Joycelyn Longdon

India

New Delhi

Boxout.fm - The Platform Championing India’s Alternative Music Scene

Maachew Bentley

New York City 

Enough fog machines to sin continuously for 48 hours.

5$ for a beer and tequila shot during Happy Hour - ideal for a cheap drink in Chinatown to start your evening.

Ummmmm, if you’re invited there, and looking for some wild memories, just go. I’ll leave the rest up to you.

Another restaurant mainstay with a pretty big club room in the back, with two parties usually going on. Prolly get a free drink if you ask when Elvis Guesthouse II is coming (if you know you know).

Relatively new venue with three rooms, much like the infamous Output sans all the rules. Personal favorite, haven’t really swung a miss since I’ve been going, but do go there on a weekend.

Late night dive bar in Chinatown, where the writers go, hit or miss really just a destination for the late night chill, music played on vinyl only.

Summer vibe for the rave, day time for the outdoor backyard breather.

A plot of land on the cusp of GreenPoint / Williamsburg. The Lot has become a home for every artist and local pit stop passerby. Music is playing live from 12 - midnight in a cargo trailer much like your local NTS or Balamii booth, equipped with hammocks, fire pit and outdoor cafe.

As far as I’m concerned, they have the best programming schedule all year long. From book fairs, to immersive installations, to full day raves every Saturday during the Summer. You can’t really lose going here on an off day or when there’s a line round the block.

Maachew Bentley Trippin in New York

Paulo Saul 

São Paulo

First things first, my chosen family and I are a walking party. If we are training for the balls or just voguing in the middle of the streets, we for sure bring life to the party. You can find us at the coolest places and at your closest function snatching all the grand prizes.

MARSHA! is a festival that celebrates and empowers trans lives. With its latest online version, it gathered many artists with an extensive line-up of talks about issues and demands of the trans community and many shows and performances by various forms of art.

Way more than just a party: it’s a platform for young black queer artists and a one-of-a-kind experience in São Paulo’s nightlife. If at the end of the night - probably morning already - and you’re not exhausted from dancing, it was not Batekoo.

“Queer music by queer people” - an online radio party featuring the best of Brazilian queer talents in the music scene. Not limited by music genre but open to all forms of expression.

Away from the center of the city, in the middle of the southern outskirts of town, Crash Party is an independent party organized by young queer people living in Capão Redondo. The idea is to showcase new local talents and have fun.

From the east side to the world, Helipa LGBT brings you the best of funk music and Brazilian culture.

Amazing visuals and experimental sounds, Vorlat is a party to discover the new and what is yet to be defined (or not).

A reunion of many different versions of queerness with lots of fashion, beauty and personality. Chernobyl is where the outcasts get together to listen to great underground music and have a great time.

It’s a bar, a restaurant and a tiny dance club. The perfect place to meet your friends, have some amazing drinks and vibe to cool music.

One of the biggest and most popular electronic music events in São Paulo. From the sound to the performances (known to be mesmerising) everything from Mamba represents the essence of São Paulo.

Queer Spaces in São Paulo

Petite Noir

Cape Town

 The best beach in Cape Town, hands down. (Personally!)

A beautiful cosy restaurant in the CBD - makes some of the best food in Cape Town.

A creative and interactive space that has a radio station that plays the best music from around the world. A true tastemaker for Cape Town.  


Petite Noir's Guide to Cape Town

Floyd Lavine

Berlin

Take a look at the unique, one-of-a-kind-pieces as well as the designs of the ready-to-wear line by this South African-born designer, launched in 2008. One can hardly identify the cultural roots of these fantastic garments or the times that they could have possibly been made in. Bringing together aesthetics of various African countries and traditional Asian craftsmanship, every piece of his brand is handmade by only one person: Dennis Chuene himself.

I played at one of the first ever African Food Festivals in Berlin. I really enjoyed it. The festival showcased beautiful cultural parts of Africa by celebrating the African and African diaspora community in Berlin. It’s a must-go festival if you’re in Berlin.

