A Celebration of a Lifestyle
The huge popularity of Two Tone will provide the focus for the forthcoming exhibition at the City of London Corporation’s Barbican Music Library which, say the curators, will take visitors on a journey from First World War France and Belgium to Coventry in the 1980s.
Caribbean to Coventry: Plotting the Rise of Two Tone is an exhibition for the fans by the fans going some way to explain not just what Two Tone is but why and how we got there.
The exhibition will explore the hugely positive influences on British youth culture that Caribbean immigration has brought, and continues to bring to the United Kingdom. Using music genres and fashion as the touch points, the show will include architecture, art and literature as well as contributions from fans and ‘faces’ alike.
Caribbean to Coventry: Plotting the Rise of Two Tone will feature a range of band memorabilia, items of clothing, literature, art, photographs, and contributions from the bands’ many fans, and look at how Caribbean immigration influenced UK youth culture in a positive way.
Described as Two-tone or 2 tone, as well as ‘ska-rock’ and ‘ska revival’, it fused traditional Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and reggae music with elements of punk rock and new wave music. The name itself comes from the record label, 2 Tone Records, which was founded in 1978 by Jerry Dammers from The Specials, which was one of the most popular Two-tone bands of the time.
Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee, Munsur Ali, said: “A distinctive sound enjoyed by loyal followers dressed in a distinctive style, I have no doubt that fans of The Specials, Madness, The Beat, and many other bands will love ‘From the Caribbean to Coventry’ and appreciate the efforts of David Burke and Mark Baxter in curating the show.”
Co-curator, David Burke, said: “This exhibition is not a tired old museum piece but more a celebration of a lifestyle and culture that transcends race and class. We hope, in our own small way, to demonstrate that, by absorbing the message of 2 Tone, the audience have continued to observe that ethos in all aspects of their lives… Mark Baxter and I hope that it will attract a diverse audience.”
Barbican Library, Level 2, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Dates: Friday 12 January to Saturday 25 May. Times: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 9.30am-5.30pm; Tuesdays & Thursdays 9.30am-7.30pm; Saturdays 9.30am-4pm.
Admission: Free.
