Have Your Say – Harlesden Walk of Music Project

Figure 1. Sonny Roberts being interviewed by a BBC Presenter outside Orbitone Record Shop, Station Rd, Harlesden NW10

To select the names of notable Reggae artists, bands and musicians from the 1960s-1990s on commemorative Paving Stones (e.g., like the Camden High Street Music Walk of Fame or Hollywood in California’s Walk of Fame). The project will celebrate Harlesden as the "Reggae & Alternative Music Capital of Britain" and demonstrate the immense contribution of the Windrush generation.

The survey will allow local stakeholders in Harlesden and the Brent area (e.g., residents, businesses, voluntary/charity organisations, Housing Associations and NHS providers) to choose notable Reggae artists, bands and musicians. The project will install 12 paving stones celebrating and commemorating famous Reggae artists, bands and musicians that have become trailblazers, influencers, innovators and have a local attachment to the area.

The project called the ‘Harlesden Walk of Music & Reggae Mural’ will be funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). Harlesden Bassline community group are co-designing the project with Brent Council.

We want the local community to decide what Reggae artists, bands and musicians should be celebrated on four specially designed paving stones. The other eight have already been decided via a robust research process (see below explanation).

Your choices must relate to:

Artists, bands and musicians that were operating between the 1960s and 1990s.

The start of the Walk will be outside Orbitone Records, Station Road (one of the first shops to sell Reggae & Alternative Music Records in London) and end outside the Picture Palace in Manor Park Road, NW10.

All the paving stones will be installed outside previous or existing record shops and key Harlesden locations (inc. Mahogany Carnival Design London, Harlesden Library & Picture Palace).

The No Bass Like Home Reggae Heroes of Brent have already been chosen by a thorough process of achievement recognition and elimination. Therefore, please don’t chose the following choices:

·      Hawkeye Records

·      Starlight Records

·      Jet Star Records

·      Trojan Records

·      Delroy Washington

·      Dennis Brown

·      Sonny Roberts

·      Cimarons

Survey closing dates: Sunday 5th October 11:59pm

A decision will be made in mid-October 2025 as to the Reggae artists, bands and musicians to be chosen for the Walk of Music celebratory/commemorative paving stones.

For further information contact: HarlesdenLegacy@brent.gov.uk