Bristol's Musical Mind
The Carribeans
The Windrush generation: Were it all began
​The Windrush generation was when the Afro Caribbean people migrated to the UK, as a result of the UK needed more people in the workforce due to the losses of World War Two, which were one of the first main forms of culture after the 50s that started the legacy of Bristol's creativity. With almost half a million people coming to the UK to help with the workforce, people from the Caribbeans also brought along their music and culture.
The Soundsystems
During the 70s and 80s, the Jamaican sound system began to grow in popularity. With several different Soundsystem popping up like the Wild Bunch and Jah Lokko, people began to diversify their music, by mixing Caribbean and other styles of music together, to the point that new music such as trip-hop appear, later on, inspired other people like Roni Size to create music
St Pauls Carnival
St Pauls is in the inner part of Bristol and due to the lack of repairs after WW2, when the Windrush generation came to live in Bristol, st paul was an affordable area. This is one of the main reasons why St Paul has been greatly populated with the Caribbean and Asian immigrants around the 60s.
​
Though people came to help revitalize the UK workforce, people of colour were still scrutinised and immigrants still finding jobs in Bristol.
​The first St. Paul carnival happen in 1968, originally presenting a variety of cultures as well as Caribbean culture. These other cultures include European and Asian cultures.
​
According to the Bristol Museum (1), the purpose was to bring communities together and challenging the negative stereotypes.
Nowadays instead of showing off food and different cultures from various backgrounds, the St Paul carnival focus on Caribbean music and influence.
​
In recent years the festival has become more commercial and easier to consume for young people, Tom Taylor (1) explains how a spokesperson from the Carnival emphasised the ‘family-friendly’ focus this year 2018. While many are praised the carnival for being enjoyable, others are arguing how that it is “too commercial and too controlled and needs to return to its community roots.” (1)
The Black Roots is a St Pauls based reggae band. The types of message that is usually presented in their songs tend to focus on pacifism as well as bringing awareness to social issues like racism and corruption
As a result of the St Pauls riots, the St Pauls carnival shows of the Caribbean culture and music such as reggae
Jah Lokko soundsystem is one the top soundsystem that is current today
He is an influential artist on the Bristol reggae scene since the 70s
Hover over the box to see the pictures and click on the picture to see the links
Reference List
(1) Bristol Museums. (2018). St Pauls Carnival | Stories | Bristol Museums. [online] Available from: https://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/stories/st-pauls-carnival/