Celebrated author Derek Bardowell walks us through his latest book – Fire Inna Dancehall, which traces the collision of sound, style and struggle that created one of the most influential cultural movements of the past half-century. From inner city Kingston to the council estates of London, ex-reggae columnist Derek Bardowell charts the rise, triumphs, controversies and tragedies of a space where joy and resistance share the same rhythm.

Blending in-depth social history and journalistic insight with the movement’s revolutionary spirit, Bardowell explores how the pulse of dancehall speaks to migration, masculinity, faith, freedom and the ongoing fight for self-determination to reveal how a sound became a global language of liberation.

For The UnMuseum, these histories offer an important opportunity to explore how music functions as a form of cultural heritage, carrying stories of migration, identity, resistance, and belonging across generations and geographies. Hosting this conversation in the heart of St Paul's, a community with a rich and enduring musical and cultural legacy, creates a powerful connection between the global histories explored in Fire Inna Dancehall and Bristol's own Black cultural landscape.