AZEEMA FM Global Sounds presents: Dalila

Programmed by Jameela Elfaki

We welcome London based DJ and actress Dalila to AZEEMA FM. As we approach Notting Hill Carnival which is a celebration of Caribbean culture, Dalila pays homage to Reggae, its subgenres Dub and sound system culture which is reminiscent of her childhood and Jamaican culture.

“When people meet me, they immediately ask about my cultural roots and are confused when they discover both of my parents are Jamaican and they were born there. They don’t understand how someone can look like me and be Jamaican and black and mixed.

On my mother’s side, my grandma was Indian and my granddad was black. On my father’s side, my grandmother is half Indian and half black and my grandfather is half black and half Syrian. All of these people, and their various cultures, were born and raised in Jamaica, as were the generations that preceded them.

An unspoken atrocity of colonialism is the miseducation and misunderstanding of Caribbean people amongst the black British diaspora. Due to a complicated history, the Caribbean is so incredibly diverse and the spectrum of people is wide. Even though the British Empire occupied Jamaica for over 300 years, it is arguable that Jamaican history - and the rest of the other islands - are a part of British history. Gatekeeping information of who we are and the diversities within that is a form of oppression and as part of the black British diaspora, we need to have an understanding of that in order to self educate and progress forward.

This also highlights that all Caribbean people are of a mixed heritage. Whether that is immediate like me or further down the generational line. Let’s not forget slavery too - my last name is McFarlane-Martin.

We never learn about the Indian indentured merchants or Chinese labourers who migrated to the islands in the reign of the British Empire. My current favourite Dancehall artist, Shensea, who is black and Chinese mixed, is never questioned about her diverse heritage or blackness. But here in Hackney, in London, where I was born and raised, and still reside, it has been a topic of discussion in our black British community for my entire life.

To be black, mixed and Caribbean is an inherent spectrum of diversity. As the Jamaican motto goes, ‘Out of many, one people.’

How did you get into Music and DJing?

I have loved music from a very early age. Throughout my life, I have had many eras where I connected with different subcultures and genres. This has made me so open to appreciating world wide sounds.

My first memories of music are singing with my family around the house, something I was always excited to participate in. We’d practice harmonies and ad libbing our favourite Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey songs. I sang in school, solo and in the choir, for most of my childhood and teenage years.

In my secondary school friendship group, we would often have house parties and drink ups and I would always take control of the music. I knew which songs would gass up my friends and it would always make the vibes lit. By the time I was 16/17 years old, I had a feeling that I wanted to explore DJing, but I didn’t have anyone to aspire to, who looked like me or had a similar background, so it seemed completely out of reach. I went on to Uni and became very confident, borderline cocky, doing aux cable DJing at house parties and even on long car journeys. When I came back to London, I decided it was something I couldn’t avoid anymore and I wanted to learn how to mix. Big up always to Pxssy Palace and Skye and Nadine for helping me get my feet off of the ground.

The pictures from my archive are of me and my family both here in London and in Jamaica. The people depicted are my grandparents, my aunty Avs, my sister Shani and my mum. These images represent who I am and where I come from. These two places are part of my identity; London is my home and Jamaica is my heart.

(1) My mum and aunty as teenagers hanging out outside of their home in Clapton, Hackney in the 1970s.

(2) My sister and I at Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica.

(3) My mum and aunty playing their respective instruments as part of The Salvation Army in the 1960s.

(4) Me as a baby with my grandma holding me in Jamaica.

(5) My grandparents in London in the 1960s. No words will ever be able to explain the gratitude I have for them for embarking on a life changing journey for the future generations of our family to have the best opportunities in life.

“As Carnival is a celebration of Caribbean culture, I wanted to pay homage to Reggae, its subgenre Dub and sound system culture. They are integral to the progression of many different genres and subgenres we collectively appreciate today. From Punk, Hip-Hop, Garage, Grime and even House.

Dub, which was founded in the late 1960s and early 1970s, is instrumental remixes of reggae songs that are manipulated using reverb and echoing. It is argued that dub creators used echo and reverb to elicit memories of African culture in their listeners in postcolonial Jamaica.

Sound systems are a pivotal aspect of carnival here in the UK. Always on a side road, I often seek them out. I love the feeling of the bassline echoing in my chest as the sun beats down on my head. The pace is slower and the energy is powerful. The music is transcendent - spiritual - and I feel connected. To myself. To the music. To my ancestors.

I have selected songs that are reminiscent of my childhood and my culture. Choosing these songs reminded me of loud speaker boxes, bodies caught in the momentum of the vibe and jerk sizzling on the drum.

Let’s big up Jamaica and the offerings she endlessly supplies to the world.”

Tracklist:

Rude Boy - Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry & Prince Jammy

Zion Gate Dub - King Tubby
My Love Is True - Sugar Minott
Your Teeth In My Neck - Scientist Police In Helicopter - John Holt
Cocaine - Sly & The Revolutionaries
Never Give Your Heart Away - Carlton And The Shoes Kunta Kinte Dub - The Revolutionaries
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner Dub - Black Uhuru Meditation Dub - Augustus Pablo
Cool Meditation - Third World
Asylum of Dub - Mad Professor
Deliverance - Protoje
King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown - Augustus Pablo Drum Song Dub - Scientist
Youths Dem Cold - Richie Spice
Satta Dub - Augustus Pablo