British Black Music Films All-Dayer Hot

TEST This free, family-friendly* edu-tainment event, is the first opportunity to see a wide range of films from BritishBlackMusic.com/Black Music Congress and related projects; plus live YouTube video jockeying, you choose your favourite BBM video, etc. Each screening is followed by a Q&A. Interspersed with live performances. In association with BTWSC, Akoben Awards & Music4Causes. Premieres include:
Britain's Contribution To The Development Of Reggae: A guerilla documentary made by Kwaku marking JA@50.

1974: That Carib Club Story: Sound system operators Dennis Bovell and Count Nicks recall the infamous incident at the Cricklewood cluband resulting cause célèbre.

Plus:
Talking Heads: London & Black Music: Notable personalities give their personal reflections of places in London and their connection to black music.

Brent Black Music History Project: This documentary highlights Brent's rich black music history.

Dennis Bovell On Songwriting & The Music Industry: Noted songwriter, producer, and bassist draws on his wide experience, from writing lovers rock classic 'Silly Games', to playing in Matumbi and the Linton Kwesi Johnson band, to drop some science on songwriting, income streams, music industry issues, etc.

Showtime*: The Heatwaves’ live show documenting British dancehall history with the likes of Wiley, General Levy etc*Parental Advisory.

Soul Searching: The 1991 made by Black Music Industry Association on the then state of the black music sector. 21 years on, what has changed?

Ever since British Black Music Month started in 2006, we’ve wanted to incorporate films in a festival type format. This year’s, thanks to Brent Libraries, we have access to the Willesden Green Library Centre Cinema for 8 hours. Starting from 1pm on Saturday July 14, we’ll show a mixture of films based around British black music, with a Q&A after each screening.

In additionn to BBM/BMC and BTWSC films, we’ll be screenng ‘Soul Searching’, a TV documentary made in 1991 by the Black Music Industry Association (BMIA), which examines the state of the then black music (mainly R&B/soul) scene.

It underscores the saying: ‘The more things change, the more things stay the same’. 21 years on, issues the documentary highlighted are still with us: poor marketing spend on African acts; few Africans in executive positions or on daytime mainstream radio; and European artists selling black music by the bucket-load. Expect veteran industry player and manager Keth Harris and musician and BMIA co-founder by Root Jackson.

We’ll also be screening Showtime, The Heatwaves’ live show documenting British dancehall history with the likes of Wiley, General Levy etc. Parental Advisory: It contains the occasional swear language. Gabriel Heatwave and some of his posse will be on the post-screening Q&A.

There will be open mic opportunities for conscious Akoben Awards/Music4Causes type acts, which mean poweful without swearing or denigration, to perform to their fanbase and beyond. If you are an artist interested, just turn up, first come, first served, sort of.

There will, internet Wifi allowing, a live video jocking of key videos, including mega mix of McLean’s ‘Broken’, Bashy’s ‘Black Boys’ and JJC’s ‘We Are Africans’

Did you miss Sky Arts 1’s June 10 2012 broadcast of Melvyn Bragg’s South Bank Show which focused on the east London-birthed grime scene? We may just play clips from it on the day! This is the programme’s blurb, if you need tio know what you missed: it’s "an appreciation of grime music, featuring interviews with Dizzee Rascal and Tinchy Stryder - as well as Jazzie B, Trevor Nelson, Akala and Speech Debelle commenting more widely on how British black music has become less heavily influenced by America".