Series 3: Afro-Psychedelia

In our third series, we leave the Anglo-sphere and embark on an epic global journey in search of deep psychedelic music of the 1960s and 1970s. Tim and Jeremy introduce the idea of ‘Afro-Psychedelia’ as a relation of Afro-Futurism, using Paul Gilroy’s description of the Black Atlantic to call music cultures from Africa and the Caribbean, as well as South America, into conversation with Black musicians living and working within the United States who are exploring the psychedelic aesthetic.

We spend a good deal of time on the island of Jamaica, listening to Rocksteady, Reggae and Dub while hearing about the experience of winning independence and the election of the Socialist leader Michael Manley; we also enjoy the rich musical expressions of smaller islands in the Caribbean, including two satellites of the American Mainland, Cuba and Puerto Rico; and of course we talk about Miles, Alice and John Coltrane, and other shining lights of American Afro-Psychedelia.

Listen along to the series with our Spotify playlist here.