Katwe slum, to the iconic Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, and a residency at the world-famous Cheltenham Music Festival. The film follows Julius, Sumayya, Tadeo, Gilbert and the Brass for Africa musicians as they are welcomed to the UK for an unforgettable experience that will transform their lives forever and empower the next generation of musicians to follow their dreams – ‘TOPOWA! Never give up!’

Jim Trott, Founder and Executive Director of Brass for Africa, says:

2019 was an amazing year for Brass for Africa, bringing 12 of our young Music and Life-Skills Teachers to the UK to perform with incredible artists in iconic venues. I am thrilled that this unbelievable journey was captured so beautifully on film, and that this powerful story of triumph over adversity and the positive power of music is going to be available for the world to see.

Phil Sansom & Inigo Gilmore, Film Directors, say:

Seeing the incredible work the teachers at Brass for Africa do first hand was inspiring, and hearing the stories of these young musicians was life-changing. We knew that making this film was simply something we had to do. When Sumayya used the word TOPOWA! in her interview her we asked her what it meant and we knew we had found our title. Never Give Up is such a positive message that resonates across the world today and it was our pleasure to be part of this journey, in creating a film with real heart, joy, and positively to delight audiences as well as to make them think. Our hope was to raise awareness for the charity but also to use our voices as filmmakers and as a production company to inspire positive change.

Featuring African inspired brass music, including some Brass for Africa classics by our Composer In Residence Alan Fernie, this film presents never-before-seen images and inspirational stories told by members of the Brass for Africa organisation.