The Afro Celt Exhibition, curated by Mark Tremaine Agbi, is more than an art showcase — it is a journey through history, sound, and identity.
Held at Custom Lane, Edinburgh (25–27 October 2024) during Black History Month, the exhibition explores how Black music travelled to the UK, evolved through cultural exchange, and found a new rhythm in Scotland.
The story begins with the arrival of Jazz — the heartbeat of the African diaspora in Britain. In the early 20th century, the sound of swing and improvisation crossed the Atlantic, carried by pioneers like Coleridge Goode, the Jamaican-born double bassist who became a defining figure in the British jazz scene. His collaborations with artists such as Django Bates and Joe Harriott helped to lay the foundations for modern British jazz, fusing Caribbean rhythm with European expression.
By the 1980s, this legacy evolved into new movements with groups like The Jazz Warriors, who redefined Black British music through collective creativity and political awareness. Their sound, led by figures such as Courtney Pine, became a declaration of identity — echoing the voice of a generation reclaiming its roots through rhythm.
As migration from the Caribbean grew, so too did the diversity of Black music in the UK. Jamaican Blues and Calypso made their mark, soon giving rise to the invention of Ska — spearheaded by legends like Prince Buster. Ska’s upbeat tempos and horn-driven melodies would later evolve into Reggae, a genre that carried messages of resistance, unity, and faith — and one that continues to influence Scottish and British music to this day.
The exhibition captures this entire evolution through photography, illustration, and visual storytelling — tracing the migration of Black music and its transformation as it journeyed northward to Scotland. The works on display document both the historical and emotional landscape of this movement, showing how music became a vehicle for belonging and self-definition.
One of the exhibition’s striking features is the presentation of a reimagined Afro-Scot Tribe — a series of conceptual photographs and illustrations envisioning the fusion of African and Scottish identities. These works explore what it means to exist between cultures, to carry multiple heritages, and to redefine what it means to be both African and Scottish.
Through the lenses of artists such as Nkem Okwechime,and Okata, and in collaboration with The Black Music Institute at the University of Westminster, The Afro Celt Exhibition offers an immersive, reflective experience — connecting past to present, and sound to identity.
This is not just an exhibition; it is a visual symphony of migration and creativity — honouring the pioneers like Coleridge Goode and Sir Geoff Palmer, and celebrating the new generation carrying the Afro Celt vision forward.
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