Date : Saturday 26th May
Location : LG01, Professor Stuart Hall Building, Goldsmiths, University of London
Time : 11am – 5.30pm
The event celebrates 50 years of reggae music in the UK and the lasting legacy
of the Windrush generation and their children on the sound and look of British
culture. It includes contributions from leading authors, photographers, musicians,
DJs and reggae record shop owners and will include the screening of interviews,
discussions, music, presentations, bookstand and a reggae history walk in New
Cross. We will also have music provided by Goldsmiths resident sound system
courtesy of Sound System Outernational.
The event is part of the Bass Culture Project led by Mykaell Riley (University of
Westminster) which is a three-year AHRC-funded exploration of the impact of
Jamaican and Jamaican-influenced music on British culture, covering the period
from the mid-1960s to the present day. The research explores the profound ways in
which the island’s music remade popular music in Britain – and was fundamental in
the emergence of multi-culture in the British city and redefinition of the post-colonial
nation.
Later this year, the history, transformation and explosion of reggae music will
be showcased through the Bass Culture exhibition taking place from 25th October –
23rd November 2018 at the Ambika P3 Marylebone Road, NW1 5LS.
It will be open to all but if you’d like to get involved, email.
For the day we have also developed a Reggae Map of New Cross that you can follow
on Google maps. It will give you a sense of where we are and reggae’s rich history in
this part of London including photographs, videos and music.
The map can also be found on our Twitter @BmruUK
Programme :
11.00 am Bass Culture 70/50. Professor Julian Henriques – welcome to
Goldsmiths and Mykaell Riley introducing the day and the significance of reggae’s
half century on shaping British culture and will include 4/ short interview segments
from the Bass Culture Oral history project.
11.30 –12.20 pm Documenting Reggae History – chaired by Mykaell Riley
Dr Kenny Monrose ethnographer and lecturer in criminology and criminal justice
Dr Simon Jones and Paul Pinnock (Robbo Dread) Birmingham Soundsytems
12-30pm – 1.20pm Fashion and Flyers – chaired by Sara Elharrak
Omolara Obanishola – Fashion lecturer & MA Fashion Cultures: London College of
Fashion, Victor Romero Evans Stix Man.
Break 1.30pm- 2.15pm
or Reggae Walking and Reasoning – tour led by Les Back and Lez Henry through
iconic local places in SE London’s reggae history – Shaka Culture shop, 51 Storm
house parties, Eve Studios, the New Cross Fire, Black People’s day of action,
Lewisham Way and Moonshot Youth Club.
2.15-3.10pm ‘In praise of Black female sound system operators’ chaired by
Nzinga Soundz (DJ Ade and Junie Rankin) & Pearl Boatswain (Dubplate Pearl).
3.15-4.05pm Sound Reasoning: Inside 1980’s Reggae Dancehall Style – chaired
by Les Back
Anna Arnone (documentary photographer, author and publisher of ‘Sound
Reasoning’ a book of photographs and interview excerpts from her archive) and
Jessus James Augustus (Sir Coxsone Outernational Sound System Engineer,
Designer and Record Producer, 1979 to 1995) will talk about their experiences and
work in the UK Reggae Sound System scene in the 1980’s.
4.05pm Tea break
4.30 – 5.30 pm. Bass Culture Today – A living tradition or heritage work?
Chaired by Mykaell Riley
Streetsigns 