The Box is a major cultural and heritage attraction and archive, which opened in Plymouth’s city centre in September 2020. Its collection, formally the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA), is the regional film archive for the South West of England, comprising the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and Television South West (TSW). It also includes a significant number of donated film collections dating back to the early 1890s.
This film is part of Free
Video Player is loading.
Osibisa Musical Group
Ghanaian led Afro-Caribbean band spread infectious rhythms of world music at Plymouth’s Frankfort Gate.
In partnership with:
Overview
Ghanaian and Afro-Caribbean band Osibisa was founded in 1969 by Teddy Osei. Osei arrived in London on a scholarship to study music. Osei and his brother Mac Tontoh had a 1958 hit song Pete Pete in West Africa. Osei uses the musical genre Highlife combining traditional Akan music with Western instruments. The original line-up was Sol Amarfio on drums, Grenadian Spartacus R on bass guitar, Trinidadian Robert Bailey on keyboard and Antiguan Wendell Richardson on lead guitar.
Nigerians Mike Odumosu, Fred Coker and Lasisi Amao also joined. In 1971 the debut album OSIBISA hit the UK charts and the band toured the world becoming one of the first groups to be linked to the world music description. Paul Golly, Daku Adams or Potato and Kiki Gyan were also members of the band. In 1996 Osei reformed the band and they continue to perform and produce. Osibisa brands itself as criss-cross rhythms that explode with happiness. The word for Highlife is osibisaba in the Fante dialect spoken by the Akan people of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire and the most likely origin of the band name. Their style influences many of the emerging African musicians and Mac’s son Frank Tontoh is in the Fourth Generation Osibisa.
Related
Watch for free
Ballet Black Ballet Black
Documentary 1986 85 mins
Stephen Dwoskin brings together members of the Ballet Negres dance company, founded in London in 1946.
Watch for free
Steel 'n' Skin Steel 'n' Skin
Performance 1979 36 mins Location: Liverpool
Black music and culture in the community
Watch for free
London Line No. 113 London Line No. 113
Cinemagazine 1966 14 mins Location: Sevenoaks
If your interests happen to include rainwear, concrete in Africa, science in Sevenoaks, and gbedu drum music, then this is your lucky day...
Watch for free
Divide and Rule - Never! Divide and Rule - Never!
Documentary 1978 41 mins
Young working class Londoners fight racism with the power of rock and reggae in this anarchic documentary.
Watch for free
Grove Carnival Grove Carnival
Documentary 1981 18 mins Location: Notting Hill
West London echoes to the sound of reggae and steel pans in this kaleidoscopic record of the 1980 Notting Hill Carnival.
Watch for free
Black Theatre of Brixton Black Theatre of Brixton
Documentary 1975 12 mins
Interesting doc following the Black Theatre of Brixton, which produced more black plays in two years than the whole of English theatre had in the previous twenty-five.
Watch for free
Dingles of Plymouth Dingles of Plymouth
Advert 1960 1 mins Location: Plymouth
A charming regional commercial for Plymouth’s best loved department store.
Watch for free
Millbay Laundry Millbay Laundry
Advert 1960 0 mins Location: Plymouth
Help keep your relationship on track by outsourcing your laundry!
Watch for free
Model Clipper Sailor Model Clipper Sailor
Current affairs 1965 2 mins Location: Plymouth
Former shipwright turns his talents to model-making.
Watch for free
Comely Caviar Comely Caviar
Current affairs 1984 1 mins Location: Plymouth
Reporter tests the theory of caviar heightening libido.
Watch for free
Last Cooper Last Cooper
Current affairs 1967 5 mins Location: Plymouth
The last apprenticed cooper in the Royal Navy’s Royal William Victualling Yard undergoes a trusso, an ancient rite of passage.
Watch for free
Liberté Liner Liberté Liner
Current affairs 1961 5 mins Location: Plymouth
Cruising into the history books SS Liberté makes its final voyage stopping at Plymouth en route to Le Havre.
Watch for free
If I Make It To The Morning If I Make It To The Morning
Drama 2024 9 mins
A Chinese teenager dreams of living with her cool aunt in New York, until tensions boil over during a crab dinner.
Watch for free
We’ll Go Down in History We’ll Go Down in History
Documentary 2025 25 mins
Two years in the life of TRUK United FC, a beacon for positive change and trans inclusivity in football.
Watch for free
Wrong Bathroom Wrong Bathroom
Drama 2024 9 mins
A trans high-schooler is tempted by toxic masculinity in the boys’ bathroom.
Watch for free
Dragfox Dragfox
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2024 8 mins
A child struggling with their identity and a charismatic fox (voiced by Sir Ian McKellen) learn to embrace their differences in this heart warming stop-motion animation.
Watch for free
Wait, Wait, Now! Wait, Wait, Now!
Drama 2024 13 mins
A Maori and a Kiwi teen buddy up to raid their mum’s wardrobe and pucker their lips with red.
Watch for free
NGGAK!!! NGGAK!!!
Drama 2024 8 mins
‘I pronounce you wife and wife.’ A young couple design their perfect wedding online, but then mum dials in.