Out Of The Caribbean: Harlesden Celebrates Its Reggae Legacy on International Reggae Day

Harlesden celebrates International Reggae Day by honouring the artists, labels and pioneers who made it the home of British reggae.

July 1st is International Reggae Day, created to honour the impact of reggae music from its roots in Jamaica to its influence across the world. Born from the streets of Kingston, reggae has always been more than music. It’s a voice for the people, carrying messages of unity, resistance, love and identity. The Harlesden Walk of Music Official Celebration marked the formal unveiling of a project years in the making, a physical, walkable tribute to the neighbourhood’s rightful claim as the Reggae capital of Britain.

Hosted by DJ Daddy Ernie and actress Judith Jacob, the celebration brought together award recipients, community leaders and dignitaries for speeches, video tributes, live performances and an after-party where DJs spun many of the very records being honoured. Among those in attendance were the Jamaican High Commissioner to the UK, His Excellency Alexander Williams, and the Mayor of Brent, Councillor Amer Agha, who both addressed guests during the ceremony. Commemorative paving stones were laid earlier this year, with lovers rock pioneer Janet Kay among those present at the initial unveiling.

The official ceremony honoured the crème de la crème of UK reggae. From pioneering record labels to legendary artists, groups and industry trailblazers, each recipient has played a defining role in shaping the sound and legacy of reggae in Britain.

Reggae Icons Honoured

Among those recognised was pioneer Sonny Roberts, owner of Harlesden’s legendary Orbitone Records and the driving force behind Planetone, widely recognised as Britain’s first Black-owned recording studio. The record labels honoured included names that many reggae lovers will instantly recognise from the iconic 12-inch vinyl sleeves that defined generations: Trojan Records, Hawkeye Records, Jet Star Records and Starlight Records.

Artists recognised included Dennis Brown, Janet Kay, General Levy and the late Delroy Washington. Groups honoured included chart-topping reggae band Aswad, Ruff Cut, and The Cimarons, widely recognised as the UK’s first reggae band.

The final selection was curated by Brent Council and the Harlesden Bassline project, which invited local residents to nominate the artists, producers, labels and pioneers who have shaped the area’s musical identity over the past five decades. The criteria considered both industry recognition and professional achievement, alongside each recipient’s lasting contribution to Harlesden’s cultural life and the wider British reggae movement.

So much of this history, from the sound systems and record shops to the front-room recording studios, has survived only through memory, vulnerable to the same erasure that has claimed so many landmarks of Britain’s Black cultural heritage. The Walk of Music, together with the Bassline project behind it, is a powerful act of preservation. It transforms oral history into a permanent public record, ensuring that the pioneers who helped make Harlesden synonymous with British reggae are celebrated not just in memory, but in the very streets where that history was made.