If you feel like enjoying West African authentic cuisine, Senegambia is your place. My friend Dede introduced this spot to me and I fell in love.

Selekt is an event management company run by my friend Joy Fatoyinbo. It offers crowd control, club selection, hosting and event management. I’ve been to the events and places they host and it’s always a great time.

If you’re looking for a Black lawyer in Berlin, especially for intellectual property law, my friend Joy (apart from running Selekt) is also a great lawyer. If you’re a creative and need to talk to someone about protecting your work, you know who to call.

Refuge Worldwide is a community radio station that offers more than just radio. It offers community support for Berlin creatives, fights for social justice, raises funds for social issues, hosts workshops and it’s a great hangout spot. I’m glad to be one of the resident DJs.

If you feel like having some Ethiopian food in Berlin, my favourite restaurant for that is Langano. This is a family-run business. I enjoy coming to eat here.

My best friend has had a baby and I finally realised that a good kindergarten is essential. Sankofa is Black-owned kindergarten. [It] has an Afrodiasporic and bilingual early childhood programme for children between the ages of one and six in the city. It was founded by a group of parents, and childrens’ parents play an active role in the overall management of the place.

8 Black-Owned Businesses in Berlin, Chosen By Floyd Lavine

Ysa Pérez

More Williamsburg shit. Five Leaves is one of my FAVORITE restaurants, mmm truffle fries, good for dinner but sick for brunch. It's in a prime spot so can get busy

Cheap ass falafel right off the Bedford L stop, Oasis, Williamsburg staple, not the fanciest, but solid for price and just on the go when you tryna eat quick

Definitely check out The Lot. Opened a few summers ago in this abandoned lot no one was using. Now it's a place to chill outside grab drinks, think that weird park ting in Shoreditch, same vibes... there are DJs playing all day

All your vintage needs, this Japanese place plays tight ass music and has hella gear

Best Southern food + cheap, chill ass, dive, Williamsburg, hipster bar

Sweets! Milkshake that tastes exactly like cereal, next door to The Commodore

Ysa Pérez's Guide to NYC 

Irma Ruiseñor

Mexico City 

A beautiful space in Colonia Cuauhtémoc offering a variety of mezcal, cuisines inspired by corn, well-curated exhibitions and listening sessions.

Part of the Yu Yu club, it's a cocktail bar with a nice radio where local DJs and selectors record and stream live sets.

A mezcal bar with a wide range of mezcal options from different regions of Mexico. Bósforo also offers delicious food and a spectacular playlist curated by the owner.

It began as a club and an online radio, and now it continues to host an itinerant series of parties and runs a record label where you can discover eclectic sounds from Latin American rave music. You can immerse yourself in the music and the vibe while encountering some of the most iconic DJs from the electronic club community.

A cozy restaurant in Colonia Juárez where you can enjoy really nice sandwiches, amazing appetisers like ceviche, delicious bread and a selection of beverages – including vermouth.

A hidden gem in Mexico, Loose Blues has a diverse kitchen with flavours from Asian cuisines as well as amazing cocktails and a great selection of music. They also have a store with contemporary fashion from local brands and an online radio.

An amazing and fun Sunday ceviche pop-up kitchen in the heart of downtown CDMX with a spectacular view of the Torre Latino. The place offers a really nice vibe and features amazing local, iconic DJs and guests to set the mood for the afternoon.

Located in the south of the city, this familiar place is a favourite, offering dishes from the southern peninsula of Mexico. Nothing on the menu costs more than 99.99 pesos (hence the name). Highly recommended dishes include lime soup, mix panuchos, and taquitos of queso relleno.

A hidden showroom in the heart of downtown Mexico City, Materia Lab specialises in street fashion, reflecting the essence of current urban style culture in Mexico.

