Mancunian artists Mimi & Kay Rico team up for a live performance of their recent R&B single ‘Replaceable’ on the latest instalment of Jorgy & Cheech show.
Mimi exudes a calming and assured presence throughout her performance in the music video for Replaceable. This is then contrasted with lyrics like “If you disrespecting me, then I’ll be disrespecting you” to remind audiences she’s not to be played with.
Kay Rico, ‘Rap Game UK’ alumni, features on the track, bringing his own original flow and personality to the song and video.
Listen back to the full show down below to find out more about Mimi & Kay’s new track and all of the behind the scenes action on the shoot.
We thought it was about time we updated you on our flagship, all female and non-binary MC project HERchester, as there have been some serious developments over the last few months.
Firstly, massive congratulations to Prinny Moni, who’s just had her track signed to Red Bull. Prinny was straight on responding to a call from OneDa, who then put her name forward and the rest is history. This exemplifies what HERchester is all about, females pushing other female rappers forward in the industry.
Next up, after seeing last year’s HERchester cypher, Frequency was chosen to take part in an all star, Manchester cypher to celebrate the launch of Snoop Dog’s new wine brand Cali Red. Watch below.
In other news, work is well underway on a new podcast project that will pair a member of the HERchester fraternity with a scientific researcher, with the aim of making the academic work more accessible through the medium of rap. The first few collaborations have been recorded, including a trip to Cambridge with Soundcamp graduate Karis Jade.
This work has been funded by the HDBI and is due for release in 2023. The Human Developmental Biology Initiative (HDBI)is a Wellcome-funded group of researchers at Institutes across the UK who are all trying to better understand how humans develop before birth.
We’re also thrilled to announce the next iteration, HERchester Up North, has been kindly funded by Arts Council Englandand is launching very soon. More news on this this to follow but the project has been built of a successful, North West wide pilot last year. Check out what went down behind the scenes in our short documentary below. It brought together women, non-binary people, transgender women and those that identify as women from 4 different cities: Manchester, Morecambe, Blackpool and Sheffield teaming up with RiteTrax, House of Wingz and More Music who accommodated and guided participants in their respective cities.
If you want to get involved in our next instalment of HERchester Up North, drop us an email on projects@reformradio.co.uk.
We’re extremely honoured to be announced as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation today – since the early days of broadcasting from the basement in Manchester, we are so proud of what Reform Radio has achieved.
We understand however that today will be extremely tough for arts organisations doing important work across the country and we stand with you in solidarity. We hope our resources can also be of benefit to others, as we continue to abide by our values; community, creativity and collaboration.
We are extremely thankful to the Arts Council and all our funders, young people, supporters, DJs, artists, colleagues, friends and listeners who have contributed so richly to this achievement. You make this community the incredible cultural force and agent for change that it is.
Congratulations to all who have received good news today, we are proud to stand with you ❤️
Climate change is complex and often terrifying but it can also be a rich source of inspiration. Whether it’s through creative placement and storytelling or transitioning to more sustainable practices, if you work in the creative industries you have more power than you realise.
Join us at Reform for a live, audio industry focused panel discussion, led by Dan Jackson, about how you can influence change through your editorial and creative practices. We will be discussing the increased importance of net zero, not just for the future of our planet but the acquisition of new work.
Dan has two decades of experience working across production and broadcasting. His credits span a broad range of programming including The South Bank Show, Coronation Street, and Beyond Belief and he’s produced content for ITV, the BBC World Service, BBC Radio 2 and 4 and the indie podcast sector including Spotify and Audible. Dan has won a number of awards for Sustainability in Production and combines his editorial, production-management and technical experience to support Reform Radio as an advisory board member.
Hosted by Reform’s Assistant Producer, Aisha Williams who has worked with Dan in the past to produce and present the station’s C-Change round table discussions. She is the perfect person to talk about how Reform have put Dan’s teachings into action.
Also joining them will be Reform Radio director Sam Oliveira to discuss the launch of a new carbon literacy training program, designed specifically for producers and content creators. This training will be free for anyone living in Greater Manchester and is accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project. Come along to find out more.
We’re thrilled to announce that Reform Radio have been commissioned to produce BBC Sounds, curated music mix, Focus Beats.
