Black Welsh musicians often “forgotten” due to Dame Shirley Bassey, says new documentary
nme.comDame Shirley Bassey.Created by the BBC, the new documentary is titled Black Music Wales and explores the experiences shared by Black musicians hailing from Wales – particularly how they are often “forgotten” due to the success of Bassey.Fronted by Newport rapper Lemfreck, the programme also delves into the history of Welsh black music and sees how it has evolved from the late 1800s up until the current day.“Recognition for black Welsh musicians hasn’t been helped by the fact that there’s one very famous singer who overshadows everybody,” Lemfreck said.It also features an appearance from DJ and broadcaster Kervin Julien, who added: “I think because Shirley Bassey is one of the most famous singers to come from Wales – too many singers are all forgotten about.“I’m not going to disrespect Shirley Bassey in any shape or form.
She’s an absolute legend but let’s just get it right, [but] sometimes it sounds like the only thing we’ve ever had is Shirley Bassey.”Singer, songwriter and producer Dionne Bennett also agreed in the documentary, adding that she was frequently put in the same category as the music icon, despite their music being nothing alike.“Why are we still talking about Shirley Bassey?” she said.
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