I can honestly say Afropunk and I go way back. Way back in fact, to the days of Myspace. Those days where it was the ultimate privilege to appear on someone’s home page and I remember Afropunk having one of the coveted places on mine.
I was in a band at the time. A noisy, messy grunge influenced pop-rock outfit trying to make our mark in an industry obsessed with indie boys. When I would tell people that I was in a band, they would automatically assume, given my skin colour, that I was an R&B singer, and I would have to guide them to picture less Beyonce and more Skin from Skunk Anansie!
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However, after discovering James Spooner’s 2003 documentary, ‘Afro-Punk’, it became much easier just to tell people, “I’m an Afropunk”. Sometimes it needed an extra explanation, and other times I’d just let the person figure it out for themselves. I mean, ‘Afropunk’ is quite self-explanitory (well at least back then it was)… I subscribed to the Afropunk asthetic. I immediately related to the people in the documentary, often being the only black person at punk and rock gigs and honestly, I started to feel part of something bigger than me.
So when Afropunk festival, originally set in Brooklyn New York, ventured across the pond to London this year, it was a no brainer that I would take my camera out and capture a moment that I’ve been waiting for, for years.
Check out my videos below!!
PART 1 Features: Skinny Girl Diet, Nova Twins and Noisettes
Part 2 Features: Lady Leshurr, Akala, Madame So, The Connectors, Vodun, Grace Jones
Part 3 Features: Youth Man, Cakes Da Killa, Laura Mvula, Benjamin Booker
By the way, it would be remiss of me not to mention that this is not in fact, the first iteration of Afropunk that London has seen….
In 2014 and with the permission of Afropunk HQ, Andy and Danny from The Connectors programmed a handful of gigs, celebrating the Afropunk talent we have in London, and yours truly was the hostess with the most-ess!!
Starting with the celebration of International Women’s Day, the bands on display are all female lead and all rock!
Featuring: Madame So, Ye Nuns and Vodun
Next was the fella’s turn:
Featuring: Sabatta, Yes Rebels and The Connectors
