Mykaell S Riley in Conversation

As part of the Simmer Down Festival, The Drum is pleased to welcome Professor Mykaell Riley, musicologist and founder member of Steel Pulse. Professor Riley will be leading a talk entitled A History of UK Reggae. The talk will tell a story of Black musical identity in crisis, examining the forgotten roots of new global movements such as punk, Britpop and dubstep, and questions how the commercial music industry has been able to re-appropriate the messages of social justice and equality inherent in roots reggae music. 

Hosted by Tony Roots from New Style Radio.

About the speaker

Mykaell S. Riley began his career as a performer with pioneering reggae outfit Steel Pulse before moving on to found the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been a professional writer/producer/arranger for over fifteen years, producing music for TV and film and over thirty albums. He has worked for artists such as Soul II Soul, Courtney Pine, Baba Maal, and a host of others.

A Senior Lecturer in Music Production at the University of Westminster, Mykaell is also Senior Trustee for the Black Music Education Trust, a new initiative borne out of the need to document the history of black music.