“We reflected on some of the great sound men of Bradford, Leeds, and Huddersfield, who have sadly passed. These included: Chester (‘Mr Bunny’), Clive (‘Slackness’ or ‘Big Belly Man’), Louie (‘Urko’), ‘Fish’, ‘Coswell’, but to mention a few. Rest In Peace (RIP) our friends. We thank each and every one of you, for putting Bradford on the map.”
– Lincoln Oakley, Volunteer Co-Ordinator, Rites of Passage
We have included this reflective piece in its entirety as it conveys much about how and why Rites of Passage is such an important project for the African Caribbean communities of Bradford and for wider audiences.
My name in Lincoln Oakley, I’m the Volunteer Co-Ordinator for the Rites of Passage (RoP) Bradford’s Sound System Stories. My role is to support volunteers in delivering this National Heritage Lottery Project (NHLF). We plan to interview a number of key members within the Caribbean community who have had a lasting influence on the “sound system/music industry”. Our task is to capture their stories
through interviews and discussion in various locations. For example, their homes, old nightclubs, public houses and on the streets.
In the past six weeks we have managed to interview eight of these members from our community. We have conducted these interviews at three private addresses: two at a public house in the Manningham area, one at MAPA, and two in our office base on Ripley Street.
Our best interview in my opinion was on the 18th of November 2021 at the Bradford Arms public house, where myself and Lincoln Anderson, interviewed two of Bradford’s the legendary DJs, affectionately known as ‘Martell’ and ‘Jah Man – Reverend (aka Winston)’. Their DJ careers began way back in the 1960s, starting with small house parties through to their graduation on local radio stations
such Pennie, Bradford Community Radio (BCR), and Pirates City Radio (PCR).
We chose the Bradford Arms public house, to give a relax setting and atmosphere, and furthermore, this was Jah Man and Martell’s regular spot. The first to begin their interview was Jah Man. We have known each other for over 50 years; hence we were all comfortable in each other’s company.
Jah Man has always been one of my favourite DJs on the circuit. Listening to him speak so clearly and articulately about the bygone era of Bradford and the entertainment, brought goose pimples to the back of my neck. Listening to sound system stories aroused/excited my passion to hear more about some of the key players in the music business. We reflected on some of the great sound men of
Bradford, Leeds, and Huddersfield, who has sadly passed. These included: ‘Chester’, ‘Slackness’, ‘Urko’, ‘Fish’, ‘Coswell’, ‘Stash’, but to mention a few. Rest In Peace (RIP) our friends. We thank each and every one of you, for putting Bradford on the map.
The level of emotions in the voices of the interviewees and interviewer was a blessing to behold! Our interviewing techniques allowed both Martell and Jah Man to fully express themselves throughout the session. The audience on the night was fully captivated by the level of intelligence shown by the interviewees, and their willingness to answer questions directly. I could not help but be in awe of these two DJs recollections of dates and times. Their stories captured my attention for the full duration of the interview, as each resonated in my head. To me, the best stories were of the early to the late 70’s, as this was a period in the ‘Black community’ where realisation of self-worth, self-value, and black culture was at a peak.
I could relate to the philosophy and comments expressed by the DJs, given the times we were living under. They recalled that it was the younger generation during the early seventies, were the ones that stood toe to toe with the National Front (NF) and the Special Patrol Group (SPG), who would accompany the NF on marches in Black areas. This invoked the past injustices we suffered as youths growing up in Bradford and surrounding areas.
Bradford was like a ‘powder keg’, just waiting for someone to light the fuse, coupe with mass police investigation for the ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ and ‘Black panther’. Clubs and pubs in Lumb and Manningham Lane clubs were flooded with police. Early days investigations into the Yorkshire Ripper brought the Black community into close and regular contact with both uniformed and plain clothes police officers. For once, the police were asking for our help, as we were the regular youths on the streets around Lumb Lane and the Manningham area.
The interviews gave us time to reflect on our past decadence, good times, the madness, and the togetherness of our community. However, I could not help detecting a sense of disappointment from the interviewees regarding the advancements that young Black youths have achieved since those glory days of the seventies. Given the pains and battles that was fought to overcome the disparity within our Caribbean communities, it’s sad to see we have not progressed like other communities, as we were the trailblazers that positively put Bradford on the entertainment map.
Rites of Passage: Bradford's Sound System Stories 