For the next year we’ll be releasing a new mix every week via BBC Sounds. Focus Beats does exactly what it says on the tin, a curated mix of beat tapes and instrumental tracks designed to help you focus on work, study, do domestic chores or more importantly, chilling out.
Over the course of the year, we’ll be working with some key talent to join us as guest curators on the series; news on those names to follow. The other episodes will be curated by us and what is exciting about this commission is it’s big on supporting new music, especially from new producers.
If you’ve got any beats or instrumental hip hop tracks you want to submit for potential inclusion then please email focusbeats@reformradio.co.uk.
What excites both us and the BBC Sounds team about this series is the opportunity it gives us to bring new talentinto the BBC and showcase some of the people we’ve been working with and have access too. This philosophy also applies to our production team, with producer Olivia and assistant producers Aisha, Jamie and Mike having all come through our outreach projects. For Jamie and Mike this will be their first BBC credit.
In other news, we’ve been commissioned to produce another year of The People’s Party with Afrodeutsche, which goes out live every Friday night, 7pm on BBC Radio 6 Music. Focus Beats will also get a live transmission on 6 Music as part of their overnight schedule.
Tonight at 8PM we welcome the author Jim Ottewill alongside a bunch of local legends – aalice (Meat Free), Ruf Dug (Ruf Kutz) and Reform’s very own Mix-Stress (Rebecca.Never.Becky Collective) for a live discussion exploring the nightlife of Manchester. You can join the discussion by clicking the link below and dropping your thoughts in the chat.
The book plots a course through the different UK towns and cities club culture has found a home. From Glasgow to Margate via Manchester, Sheffield and unlikely dance music meccas such as Coalville and Todmorden, ‘Out Of Space’ maps where electronic music has thrived, and where it might be headed next…
Manchester’s first city centre park in over a century opened its gates today. Described as an urban escape, the 6.5-acre park that lies along the banks of River Medlock is now open to the public.
In recognition of the ongoing launch of Mayfield, we teamed up with the National Lottery Heritage Fund to explore the past, present and future of the site.
Produced by one of our very own, Jamie Green, the three-part series is now available to listen to on all streaming platforms. Get listening now and if you love it as much as we do, you can even leave a review or rating on Apple.
We caught up with Jamie to find out more about the production process, the themes explored in each episode, as well as his journey with Reform and beyond.
Please could you introduce yourself and explain your current occupation.
Hey, my name is Jamie Green and I am a freelance Audio Producer for Reform Radio. I work within Reform’s Podcasting team and assist with recording, editing, and producing podcasts and audio content.
You joined Reform Radio in January 2022 as a Kickstart Studio & Podcasting Assistant. How did you hear about this opportunity and what made you decide to apply?
I first saw the opportunity as a Studio & Podcasting Assistant posted on Reform’s Instagram page. I had decided over the coronavirus lockdown that I really wanted to pursue a career working with audio and so this role just seemed like the perfect opportunity. Having previously participated in some of Reform’s audio-based courses, I also knew what an incredible company they were and was keen to work in such a creative, inclusive environment.
Please could you describe your responsibilities/projects that you worked on?
I have worked on a fantastic variety of projects, from editing interviews for BBC 6 Music’s The People’s Party with Afrodeutsche to travelling around the UK recording a road trip style podcast about British vineyards. I have also led the production of our ‘Park Life’ podcast which has involved interviewing photographers, archaeologists and event organisers. My day-to-day responsibilities have included anything from recording autobiographical audiobooks for clients such as Liz Taylor to editing podcast series for ‘The Life & Death Podcast’ for Ashgate Hospice.
After Kickstart, you continued working with Reform as a freelancer, how are you finding it now?
The transition to becoming a freelancer has been really exciting, I have loved working across numerous projects and utilising my audio skills in different ways to deliver exciting content such as the ‘Park Life’ podcast.
Have you had any opportunities arise as a direct result of Reform?
Definitely, I think one of the key opportunities that I have gained through my connections within Reform is being booked for regular DJ work which has really helped build my confidence as a DJ and also provided financial support.
You have been working on the Mayfield project for some time. Please could you briefly describe what this project is and what your involvement has been?
