Jeffrey Boakye’s cultural highlights

Jeffrey Boakye is a writer, teacher and music enthusiast, originally from Brixton, London.  Jeffrey taught English in London secondary schools and 6th form colleges since 2007, having previously worked in journalism and copywriting. His first book, Hold Tight: Black Masculinity, Millennials and the Meaning of Grime was followed by Black, Listed: Black British Culture Explored. Jeffrey’’s illustrated compendium Musical Truth: A Musical History of Modern Black Britain in 28 Songs was published in June 2021. He is the co-author of What is Masculinity? Why Does it Matter? And Other Big Questions. He has contributed to publications including the Guardian, the Financial Times and the Royal Society of Arts Journal. Jeffrey now lives in East Yorkshire with his wife and two sons.

Album: Being Poor is Expensive 

Ashley ‘Bashy’ Thomas has been steadily carving an impressive career for himself in film and television over the past couple of decades, but his creative roots are very much in music and lyricism. ‘Being Poor is Expensive’ marks a return to music, and it delivers all the maturity and reflective potency of an artist who has grown as both a creative and a person. Generational traumas and deeply autobiographical tales will reveal nuances of a much-caricatured Black British male experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FvJ9VuelhY

Film: Past Lives

A subtle, beautifully painful film about lost loves and lives that almost were, made all the more hypnotic by the stunning yet subtle cinematography. I was so struck by the visual palette of this film that I googled the cinematographer Shabier Kirchner and discovered that his CV also includes the seminal Small Axe TV series (2020).

https://www.kodak.com/en/motion/blog-post/past-lives/

TV Animation: Rick and Morty 

Sci-fi comedy inspired by the original  Back to the Future film about the adventures of a mad genius and his anxious but well-meaning nephew. Puerile? Yes. Ridiculous? Absolutely. Violent? You betcha. But this adult-themed animated series also happens to be a masterclass in storytelling, with some of the tightest narrative arcs that you will see anywhere, guaranteed. One episode even features a cameo from the storytelling maestro Joseph Campbell, known for his pioneering work in unpacking ‘the hero’s journey’. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2861424/

Interactive workshop: Philharmonie des Enfants 

A recent trip to Paris with my family unearthed one of the most engaging, immersive and interactive musical experiences I never knew I needed. Aimed at children, the many workshops of the ‘Philharmonie des Enfants’ offer a playground of sound, music and song. A delightful reminder of how powerful exploring the science of sound can be.

https://philharmoniedeparis.fr/en/philharmoniedesenfants/theme-worlds/forest-of-sounds

Exhibition: Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British Music

‘Black music, like always, paved way for the mainstream like hallways.’ So goes the very first line of  my very first book. Beyond the Bassline is a lovingly curated celebration and exploration of Black British music at the British Library, spanning a kaleidoscope of styles and genres across time. I lost hours in this arresting collection of over 200 exhibits: images, sounds, videos and artefacts, offering nostalgia and deeply compelling insights. A huge thank you to the curators, Dr Mykaell Riley and Dr Aleema Gray.

https://beyondthebassline.seetickets.com/timeslots/filter/beyond-the-bassline

Stand-Up Comedy: My Name is Mo’Nique by Mo’Nique 

As a self-professed connoisseur of stand-up comedy, I’ve realised that the secret sauce of any good comedian is their ability to navigate their own vulnerability and to dance on the tightrope of joyful extroversion and painful introspection. My list of comedy heroes is too long to note here, but one striking example of truth-telling and honesty comes from the actress and comedian Mo’Nique in 2023. My Name is Mo’Nique is a comedy special that offers a vivisection of contemporary US race and gender politics, while examining cultural and social dynamics facing Black Americans. Powerful and empowering.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21328182/

Book: It’s a Continent: Unravelling Africa’s History one Country at a Time

The more I read about African histories  the more I discover I don’t know. It’s A Continent by Astrid Madimba and Chinny Ukata is a concise yet expansive primer for major historical narratives from every country across the African continent, detailing stories and truths that have been sidelined by white, western perspectives. It’s the kind of knowledge that ought to be common but sadly isn’t, and will definitely be illuminating to anyone willing to learn.

https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/stock/it-s-a-continent-unravelling-africa-s-history-one-country-at-a-time-astrid-madimba

Jeffrey Boakye

Jeffrey Boakye is a light-footed cultural critic, provocateur, English teacher, writer and user of metaphors.