Bristol Reggae Orchestra is a collective of local musicians, who all love reggae!
We draw our musical influences from reggae, ska, jazz and classical music and play a mixture of our own original tunes and arrangements of well known classics, from the likes of Bob Marley and Lord Tanamo. We meet every other Monday evening in the Malcom X Centre, St Pauls.
Our members have various musical backgrounds and experiences and we believe our orchestra is one of the UK’s most unique, inspiring and uplifting community projects.
Set up in early 2010, our debut concert sold out St George’s in Bristol - a renowned classical music venue - and turned it into a seething dance hall. Since then, performances at local festivals, in the St Paul’s community and around the South West have confirmed that the Bristol Reggae Orchestra is joyous to watch.
We have performed to crowds of thousands at events such as Bristol Harbour Festival and Glastonbury Festival, as well as a variety of venues across Bristol and the South West. Wherever we play, people love our particular blend of toe-tapping, crowd-pleasing world music with commanding solos and an infectious beat!
We also perform with our sister group, Bristol Windrush Reggae Choir.
Rhythm of the Windrush
Bristol's Rhythm of the Windrush follows the Bristol Reggae Orchestra and the Bristol Windrush Reggae Choir. The film explores the impact that Windrush descendents have had on Bristol's cultural fabric and beyond.Through themes such as reggae music, the area of St Paul's carnival, the groups' performance at Glastonbury Festival and more, we learn about the members' rich musical history and their motivations for continuing the legacy of the Windrush generation.
The film is soundtracked by the groups' very own studio recordings and live performances.