With Manchester building its first city centre park in over 100 years, we have produced a three-part podcast series that captures and explores the heritage of this area of Manchester known as Mayfield.
My role has been to lead the creation of this podcast, which has involved everything from interviewing archaeologists and photographers to sourcing archive recordings from the Manchester Central Library, designing soundscapes and capturing field recordings to accompany the podcast.
How has the experience been producing this podcast? Any highlights?
Producing the ‘Park Life’ podcast has been an incredible experience. I have loved discovering the forgotten stories of this unique area of Manchester through speaking with so many fascinating people. Their passion for the heritage of Mayfield has really rubbed off on me, and so I feel really fortunate to have been given the creative freedom to shape the format of this podcast and how we tell the story of this site.
During the project, you touch on themes including The River, The Park and Culture. Can you talk a little bit about the creative process here?
The River
The first episode of the podcast is themed around The River Medlock. The episode tells the story of how the Medlock was transformed from a beautiful meandering river into an industrial sewer later covered over with concrete to make way for expanding industries. After being hidden for over 50 years the river Medlock in Mayfield has now been uncovered, so we really wanted to focus on how the river has intrinsically shaped the history of this area and reflect on the importance of protecting and valuing our waterways.
The Park
The theme of the second episode was inspired by Manchester opening its first city centre park in over 100 years this month! We wanted to learn about the site’s transformation from a derelict wasteland into a lush haven in the city centre, and also explore the importance of green spaces on our mental health and well-being.
Culture
The Mayfield district in Manchester is becoming a cultural hub in the city, with it being home to The Warehouse Project, Escape To Freight Island, and hosting events such MIF, Pride and numerous art exhibitions. So it only seemed natural to theme an episode around the culture surrounding the park today. However, we also wanted to dig a bit deeper and explore the unique cultural heritage of the site and investigate how this has also developed over time.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Take the plunge and move up to Manchester, it will be worth it!
What do you want for the future?
Working on the ‘Park Life’ podcast has really reinforced my desire to continue working with audio and sourcing work that integrates my passion for sound design, recording audio and producing music. In the future, I would love to continue producing audio content across different formats and using my creativity to shape the listening experience.
Do you have anything upcoming that you would like to shout about?
I’m super excited to have my first track released over the coming months as part of a compilation album on Martyn’s record label, 3024. Keep an eye out for that!
It’s all fun and games being a fellow creative until the inevitability of funding pops up. Are you pondering the idea of freelancing? Have you just had a groundbreaking revelation for a new project?
Don’t worry, we have you covered! Our Head of Development, Jo Warmington, has kindly set up an amazing database of resources full of funding opportunities, particularly for artists and freelance creatives.
It’s completely free to access and has a bunch of beneficial resources that could help you out on your next creative venture!
It’s been a hot second since Alienvert dropped by the studio. Back in January, they blessed our eardrums when they made their Raise The Bar freestyle debut.
But, the fun didn’t stop there. Alienvert came back to join Daisy Adams for round 2.
Since January, the young rapper has been playing a host of live shows, including shows catered towards their audience of 18 and under.
Listen back to the full show down below to hear some exclusive music from the artist and find out more about their creative ventures this year.
Our two-week digital broadcasting course kicked off last month, inviting young people across Manchester to learn about all things producing, presenting, scripting, live broadcast and more. This programme was kindly made possible by Manchester Adult Education.
Participants came together to learn how a working radio environment functions and equip themselves with the skill set to pursue their dreams of finding careers in digital broadcasting.
We caught up with one of the participants to chat about their experience. After studying Film at the University of Central Lancashire, 27 year old Zack Khan from Manchesterhas since aspired to work within the TV or Film industry. We had a chat to find out a little bit more about Zack, why he joined Radio Course and his goals for the future.
Please can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name’s Zack and I’m from Manchester. I’ve been back and forth between Manchester, Preston and Pakistan over the past ten years. After moving to Preston for University and then dropping out, I decided to come back to Manchester and live in Oldham.
Film has always been a huge part of my life and my childhood dream was always to grow up and work in the film industry. That’s partially how I ended up here!
How have you heard about Radio Course and what prompted you to get involved?
My work coach at University had received a call out about the course and reached out to me asking if I wanted to get involved. I never expected to be doing anything in radio but I thought, why not!?
