Life Between Islands

SOUL JAZZ, 2022

You say: “Brilliantly sequenced, the soundtrack to an undervalued musical history – plus Trevor Hartley’s amazing voice.” Gareth Moses, via Twitter

As with Tate Britain’s accompanying exhibition, Life Between

Islands turns a lens on the interrelationship between Caribbean and British culture which, in this case, gave rise to such homegrown musical styles as jungle, hip-hop, lovers rock, roots reggae and jazz/ funk. All are present here: from Black Slate’s militant rocker Sticksman and Digital Mystikz’s haunting dubstep Misty Winter, through to Janet Kay & Alton Ellis’s contrastingly sweet lovers lament Still In Love. But it’s Tabby Cat Kelly’s roots gem Don’t Call Us Immigrants, produced by Dennis Bovell, which perhaps best summarises proceedings: “Respect my colour, and I’ll respect yours.”