Paris-Londres. Music Migrations (1962-1989)
The mobile exhibition Paris-Londres. Music Migrations was taken from the temporary exhibition held at the Musée National de l’Histoire de l’Immigration in Paris in 2019. It highlights the role played by musical movements as vectors of protest during a period of three decades that saw hundreds of thousands of men and women settle in France and the UK, coming from the colonies and former colonies of the two countries.
International migrations and, in particular, post-colonial immigrations are often viewed solely from an economic angle, reduced to work-driven migrations. Even though immigrants settle in a country for economic reasons, they influence the society that they settle in, for however long they stay, and in various sectors: culinary, intellectual, non-profit, linguistic, religious, urban, political, artisanal and musical.
Paris and London are the capitals of two former colonial empires, and today they are hubs of economic and social power. As immigration centres, the cosmopolitan nature of the two cities has forged their identities and their cultural influence across the world.
From the early 1960s to the late 1980s, many different musical trends linked to migration flows transformed Paris and London into multi-cultural capitals. The mobile exhibition crosses these three decades that played a decisive role in the musical history of the two cities, stirring up a whole new melting pot of musical rhythms connected to social and political change and urban transformation.
From Desmond Dekker’s ska to the borderless punk of Rachid Taha via the afro-reggae of Alpha Blondy, Paris-Londres explores the dense, complex ties between migrations, music, anti-racist struggles and political mobilisation.
The objectives of Paris-Londres, music migrations (1962-1989)
- Trace the migratory, colonial and post-colonial trajectories of this period towards Paris and London and the experience of discrimination in the integration process.
- Present the different styles of music that serve as the cultural expression of these immigrant populations, along with circulation, exchange and influence on other music styles.
- Analyse the link between all this music, some of it protest music, and the activist mobilisation around living conditions and the struggle against discrimination and police violence.
The exhibition is designed to be presented in multimedia libraries, academic establishments, cultural or social facilities run by regional authorities and non-profits. A set of education resources and mediation and communications tools are available to assist with organising the exhibition.
Available resources
- 7 banners with grommets (200 x 200 cm) and freestanding supports
- 1 multimedia terminal (140 x 80 x 80 cm) / 143 kg (optional)
- Available in 2 languages: French and English