BEYOND THE BASSLINE: 500 YEARS OF BLACK BRITISH MUSIC @ THE BRITISH LIBRARY

Get down to The British Library in London and dig into the roots and shoots of Black British Music. Yes, 500 years. Travelling from the court of Henry VII to clubs and other sound communities across the land on myriad vibes and tempos. Musicologists out there may be familiar with a few names. Pioneering composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, pianist Winifred Atwell (the first black artist to have a UK No 1), Cleo Laine, Lord Kitchener of Calypso, Claudia Jones (guiding spirit of Notting Hill Carnival). A little later on … Jah Shaka, Soul II Soul, Eddy Grant, Cymande, Selector, Aswad, Neneh Cherry, Sade, Goldie, Skin from Skunk Anansie, Ms Dynamite, Wiley, Dizzee, Stormzy, 2024 Mercury Music Prize winners Ezra Collective. On and on. But this is is not a definitive history. The exhibition is at the intersection of many narratives. It’s fuel for an ongoing conversation about the value of Black British music as both a container of lived experience and a catalyst for a culture that we can all contribute to and support. A conversation that will continue across the UK, in libraries through the Living Knowledge Network, forums and feeds. I contributed to a hefty accompanying book, which expands on the key themes and figures. It was a pleasure to set the record straight on Grenada-born cabaret star Leslie 'Hutch' Hutchinson – the biggest British entertainer of the inter-war years. He was a virtuoso pianist, interpreter of songs by the likes of Noël Coward and Cole Porter and certainly not just a gigolo. Props to lead curator Dr Aleema Gray, guest curator Dr Mykaell Riley and Paul Bradshaw of Straight No Chaser who edited the book. I'm slowly working through the other pieces but you can expect insightful words from Julian Joseph, Tej Adeleye, Val Wilmer, Kevin Le Gendre, Dalia Al-Dujaili, Adé Egun Crispin Robinson and so many more.