Photo Credit: Images originally published by Pulse Nigeria / Black History Wales Music Festival.
How Osamagbe Izevbigie Curated Black History Wales Festival to Showcase Real Black Welsh Identity
The 2024 Black History Wales Music Festival at Tramshed Cardiff has been described as more than just a concert — it was a deliberate statement about how Black Welsh music should be presented.

Curated by Osamagbe Izevbigie, the festival challenged the way institutions often package Black music heritage. Instead of putting together a random mix of acts or relying only on mainstream Afrobeats, the lineup reflected the true diversity of Black Welsh identity — spanning drill, hip-hop, grime, R&B, spoken word, alternative rock, and classical composition.

The curation thrived on contrast. Cardiff hip-hop pioneer Skunkadelic brought boom-bap and local lyricism, while Sage Todz switched between English and Welsh, blending drill and R&B. The pairing showed Black Welsh identity as fluid, bilingual, and multi-genre. In the same way, Ify Iwobi delivered disciplined classical piano arrangements, while The Honest Poet countered with raw spoken word and vocal performance — proving different genres can carry equal weight on the same stage.

Rather than sidelining new acts, the festival placed emerging artists in the heart of the lineup. Acts like Adjua, Miss Faithee, Bruna Garcia, Anwar Siziba and Dabs held key slots. Adjua expanded the sound with alternative rock and pop, Miss Faithee and Bruna Garcia added harmonic depth, while Anwar Siziba and Dabs drove the rhythm. International guest Ice Prince was integrated into the schedule without being framed as the sole headliner, keeping the spotlight on Wales-based talent.

The structure of the day was also intentional. DJs Dayday, Monique B, Mista Bibs, Pandora, Timi and AB were not used as fillers but as core parts of the flow, keeping energy alive during changeovers. Hosts Hypeman Heddie, Dave Blaque, Cruise With Bello, Bablu and Dom James connected stage and crowd, moving the event smoothly between focused listening and dance floor moments. Fashion, food and visual art installations added context without distracting from the music.

The choice of venue mattered. By staging the festival at Tramshed Cardiff — a major venue in the city’s live music circuit — instead of a peripheral community space, the organizers made a statement that Black Welsh music belongs in central cultural infrastructure, in line with the mission of Black History Wales to highlight African diaspora contributions.

More than attendance numbers, the success of the festival was in its structure: balancing genres, pacing live acts with DJs, and putting emerging local talent side-by-side with an international name. It stands as a clear example of Izevbigie’s curatorial vision — presenting Black Welsh music as rooted, evolving, and globally connected.
Source: Pulse Nigeria –