If money wasn’t a thing, what would you like to be doing full time?
As a kid, it was always film and TV. During lockdown, I tried podcasting for a couple of months. It was mainly about films and entertainment, such as what’s going on in the industry and film news. It was called the Mad Bat Podcast which was a mix of our two favourite films: Mad Max and Batman.
Is there anything you were involved in before joining Radio Course that you would like to share?
After I finished college, I took a gap year before University and went back to Pakistan for a year and did a couple of months of work with an independent film-maker who mainly made adverts.
I think he was shooting an advert where my dad worked at the time. My dad had spoken to him and said something along the lines of ‘my son is really interested in this, could you potentially take him on as a volunteer?’. It was pretty cool and he got me really involved in it.
When and how did you realise that that is the thing you wanted to do?
I used to have one of those old TVs that had a built-in VCR player, my mum got me loads of VHS tapes so a lot of my childhood was spent in my room watching movies. Seeing what you could do in those worlds, the possibilities and the lack of restrictions really excited me. I never imagined that I would be doing radio or podcasting but I’m glad I have some experience in these things now.
I remember getting into podcasts during my gap year when the app showed up on my phone after an update and I was like ‘what’s this?’. My go-to podcasts are The NoSleep Podcast which is an anthology series of horror stories, and ‘The Last Podcast on The Left’ which is a dark comedy, true crime podcast.
Let’s throw it back to your first day at Reform versus now, tell me a bit about your first impressions/feelings/emotions in comparison to how you feel now. What has changed?
Before I walked through the door, it was a very tense and nervous experience. I’m usually not the type of person that does well in social situations, especially after the last couple of years of Covid and lockdown. Essentially, the moment I walked in there was a very calm, inviting and supportive environment which easily set those fears aside.
Anxiety popped up here and there, mainly from doing creative writing exercises. I would worry in my own head ‘I don’t know if I can do this’, but I largely managed to overcome these feelings thanks to Alex and Naomi who were really supportive and patient. They got involved and offered help. It was a very cohesive environment.
What is one thing you have learnt from the course that you will take home with you?
I learnt a lot of technical stuff such as operating the equipment, recording and monitoring mic levels on the drops. I feel like I will carry these skills on with me even if I don’t get into film. They are great skills to know for editing Youtube videos, which I have some experience with.
What are your goals after the project?
One goal is to work on areas that I have personally struggled with over the past two weeks. For example, the anxiety that I talked about. I have a habit of second-guessing myself and stopping myself from doing stuff.
Something that caught me off guard was that when doing creative work, it often requires you to be vulnerable to some degree. That’s something I’ve had in mind and thought maybe I should let myself be vulnerable and not be so closed off.
When Covid started I was living on my own. A few years of living by myself and then lockdown made me really closed off and I didn’t have much opportunity to go out and interact with people. Being on this course has taught me I really do need to start opening up again, especially in this line of work it’s really beneficial.
To listen to the full show that the group worked on together, please click down below.
If you would like to get involved or find out more about any of our projects, please drop us an email at projects@reformradio.co.uk.
CountryBoy Raf and RKiD came down to join Daisy Adams for this fortnightly freestyle episode, Raise The Bar.
Self-taught producer RKiD has been making music for the past two years, learning as he goes along on Ableton. Country Boy Raf has been on the scene over the last eight years.
From being friends outside the music world, it wasn’t long before they realised they were both into making music. You can hear their original track ‘Hard Times Freestyle’ on the show, before they ramp things up a notch with a freestyle performance full of energy.
Every year we celebrate Windrush Day, honouring the migration of people from the West Indies to the UK during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. After a call-out from the British government in need of workers to help re-build the ‘Mother Country’, thousands fled from the Caribbean in hope of a better life for themselves and their families.
Today, we recognise the legacy of the Windrush generation, which is those who uprooted to the UK, their children, grandchildren and so on. These generations have had an astronomical impact and contribution to British culture and society, shaping the country we live in today through music, food and art.
However, the UK has not always stood in solidarity and gratitude to the Windrush generations. In 2017 the Windrush Scandal arose after it was discovered that many commonwealth citizens from the Windrush generations were wrongly being denied legal rights, or far worse, deported.