An art gallery owned by one of Mexico's most iconic street artists, part of APC Rex Baton. Street Lynx presents and sells art from emerging and contemporary urban artists. They offer free exhibitions and art pieces for sale.

An art project and cultural agency that hosts and manages intriguing art projects by talented and rare artists, including art shows and collaborations with music festivals, movies, runways and other exciting ventures. They also provide free exhibitions and art pieces for sale.

An amazing multicultural space with a social focus who work very close with queer mexican communities. Pandeito also have a very nice offer of workshops.

Explore Mexico City with Irma Ruiseñor

Public Records' Sound Room pairs beautiful architecture with design. The custom Ojas hi-fi sound system will make your face furrow with satisfaction as you bathe in the perfect sound fed by the custom Isonoe mixer. Their restaurant, which offers creative vegan dishes, also offers some of NYC’s best all-vinyl DJs. A complete and thoughtful social space centred around music and community.

Aside from presenting 72 hour ‘non-stop’ parties and solid DJ line-ups, there is a strict no cell phone policy on the dancefloor. That means no filming, no texting or Shazaming either. It’s all about experiencing the music. There is an outdoor beer garden and bagels served on Sunday morning. I recently had one of the most spiritual DJ sets I’ve had in a long time there, playing right before Theo Parrish.

Tucked away beneath the behemoth Knockdown Center, Basement creates an intimate vibe reserved for techno heads. The DJ programming is nothing to kid about. Among the dark catacombs you will be served by a superb programme of both longstanding and up-and-coming DJ talent.

The newest baby sister of Bushwick’s Bossa Nova Civic Club did not come to play. She’s a bit rough around the edges and comes as a wild and judgment free zone for nightlife revellers. Come to sweat under two floors of fog and lights with the girlies and the banji boys.

Good Room harkens back to the good old days of raw space, feet stomping and hollering. The energy builds to a peak by 1AM and carries on solid until the wee hours. Having two rooms, the Good Room and the Bad Room, you have options to shuffle between big room energy and intimate house party vibes. You can wander in on any night (if it’s not sold out already) and know that the music will be in service to the underground. Talent from all over the world play at this venue, which feels intimate compared to the festivals where you’d have to catch them otherwise.

Situated on a small lot in a shipping container in Brooklyn, The Lot Radio streams an incredibly diverse soundscape of music 24 hours per day.  They’ve been known to take over Time Square as an open air and The Modern Museum of Art. There is lots of outdoor seating, a cafe and on a beautiful summer’s day it could easily turn into a spontaneous block party.

Queer-Friendly Dancefloors in New York, Chosen By Kim Anh

Hong Kong

[You] need an online booking. Make an appointment a month before. [You can] book for weekdays more easily than for the weekend.

A lot of good food around, and you can eat on the street with the homies and skip dinner, just chill on the street. It's a vibe.

Order the strawberry daiquiri and the banana daiquiri. I used to go here after dinner and order non-alcohol daiquiris. The cup [comes] covered with cocoa powder; feels like dessert to me. Alcohol [may be even] better, I bet.

Located in Mong Kok just a few minutes on foot from the Prince Edward MTR station, the flower market is one of the most colourful places in Hong Kong. It is adjacent to the Yuen Po Street Bird Garden.

This market is a few minutes away from the flower market.

[Go to] Mummy Pancake [for] the chocolate egg waffles. In the alley they have a vintage store. There's a lot of good, local food shops there and some cafes.


I went there every month when I was a kid 'cause Tuesdays or Wednesdays are free. Also, I really like the old Hong Kong history decor there.

The location is at Mongkok. It's a very popular area and if you’re tourists you must go. This is the one and only special cafe. The orange colour is for the main decor, inside [it's] full of graffiti by HK's famous graffiti artist “Uncle,” and the burger is very delicious.

FM Belowground radio station powered by YEITOUT. They always have guest DJs doing recordings or podcasts in there, and the ASTERISK retail shop has got all kinds of stuff to shop. Sometimes, belowground have a unique pop-up store.

