London Sounds Eastern
Encyclopedia
London Sounds Eastern was one of the most popular ethnic
minority
radio program's on the BBC
. It was presented by Vernon Corea
and produced by Keith Yeomans.
in 1976. London Sounds Eastern created broadcasting history in the United Kingdom, it was the first ever Asian programme in English, on the BBC . Until the launch of 'London Sounds Eastern,' Asian radio programmes in the United Kingdom were mostly in the Hindi and Urdu languages.
from Sri Lanka. It even featured music from China
and Singapore
.
Vernon Corea, presenter of London Sounds Eastern was appointed Asian Programmes Officer of the BBC and trained broadcasters from minority ethnic communities for the BBC Local Radio
network. Among those who sought advice on a career in radio was the BBC TV Presenter George Alagiah
. Vernon Corea went on to be the BBC's Ethnic Minorities Adviser.
, Asha Bhosle
, Usha Uthup
, Ravi Shankar
, Pandith Amaradeva
, Asian actress Jamila Massey
and her husband the writer Reginald Massey, Clarence Wijewardene, Annesley Malewana
, Mignonne Fernando
, Nimal Mendis
, The Gypsies, Desmond de Silva
were some of the South Asian stars on 'London Sounds Eastern.' Their music reached new audiences in London and hundreds of fans wrote in to BBC Radio London. Vernon Corea featured the different sounds of the Indian sub-continent, from ragaas to contemporary baila.
. Ravi Shankar
was among the celebrities interviewed by Vernon Corea for London Sounds Eastern.
Listen to the BBC Radio London Jingles from the 1970s - 1980s:
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
minority
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
radio program's on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. It was presented by Vernon Corea
Vernon Corea
Vernon Corea was a pioneer radio broadcaster with 45 years of public service broadcasting both in Sri Lanka and the UK. He joined Radio Ceylon, South Asia's oldest radio station, in 1956 and later the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation...
and produced by Keith Yeomans.
The Launching of London Sounds Eastern -BBC Radio London
The program went on the airwaves on a Sunday evening on BBC Radio London 206. It enjoyed a huge multi-cultural radio audience and was even highlighted in the BBC Radio TimesRadio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
in 1976. London Sounds Eastern created broadcasting history in the United Kingdom, it was the first ever Asian programme in English, on the BBC . Until the launch of 'London Sounds Eastern,' Asian radio programmes in the United Kingdom were mostly in the Hindi and Urdu languages.
Ethnic Minority Broadcasting on the BBC
'London Sounds Eastern' was a real breakthrough in terms of ethnic minority broadcasting. It expanded musical horizons featuring music as diverse as the gazaals of Pakistan, raagas from India and bailaBaila
Baila is a form of dance music popular on the island of Sri Lanka. The genre originated centuries ago among the 'kaffir' or Afro-Sinhalese communities and was later amalgamated with European instruments and eastern and western rhythms, especially rhythms found in Spain and northern European folk...
from Sri Lanka. It even featured music from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
Vernon Corea, presenter of London Sounds Eastern was appointed Asian Programmes Officer of the BBC and trained broadcasters from minority ethnic communities for the BBC Local Radio
BBC Local Radio
BBC Local Radio is the BBC's regional radio service for England and the Channel Islands, consisting of 40 stations. They cover a variety of areas with some serving a city and surrounding areas, for example BBC Radio Manchester; a county, for example BBC Radio Norfolk; an administrative region for...
network. Among those who sought advice on a career in radio was the BBC TV Presenter George Alagiah
George Alagiah
George Maxwell Alagiah OBE is a British newsreader, journalist and television news presenter.Since 3 December 2007, he has been the sole presenter of the BBC News at Six and has also been the main presenter of GMT on BBC World News since its launch on 1 February 2010...
. Vernon Corea went on to be the BBC's Ethnic Minorities Adviser.
South Asian Stars on the BBC
A whole host of Asian stars were featured - Lata MangeshkarLata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
, Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle is an Indian singer. She is one of the best-known and most highly-regarded Hindi playback singers in India, although she has a wider repertoire. Bhosle's career started in 1943 and has spanned over six decades. She has done playback singing for over a thousand Bollywood movies...
, Usha Uthup
Usha Uthup
Usha Uthup is a popular Indian pop, jazz and playback singer. She is well known for popular hits in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.She started her Bollywood playback career, when she sang an English verse in hit song, "Dum maro dum"" in Hare Rama Hare Krishna, and went on work with music...
, Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...
, Pandith Amaradeva
Pandith Amaradeva
Wannakuwatta Mitiwaduge Don Albert Perera , better known by his adopted name Amaradeva, is a Sri Lankan vocalist and musical composer...
, Asian actress Jamila Massey
Jamila Massey
Jamila Massey is an Indian actress and writer. Massey has had a long career on UK television and radio. She is possibly best known for playing Auntie Satya in the long running radio soap The Archers, Jamila Ranjha in Mind Your Language, and her role as Neelam Kapoor in EastEnders.-Early...
and her husband the writer Reginald Massey, Clarence Wijewardene, Annesley Malewana
Annesley Malewana
-Life and career:Malewana was born in Ratnapura , and attended St. Joseph’s College in the capital city of Colombo. Upon leaving school, he met Clarence Wijewardena, who formed the group Moonstones...
, Mignonne Fernando
Mignonne Fernando
-Introduction:Having won Radio Ceylon's Talent Contest at the age of seven, a year later she wrote her first music composition. Her father. Arnold Rutnam, was renowned for his mathematical skills, and her mother, Marie was a devoted and much loved teacher of music....
, Nimal Mendis
Nimal Mendis
Nimal Mendis is a Sri Lankan singer and songwriter. He is one of a handful of Sri Lankan musicians to make it to the BBC television programme Top of the Pops in 1968....
, The Gypsies, Desmond de Silva
Desmond de Silva
Desmond de Silva is a Sri Lankan singer and entertainer, noted for his youthful voice that has changed little over four decades of performing, and regarded as the "King of Baila." Born in Matara in southern Sri Lanka, De Silva is now resident in Great Britain and has performed to packed concert...
were some of the South Asian stars on 'London Sounds Eastern.' Their music reached new audiences in London and hundreds of fans wrote in to BBC Radio London. Vernon Corea featured the different sounds of the Indian sub-continent, from ragaas to contemporary baila.
South Asian Heads of State on the programme
Heads of State have also appeared on the radio programme among them the President of Sri Lanka. Vernon Corea, the presenter of 'London Sounds Eastern' also met with the President of the Maldives when he was invited to the islands to train Maldivian broadcasters at Radio Maldives.BBC Asian Network
The programme pioneered the way for the BBC Asian NetworkBBC Asian Network
BBC Asian Network is a British radio station serving those originating from and around the Indian subcontinent. The music and news comes out of the main urban areas where there are significant communities with these backgrounds. The station has production centres in Birmingham, Leicester and London...
. Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...
was among the celebrities interviewed by Vernon Corea for London Sounds Eastern.
Listen to the BBC Radio London Jingles from the 1970s - 1980s: