OLDIES SUNDAY: Matumbi – Empire Road (1978)

There are songs that have made an impact in the culture that may have fallen by the wayside over the years, but because of “Oldies Sunday“, they get a chance to reconnect with familiar ears, and connect with the new generation. Today, our selection comes from British Reggae Band Matumbi with the track, “Empire Road“.

Matumbi’s “Empire Road” was produced by the Band, and released it through the Harvest label in 1978. The track was a theme song from the short-lived BBC series of the same name, which was written by Guyanese-British Writer Michael Abbensetts, and starred Guyanese-British Actor Norman Beaton (Desmond’s), Trinidadian-British Actress Corrine Skinner-Carter (Eastenders), and St. Lucian-British Actor Joseph Marcell (The Fresh Prince Of Belair).

The series was set in a street in Birmingham, England called “Empire Road” that hosted a racially diverse mix of African-Caribbean, East Indian, and South Asian residents, highlighting the day to day incidents that occur there through the life of a Residential Property Landlord. The series made history as the first British Television series to be written, directed, and acted predominantly by Black Artists. The song highlights the clash of cultures from food to way of life in the community, but making a call for better living there. While the song was originally made for the TV series, it gained a lot of popularity to the point where it had to be released as an official single. The track was featured on the Band’s 1978 debut album “Seven Seals“.

Since the release of “Empire Road”, Matumbi went on to become one of the top British Reggae Bands in the 1970s and early ’80s. They released a number of singles and albums until their split in 1982, with some members having solo careers, and others joining The Cimarons and The Squad. “Empire Road” still has a place in the hearts of many, and holds a significant place in British Black History.