Explore the Streets of Hong Kong with Subez

Cafe con Libros (coffee with books) is an intersectional Feminist community bookstore and coffee shop. Through their choice of books, programming and great coffee, they endeavour to create a vibrant community space where everyone; specifically female-identified folx, feel centered, affirmed and celebrated.

LICHEN NYC is location in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It’s a design shop that’s helping to democratize design and proselytize more under-the-radar participants. Founded by Jared Blake and Ed Be the two have curated an exceptional archive of accessible vintage and contemporary furniture.

Brooklyn Blooms was planted in 2017 in the neighbourhood of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn with a mission to serve it’s neighbourhood and the surrounding communities with uniquely curated blooms while maintaining sustainable practices.

Harlem's 1st 100 percent African American owned craft beer bar. Their mission is to invest in their local community, to offer great beers "made by us and for us" and expand access and enjoy good times together, in their own way.

Brooklyn Clay Industries is a ceramics studio that holds pottery classes and workshops. The owner Reuben King, a native of Dominica, grew up with pottery-making as a time-honored tradition that he wishes to share and inspire creativity.

Byas & Leon is a heavy hitting local spot with distinct taste. They specialize in sustainable fashion & craftsmanship, while also serving as an Afro Caribbean cultural hub.

Founded by friends Shelby Macklin and Banna Nega in 2015, Glazed NYC is a community-based lifestyle brand focused on providing high quality, classic accessories that bridge the gap between function and glamour.

Designed in Brooklyn and handcrafted sustainably with artisans spanning Nairobi to NY, these shoes give anyone who wears them an extra spring in their step.

A little more mainstream but they're all about Black excellence.

Owned and run by Telsha Anderson, this beautiful store is completely designed to cater to the women-identifying community in NYC. It also has fabulous clothes.

Brooklyn's Best fried chicken! They are doing delivery or you can stroll down and pick up.

Bed Vyne is an independent brewery, cocktail bar and liquor store in Bed-Stuy, BV feels more like a family cookout than your standard bar.

A social and wellness club designed to celebrate people of colour, online and in real life. It's one of the first coworking and social spaces curated by young people of color for other young people of color.



Make Manifest is a retail and community space in the heart Bed-stuy Brooklyn. Designed to insure growth of local & independent businesses. The artistic platform strives for economic equity and an environmental consciousness.

A well stocked wine shop determined to give Brooklyn quality wine at a quality price.

Joloff Restaurant has become a local go to for Senegalese flavours made in Brooklyn.

Cafe Rue Dix explores West African and French heritage through its food, drinks and decor.

Haitian-American café and cocktail bar, CAFE ERZULIE, partnered with an existing flower shop so that both local businesses could flourish.

Ode to Babel is a small bar and lounge in Prospect Heights that has a become a true neighbourhood space.

Black-Owned Businesses in New York 

Tony Rais

Lyon

Our shop. If you like good clothes, you will find something. The red heart on the front door is a personal message who just wants to say "I love you."



Neighbourhood bar, since 30 years. Flashback to the 70s. Special mention for the very cool staff. Cool cheap beers, cool atmosphere and meeting place.



Shoutout to "The Sopranos." You have the best choice for natural wines. You can choice your bottle and drink here. Good music and vinyls in your ears also.

Everything is fresh, french and homemade. Full of tastes, you can eat from from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Lyl Radio is on direct live, broadcast in Paris, Bruxelles too.

My favourite is the avocado bun and truffle croque. Turn your head and you have a big view to the city. Take your food and sit on the benches in the garden of the « montée de la grande-côte ». The neighbor is Maria Pizza, same owner.

Vintage store. Shop around, search, and discover the treasures of this store in a good atmosphere. You have rare items.

Next to the famous place des Terreaux. the building and the interior courtyard is just wonderful. Find some famous artists like Picasso and Matisse.

