Thank Jah its Friday!

House of NsAkO - 'The Hon', a Museum and Institute of African POpular KAlture - MIAPOKA!

Brixton, home to the notorious Murder and Robbery Unit, as well asthe latest addition to the neighbourhood watch -- House of NsAkO - 'TheHon', a Museum and Institute of African POpular KAlture - MIAPOKA! Quite a mouthful, and yes, word nerds, it's spelt like that ... it's intentional you see. Unlike the infamous Saps unit, walking into 'the House' is like visiting an old friend, but that's just me talking, who knows if you're criminally inclined.

Jozi's newest and coolest club kid on the block, House of NsAkO, feels familiar, lived in, and the people are cool as cucumbers and wantonly welcoming all at the same time. Know what I mean? No? OK, let me jog your memory.  Remember Politburo? Now there's a trip down memory lane ... well I do, and it seems that Ashley Heron and her cadres have replicated that winning formula, and polished their offering too. The House of NsAkO is a spin-off of Politburo, and the familiar ragga riddims and wispy strains of spliff still prevail. But it's not all grog and ganja, the club is the flagship project of her umbrella company: NsAkO Cultural Investments CC. - the Nuff SAid KOlleKtive, which Heron describes as an "African cultural investment company that seeks to develop and promote cultural tourism and heritage projects via music, art, film, food, fashion, literature and dance, with the aim of creating unique, inspiring venues that accurately reflect the African experience".

Lofty words indeed, but put simply, her ambition was to create a cultural space and not just an abode for revelry. To this aim they hold "DarkieMentary Filim Nites -- Truths and Fikshuns thru an AfriKan Lenz", where select doccies are screened. "Sheila's Day", usually on a Thursday, is when a female artist takes the stage and performs poetry, warbles a tune, or does whatever else the fair artist of the day is inclined to do. The Blk Jks, Louise Carver, Kwani Experience, DJ Kenzhero, and Newtown are just a few of the illustrious acts to have performed in NsAkO's hallowed halls.

What's on the menu? Well, it varies from night to night, but Indian seems to be a perennial favourite.  The waitress rattles off her menu to me: dhal, roti, curry, basmati, samoosas, hmmm, they talk Indian, but can they cook Indian I ponder.  I settle for chicken curry which arrives piping hot with pickled beetroots -- tart on the tongue, and a tomato and onion sambal with creamy dhey on the side. I got rice instead of the roti, but was soon glad with her slip of the pen -- creamy coriander infused chicken with bouncy basmati, any antie would've been jealous of! A snip for just R35, or 35 Afroz in NsAkO lingo.

Heron, herself a Brixton resident for 11 years and counting, is in charge of the chow, but she concedes that her son's friend's mom actually does the cooking. She describes the fare as "basic soul food". "Always a pot of meat -- chicken curry, curried mince, or curried lamb -- and a pot of veg to accompany, usually butter bean curry, dhal, or a mixed veg curry ... Sifiso [NsAkO co-owner] throws in a curve ball with mogodu and giblets or his veteran chicken dish, he loves to cook and is great at it," she says.

I'm here to watch the Admiral and Bongo Maffin's Jah Seed play reggae music in their classic Jamaican sound-system style. Remember Horror Cafe's legendary Thursday ragga nights? More memory lane. From Yeoville's Tandoor Club to Horror Cafe to Carfax -- for 12 years this dancehall duo have been thumping out riddims for the masses, and now they're gracing the House of NsAkO with their intoxicating brand of dub.

"Red red wiiiine, makes me feel goo-ooo--ood ... ," croons UB40, and I must agree wholeheartedly, but it feels even better if you're sipping your jar at Jozi's most criminally underrated new club, the House of NsAkO.

101 High Street, Brixton. Take the Smit Street off ramp from the N1 south. Turn right at the T-junction. Drive past the Garden City Hospital and the Brixton Fire Department. Just past the Pick and Pay Centre look out for Absa on the left, House of NsAkO is directly opposite. http://www.nsako.co.za. Join their Facebook group for gig updates:

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