Jazz Jamaica All Stars – ‘The Trojan Story’ playing Trojan Records classics, plus student ensembles and Trojan exhibition.
| In a spectacular concert, Gary Crosby and guests Brinsley Forde (Aswad), Noel McKoy and rising vocal stars Dem Three celebrate legendary label Trojan Records. The Trojan Story features many of the best-loved anthems from the label, including Desmond Dekker’s hit Israelites, Tony Tribe’s classic Red Red Wine and Harry J All Stars’ Liquidator, specially arranged by Ben Burrell and Jason Yarde. The line-up includes saxophonists Denys Baptiste and Camilla George, and instrumentalists drawn from the Tomorrow’s Warriors stable. They are joined by members of jazz string ensemble Tomorrow’s Warriors StringTing and stars-in-the-making Dem Three (Cherise Adams-Burnett, Kianja Harvey-Elliott and Cara Crosby-Irons). Jazz Jamaica All Stars are also joined by Reggae Choir, led by Mobo-winning jazz vocalist Zara McFarlane. Established in 1968, London-based Trojan Records was the first label to distribute the music of Jamaica on a grand scale, becoming for many in the UK the first point of contact with Jamaican music and culture. From the beginning, the record label encouraged people to celebrate and unite through music, breaking down barriers and promoting inclusivity. |
| 12 – 1:10pm | Riverside Terrace, Southbank Centre | Harrow and Brent ensembles performing freshly arranged Trojan tunes by Jazz Jamaica’s Ben Burrell and Harry Brown. Ensembles led by Ben Burrell and Mark Kavuma. The stage is curated by Dennis Bovell. |
| 12 – 7pm | Level 2, Southbank Centre | The Trojan Story exhibition. Curated by Mykaell Riley. Includes photographic images of Brent reggae musicians by Orlando Gili, commissioned by Brent 2020 London Borough of Culture. |
| 7.30 – 9pm | Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre | Jazz Jamaica All Stars – The Trojan Story featuring Brinsley Forde, Noel McKoy, Dem Three, the Reggae Choir led by Zara McFarlane. |
Supported by Arts Council England, The Reggae Ticket launched during October 2019 Black History Month and builds on The Trojan Story and takes it to secondary school age children, community choirs and ensembles. The opportunity to enjoy, celebrate and learn about the music, culture and heritage of the iconic Trojan Records label is shared across generations. Sunday 18th July will be the grand finale of the Reggae Ticket project, featuring student ensembles who’ve been participating in the project performing on stages curated by music leaders and reggae legends.
In addition, we’ve created an exhibition to tell the story of Trojan Records through record sleeves, press clippings, photographs and text. We can but scratch the surface of the music, the people and the creativity that has been transforming the British music scene since the early 1960s. The exhibition aims to inspire further exploration of all things Trojan, in particular the artists and of course, the music.
An important part of The Reggae Ticket was our oral history project to record people’s memories of Trojan Records and how reggae music impacted their lives. We interviewed people in Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester asking them what Trojan Records meant to them.
We look forward to seeing you at The Royal Festival Hall on Sunday July 18th 2021.