Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park celebrates its burgeoning status as one of London’s most cultured quarters with another themed weekend as part of its The Music is Black Festival, a series of four weekend festivals happening throughout the summer in tandem with V&A East’s inaugural exhibition.
Following June’s grime and soundsystem celebration The Music is Ours, Power & Respect is a two day celebration of the immense contributions of Black women and non-binary artists to contemporary music, both on stage and behind the scenes, with live music and DJ sets across three canalside spaces.
Curated by DJ and broadcaster Jamz Supernova, Saturday’s line-up features live sets by neo-soul singers Lava La Rue and Terri Walker and plus jazz outfit the Cassie Kinoshi Quartet on the Waterfront Stage, while the Mid Terrace stage at Sadlers Wells East celebrates the 25-year career of London rapper Cooly G alongside sets from DJ Smokin Jo.
And over at Sadler’s Wells East, Hackney Showroom and the Museum of Youth Culture host a talk with the women who pioneered UK reggae, dancehall and lovers rock in the 80s and 90s, including the legendary Carroll Thompson, before a club night curated by theatremaker Jade Hackett gets the crowd dancing until midnight.
Sunday’s Waterfront Stage line-up is curated by neo-soul and R&B talents in Yazmin Lacey and TYSON, while south London DJ collective BORN N BREAD oversees the Mid Terrace; catch the likes of yeahitsrenee and Kokoroko’s Sheila Maurice-Grey, and competition winners Cleopatra and Polly Chronic across the two spaces, with a chilled out Sunday Session at Sadler’s Wells East.
Two more weekends follow this summer: Queer Frequencies (22-23 Aug) takes over with London's queer collectives, and Black to the Future (12-13 Sep) closes the season with a sci-fi-inflected finale.