In light of this, the government announced a grant scheme for charities, community groups and other organisations looking to ‘commemorate, celebrate and educate’ others on Windrush. For Windrush Day 2022, Create London and Hackney Council came together and commissioned the third series of a very topical podcast: Windrush Stories.
Founded by DJ Flight, the co-founder of the women’s collective EQ50 and the forefront of Drum & Bass music. The podcast sees Flight sit down with members of the Windrush generation and chat about their lives and legacies. Each episode features a unique story, with individuals ranging from the spheres of art, music, sport, poetry, politics and food. Wholeheartedly relaxed, the podcast gives “people space to speak” and asks “open-ended questions” as described by Natalie Wright, otherwise known as DJ Flight.
We invited Natalie to have a chat with us about the Windrush Stories, how it came about, the production process, how she scouts guests for the show and so forth, in commemoration of this year’s Windrush Day. As a topic still so widespread in society, it’s important to hear the stories and ventures of the people that made our country what it is today. The UK would be a very different place if not for Windrush, and this podcast really pays homage to that.
Throughout the series, Flight asks a number of her guests what the Windrush legacy means to them. When asked what the Windrush legacy means to her, she laughs, pausing to say ‘it’s funny because I ask everybody this”. After a brief moment of reflection, she continues: ‘the legacy is everything and I owe my life to the Windrush gen”. She talks about the families that uprooted, her own family, music and sound system culture, encapsulating the influence that the Windrush generation has had on her life, and that the legacy, to her is “being grateful for life and everything that they went through to make life better for themselves, their families and other people”. A beautiful synopsis for life, if ever we have heard one. This narrative of appreciation and respect shines throughout the series, hinting toward how the podcast has, in fact, turned out to be one of “ the best things [she’s] ever been involved in ”.
Flight grew up in South East London, spending time in areas such as Norbury, Streatham, Croydon, Wimbledon and Brixton. She spent her youth visiting her paternal grandmother in Croydon, or going to the Samuel Coleridge Taylor Centre in South Norwood with her dad. The centre was named after a famous violinist who was of mixed heritage and known for playing classical music around the 1970s and 80s: “It was great going there and playing snooker and pool, there was an art teacher called Pablo who was a Rasta and he really inspired me”.
Exposed to music of all cultures and sounds from a young age, it’s no wonder Flight went down the path of music and broadcasting. But, how she got into it, may not be what you expect. Nine years ago, she applied for a job offering at the Prison Radio Association, a station working to rehabilitate prisoners through radio. Nine years on and Flight’s still going strong, helping others and spreading her knowledge through the power of radio and her easy-going persona.
Each year the commissioning rounds would come around, opening up the room to independent platforms, companies and producers to pitch ideas worthy of funding.
“I’d applied for a couple before and then on one of our training days, I had an idea and I called it ‘Granny Ackee and Me’. The idea was to have people in the kitchen, cooking with an older relative and having a chat. Whether it’s a grandmother, an auntie or an older cousin, while they are preparing the older person’s favourite meal from home, they learn about the older person’s history and backstory”. ‘Granny Ackee and Me’ soon developed into the Windrush Stories, after applying for some funding in 2020 and receiving the go-ahead. And, so it began!
Windrush Stories started during the pandemic and due to this was recorded remotely, using software such as IPTDL and later, Zoom. Although Flight comments that she would have loved to have conducted the interviews in person, “Sometimes it can be a bit tricky carrying a load of equipment across London or wherever you’re going”. All but one of the episodes was recorded in person, and that was the episode with her dad, ‘Mr Wright’, available on series one. Flight speaks honestly, saying she felt “nervous” about this recording because it was the “the first one recorded”, but at the same time she knew it would “kind of be the easiest”, that she would be able to “work out any tech problems” if needed. Using equipment at home, she set up a recording station with a “Rhode mic set up on a stand in front of him sitting on my armchair” and recorded herself on a handheld microphone.
