Jeffrey Boakye, George the Poet and Aleema Gray in conversation with Mykaell Riley

What do Billie Holiday, Irish fiddle music and reggae have in common? Which iconic pubs, clubs, community centres and record shops across the UK have inspired Black musical genres? What political and economic moments in history have shaped Black identity and experience in the UK and how, in turn, have these shaped contemporary British culture? At this event marking the publication of Boakye’s Musical World, George the Poet’s Track Record: Me, Music and the War on Blackness, and a major British Library exhibition, Beyond the Bassline: Black British Music, curated by Dr Gray and Dr Riley, our expert panel reflect on personal encounters with music as a political and shaping force, and on six centuries of African musical contribution to the UK and the world.