Typical french food, cheap, no reservation, say hi and take a seat. Near to the « Gros Caillou » place with a view.

Cross the bridge above the « quais de Saone ». Old town of Lyon, very touristic but it’s full of history, buildings, restaurants, silk factories and many others. You can walk, climb to see the famous Fourvière basilique, best spot view in Lyon around and antique theatre.

It’s on industrial district of « Confluence » but it’s a must have for nightlife. everything happens on the roof. Laurent Garnier, shareholder of the club, a real techno scene of Lyon. They are also about the big event « Nuits sonores » and « Heat » cultural place.

Lyon's Best Spots With Tony Rais

London

The category is…Black storytelling! Their focus is to make stories by African, Caribbean and Afro-Latinx fam available and readily accessible. You can currently find them at their bookstore pop up in Shoreditch Boxpark.

London’s first ever cactus and succulent shop. Offering a selection of the most unusual and exotic plants sourced from across the UK and Europe. Their online store is still available to shop on.

Eat of Eden serves up some of the best tasting specialist plant based cuisine in there many locations across London. We recommend the callaloo, ackee and macaroni pie.

Brixton Soup Kitchen are a Brixton-based service for the homeless and people in need. However, they help people who are from London and surrounding areas. Their charity provides hot food, support and counselling for people in need. They rely on donations and volunteers to continue their work, which you can easily donate to on their website.

2021 Andam prize winner and a distinctive new voice in the menswear arena, Bianca Saunders has been capturing the attention of the fashion world, alongside the likes of Kanye West and WizKid. The London designer's pieces counter the traditional notions of gender and masculinity and draws from touchstones on either side of her British and West Indian background. Her collection is available to purchase at Browns.

Black Cultural Archives is the home of Black British History. Their mission is to collect, preserve and celebrate the histories of people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK and to inspire and give strength to individuals, communities and society.

If you’re looking to cleanse your home and space, Cremate’s natural incense hand-dipped in London is the shit. They come in two scents: Mary Mother of God and Middle Way. We love both.

Homage Tees are responsible for those T-shirts emblazoned with the faces of British icons like Louis Theroux, Princess Di and David Attenborough.

South London rooted Jewellery and accessory brand Image Gang has garnered a global community of courageous and creative young women. You can purchase Image Gang on ASOS and directly via their website.

Who doesn't need fresh crepes? One of the many businesses created for our culture.

The world would not be the same without Carribean food. Riaz Phillips created Belly Full: Caribbean Food in the UK, to document a journey across the UK meeting the people behind the county's most popular Caribbean eateries. If you love your jerk and rice & peas, why not educate yourself on their history?

Whilst in quarantine, supply yourself with the more fresh and delicious fruit straight to your door weekly. They also give more variety than your basic Tesco selection.

The only paradox we want to be in. Delicious plant based recipes, plant based catering for dinner parties.

Exploring the space where football and the Black experience intersects.

Black Thrive is a partnership between communities, statutory organisations, voluntary and private sector. They work together to reduce the inequality and injustices experienced by Black people in mental health services. They address the barriers which lead to poorer outcomes across a range of social factors, such as education, employment, housing, and so on, all of which may negatively impact one’s health and wellbeing.

Born from a lack of ethnically diverse natural hair care in the luxury beauty industry. Nigerian-Italian Loretta De Feo devised Dizziak – a deep conditioning formula that provides course, textured hair with the rich hydration it needs and deserves. A revolution in multi-cultural hair care, Dizziak has been coined an aphrodisiac for Afro hair – delivering visible and touchable results in minutes.

Specialists in African and Caribbean Literature since 1966. For over 50 years New Beacon Books has made available to Britain and its communities poetry, literature, non –fiction, history and children’s books from Africa, Caribbean, Asia, African America, Europe, South America and Britain.

