It was born in Jamaica, spread to the likes Hackney, Lambeth, Lewisham and — of course — Notting Hill Carnival, and has influenced artists as diverse as The Clash and Kendrick Lamar. Now, dub reggae is getting its own free-to-visit display at Museum of London.
Launching this May, Dub London celebrates the far-reaching impact of dub reggae in the capital. Through objects, rolling imagery, and audio selections, the new display explores the food, poetry, community, fashion and spirituality associated with the genre.
Exhibition highlights include a speaker stack from Channel One Sound System that has appeared at Notting Hill Carnival every year since 1983.
There will also be a carefully curated record selection, chosen with help of independent London record shops. If you like what you're hearing you can even purchase vinyl from the museum's own bespoke record shop, a collaboration with Papa Face of Dub Vendor Reggae Specialist.
"Reggae record shops are very significant because when people came to London through Windrush, the primary way of finding out what was happening back home was through music", says Papa Face. "They were a meeting point, a place for social gatherings and a main part of the community back then".
Dub London, until September 2021 at Museum of London.
