Dr Mykaell Riley, Director of the BMRU, saw his work take him to Northern Ireland last month. He was invited to attend the Imagine! Belfast Festival, speaking on a panel titled “Songs of Freedom”. The panel “delves into the history of these iconic sounds, exploring their impact on Belfast culture and beyond, and why they continue to resonate with us on a personal level.” (source: imaginebelfast.com).
Mykaell’s professional experience made him well placed to sit on this panel. As a founding member of the Grammy Award winning British roots Reggae band Steel Pulse, Mykaell’s work has encompassed TV, film and theatre, resulting in over 11 UK top twenty positions, and three UK number ones. This includes work on Soul 2 Soul and Mark Morrison. He also formed Britain’s first Black pop string section, the Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra. He was able to bring this wealth of expertise to the discussion, which featured fellow academic Dr Kim Spence and music industry professionals Joseph Ricketts and Siobhan Brown.