Welcome to the home of natural honey! Founded by local Walthamstow legend, you can subscribe to receive raw honey to your doorstep or even buy bees for yourself.

SEASON is a trailblazing football and fashion platform that launched in London in 2016 to counter the male, pale and sometimes stale state of modern football culture. They tell stories that showcase, celebrate and empower female fans authentically, while unpacking important issues, emphasising diversity and collaborating with exciting creative talent.

Founded by Karl Jouanni, Alive & More is a forward-thinking, and gravity-defying fashion brand. Living within the cosmos of his other venture, TEAM RELMS, ALIVE & MORE is a streetwear label that brings something new, fresh, and all-encompassing to the table. The concept is simple, get the RELMS app, play the game, and travel to the virtual fashion shrine to unlock your very real garments, and, while you’re at it, immerse yourself in the world of Team Relms as well.

Bleu is a creative interior design, mid-century furniture store based in Herne Hill, South London. They source our illustrious stock from around the world. Most of their products are mid-century modern, 20th century design, decorative art, vintage industrial furniture, vintage African masks and art. They also offer specialist upholstery and restoration too!

Trap House Salon is a safe, judgement free space to get your your hair, nails and lashes done at affordable prices. They give you that good good experience and you always leave looking fly.

Gingham doll is a small womenswear brand based in London who continuously excite the fashion palette, using classic silhouettes but with a fresher twist. They are still operating and offering Free post worldwide and have just been informed that our boutique in Shoreditch will reopen on the 20th June.

Pureté Nature is wellness brand for luxury skincare, haircare, aromatherapy and home fragrances. All of their products are ethically sourced and handcrafted by themselves using the finest natural ingredients.

The best radio station in the world. Need we say more? You can subscribe to NTS and become a member now.

Learn how to use your space with Storage Goals. They offer customised and stylish storage solutions that are tailored to your personality. Using Scandinavian designed products from Elfa, they cater for all your home and office storage needs.

In 2016, Dutch streetwear brand Patta, opened its London store doors in the middle of Soho. Ready to introduce London's community to everything it represents, Patta have continuously stayed a brand that influences culture in London and across the world.

The Prince of Peckham is a pub for south London, by south London. The community pub is for everyone in the area, with a downstairs bar and pub, and an amazing event space. On the top floor there is a music room for parties, weddings, meetings, location shoots, live music, art exhibitions, and all other celebrations. Street food kings White Men Can't Jerk are kitchen residents serving up jerk chicken, Caribbean roasts and stacks of wings. It's a vibe all year around.

Based in East London - Hackney. They specialise in running fitness classes, personal training, membership and hiring out our space to fitness professionals. Their goals are to create a safe space for groups and individuals to improve their lifestyles through health, fitness, sports and wellbeing.

Black-Owned Businesses in London

Copenhagen

If you want that authentic Ethiopian dining experience, this place will everything you imagine it to be. Delicious, easy well-priced food. Bring some friends, eat with your hands and spend the evening satisfied.

Hidden in the back of a club space in Copenhagen’s old and famous meat packing district, you’ll find MMH Radio. MMH Radio is a community centred radio station at the forefront for pushing towards more versatility and inclusivity in the Danish capitals music scene.

A pan-African inspired restaurant, which celebrates Africa, the African culture, traditions and the African people through food, art and music.

A physical and web shop that sells hair and skin care products, as well as hair extensions. They do hair extensions, braids, curls, manicures and pedicures in shop.

All-natural skincare line inspired by raw natural ingredients that women in East Africa have been using for generations.

Beadhouse has the largest selection of jewellery; earrings, rings, pearls and loose trinkets.

A free African music festival held every year in June to celebrate its rich history.

Organic and Fair Trade body and hair care with products handmade in Copenhagen and only sustainable and recyclable packaging used.

An award-winning Ugandan food concept and street food company serving delicious and healthy dishes made from organic ingredients from Uganda and Denmark. Look out for their physical shop coming soon.

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