{"id":1497208,"date":"2026-01-28T13:55:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T10:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1497208"},"modified":"2026-01-28T13:55:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T10:55:00","slug":"a-massive-exhibition-on-black-british-music-is-coming-to-va-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1497208","title":{"rendered":"A massive exhibition on Black British music is coming to V&amp;A East"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/music\/article\/69502\/1\/music-is-black-british-story-exhibition-coming-to-va-east\" data-article-id=\"69502\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-portrait-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.75\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Normski, She Rockers (London RapDance Crew) (1988)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2720\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435569-1.jpg\" width=\"2040\" title=\"1435569-1\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Photo by Normski, courtesy of the <span class=\"nowrap\">V&amp;A, London<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-01-28T13:55:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"28 January 2026\"><span class=\"month\">January<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"28\">28,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - music\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/news\">News<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/news\">News<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>A massive exhibition on Black British music is coming to <span class=\"nowrap\">V&amp;A East<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>The Music is Black: A British Story will trace the vast history of Black British music from its colonial origins, through the emergence of genres like UK garage and grime, right up to the <span class=\"nowrap\">present day<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-01-28T13:55:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"28 January 2026\"><span class=\"month\">January<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"28\">28,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-01-28T13:55:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"28 January 2026\"><span class=\"month\">January<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"28\">28,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/dazeddigital\">Dazed Digital<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-20-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">The Music is Black: A British Story at V&amp;A <span class=\"nowrap\">East Museum<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36595\/0\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story-at-va-east-museum\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Eddie Otchere, Kemistry and Storm (The Diptych) (1995)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1758\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435578.jpg\" width=\"2637\" title=\"1435578\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36595\/1\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story-at-va-east-museum\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Laura \u2018Hyperfrank\u2019 Brosnan, Showered with joy (2016)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1870\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435571.jpg\" width=\"2805\" title=\"1435571\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36595\/2\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story-at-va-east-museum\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Normski, She Rockers (London RapDance Crew) (1988)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1096\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435569-2.jpg\" width=\"1644\" title=\"1435569-2\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36595\/3\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story-at-va-east-museum\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Skepta and Jammer, Run the Road, Fabric (2005)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1995\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435567.jpg\" width=\"2992\" title=\"1435567\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36595\/4\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story-at-va-east-museum\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Adrian Boot, Tricky (2006)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435577.jpg\" width=\"3000\" title=\"1435577\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36595\/5\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story-at-va-east-museum\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Daniel Newman, Stage wear customised and worn by DJ Paulette\" class=\"img\" height=\"1014\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435576.jpg\" width=\"1521\" title=\"1435576\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 20 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>From Brit funk to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/jungle\">jungle<\/a>, trip hop to UK garage, Black music has played a defining role in modern British culture \u2013\u00a0and, by extension, modern British life \u2013\u00a0so it seems appropriate that V&amp;A East\u2019s very first exhibition will trace the story all the way back to its roots. Titled <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vam.ac.uk\/exhibitions\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story\"><em><span>The Music is Black: A British Story<\/span><\/em><\/a><span>, the museum\u2019s inaugural exhibition is set to open in April 2026, with an all-encompassing approach to the history of Black British music genres.