Google and YouTube have put together an extensive digital archive celebrating the impact of Black British music.
Entitled Union Black, the online exhibition explores the various pioneers, innovators, and movements that have deeply and undeniably influenced British culture as a whole. Through vintage photographs, historical documentaries, contemporary interviews, and other multimedia stories, Union Black presents a comprehensive and extraordinary retelling of those who have shaped the fabric of the British music scene.
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The project was developed with the support of 25 UK-based cultural partners, including Black Cultural Archives, Notting Hill Carnival, POWER UP, Horniman Museum, Punch Records, Museum of London, Somerset House, Arts Council England, TRENCH, Black Lives in Music, Bounce Cinema, the Black Music Coalition and more. It was additionally curated with the help of key figures in the arts, including Danny D and Adrian Sykes, Trillary Banks, Richie Brave, Jamz Supernova, Moelogo, and Cashh.
Across the page, viewers can find over 2,000 cultural assets, 200 curated exhibits, and 11 newly-produced video and audio pieces that will be hosted on YouTube. The content is wide-ranging. There’s a special feature on Stormzy, with South East London writer Jude Yawson tracing the rapper’s work, personal history, and influence. Another unpacks the intersection between Black British music and fashion, illustrating the ever-evolving landscape of style and culture in collaboration with Somerset House.
The “Union Black” website is stunningly curated.
Credit: Google
There are other history-based retellings, including an overview of Black Sound between 1930 and 1990: “A key 60-year period of musical creativity and DIY ingenuity for Black music in Britain.” Other pages look into regions and communities, like the heroes of Birmingham’s hip-hop and reggae scene in the late 70s, to the trials and tribulations of those within Liverpool’s diverse music industry.
There are also lengthy, compelling discussion videos, including this conversation between Wunmi Bello and British R&B artists Kali Claire, Tamera, and Kamille about Black women in music.
Throughout, the project delves into themes like migration, resistance, politics, and time. Ambassador for Union Black, DJ and presenter Trevor Nelson, says the collection is “an ode to what has made British music what it is today.”
“It was a real experience to revisit so many incredible pioneers of the many scenes — some we know well, some that until now have stayed too far under the radar,” continued Nelson.
Union Black is available globally on the GA&C app on the web, on iOS and Android.
