Trevor Nelson will present a night of music at the Royal Albert Hall on Friday 9 June to mark the 75th anniversary of Windrush and celebrate the impact of Caribbean culture on British life.
The one-off concert will feature a multi-generational line-up focussing on British talent with Caribbean heritage, exploring the evolution of Caribbean-influenced music from the 1940s to the present day. It will feature an array of guest stars, including Craig David and others to be announced, accompanied by the Chineke! Orchestra conducted by Chris Cameron.
As well as recognising the influence of West Indian immigration, the concert will acknowledge the Windrush scandal, in which hundreds of Commonwealth citizens – many from the Windrush generation – were wrongly detained, deported and denied legal rights.
Trevor Nelson said: “I’m thrilled to be asked to be part of the Windrush 75 celebrations as my parents were immigrants from St Lucia. Although I was born in Britain I am equally as proud of my Caribbean roots and am delighted to be hosting what should be an incredibly special night.”
Patrick Vernon, convenor of the Windrush 75 network, said: “When those first Windrush pioneers arrived off the boat at Tilbury in 1948, few would have thought that 75 years later their contribution to Britain would be celebrated at the Royal Albert Hall. Black Britons have brought so much to UK music and every other area of culture and public life. This event is a fantastic addition to a year of celebrations for Windrush 75 that we can all take part in.”
Matthew Todd, Director of Programming and Engagement at the Royal Albert Hall, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Trevor Nelson again on what will be a historic celebration of Caribbean culture in Britain, and look forward to giving the Hall’s platform over to such an important anniversary as we join national celebrations of our shared history.”
The concert will also be broadcast on BBC Radio 2, on Sunday 18 June, as part of the BBC’s programming to mark the Windrush anniversary.
The ‘Windrush generation’ came to the UK from Caribbean countries between 1948 and 1971. The MV Empire Windrush had arrived in Tilbury on 22 June 1948, bringing workers from the Caribbean to help address a post-war labour shortage in the UK.
An allocation of subsidised tickets for the concert will be made available through community groups including the Windrush 75 network.
Tickets for the concert at the Royal Albert Hall go on general sale at 10am on Friday 14 April from www.royalalberthall.com.