During the episode, Mr Wright shares tales from his youth that he had never told his daughter before, including an incident when the police came looking for him one day when he was getting ready for work: “They took him down the police station and tried to fit him for a murder when he was nowhere in the vicinity”. Shockingly, “he told me he remembers being in the office and there being all these folders behind him and the officer blatantly says to him ‘see all these, your name’s going to end up on one of them’… But this was a regular occurrence, this was happening all the time and I guess still does up to a point”. Sadly, Mr Wright passed away in November, but his legacy lives on forevermore and is captured in this very episode. Flight comments with a smile that “it feels quite special to have that as part of all of the other stories recorded”.
Originally, she “was a little apprehensive about it being released and just wondering what the reception would be for the public”, but now that it’s out there and has received rave reviews from the public, she feels very heart-warmed that it has “resonated with the people it has”. With the Windrush scandal still ongoing, deportation still happening, and Caribbean countries “slowly but surely saying they are going to get rid of the Queen as their head of state”, regaining their independence, it’s always in the public eye and “Caribbean people’s consciousness”. As a prevalent topic in our society, Flight comments on the experience of asking the guests to come on the show: “I think people have felt really grateful to be asked to share their stories and really enjoyed and relished the opportunity, which I was really grateful for as well”.
In the third series, some of which are out now, you can expect to hear long-form interviews with Cleveland Watkins MBE, Mr Gee, Michelle Dornelly and Doctor Arthur McMillian. Cleveland Watkins MBE was a Jazz sensation, famous for hosting the Metalheadz Sunday Sessions which took place at the iconic Blue Note club in Hoxton Square, owned by none other than Goldie. During the episode, they chat about this seminal club night, his Jazz background and co-founding Jazz warriors, an all-Black African-Caribbean heritage band. At the age of seventeen, Flight started going to this club so “the influence that this particular club at the time had on me as an artist and DJ in my own right, was everything, and I still try and carry that through as well as my influences from Kemistry, Storm and Fabio”.
Her guests are an amalgamation of all kinds of people across all ventures of life, particularly from the arts as “a lot of the main visible influence on the UK [from Windrush] comes from the arts, media, music and also sport”, Flight highlights. Her process for finding guests involved the crafting of a big list, nice and simple. “I would just write a list of names of people from different backgrounds and industries”, ticking them off as she goes along: “Thanks to everyone who said yes!” she adds politely.
The responses to the podcast have been tremendously positive, with many commenting on how the podcast has been insightful for them: “I had a lot of responses from people saying that they really learnt what the experience of West Indies coming to the UK is really like”. After resonating with the public, it was nominated for the British Podcast Awards (2021) and a few days ago, it was announced that Windrush Stories is up for nomination for the second year in a row.
The UK is a wonderfully vibrant place, rich in culture and community thanks to all the incredible people who migrated from countries like Jamaica, Trinidad, St. Kitts, British Guiana, Barbados, Antigua and other countries owned by the British Empire.
You brought delicious cooking, food rich in flavour and comfort, filling our bellies with joy. As well as music of good spirit, for the mind, body and soul. But most of all, kindness, virtue and community.
To hear more from DJ Flight, listen back to the show here.
If you haven’t already checked out Windrush Stories, you can stream all episodes here.
Soundcamp is a 12 week programme that gives up and coming artists the opportunity to develop their performance and music business skills, delivered in partnership with Youth Music. The Soundcamp Spotlight series is a feature that aims to shine the light on Soundcamp artists and share their story with our audience.
Taking the reins for this instalment is Anamelia…
Please could you introduce yourself?
Hey yo, my name is Anamelia aka Ana*meh*lia aka Anamelly aka The Polecunian.
When did your musical journey start?
I was very very young when I first started singing and performing, I’m talking 3/4 years of age. My first ever award diploma for singing and performing dates back to when I was 3 years old.
How would you best describe your production and mixing style?
Production I would say is quite holistic. I much prefer producing in a way where I’m directing someone who’s waaaaay more skilled than me on the sound production side of things and engineering things. I’m quite techy, but making beats isn’t really my preferred way of working as I’m very easily distracted. I can’t seem to sit in front of a computer screen for too long. I’m more of throw ideas in the air type of person and compose and produce through directing sound producers.
You were part of the Soundcamp cohort back in 2019, what were someof your highlights?
