The Music is Black

A special mix curated by composer Segun Akinola celebrating Black British composers and performers.

As part of the BBC’s collaboration with the V&A East Museum's The Music is Black, Radio 3 commissioned Segun to write a new orchestral piece inspired by the exhibition. Showcased across the week on Radio 3, 'On the Shoulders of Aunties and Uncles' pays tribute to past generations of musicians across musical genres.

In this specially curated episode of the Classical Mixtape, Segun shares some of his favourite music by Black British artists, including cellist Sheku and pianist Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, pianist-composer Alexis Ffrench, and double-bassist Leon Bosch, plus music by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor performed by Chineke! Orchestra, and Segun's own scores for BBC television series: the six-part nature documentary Kingdom, and Black and British: A Forgotten History.