Here’s the latest video uploaded to the official Oxfam GB YouTube Channel. It’s the Channel 4 John Snow interview with Oxfam’s Haiti Country Director, Yolette Etienne. Yolette lost her mother in the disaster. This video is truly inspiring.

There seems to be word of a few Haiti Benefit gigs taking place in and around Cardiff. The Toucan Club will be holding an event on Saturday 6th February. I’ll keep you updated on any details and any other fundraisers that are taking place. But for now, please share the YouTube video, tweet about the disaster and let your friends and family know how donating a small amount of money can make a massive difference to people’s lives.

So, only having 3 hours sleep probably isn’t the best way to start the day. Any day. Let alone a day that you’ve been planning for nearly 5 months now. For today is the day that Oxjam Cardiff takeover Womanby Street, as part of Oxfam’s nationwide music festival. With 5 venues, 7 stages, over 40 bands, DJs, poets, comedians and rappers performing over 12 hours, plus a very special world record attempt, its set to be a pretty amazing day. It’s raining, but who cares, we’ll get everyone to do a sun dance.

With the car loaded up and on yet another empty stomach (since May I’ve had approximately 3 meals per week, an average of 4.2 hours sleep per night, and several small heart attacks), I head off to Womanby Street. Not running late, for a change!

However, it seems that all my years of tardiness have bitten me on the bum. I arrive at our core venue at 11am, as arranged, only to find that no-one is there, and all 3 managers aren’t answering their phones. Ah, the dangers of holding events on Sunday mornings. The event is scheduled to start at 2pm. Not a problem, I’ll keep on calling. And calling. And calling… We finally get in, two hours behind schedule and I’ve added a couple more small heart attacks to my collection. But the Oxjam Cardiff team are on top form and it’s all stations GO! Balloons are being blown up, banners hung, merchandise displayed, campaign stalls arranged, mics, PAs, decks, projectors, Toucan, wristband exchange, raffle prizes, Dempseys, cash tins, blu-tac, floats, guestlists, Clwb Ifor Bach,  artists arriving, road signs, traffic cones, tea and coffee, where’s the milk?, Revolution, soggy socks, Y Fuwch Goch, volunteers, interviews, vintage clothes, cupcakes and belly aches. And breathe.

2pm.  Ruffstylz begins his world record attempt for the longest ever freestyle rap, and special Oxfam Guest Speaker, Elvis Sukali arrives to open the show at Y Fuwch Goch. This is it. People are arriving, the sun is shining, we did it.

Now, to be honest with you, the next 12 hours are a bit of a blur. But a very happy blur. Rufftsylz smahed the world record for the longest ever freestyle rap at 17 hours! (It stood at 10 hours and 34 minutes). All of the bands turned up on time and played incredible sets, Samba Galez and Whistling Biscuits performed on the street which created a magical festival-feel, and the Oxjam Cardiff team raised nearly £2000 for Oxfam’s ‘Here & Now‘ climate change campaign. Not bad for 3 hours sleep.

Our Takeover poster - designed by Dan Scotcher Jones (line-up correct at time of printing)

A massive thank you to all of the volunteers who helped out in the lead-up to the festival and on the day, you were an integral part of my happy blur! Thanks to Clwb Ifor Bach, Y Fuwch Goch, Toucan, Dempseys and Revolution for being wonderful hosts. Thanks to the incredible Oxjam Cardiff volunteer team for all of your hard work over the past few months, I love you, probably a little bit too much. Thanks to all of the performers who played for free, without you, well, it would have been a bit rubbish really. And thanks to everyone who came along and were part of an incredible day, you’ve all helped to make a real difference to people’s lives. See you next year! 

A recent attempt to beat Ruffstylz’s record in the US came a bit too close for comfort, and was what inspired Ruffstylz to “raise the bar and push myself to be the best that I can be.”

Due to licensing, the Oxjam team had to ask Ruffstylz to leave Toucan at 4am. I was lucky enough to interview him at 3:50am, and here’s what he had to say (well, rap).

But did asking him to leave the Toucan Club stop him rapping? Oh no. Off he went with his mp3 player, rapping along to a taxi ride, the washing up, Countdown and a Monday morning sunrise.

Ruffstylz stopped, by choice, at 7am. NEW WORLD RECORD: 17 hours!