George Polgreen Bridgetower  The talented African violin Prodigy George Polgreen Bridgetower was born in Biala, Poland on February 29, 1780. His father, the African Prince was married to a German woman who is named in English documents as Mary Ann Bridgetown. They had two sons, who both became fine musicians. The younger brother, "Fredrick; " was ...

Flavour Magazine celebrates 5 years in print and online at its exclusive Miss Flavour event in London’s prestigious Café de Paris, 9pm-3am on Wednesday 9thNovember. Hosted by BBC 1xtra Charlie Sloth and Sarah-Jane Crawford with celebrity judge’s actor/director Adam Deacon, music artist Mz Bratt, BB from E4’s Dirty Sexy Things and SBTV’s Jamal Edwards and special headline performance by platinum recording artist Chipmunk. Flavour Magazine Co-founders Annika Allen and Leonard ...

Soft Lights and Sweet Music Elisabeth Welch on Screen with Stephen Bourne Saturday 29 October 2011 @ 2:30pm-5.00pm Elisabeth Welch’s biographer, Stephen Bourne, will share his personal memories of the stage and screen legend. Born in New York, Elisabeth settled in London in 1933 and became the most famous Black woman in pre-war Britain. Her 70-year career included work ...

Peter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh (19 October 1944 – 11 September 1987), was a Jamaican reggae musician who was a core member of the band The Wailers (1963–1974), and who afterward had a successful solo career as well as being a promoter of Rastafari. Genres: Reggae, ska, rocksteady, R&B Peter Tosh (also known as Stepping Razor) ...

The N Word... Sick of mama screaming that “Get a job, nigga” Pressed to the limit, got to rob me a nigga Simple and plain, my man scooped me in a hooptie Wispered in his ear “This is what we got to do, G” Got to bang a nigga and bang a nigga good So I can cop a Benz and ...

The Birmingham school of Pan founded and Managed byJamma gives the youngsters a chance to do a lot of team work, also gives the parents in the community a chance to get involved, playing pan, percussion instruments, making food & Costumes for the band. bringing the True culture of the Steelbands ofTrinidad and Tobago to ...

The Steel pan is a beautiful creation originated in Trinidad & Tobago in the late 19.30's and is the only orchestral family of acoustic musical instruments to be invented in the 20th century. With instruments ranging from low bass to high sopranos, all made out of the same raw material (oil drums) makes this invention ...

  Samuel Coleridge Taylor, not to be mistaken with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, was, at the turn of the last Century one of Britain's most outstanding Composers. Samuel Coleridge Taylor, not to be mistaken with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the writer, is today almost completely forgotten. However, he was, at the turn of the Century one of Britain's ...

Cleo Lain was one of Britains Biggest names in Jazz. She was part of the hugely successful British band led by the acclaimed John Dankworth.   Cleo Laine had modest beginnings as a singer in English dance halls, She has gone on to achieve international fame by continually expanding her talents in a career which spans some ...

The talented African violin prodigy George Polgreen Bridgetower was born in Biala, Poland on February 29, 1780. His father, John fredeerick Bridgetower, The "African Prince" was married to a German woman who is named in English documents as Mary Ann Bridgetown. They had two sons, who both became fine musicians. The younger brother, Fredrick, was a ...

The Arrival ofElectronic Steelpan MidiControllers Now we see newprojectson the horizon like the electric midi controllers made in the pattern ofSteelpans. This is a great breakthrough for Panist because it allows us the freedom ofusing our skills withmodernday technology. The beauty with these instruments is that you can hook them up to a computer and use ...

  I & I: The Natural Mystics: Marley, Tosh and Wailer By Colin Grant Published by Jonathan Cape on 27th January 2011 in hardback, priced £20   Over one dramatic decade, a trio of Trench Town R&B crooners, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer and Bob Marley, swapped their 1960s Brylcreem hairdos and two-tone suits for 1970s battle fatigues and dreadlocks to ...

The first time I saw Despers, I was with my brother Norman in 1981. They were performing at the Birmingham Odeon, (as part of their UK tour). The whole audience was transfixed, we were amazed with the standard and sound of the music. Robert Greenidge gave a great performance withTaj Mahal. This was the first time ...

The Steelband was developed from the Tamboo Bamboo bands of Trinidad, players would hollow out Bamboo sticks and cut them to variouslengths to create a variety of different pitches, and these were beaten on the ground to pulsating percussive rhythms. Many of the bands would parade the streets at Carnival time. These bands had names like ...

Courtney Pine is one of the Worlds leading Jazz Musicians. No one better embodies the dramatic transformation in the British Jazz scene over the past few years than Courtney Pine. The saxophonist heads a new generation of exciting and innovative musicians who have chosen to turn their talents to the demanding requirements of jazz music, in ...

Kenny Lynch was once Britains best known all round black entertainer.Born 18 March 1939, Stepney, London, England. Britain's best-known black all-round entertainer has been a television personality for three decades. The youngest of 13 children, he first appeared on stage at the age of 12 with his sister, singer Maxine Daniels. At 16 he joined Ed Nichol's ...

This competition is now closed. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT & M3NSA, BARBICAN, 13th OCTOBER Black Presence is proud to announce that the Barbican is giving away 2 free tickets to see Arrested development and M3nsa Live at the Barbican on October 13th. All you have to do to win is to answer the question about Arrested Development and sign up ...

Joseph Emidy (also spelt Emedy or Emedee) had been second violin in the orchestra of the Lisbon opera house before being pressed into the Royal Navy in 1795. Born in West Africa in c.1775 JOSEPH ANTONIO EMIDY was enslaved as a child by Portuguese traders, taken to Brazil and subsequently Portugal where he became a virtuoso ...

The Uprising Festival will take place at O2 Academy Brixton on Saturday 19th June 2010. It features 4 great Jamaican artists Barrington Levy, Freddie McGregor, Cocoa Tea and Stevie Face, and is hosted by Levi Roots (Reggae Reggae Sauce). As well as a celebration of Reggae Music, it is also a father's day weekend celebration ...

Article By Kwaku - britishblackmusic.com A free conference, which for the first time in the UK music industry's history, drew upon the widest constituency, from key to marginalised stakeholders, plus ministerial representation, took place Tuesday March 23 2010, at the House Of Commons. The Copyright + Music Industry + Music Industry Education: 2010, Where Are We At? ...

Yesterday I received an email from the ligali website. Ligali describes itself as a Pan Africanist human rights Organisation. Ligali Often send me their updates and newsletters, which depending on whether I have a moment to myself I read and digest or sadly leave them to quickly disappear in the the tides of messages in ...

Found this excellent video on Youtube today, some footage of African American Jazz music in the 40's.

Above is a set of Newspaper articles from the 1780s.? Black Dance in London - Circa 1780s

British acts dominated the honours at the annual Mobo awards ceremony for music of black origin, which this year paid tribute to the late King of Pop Michael Jackson. London Hip hop trio N-Dubz scooped the awards for Best Album and Best Act, while JLS, finalists in Britain's X Factor talent television talent show, ...

Before David Grant found fame as a solo artist and lately as a vocal coach on TV programmes such as Fame Academy and also as a contemporary Gospel artist, he was in a '80s Brit-funk group called Linx. From making and selling their 12-inch single of 'You're Lying' in shops like City Records in Holborn, they ...