One would not think of Croydon as a cultural hub, with its museum within the town hall, its theatre which resembles a 70's sport centre and its "magnificent" music venues. I won't even start on clubs like Tiger Tiger or Reflex, as these kind of places sicken me.
But after digging a bit more, you can discover a rich musical history emerging from this borough of London. Artists who were born here, raised here or who went to school here! This article revisits the minds which have been influenced by our beloved Croydon.
Birthplace of a Genre
I was amazed to hear that Croydon is the birthplace of a music genre: Dubstep! One of my favourite electronic music genres.
A small record shop named Big Apple situated in the fruit market street was a firm supporter of this new emerging scene. Croydon, with the help of Big Apple, gave birth to the likes of Adegbenga Adejumo a.k.a. Benga and Oliver Jones a.k.a. Skream, both still extremely influential in today's music scene.
BRIT School of Performing Arts
This legendary art school based in Croydon gave us some of the greatest artists of the 21st century. Among its extensive list of graduates you can find Katie Melua with her mesmerizing voice, Kate Nash and her eccentric performances, the unforgettable Amy Winehouse, or even the lead singer of The Kooks: Luke Pritchard.
Rock
Jeff Beck: This god of guitar began his musical career in Croydon with the band the Rumbles.
Raymond Burns a.k.a. Captain Sensible was part of the punk rock band The Damned.
Matthew Fisher, organist for Procol Harum and composer of the magnificent Whiter Shade of Pale was born in Croydon!
Other Notable Croydoners
Desmond Dekker: Legendary Ska musician who lived in Thornton Heath.
Neil Fraser a.k.a. Mad Professor is a great dub producer.
Chris Reed a.k.a. Plastician is BBC Radio One's Dubstep & Grime DJ/Producer.
In more recent news, a new Croydon artist named Lxury is keeping the dream alive with his post-dubstep vibe. A must-listen!
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