Episodes
| Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Boy Lollipop: The Caribbean Comes To Britain | 20130206 | 20200510 (R2) 20230624 (R2) | On June 22, 1948, an ex-Troop ship called the Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury carrying nearly 500 passengers who had left behind their home in the West Indies for a new life in Britain. For them, it must have been a massive culture shock. It must also have been something of a shock to the people of the UK. With the new immigrants came their slang, their customs, their food and their fashion. But it was probably the music that had the first impact. Afro-Caribbean calypsos had taken root in the folk scene of the early 60s, but for many Britons their first experience of this new music came courtesy of an effervescent, feisty young woman from the Jamaican slums called Millie. My Boy Lollipop was recorded in Forest Hill, London, and became the first hit single for Island Records. Millie even appeared on a Beatles TV special in 1964. This was the start of a cross-cultural pollination. Stuart Maconie looks at the beginnings of modern multi-cultural Britain. Marking the 75th anniversary of the Empire Windrush. |
| Windrush 75 - From The Royal Albert Hall | 20230618 | On Thursday 22 June 1948, an ex-troop ship called the Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, carrying 800 passengers who had left behind their homes in the Caribbean for a new life in Britain. Radio 2 and BBC Sounds commemorate the 75th anniversary of Windrush with a series of programmes, including this special one-off concert for Radio 2, curated and hosted by Trevor Nelson. Recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, the concert features an array of guest stars, including Craig David, Beverley Knight, R&B group Loose Ends, saxophonist YolanDa Brown, calypsonian Tobago Crusoe, G-folk pioneer Hak Baker and award-winning author and poet Salena Godden. Accompanied by the Chineke! Orchestra, conducted by Chris Cameron. The concert will capture the breadth of musical influence which the Windrush generation has had on British culture over the last 75 years, with performances including Loose Ends' Hangin' On a String, Hak Baker's Windrush Baby, and Craig David's Fill Me In, as well as renditions of classic tracks like Lord Kitchener's London is the Place for Me, Bob Marley's Is this Love, and Goldie's Inner City Life. A special concert marking the 75th anniversary of the Empire Windrush arriving at Tilbury. Marking the 75th anniversary of the Empire Windrush. |