A Mod (short for ‘modernist’) was a subculture that began in late 1950s London and spread throughout the country, influencing fashion, music and youth culture. Stamford Hill in the 1960s had all the key ingredients of the Mod movement – a community of working-class and upwardly mobile Eastenders, young people with access to American rhythm … Read more
Over the last 30 years, people with roots in East African countries such as Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya have made Hackney their home. This blog shares some of the stories of the groups, businesses and community spaces that celebrate eastern African heritage in Hackney, shaping the borough’s mixed cultural identity and forming places for communities … Read more
As part of our ongoing series ‘Roots, Rhythms and Records’ celebrating the impact of Hackney’s African and Caribbean communities on music in the borough and beyond, this post focuses on the history and impact of Pyramid Arts, Dalston in supporting the performing community to develop artists, experiment with music and find commercial success. Introduction Pyramid Arts originated … Read more
This blog explores the story of Perpetual Beauty Carnival Club, the Stoke Newington Mas Band that introduced Caribbean carnival traditions to the borough in the 1970s, inspiring generations of Mas makers. Mas Comes to Hackney In the 18th and 19th centuries, enslaved people in the Caribbean developed Mas – short for ‘masquerade’ – as a … Read more
Carnival in Hackney goes back many years. However Hackney Carnival is a more recent way to celebrate the borough’s diverse communities and cultures. This blog shares some stories exploring the imaginative and persevering carnival groups who helped develop Hackney Carnival into the community celebration we recognise today. What is Hackney Carnival? Hackney Carnival is a … Read more
Through stories of musical innovation, distribution and enjoyment, this series ‘Roots, Rhythms and Records’ celebrates the impact of Hackney’s African and Caribbean communities on music in the borough and beyond. This week we are exploring the important role of record shops in Hackney and their impact on music. Who were early record sellers in Hackney? In the 1960s, … Read more
Through stories of musical innovation, distribution and enjoyment, the ‘Roots, Rhythms and Records’ series celebrates the impact of the London Borough of Hackney on music in the borough and beyond. In this post, we focus on the role of female artists in the development of the musical genre of Lovers Rock. What is Lovers Rock? … Read more
Through stories of musical innovation, distribution and enjoyment, this series ‘Roots, Rhythms and Records’ celebrates the impact of Hackney’s African and Caribbean communities on music in the borough and beyond. This week we are exploring music and the Windrush generation. What role did music play in the lives of the Windrush generation? Caribbean communities settled … Read more
‘Black’ music pioneers. Stories of musical innovation, distribution and enjoyment celebrating the impact of Hackney on music.