Windrush 75 Concert at the Royal Albert Hall

Trevor Nelson welcomes legendary acts and newcomers to the stage at this very special night celebrating and honouring Caribbean generations who travelled to the UK on the HMT Empire Windrush 75 years ago. 

As Chineke! Orchestra (headed up by conductor Chris Cameron) play a medley of classics, including Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis, Dreams by Gabrielle, and Hot Chocolate’s Everyone’s a Winner, amongst others, we are reminded of the rich musical history of the last seven decades. 

The first soloist to take the spotlight is calypso musician Tobago Crusoe. Composing for the last three decades and heralded as one of the best in the genre, he brings us much-loved tune London Is the Place for Me. Following Crusoe, singer Michelle (who also provides backing vocals for him) performs a fantastic rendition of Millie Small’s My Boy Lollipop, the crowd cheering and singing; as Nelson aptly put it, “Every tune is a living memory”. Next, Yolanda Brown works her magic, getting everyone on their feet for Ranglin’ on Bond Street. She is an absolute maestro on the saxophone, playing to perfection while maintaining the audience’s energy and dancing across the stage. The musician expresses how the evening is a “time of reflection”, commemorating the sacrifices made by a generation. Brown also plays homage to Bob Marley’s hit Is This Love when she gets everyone to ask the question, swaying with phone lights. Nelson is on point as the comic presenter tonight, commenting that he feels like he’s doing a stand-up routine. The next artist, whose album released this week, is singer-songwriter Hak Baker, performing tracks from his debut, including a very relevant Windrush Baby. If that isn’t enough, there’s also British RnB act Loose Ends, who play a very brief but great set, including the hit Hangin’ on a String and a cover of Pass the Dutchie. 

Following the interval, English poet and activist Salena Godden takes the mic, bringing her highly thought-provoking and beautifully staged writing to life. Born of Jamaican-Irish heritage, Godden’s work is complemented by the orchestra, who add an incredible soundscape of waves crashing to shore, painting a sombre picture of the Windrush, and capturing the essence of the night. 

Closing the show are two of the biggest names in British music: Beverly Knight and Craig David. She takes the stage and performs tracks from her long-running career, as well as a special rendition of Luisa Marks’s Caught You in a Lie. After Knight’s seamless set, the last performer of the evening takes the Albert Hall by storm, playing hit after hit, including Fill Me In and Rewind, with some phenomenal freestyle rapping too. As David fittingly put it, without the Caribbean generations sacrificing to help build Britain, there wouldn’t be the amazing genres of music and variety in the UK today. 

Windrush 75 celebrates the great efforts of the generations before us, a humbling moment acknowledging history that should never be forgotten and must be honoured for generations to come.

Selina Begum
Photos: Mike Garnell

For further information about the Windrush 75 network and future events visit Windrush 75’s website here.

The concert will be broadcast on 18^th 2023 June on BBC Radio 2 at 8pm.