Definitely performing at Night & Day, probably having Jenna G as my mentor too, & mostly the confidence I have gained in my own art. Seeing again how different every single artist was and how there were almost no right or wrong answers with music or art. Just fully immersing myself in that particular moment. Soundcamp was probably the first time I had a chance to finish some of my beats and I actually showed them to a room full of people.
Last year, you were recognised by VICE in an article titled: ‘The UK Is Overlooking Its Homegrown Polish Rappers.’ You speak about being a Polish rapper in the UK and the challenges you have faced. What are some of these challenges? How do you think the UK could change, or progress, to support artists like yourself.
I think Polish people, we’re still very much a minority group and I guess we’re still portrayed in our stereotypes. TV shows and programmes very much put us in these boxes where actors are builders or cleaners but there are sooooo many successful business owners or creatives in this country. There’s a whole underground Hip Hop scene of Poles in Manchester, I presume there’s probably one in London, too. I know there’s one in Edinburgh, Peterborough and Brum. This just makes me wonder why these artists never reach the mainstream, or access developmental projects or funding. This is a big topic to break down, I have done some research, but with a lot of this I might be wrong as from my observation so far, I have a feeling there might be people out there who don’t even want to identify as Polish artists (for various reasons) and hence why I haven’t found them – but this is definitely ongoing research that I’m actually looking into as part of my masters right now.
BUT, as per myself, I have a lot of support around me and I think people need to stop being dismissive of how much of expertise I have, and perhaps consciously give someone like myself – a foreign woman – a chance to speak up, showcase music and recognise my ideas and projects as worthy, by giving me help in areas that I might be struggling with. I guess we’re new to this country, or at least I can speak for myself.
This industry is EXTREMELY competitive, I’d even say that it is one of the hardest industries in the world and it is always easier and smoother when you know the right people. I think as a Polish community, we’re still building our contacts database within the British society. I’m not here to play victim, these are just my observations. I’m here to develop and build my community up, if they’re unaware of these projects around the city, I shout about them, I help people with marketing. I basically try to utilise my skills and knowledge to help people, and that’s why I’m a mentor at a University I guess.
You took part in HERchester in 2021 – what made you decide to get involved?
I wanted to develop my rap skills, I always rapped or used melodic rap techniques but never called myself a rapper. That was definitely a moment for me when something flipped and I realised that I’m a full rounded artist, which means – if I wanna do a rap track, I can do that as that’s my art and that’s my expression for that particular moment & I would very much encourage everyone to try that mindset – just be free and don’t allow ‘society’ or the industry to put you in boxes.
What are you hoping your next steps will be?
I’m constantly working on things but I guess it is fair for me to announce that I have started a business, in partnership with someone. We’re doing events, we have a bookings system/agency thing going on & we actually have a recording studio/band rehearsal space out for hire in town. It’s been pretty much word of mouth at the moment. But this is definitely another example of how a bit of funding from the Arts Council has now gone a loooooong way for me. They gave me a couple of grand during Covid to build a home studio, and with my mate, we built acoustic panels from scratch – ordered wood, and specific absorbent material, not gonna go into all the ingredients, but I’m quite proactive and resourceful – knowing that I didn’t have enough budget to buy panels, we purchased the materials and did them ourselves. We measured the whole room to get specific acoustics to know how many panels we needed and in what measurement to get the right sound with advice from some sound engineering pros. I mean, I don’t actually like math but we fully pulled it off. I mention this to give an example of how a bit of funding can go a long way for an artist like myself or other upcoming/emerging artists
Obviously, I’m constantly making music. I’ve just been to Spain last month to film, and Poland last weekend to perform. I’m doing okay. I’m in London every few weeks working on something too, but generally, I’m performing in the Northern Quarter every week, so that’s where Manchester can catch me. As per new music, I pretty much have featured releases every month. Solo stuff is currently in the works.
Anything upcoming that you would like to shout out?
Come see me perform – at Wilson’s Social 8 -11pm every Thursday. We’re also gonna be starting themed dance events like Salsa, Disco or Funk and Soul night with a full band on a Friday, so keep a lookout for these on my socials & hopefully see you there 🙂
What was the last event you went to?
Probably the ones I play, as I perform 2/3 times a week I have very little free time in the evenings but boy, I do have a need to go to see someone soon! H.E.R is coming to Manchester so I’m hoping to get tickets and Tyler the Creator is playing at Parklife so I’m gonna try to hustle some tickets too.
