Site Of Iconic Hammersmith Record Store Awarded Blue Plaque

The site of a record shop in Hammersmith and Fulham has been awarded a blue plaque to recognise its role in the international reggae scene. Greensleeves Records was a west London record shop that led to the founding of the iconic Reggae label of the same name,  London News Online reports. 

The blue plaque will be placed on the interior wall of Shepherd’s Bush Station as part of Hammersmith and Fulham’s Black History Trail. The ceremony will take place on  the 1 July to mark International Reggae Day, and will feature live music.

Dr Jak Beula, chief executive of NJCT said: “A fundamental part of my youth, just like many people all over the UK from varying backgrounds, was spent listening to the soundtrack of reggae and dancehall classics provided by Greensleeves Records.”

He added: “We are delighted that the site on which they launch a music phenomenon be the 87th recipient of a Nubian Jak Blue Plaque.”

International Reggae Day is on 1 July, and it celebrates Jamaican musical culture. This year’s theme is “Saluting the Global Influence of 80s and 90s Dancehall: From Brukins to Bogle”. 

Dancehall is a subgenre of reggae that emerged in the late 1970s. It mixed the rhythms of traditional reggae music with pre-recorded and digital beats to create a faster and more insistent rhythm. Lyrically, tracks moved away from standard Jamaican English and made greater use of Jamaican Patois. 

Dancehall influenced other popular musical genres, including Hip Hop, Afro Beats, and Reggaeton. In the 1990s, Shabba Ranks and Bounty Killer rose to fame with dancehall style tracks. Its legacy can also be heard in the work of today’s major global stars such as Drake and Rihanna.