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Ranging from 1900 to today, <\/span><em><span>The Music is Black <\/span><\/em><span>tells the story of contemporary icons like Jme, Skepta, and Little Simz, plus pioneering figures from decades gone by. To do this, it\u2019s brought together over 200 objects \u2013 including 60 newly acquired by the museum \u2013 including instruments, clothing, and personal belongings. Visitors will be able to see, for example, the Super Nintendo that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/jme\">Jme<\/a> used for his earliest musical experiments in the 90s, Joan Armatrading\u2019s childhood guitar, costumes from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/top-boy\"><em><span>Top Boy<\/span><\/em><\/a><span>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/little-simz\">Little Simz<\/a>\u2019s Commes des Gar\u00e7ons look from her 2023 Dazed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/60775\/1\/little-simz-dazed-autumn-2023-print-interview\"><span>cover shoot<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Elsewhere, there are newly acquired photos of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/skepta\">Skepta<\/a>, Mis-Teeq, and the drum and bass duo Kemistry and Storm, clothing worn by Seal on the cover of his eponymous debut album in 1991, and a spiked headpiece worn by Skunk Anansie\u2019s Skin, the first Black woman to headline Glastonbury. These will feature alongside artworks by the likes of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/sonia-boyce\"><span>Sonia Boyce<\/span><\/a><span>, as well as specially-commissioned new works by Frank Bowling and LR Vandy.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"9f6d04be-f884-4661-a79e-b3e000d8f4df\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/5\/1435578.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.38\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Eddie Otchere, Kemistry and Storm (The Diptych) (1995)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2179\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435578-1.jpg\" width=\"3000\" title=\"1435578-1\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Eddie Otchere, Kemistry and Storm (The <span class=\"nowrap\">Diptych) (1995)<\/span><\/span><span class=\"credit\">Photo by <span class=\"nowrap\">Eddie Otchere<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Going further back, the exhibition begins with an exploration of the origins of Black music, tracing it to Africa via years of colonialism and slavery. From there, it moves through the 1900s to chart the rise of Black music against the backdrop of an emerging modern Britain, through to the birth of uniquely Black British genres like lovers rock and grime. And finally, we end up in modern day, where contemporary Black British music is represented across pop, <\/span><span>dubstep, drill, gospel, jazz and afrobeats (plus a bunch of future genres that don\u2019t even have a name yet).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cMusic reflects and feeds emotions,\u201d says Jacqueline Springer, curator of <\/span><em><span>The Music Is Black: a British Story<\/span><\/em><span>. \u201cIt inspires, comforts, offends and entertains. It also awakens memory and punctuates our present. This exhibition provides another dimension in our celebration and understanding of how social and political histories are responded to by people and their cultures to provide the art we all enjoy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Music is Black: A British Story <\/span><em><span>opens at V&amp;A East Museum on April 18, 2026. Tickets are <\/span><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vam.ac.uk\/exhibitions\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story\"><em><span>on sale now<\/span><\/em><\/a><em><span>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1434316.jpg\" title=\"1434316\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">The rise of \u2018Britainicana\u2019: How Westside Cowboy are reshaping UK indie<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69420\/1\/rrriot-is-taiwan-s-pluggnb-princess-winter-2025-issue\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"DC290_SO5_SoundOn_R1R1Riot_02 (1)\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1434335.jpg\" title=\"1434335\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">R!R!Riot is Taiwan\u2019s pluggnb princess<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69393\/1\/when-did-uk-underground-rap-get-so-christian-ug-yt\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"152910-19868-YT-PRESS-0239\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1434146.jpg\" title=\"1434146\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">When did UK underground rap get so Christian? <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"dazed-gallery has-20-images \">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<header>\n<div class=\"info\"><span class=\"heading\">The Music is Black: A British Story at V&amp;A <span class=\"nowrap\">East Museum<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumbs\">\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36595\/0\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story-at-va-east-museum\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Eddie Otchere, Kemistry and Storm (The Diptych) (1995)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1758\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435578.jpg\" width=\"2637\" title=\"1435578\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36595\/1\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story-at-va-east-museum\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Laura \u2018Hyperfrank\u2019 Brosnan, Showered with joy (2016)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1870\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435571.jpg\" width=\"2805\" title=\"1435571\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36595\/2\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story-at-va-east-museum\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Normski, She Rockers (London RapDance Crew) (1988)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1096\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435569-2.jpg\" width=\"1644\" title=\"1435569-2\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36595\/3\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story-at-va-east-museum\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Skepta and Jammer, Run the Road, Fabric (2005)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1995\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435567.jpg\" width=\"2992\" title=\"1435567\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36595\/4\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story-at-va-east-museum\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Adrian Boot, Tricky (2006)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435577.jpg\" width=\"3000\" title=\"1435577\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-thumb\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/gallery\/36595\/5\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story-at-va-east-museum\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Daniel Newman, Stage wear customised and worn by DJ Paulette\" class=\"img\" height=\"1014\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435576.jpg\" width=\"1521\" title=\"1435576\"><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gallery-footer\">Gallery \/ 20 images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>From Brit funk to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/jungle\">jungle<\/a>, trip hop to UK garage, Black music has played a defining role in modern British culture \u2013\u00a0and, by extension, modern British life \u2013\u00a0so it seems appropriate that V&amp;A East\u2019s very first exhibition will trace the story all the way back to its roots. Titled <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vam.ac.uk\/exhibitions\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story\"><em><span>The Music is Black: A British Story<\/span><\/em><\/a><span>, the museum\u2019s inaugural exhibition is set to open in April 2026, with an all-encompassing approach to the history of Black British music genres.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Ranging from 1900 to today, <\/span><em><span>The Music is Black <\/span><\/em><span>tells the story of contemporary icons like Jme, Skepta, and Little Simz, plus pioneering figures from decades gone by. To do this, it\u2019s brought together over 200 objects \u2013 including 60 newly acquired by the museum \u2013 including instruments, clothing, and personal belongings. Visitors will be able to see, for example, the Super Nintendo that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/jme\">Jme<\/a> used for his earliest musical experiments in the 90s, Joan Armatrading\u2019s childhood guitar, costumes from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/top-boy\"><em><span>Top Boy<\/span><\/em><\/a><span>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/little-simz\">Little Simz<\/a>\u2019s Commes des Gar\u00e7ons look from her 2023 Dazed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/60775\/1\/little-simz-dazed-autumn-2023-print-interview\"><span>cover shoot<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Elsewhere, there are newly acquired photos of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/skepta\">Skepta<\/a>, Mis-Teeq, and the drum and bass duo Kemistry and Storm, clothing worn by Seal on the cover of his eponymous debut album in 1991, and a spiked headpiece worn by Skunk Anansie\u2019s Skin, the first Black woman to headline Glastonbury. These will feature alongside artworks by the likes of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/tag\/sonia-boyce\"><span>Sonia Boyce<\/span><\/a><span>, as well as specially-commissioned new works by Frank Bowling and LR Vandy.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"9f6d04be-f884-4661-a79e-b3e000d8f4df\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/5\/1435578.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.38\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Eddie Otchere, Kemistry and Storm (The Diptych) (1995)\" class=\"img\" height=\"2179\" src=\"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1435578-1.jpg\" width=\"3000\" title=\"1435578-1\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Eddie Otchere, Kemistry and Storm (The <span class=\"nowrap\">Diptych) (1995)<\/span><\/span><span class=\"credit\">Photo by <span class=\"nowrap\">Eddie Otchere<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Going further back, the exhibition begins with an exploration of the origins of Black music, tracing it to Africa via years of colonialism and slavery. From there, it moves through the 1900s to chart the rise of Black music against the backdrop of an emerging modern Britain, through to the birth of uniquely Black British genres like lovers rock and grime. And finally, we end up in modern day, where contemporary Black British music is represented across pop, <\/span><span>dubstep, drill, gospel, jazz and afrobeats (plus a bunch of future genres that don\u2019t even have a name yet).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cMusic reflects and feeds emotions,\u201d says Jacqueline Springer, curator of <\/span><em><span>The Music Is Black: a British Story<\/span><\/em><span>. \u201cIt inspires, comforts, offends and entertains. It also awakens memory and punctuates our present. This exhibition provides another dimension in our celebration and understanding of how social and political histories are responded to by people and their cultures to provide the art we all enjoy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Music is Black: A British Story <\/span><em><span>opens at V&amp;A East Museum on April 18, 2026. Tickets are <\/span><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vam.ac.uk\/exhibitions\/the-music-is-black-a-british-story\"><em><span>on sale now<\/span><\/em><\/a><em><span>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> Source URL: https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69502\/1\/music-is-black-british-story-exhibition-coming-to-va-east<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photo by Normski, courtesy of the V&amp;A, London January\u00a0 28,\u00a0 2026 Music \/ News Music \/ News A massive exhibition on Black British music is coming to V&amp;A East The Music is Black: A British Story will trace the vast history of Black British music from its colonial origins, through the emergence of genres like [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1497209,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[76],"class_list":["post-1497208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1497208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1497208"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1497208\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1497209"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1497208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1497208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1497208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}