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This month is Black History month in the UK. We're talking Dancehall, Reggae, & racism in the police, via the lense of Steve McQueen's excellent historical drama Small Axe: Mangrove. It was also Indigenous People's Day on Monday.

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Hi everyone 👋🏽.

Apparently it was Indigenous People’s Day on Monday. So big up our Native and indigenous American brothers and sisters 🙏🏽.

Indigenous Peoples Day has come a long way

It also continues to be Black History month over here in the UK & I’ve tried to make a more concerted effort in learning & seeing more. Unfortunately I couldn’t attend the NHS talk on Monday as the tickets were gone, but here’s a good breakdown:

Caribbean Women and the NHS

I have been delving a bit more into Black British music lately. From getting a partial lesson in & listening & attempting to karaoke Dancehall* (nope – couldn’t sing along 🙃 – I mean I don’t have any real grasp of Jamaican Patois!) to checking out some Reggae documentaries:

Speaking of topical, at the 39 minute mark after the group “Steep Pulse” sing about the Ku Klux Khan & how the American KKK came over, I was reminded what a weird circular notion time & history is. It reminded me of the recent Anti-migrant protests in Central London where people talked about Charlie Kirk, used American Christian chants 🤔🤷🏾‍♀️ & Elon attempted to foment insurrection 🙄🤦🏾‍♀️.

Also Steep Pulse talk about Handsworth which Robert Jenrick(?)(regarded as the next leader of the Tories?) complained about how few white faces there were there. Except he’s visibly wrong:

*I like Dancehall (there’s some interesting criticisms?), but as with any music it’s all about the vibes, beat & rhythm for me:

Lately I’ve been obsessed with this NYC artist AriatHome who improvises fresh beats around the city streets of New York & here’s him bumping into Dancehall artist Armanii:

I kind of love the beat to this over Armanii’s original “Fiesta,” but damn does Armanii make this track! His vocals are insane.

As you can tell by the Header image I watched Steve McQueen’s Small Axe: Mangrove & wow was it a phenomenal film.

The original Mangrove Nine

Sadly the case didn’t end where the film did, but in fact the police raided & attempted to frame Frank & the Mangrove by planting Heroin & accusing him of being a dealer, in 1988. Except they planted 100% pure heroin, which only exists in Laboratories & so the case was thrown out & Frank sued them & won £50,000 in 1992.

Prompt: any Black British music or history of you’d like to talk about?

Feel free to talk about anything you’d like to as well. I know things are getting a bit nuts in the US with ICE grabbing American journalists & raiding Chinese restaurants, as well as the recent revelations about the Young Republican communications.

Hope you’re all doing well 🙏🏽.

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