MUSIC HISTORY OF CAMDEN

 

 

 

Written by: André Hazel    6 June 2018

 

London is a culturally rich city that throughout the years has

had a lot of influence on western society.

Until this day it remains one of the biggest cities in Europe.

 

Most people are excited to see the Big Ben or The London Eye

when they visit the city.

To my surprise I came along a Big Ben covered in scaffolding,

but London is big and filled with other attractions, so there is more

to see than just one of the most well-known structures in the world.

One of the interesting locations is in the Northern part of the city,

an area called Camden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by: André Hazel (The Twin Locks at Camden Locks)

 

 

How it all started

 

The area is named after Charles Pratt, a lawyer and politician from

the 18th century.

He played a key role in the development of the settlement on the area

that is now known as Camden.

 

Camden Town is a community filled with music history.

It is a place where people from different cultures collided and even

joined together or fought each other constantly.

It was also the hang out place for music icons.

 

Camden is a district located in the northwest part of London.

This area is enriched with music history.

Considered a melting pot, where punk rockers came together with Rastafarian and hippies.

Even “Bob Marley,” the legendary reggae artist from Jamaica,

had a temporary home in Camden.

One artist that has had an essential role in the music scene,

especially in this part of London, is Amy Winehouse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by: André Hazel (Statue of Amy Winehouse at Camden Market)

 

 

The legendary Amy Winehouse

 

Described by many as one of the most soul enriched artist of our generation has walked the streets of Camden, even taking on the role as bartender while she was just spending her time in bars in the neighborhood.

Places like Dublin’s Castle and Good Mixer were common places

where you could find her hanging out with friends or even performing live.

 

To not wake up after a night sleep is by all means

a tragic story.

This is unfortunately exactly what happened to Amy Winehouse in 2012.

She was only 27 years old of age and can be considered a member

of the so-called “27 club,”

a group of people, which features legendary artists that didn't make it

past the age of 27.

 

 

Other activities in the Camden area

 

Another interesting place for live music in Camden is “Dingwalls.”

Located in front of the Camden Lock on the Regent Canal,

which was a very important development area for Camden Town back

in the late 19th century.

The punk rock band “Sex Pistols” performed regularly at this venue.

 

Other artists that were spending time in Camden Town were Oasis and Blur.

Two bands who had a very big rivalry in the Brit-pop scene during the rise

of the Brit-pop 90’s era.

 

Camden is a place where cultures blended and collided.

It is also a place where icons were made through mixture and cultural differences that eventually influenced international music.

 

 

 

 

Written by: André Hazel    6 June 2018

 

 

 

Write your experience of Camden in the comment section below...