The Barbican Music Library is hosting a new exhibition, celebrating 100 years of Black British music. Black Sound London charts Black British music from underground movements to mainstream success, showcasing a rich history and diverse range of artistry.

The exhibition will cover music from older styles such as jazz and lovers rock, to more recent genres such as jungle, grime and drill, honouring the DIY spirit of Black British music.

The exhibition starts with the arrival of the Southern Syncopated Orchestra in London from the U.S in 1919, continuing through to Fuse ODG’s afrobeat response to ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ in 2024.

The history will be told through “vintage mixtapes, iconic magazine covers, and fly-posted walls”, exploring how Black British genres have impacted music as we know it, and the spirit of resistance that made them possible.

Scott Leonard, one of the UK’s experts in black music, has curated the exhibition with author Lloyd Bradley. Talking to the BBC, Leonard stressed the need for an authentic retelling of Black British music history: “Too often in this country, black cultural heritage is packaged presented to the people by those that weren’t there, so this type of exhibition at Barbican Music Library and the ‘heritage collecting’ days reverse the lens.

“They enable and empower the British black music community to tell their stories of what it was, and what it meant to them, because they must be captured and preserved before these stories disappear forever.”

Mr Leonard said the exhibition shows how the genres may have changed “but the culture and process didn’t”, drawing comparison between notable artists – “So Lord Kitchener, Eddy Grant, Carroll Thompson, The Cookie Crew, Jazzie B, Ms Dynamite, and Dizzie Rascal all followed the same guidelines,”

The free exhibition is part of Destination City, the City of London Corporation’s growth strategy for the Square Mile as a dynamic, world-leading hub for business, culture and leisure.

The organisation invests over £130m every year in heritage and cultural activities in the UK, also managing other institutions such as Tower Bridge, Guildhall Art Gallery and The London Archives.

In a press release, Chris Hayward from the City of London Corporation shared his enthusiasm for the Black British museum project: “With its many styles and charismatic performers, Black Sound London will strike a chord with everyone who enjoys listening to British black music and is keen to find out how LP sales in niche record shops, air time on pirate radio stations, and community spaces played a key role in its success.”

Black Sound London will run at the Barbican Library from March 10 to July 19 – more details can be found here.