“Musicians and artists often have a limited shelf life” |
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Kwaku |
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Britain continues to produce world standards artists of African heritage, selling millions of records. But what is the state of Black Music today in the UK? To assist us answer that question, Self Help News (SHN) invites Kwaku, one of the founders of Britain's Black Music Congress (BMC) to comment. |
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SHN: What is British Black Music?
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: British black music is any form of black music expressed by British musicians and songwriters.
SHN: What are its origins?
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: Black music is any form of musical expression to have come out of the African experience, be it from the Continent or its Diaspora. Some believe that experience should be located within the context of struggle. But that is very limiting because it presupposes that all Africans have known struggle. Whereas Africans, like any other people, have a range of experiences ranging from riches and freedoms, monarchs and the privileged, to struggles of the poor and working classes.
The location of black music within the context of struggle seems to be influenced by the effects of enslavement to neo-colonialism, but we must be mindful that the African experience and history is wider and longer than the period of the Maafa. Black music serves, or should serve, a number of purposes apart from merely entertaining. Such as educating, retelling histories, and a source of empowerment and self-affirmation.
SHN: Who are its main stakeholders?
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: My understanding of a stakeholder is a person with an investment or interest in a particular activity or enterprise. Hence, the main stakeholders are the producers, such as the musicians, songwriters, DJs, promoters, record producers; and the consumers, be they those that pro-actively consume, by say, paying for a concert or download, or indirectly, by being in environments where they are exposed to black music. It needs to be pointed out that the stakeholders are not confined to those of African descent.
SHN: What are its strengths and successes?
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: The capacity to touch the heart, to elevate, empower, and transport one above ones circumstances. Its successes, particularly within the Western context, is its ability to routinely crossover into the mainstream and become a major driver of culture.
SHN: What are its weaknesses and failures?
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: Its prostitution because of an overwhelming drive for lucre and commercial dictates, which seems to focus on serving a base, common denominator. The failures include conscious music not having a high enough profile and access. This failure can be put at the door of the producers and consumers the former for not persevering enough to produce conscious music, and the latter for not making enough of an effort to find and pro-actively consume and support conscious artists.
SHN: What are its current opportunities?
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: The notion that independent is cool, accessible music-making technology, and the amazing access provided by the internet, provides huge opportunities for making and presenting music. However monetising those endeavours is another issue, which I think can be mitigated if our musicians develop their stage-craft and the live scene.
SHN: What are the threats?
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: Whilst I recognise stakeholders are not, and need not be, just of African descent, I believe the way that the mixture of technology and the popularity of black music has made it relatively easy for anyone to produce black music. We run the risk of non-Africans becoming the face of, and major earners from ‘musics’ that have come from an African experience.
SHN: Looking ahead: Predictions for British Black Music for the following five years
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: It’s a bit of a bind. If we continue to produce music that’s just serving the underground, the streets or on road, as some of the youths say, few people are going to put food on their tables from these activities. On the other hand, if some from the underground crossover into the mainstream, that style or movement is soon co-opted and ‘commodified’ by the mainstreams using people, particularly artists, who are not intrinsically linked to the source that birthed that particular music or scene.
That notwithstanding, I would hope that enough people from the British black music scene make enough of an impression that the mainstream infrastructure has no choice but to embrace, profile and sell them. Whilst there are those that advocate staying underground or keeping it real, and that is a choice I wont decry, its also important to realise that the demographics and industry reality of Britain means that engagement with the mainstream is almost the only option in which one can realise adequate recompense for ones endeavours. Engaging with the mainstream does not necessarily mean the music has to be crass or not conscious. SHN: What is ‘Maafa’ ? Some readers, who don’t know, would want this term defined.
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: Maafa is a kiswahili word represents the pain and tragedy Africans have suffered over centuries of enslavement, colonisation and neo-colonialism.
SHN: We note your two Organisations, BBM and BMC. Is there any similar umbrella groups supporting black music in the UK?
