Windrush Arrivals in 1948 (1948/1948) by PopperfotoNotting Hill Carnival
In the late 1940s, Caribbeans began migrating to the UK in increasingly large numbers. They were responding to a call from Britain, all the motherland as it was officially known to help alleviate labour shortages in the aftermath of the second world war.
London is the Place for Me (2019-01-25) by Eliza SouthwoodLondon Transport Museum
The ocean was the cheapest mode of transport and there were many ships involved. But on June 22 1948, the arrival of the ship the HMT Empire Windrush in Tilbury docks capture the dawn of a new era. Windrush would become emblematic of the influx of Caribbeans into Britain.
Lord Kitchener (1956/1956) by PopperfotoNotting Hill Carnival
Of the 1027 official passengers on board, over 800 identified as Caribbean and 26 year old Aldwyn Roberts aka Lord Kitchener was one of them. When this notable calypsonian musician from Trinidad was asked to sing, he responded in song, "London is the Place for Me".
His reaction has come to symbolise the optimism and resilience of Caribbeans, and the arrival of new musical cultures to the UK.
Other Trinidadian musicians on board included, Lord beginner, Lord Woodbine and singer, Mona Baptiste. One of the few women and passengers who travelled first class. However, according to the ship’s passenger lists, more than half passengers said they came from Jamaica.
With about third of all Caribbean passengers on board deciding to reside in London, this is where Jamaican popular music establishes new roots. Although many arrivals had somewhere to stay through relatives and friends, some did not.
By Yale JoelLIFE Photo Collection
Plus the place they had just arrived at was very different from the homes they had left behind. In anticipation of this new life, suitcases were packed with everything, from clothes to food, the occasional instrument, government paperwork, and a broad selection of music.
By Leonard MccombeLIFE Photo Collection
Though the Caribbean islands have a similar history of colonisation, enslavement and mixing of African and European cultural influences, each has responded in its own distinctive way. Lord "Kitchener,'s response echoed Trinidad.
But most passengers had a relationship with Jamaica. Where the diversity of African and European musical influences, particularly from Britain and Spain, produced a history of hybrid musical forms. One such genre was mento.
Calypso Craze (1957) by Yale JoelLIFE Photo Collection
Mento, known as Jamaican calypso, emerged in the late 19th century as a distinct Jamaican genre. It combined African and European music and featured acoustic instruments such as drum, banjo, guitar, and maracas. Mento tackled everyday life, social issues.
Continue to Part II
