Oral Histories

Memories gathered during Rites of Passage

Oral histories are mainly presented as short, edited extracts from much longer interviews that were recorded for the project’s documentary. We have tried to capture the integrity of the original interview and balance our respect for the stories shared with length, privacy and overall enjoyment. We share soundbites that capture specific moments of significance and lived experience.

Disclaimer

Many voices joined this project to help preserve memories, stories and experiences of Bradford’s sound systems in the past and more recently. We reached out as widely as possible and we acknowledge the generosity and trust offered by those people who supported this project’s vision and journey. Like all acts of remembering, these are fragments of a wider story. We hope that those who came forward to share their sound system stories may inspire others too. To all our contributors, we extend our profound thanks and appreciation.

Accuracy

The content of oral history interviews is personal because, by its nature, it relies on the memories, perceptions and lived experiences of individuals. All reasonable attempts are made to avoid inaccuracy, but Rites of Passage shares this collection of Bradford’s sound system stories and memories as an acknowledgment of the Caribbean community’s contribution to the city’s musical heritage, history of entertainment and grassroots empowerment. Rites of Passage is not responsible for opinions or the reliability of information contained in the interviews.

Interview 1: Eddie Fischer (Scorcher Sound)