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: I'm aware of two new organisations, but I would not like to name them - they're embryonic, one has not yet settled on its name, plus they have not yet engaged with the sector outside of its meetings.
SHN: We would like to hear something about the role of your organisations, for example, date they were formed, why, their basic objectives, their work in furthering British Black Music and their vision for the following decade. And how readers can get in touch. Keeping in mind that Self-Help News has a local, regional, national and international readership.
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: BritishBlackMusic.com (BBM) and Black Music Congress (BMC) were formed in 2002 as a successor to the last black music sector organisation Black Music Industry Association (BMIA), which folded in the late 1990s due to funding problems. BMC is a forum for discussing black music issues, particularly with a British bias, networking and a pathway to music industry education. BBM is the website for BMC, and its focused on music, music industry, and music industry education, is actually the organiser of BMC events and music industry provider in association with voluntary organisation BTWSC. The overarching aims of BBM/BMC are to raise awareness and consumption of the British black music, represent its sector's views, promote music within an edu-tainment context and music industry education.
SHN: Is the UK Black Music Industry expanding or decreasing?
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: It's difficult to say because where does one draw the base line or what consists of British black music. If you wish to include the likes of Leona Lewis and Amy Winehouse, who are often included in pop, then with the recent addition of Alexandra Burke, one may assume that it's expanding, particularly in the high end of mainstream.
Another view that underscores this trend, although not at the high end of the mainstream, is the success of acts who are undoubtedly rooted within the black music scene who crossed over in 2008, such as Estelle, Wiley, DJ Ironik, Tinchy Stryder, Bryn Christopher and Dizzee Rascal. However, it's important to note that one is just looking at records, particularly singles, which often act as promotional tools rather than money-makers.
On the underground, there's definitely an expansion due to mix CD releases, website free downloads and streaming, showcases and open mics.
SHN: What proportion of black musicians are trained professionals? And those who are not trained, are facilities available for them to further and enhance their skills? And if such facilities are available, are there many takers?
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: There are no statistics as to trained professionals. My observation is that there is a dearth of traditional musicianship, by which I mean those that play an instrument in real-time, as opposed to programming. This is perhaps due to the downgrading of music in schools, closures of youth centres, and youths not availing themselves to opportunities such as church choirs and bands. This is of great concern to me, because unlike Indie Rock Music where the focus is on playing instruments and being live, much of contemporary black music is focused on programming and recording. Music technology has become so accessible, intuitive and prevalent, that many music-makers (as opposed to musicians), particularly youths, can create adequate or intricate music with little or no training.
There are adequate opportunities to train to play or programme, if one wants to, but it's not much of prerequisite to making music.
SHN: How successful are black musicians in marketing their products? And what they need to do to gain more from their talents and skills commercially?
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: We can do with better music industry knowledge and contacts, through education and networking, respectively.
SHN: Would your organisations recommend young people to take up careers as musicians in the UK?
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: If that's where their talents lie. But one would also like to caution by reminding them that it says "music business". And so they should not just be swayed by the prospect of fame, glamour and money, but also try to be aware of and learn about how the business runs. Musicians and artists often have a limited shelf life. Industry personnel can have long careers.
SHN: How would you summarise the state of the Black Music Sector?
Kwaku/ BBM/BMC: There will always be a British black music sector. The level to which its exposed or sustains careers, of artists and behind the scenes personnel, will depend on the will of the artists and the industry players, and the commitment of us as consumers to support the musical activities from the black music sector.
Music industry knowledge and education is key, as is an entrepreneurial spirit, and networking with people with common values in order to build and move forward. _____________
Kwaku/BBM/BMC can be contacted at: BMCeditor@britishblackmusic.com. Website: www.britishblackmusic.com. 22.01.09 – London, England.
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“There will always be a British black music sector” |
‘The State of British Black Music Today’ |
