Music at the Margins of Empire - 'Argonaut Mixes' in the spotlight

by Lucy Bernard

Each month I curate a playlist of global, fusion and protest music to accompany the newsletter. Music is fundamental to human experience and encapsulates culture, struggle and communitas, and I hope each month’s mix might shed light on this widely silenced music.

Rankin Ann – Liberated Woman: a glimpse from our monthly playlist in 'The Little Argonaut', issue 001.

Dancehall music has been seminal in British culture and black empowerment. Selecta Ranking Miss P began broadcasting on the first ever black pirate radio station 'Dread Broadcasting Corporation' in 1979. She went on to host Radio 1’s first show dedicated to reggae music ‘Culture Rock’ in 1985 and later hosted BBC Radio London’s ‘Riddim and Blues’ on Sunday nights. In parallel, Rankin Ann encapsulates this female-led integration of reggae music into mainstream British media. Her 1982 track ‘Liberated Woman’ from the album ‘A Slice of English Toast’ takes a classic dub track reminiscent of Trojan Records’ Big Youth, brought to life with Ann’s lyrics of female liberation. Reggae’s emergence in the UK was transformative and the (perhaps unlikely) fusion of punk and reggae in the late 1970s as depicted in Bob Marley’s ‘Punky Reggae Party’ and The Clash’s cover of ‘Armagideon Time’ is reflective of the anti-establishment politics of the time. On the Clash’s B-side recording at around 03.00 minutes Joe Strummer shouts “Don’t push us when we’re hot!” after apparently being asked to wrap it up. Dub-powered music is fervently passionate. Indeed, prophet Marcus Garvey prophesied that when the two sevens clash ‘injustices would be avenged’; perhaps this fusion is an ode to exactly that.