Are there any local artists/musicians/collectives that you would like to shout out?
Yes! My Polish peeps – PPZ and the Slum Dog Crew. My favourite people Guacamaya Latin band who I’ve had the pleasure of working with recently.
And finally… What’s one thing that’s happened recently that’s made you smile?
I have moved into my own flat, as in, this is the first time in my life where I’m living entirely on my own and I’m LOOOOVING it!
Interested in podcasting? Why not take a deeper dive into the world of podcasting and join Tameside Futures this May.
Tameside Futures is a 6-week programme providing bespoke support to young people 16-25 who are looking for work. Kindly funded by the Prince’s Trustand Tameside Council.
The programme includes an exciting 2-week Podcasting Bootcamp – You will learn how to develop and script a podcast, create relevant and interesting content and learn the ins and outs of audio production, social media and creative writing. You will also get the experience of producing and presenting in a live radio show, airing on Reform Radio at the end of Bootcamp.
The next four weeks to follow offer 1-1 support with wellbeing, CV writing, applications, interview prep, work placements and other flexible support to fit around you.
See the flyer below for more details.
If you are an employer and currently looking for new talent…
We are looking for organisations who are seeking to recruit new talent or who frequently work with freelancers/contractors, and those that can offer placements and interviews for our young people.
Employers must commit to between 1-5 days for young people to get hands-on experience in their organisation and meet their teams.
The ambition of the Sustainable Futures Fund is not only to support young people at a time of great need but to enable Greater Manchester to come out of the pandemic looking confidently into the future – aligning with a clear plan for growing industries providing sustainable, good quality, ‘future-focused’ jobs in the region – The Prince’s Trust
Please contact mike@reformradio.co.uk if you are interested or would like more information.
China Lilly stepped up to the mic for this instalment of Raise The Bar, joining Jorgy and Cheechontheir show.
China used her time during lockdown to create music, coming up with the smoothest fusions of contemporary R&B, Soul and Rap. As the co-owner of record label Sindysplace and the main attraction of the Channel 4 Documentary – “You Do You” – China is taking the MCR scene by storm.
Here she makes her Reform debut, showing off her beautiful voice and smooth lyricism in the studio.
We are so excited to announce the launch of our first ever morning show, The Get Up, which will broadcast from Monday 28th of March 2022.
Live from 10 – 12pm every weekday morning, ‘The Get Up’, hosted by Yelena Lashimba, offers a daily dose of positivity, designed to gently ease you into the day with an uplifting mix of music and chat. There will also be healthy points of discussion from across the community, with audiences invited to get involved in the conversation via Reform Radio’s online chat box. Director Sam Oliveira, spoke of his excitement for the upcoming launch.
“This will be the first time in over eight years of broadcasting that we’ve had a daily morning show on Reform Radio. Our ambition is to make this a touch point for our community to interact with the station and learn more about the wider activity of the organisation. Yelena’s energy and passion makes her the perfect person to do this and we can’t wait for her to start”
Host Yelena Lashimba is a musician from Manchester, who first got involved with Reform Radio via our artist development programme Soundcamp. This has led to Yelena performing at a host of festivals, including the Soundcamp Showcase for Reform Radio’s virtual stage at We Out Here Festival and Manchester International Festival. Her original song ‘Toxic’ was released on Reform’s sister record label Rhythm Lab Records.
One of our main goals has always been to help young people on their journey to success and helping them into the industry they aspire to work in. Young artists and budding presenters such as Yelena, seized this great opportunity, commenting on her ambitions for the show;
“I am really excited to create a positive, fun and friendly space for people to engage with all kinds of discussion points as well as to just listen to good music. I am also looking forward to hearing other people’s opinions and opening my perspective up to the room”
Not only will the show provide daily food-for-thought, it will have a special focus on spotlighting up-and-coming talent from across the UK by working with the likes of national charity Youth Music. Other features will include In The Shadows, which explores behind the scenes roles in the music industry and routes into them.
Packed full of guest mixes, interviews and special guests, you can listen to the show every weekday morning via our website and interact directly with Yelena via the chat box. We hope you love it as much as we do!
