The heritage of slavery in British jazz festivals

Abstract

This article explores site-specific heritage questions of the contemporary cultural practice of festivals of jazz-a key transatlantic music form-by bringing together three areas for discussion and development: questions of slavery heritage and legacy; the location, built environment and (touristic) offer of the historic city; and the contemporary British jazz festival, its programme and the senses or silences of (historical) situatedness in the festival package. Other artistic forms, cultural practices and festivals are involved in self-reflexive efforts to confront their own pasts; such are discussed as varying processes of the decolonisation of knowledge and culture. This provides the critical and cultural context for consideration of the jazz festival in the Georgian urban centre. Preliminary analysis of relevant jazz festivals' programmes, commissions and concerts leads to interrogating the relationship-of silence, of place-between jazz in Britain, historic or heritage locations and venues, and the degree or lack of understanding of the transatlantic slave trade. The heritage centres clearly associated with the slave trade that also have significant (jazz) festivals referred to include Bristol,

Empirical Evidence From the Tourism Industry on the Factors That Affect Tourist Destination Satisfaction

“…In the tourism industry, quality of life represents customs and lifestyle; adjustable language; the friendliness of the locals; religion; historical attractions; concerts or festivals (McKay, 2018). In addition, the cultural environment selects several cultural attributes such as historic buildings, palaces, museum, theaters, galleries, festivals and events (Martin et al, 2016).…”

Making space: Investigating the diversity conundrum for British music festivals

“…Another BJB producer knowingly responds to criticisms of the venue by describing it as 'that kind of problematically named venue' but because it is jazz and thus rooted in African American traditions of the twentieth century, it alleviates some of these tensions, 'so we are some of the good guys' (BBJ13). McKay (2018) argues that because of its longer discursive and sonic associations with ideas of freedom, jazz could be a 'powerful sonic marker' to act as a 'reflexive cultural critique' of histories of oppression that it formed in opposition to (p. 7). Indeed, some of the commissioned performances and outreach school and community work the festival champions, as well as the inclusion of local and international musicians, suggests that the festival space is temporally and spatially conceived as a reminder of Bristol's jazz legacy and future.…”

“…Moreover, while Bristol has growing Black, Asian and Mixed Ethnic populations -22% in 2011compared to 12% in 2001(Bristol City Council, 2022a -it also has increasing socioeconomic disparities and unequal levels of both ethnic and economic diversity within its neighbourhoods (Goff & Laurence, 2017). Indeed, McKay (2018) emphasises that within slavery heritage sites such as Bristol, festivals offer an opportunity to reflexively address such issues as they can be significant spaces of contestation. However, there are a number of competing cultural discourses that configure the popular music festival.…”

‘Building on the Power of the Past’ the production and politics of heritage on a Dutch Caribbean Island

“…In our investigation, we understand these festivals to be examples of what George McKay calls 'heritage and cultural consumption and production at "TAST-related sites"' -TAST stands for Transatlantic Slave Trade -'where the core cultural offer is jazz music, jazz being a transatlantic mode formed through the forced migratory exchanges of slavery and triangulation' (McKay 2018).…”