Stormzy’s iconic stab-proof vest, worn during his historic headline performance at Glastonbury, is a key highlight of a new exhibition celebrating 125 years of black British music.
The exhibition, titled The Music Is Black: A British Story, marks the inaugural installation at the newly opened V&A East, located in London’s Olympic Park, which opens its doors this weekend.
In addition to Stormzy’s vest, the exhibition features a variety of significant artifacts, including Joan Armatrading’s childhood guitar, stage costumes from artists such as Seal and Poly Styrene, and the handwritten lyrics to Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
This exhibition explores how musical genres imported from abroad, such as jazz, reggae, and blues, have evolved into uniquely British sounds like Two Tone, Garage, Trip Hop, and Grime.
„That’s the beauty of street art, of graffiti, of rap music, is that it’s making you think constantly about issues you don’t really want to confront,“ said Jacqueline Springer, the exhibition’s curator at the V&A.
Springer emphasized that the exhibition reflects the ambition pursued in the face of legal, moral, and racial challenges, stating, „What we’re looking at here is the way that art always penetrates, always gets through.“
Stormzy’s vest, designed by Banksy and adorned with the Union Jack, is positioned towards the end of the exhibition, symbolizing how music can engage with themes of national identity, street crime, and societal prejudice.
The exhibition contextualizes Stormzy’s landmark statement as the first British rapper to headline Glastonbury within a broader historical narrative of protest and rebellion.
Before reaching Stormzy’s display, visitors embark on a cross-continental journey through decades of music history, illustrating how sounds from Africa and the Caribbean were influenced by colonialism and religion before being brought to the UK, where they transformed into new musical expressions.
„Before rock and roll’s rebellion, there was jazz,“ Springer explained. „Jazz’s rebellion emerges from the blues, and the blues is a stripped down, less churchified, incarnation of gospel.“
One of the exhibition’s most notable pieces is Winifred Atwell’s weathered upright piano. This instrument, which Atwell purchased from a second-hand store, was used to compose Let’s Have Another Party, the first number one single by a black artist in the UK in 1954. The piano bears the marks of graffiti left by fans, a testament to Atwell’s impact as a trailblazer who broke racial barriers and became one of the UK’s most celebrated musicians, spending 117 weeks on the UK charts and hosting her own shows on ITV and BBC.
„What’s key about Winifred is that her experience with prejudice, both racial and gendered, is that she factored it into her own activism,“ Springer noted.
Other notable exhibits include Jerry Dammers‘ original sketches for the 2-Tone record label logo, the Nintendo console used by grime artist JME to create his first tracks, and the dress worn by Dame Shirley Bassey during an Oscars tribute to James Bond.
„How do you get Dame Shirley to lend you her dress? You have charm, you have wit, and you also say to them, ‚Please, please, can we do it?'“ Springer humorously recounted.
As visitors navigate through the exhibition, specially programmed headsets respond to the environment, creating a personalized DJ mix that evolves from juke joints and jazz clubs to reggae nights, carnivals, and pirate radio.
By the time visitors reach the 1970s, they witness how British artists began to infuse their own style into reggae, with bands like The Cimarons, UB40, and Aswad leading the way.
„There weren’t really any British artists making reggae, so we had to set that path,“ reflected Tony „Gad“ Robinson of Aswad.
As children of the Windrush generation, Robinson and his bandmates lacked the tropical inspirations of Jamaica’s reggae and dub culture, stating, „We went to British schools. It was cold. So all we could talk about was our experiences here. We didn’t know it at the time, but that was our spearhead. That allowed people to connect with us, here in England.“
The exhibition highlights how early reggae bands found support in venues like the Four Aces, established by Newton Dunbar in East London. Their success paved the way for British genres such as Lover’s Rock, Brit Funk, Drum and Bass, and Garage.
According to a recent report by UK Music, black music has accounted for 80% of the UK music industry’s £30 billion revenue over the past three decades, underscoring its influence across various genres from techno to pop.
„Black music has been a big fixture in the UK,“ said neo-soul artist Omar, who has lent the V&A the bass guitar he used to write his 1990 hit There’s Nothing Like This.
Omar described the unique fusion of British sounds, stating, „I like to call it ‚Knees Up Mother Brown‘ meets ‚Lively Up Yourself.‘ [It means] that sounds like grime, two-step, and jungle could only come from the UK.“
At the V&A, the cultural contributions of black music become increasingly evident, as visitors hear how 1980s pop acts like Mel & Kim drew inspiration from Chicago house, while Skunk Anansie’s Skin infused a punk twist into hard rock.
For Robinson, the significance of the exhibition is profound.
„To have the exhibition means so much because it means it’s been documented,“ he said. „When we started back in 1976, there was nothing really here in England that we could look back on and say, ‚Well, this is where we came from.'“
He added, „So when we talk about Stormzy and jungle and sound systems, we can see how the kids have picked up what we did and taken it to another stage. It’s definitely uplifting. And the greatest thing about it is that it will carry on.“
The Music Is Black: A British Story opens at the new V&A East Museum on Saturday, April 18. The museum will also feature a series of programs, mixtapes, and educational resources to complement the exhibition.
Bildquelle: Foto von Virginia Marinova auf Unsplash
