Black British music in spotlight at new exhibition

What do a champagne bottle signed by Stormzy, Beethoven's tuning fork and a giant peacock Carnival costume have in common? They're all currently on display in a first-of-its-kind exhibition at the British Library.

"Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British Music" is the first major exhibition to document the rich history of music by the UK's African and Caribbean heritage communities.

Featuring immersive soundscapes and original commissioned artworks, "Beyond the Bassline", which runs until August 24, is not a typical library exhibit.

Made up of five sections, it begins with "Ocean", which explores the black British music's fraught colonial past, and ends with "Cyberspace", which examines the modern-day impacts of technology and the rising mainstream popularity of black British artists.

Along with historical artefacts -- such as the tuning fork gifted to black violinist George Bridgetower and the peacock costume by Leeds Carnival designer Hughbon Condor -- each section is accompanied by soundscapes, moving images and artistic collaborations with community organisations from across the UK.

"I like to see it as a journey... through time and space," Aleema Gray, lead curator of the exhibition, told AFP.

The primary target audience is "young people, music fans and people of African and Caribbean heritage community", who have historically not always felt welcome within institutions such as the British Library, she added.

"Part of the initiative was really trying to break down those barriers," she explained, pointing out the use of "we" and "our" in the text labels, intended to make it "feel like we're speaking to" visitors as they wander the exhibit.

Gray was recruited specifically for the project, which was first proposed by Grammy-winning musician and academic Mykaell Riley as a partnership between London's University of Westminster and the library.

With over six million recordings in its archives, the library has one of the largest sound collections in the world, making it a fitting venue for an exhibition that focuses as much on sound as on visuals.

Comprising 300 artefacts, "Beyond the Bassline" took over a year to put together, in what Gray described as a "marathon" effort with the aim of taking visitors on a journey through nearly six centuries of music history.

- Community and legacy -

Music as a vehicle for community is an underlying theme throughout the exhibition, said Gray, who wanted to highlight regional narratives and acknowledge London's dominance on the black music scene.

Contributions include a dance video shot on the Welsh coastline by Cardiff group Jukebox Collective, and a lofty, church-like installation celebrating the influence of faith and religion on black British music.

The final installation is a stunning immersive short film, Iwoyi, created by Tayo Rapoport and Rohan Ayinde in collaboration with south London group Touching Bass.

Gray has been overwhelmed by public reception to the exhibition, especially from musicians and young people.

"I've seen so many musicians come here and say 'we've never been acknowledged (before),’" she said.

Seeing how honoured many have felt to have their stories inside a place like the British Library has been "one of the biggest achievements" of the exhibition.

Gray is already focused on efforts to cement the exhibition's community legacy, which include a book and events involving further collaborations with local artists.

"The exhibition is not just about the past and the present, it's about the future," she said.

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