In many ways the history of music in the UK is unimaginable without the influence of Brixton. Where many of the Windrush generation made their home, record stores such as Coxsone, Jama and Joe’s supplied the best in Jamaican Ska, Roots and Reggae to a British Audience hungry for more. A soundtrack to the riots of the early 80’s, Brixton also provided a geographical focal point for 2nd generation continually marginalized by the inability of British institution and culture to understand the reality of diversity in a multi-cultural Britain.
Bought by Simon Parks for a £1 in 1983, Brixton Academy became one of the most innovative music venues of it’s time. Playing host to artist as diverse as The Smiths to Public Enemy, it’s was pivotal in giving a bigger stage to voices which would have been generally marginalized by mainstream of public opinion.
Smaller, cutting-edge venues were no less important. The hip Ram Jam saw artist such as Otis Redding, Nina Simone, Wilson Picket and Jimi Hendrix playing inmate gigs to turned on crowds.
From more recent history, The Windmill continues to give a stage to the newest original voices in alternative music, staging the first London gigs by bands such as Black Midi, Metronomy, War on Drugs and Daniel Johnston.
And there’s The Fridge, a focal point for UK Soul and Hip Hop fraternity throughout the 90’s with performances from homegrown talents such as Galliano, Soul 2 Soul and Brand New Heavies, to Stateside luminaries such as The Jungle Brothers, Ice T and Afrika Bambaata.
From the birthplace of David Bowie, Polystyrene and Mick Jones of The Clash, Brixton is a unique space which has harnessed the alchemy of diversity to make an indelible mark on not just the Soundmap of London, but arguably the world.
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SOUND MAP COLLECTION
Charting the story of music in both Peckham and South London, Peckham Soul continues to excavate the deep mine of Social and Cultural History which music unearths. It is London’s unique story of migration, diversity and creativity.
