Sonic vibrations
part 2
Guest edited by Michael McMillan
“This guest edition is a multimedia journey into the sonic vibrations of sound system culture, lovers rock and dub with writers, visual artists and choreographers from the African diaspora. Sonic vibrations, part 1 is available here”
“Dubpoetry emerged at a moment of radical Black activism which in Britain was expressed in a cultural renaissance.”
“It’s only when we have a conversation like this, where it gets named, that erasure becomes disruptive, and without intervention it continues as a norm, as a replication of a power structure that we live in.”
“This was a form of couple-dancing associated with the intimacy of darkened rooms and young sensuous Black bodies engaged in shared rites of erotic, loving, soothing healing on the dancefloor. “
“At first, the three guys who ran the shop didn’t take me seriously as a woman buying music, until I started buying hundreds of pounds worth of records at one time. Then before I got to the shop, they would pull out records for me to hear.”
“My mother played tape cassettes for me to fall asleep to, the orchestral bass heavy rhythms embellished with the smooth vocal cords of Ken Boothe, Dennis Brown, Alton Ellis were my lullabies.”
“My grandfather jealously curated and fenced a vinyl collection of Juju, Cuban-Yoruba Apala, Highlife, Calypso and Chanson Française from our graceless fingers.”
“A commercial break
it’s a soul earthquake
some get funky
soul heads bop to the music
slipping and sliding them could never refuse it
lovers’ dance cheek to cheek
whilst skankers skank the late hour
dripping in sweat like them just get a shower
hold tight each night
this is black music”
“Eh, Eh,
no feel no way
town is a place dat ah really kean stay
dem kudda – ribbit mi han
eh – ribbit mi toe
mi waan go a country go look mango.”