Soul II Soul honoured with PRS for Music heritage plaque for first live gig at the electric
Soul II Soul, one of the UK’s most successful and iconic R’n’B groups was today honoured by a PRS for Music with a Heritage Award
The Heritage Award (a black and red plaque) was mounted on the front façade of the Electric (which used to be known as The Fridge in the early ‘90s), in Brixton today (Thursday 21st June 2012) where the group fronted by the legendary, Jazzie B, played their first full live gig in 1991.
It was unveiled by members of Soul II Soul including Jazzie B, vocalist Caron Wheeler, Aitch and Q, PRS for Music Deputy Chair, Paulette Long and Shadow Business Secretary, Chukka Umunna MP for Streatham, in front of a crowd of fans and media. The unveiling was followed by an exclusive live set of the hits, 'Keep On Movin' , 'Love Enuff' and 'Get A Life' at the venue.
We are really overwhelmed by this award and appreciate everyone’s support over the years. It is ironic that it’s the Jubilee year and that's when Soul II Soul started and flourished.. during a time of recession. That's what the kids need to do today; we went from Hackney to New York and around the world. Brixton has such a special place in our story and this venue is where things really took off. We can’t wait for tomorrow night to kick off our new residency here.
It’s been an absolute privilege to have presented the Heritage Award to Soul II Soul and to the Electric. Having grown up in the Brixton area, and born just a stones throw away from the Electric, it’s fantastic to recognise one of the area’s leading musical talents who have inspired many musicians the world over, and I know that Brixton will continue to produce more artists of this calibre for us to celebrate.”
Soul II Soul’s impact on British music was astounding. The first ever gig I went to was seeing them at Brixton Academy in the early 90’s. For such a legendary band, Soul II Soul haven’t always had the recognition they deserve. It is fantastic that we can honour a home-grown London band in this way and celebrate the fantastic local music venues and thriving scene that make our live gigs and contribution to music the envy of the rest of the UK.
Photo credits: Warren King (Live photos from event today) and Dolby (B&W 1980s photo of Soul II Soul)
Notes to editors
About Soul II Soul:
Soul II Soul has sold over 6.8 million albums worldwide. Jazzie has accreditation on over 35 million albums in over 100 territories and has appeared at some of the most famous venues in the world including Wembley and New York’s Universal Amphitheatre. In 1990 they picked up two Grammy Awards and Jazzie B was given the keys to seven cities in the US, including LA and New York. In May 2008 Jazzie, “the man who gave British black music a soul of its own” won the Ivor Novello Award for inspiration. The same month Jazzie B was awarded an OBE for services to music by Her Majesty the Queen
About PRS for Music Heritage Award
PRS for Music set up the Heritage Awards in 2009 to recognise the unusual ‘performance birthplaces’ of famous bands and artists. Soul II Soul and the cutting-edge south London scene have contributed significantly to shaping the British music landscape and hold huge nostalgic significance to thousands of fans. Previous awardees include Blur, Elton John, Snow Patrol, James, Jethro Tull, James and UB40.
