BRENT HEROES

Click through the list below to find out about the achievements of these heroes from the Black community with a connection to Brent.

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Carl Palmer

Commonly known as Mr P, Carl Palmer is the youngest of the three Palmer brothers who founded the Pama label and shop in 1968. He took sole charge of the business when Pama changed to Jet Star in the late 1970s. He continues to run what is now the biggest reggae specialist music business in Britain.

Carlton 'Bubblers' Olgivie

Carlton “Bubblers” Ogilvie is best known as one of the founding members of the Ruff Cutt Band – Europe’s Premier Reggae Backing Band. Bubblers played on and produced tracks on Maxi Priest No. 1 American Billboard hit album “Bonifide” and Aswad hit album “Rise & Shine” including the hit single “Shine”. Bubblers music credits also includes working on projects with Sly & Robbie, Suggs (Madness), Simply Red, Annie Lennox (Eurhymics), Beres Hammond, Beenie Man, Sinead O’Connor and the legendary Sugarhill Gang. Bubblers played on and co-produced Barrington Levi’s songs, Here I Come, Too Experience, Dancehall Rock and Living Dangerously and he has played keyboards on over 15 albums for Jetstar. To list all the reggae artists Bubblers has backed with the Ruff Cutt Band in the last 35 years will go on and on, to put it simply there are few artist that he hasn’t worked with. Recently through his own production company (Nu-Edge Productions), Bubblers has released the “Big Frock Riddim” featuring Carrol Thompson, Victor Romeo Evans, Empress Ayeola, Tru-Identity, Don Campbell, Paulette Tajah and Chaka Demus & Pliers.

Carroll Thompson

Carroll Thompson shares the Queen Of Lovers Rock crown with her friend Janet Kay, on acc­ount of her genre-breaking album, Hopelessly In Love,1980, which included the title track and 'I'm So Sorry', two lovers rock classics. She provided vocals on Courtney Pine’s Closer to Home album, resulting in a 1990 hit single ‘I’m still waiting’. She continues to perform on the lovers rock circuit.

Charmaine Simpson

Between 1999 and 2003, Charmaine attended the University of Hertfordshire where gained a 1st class degree in Economics. Following the birth of her daughter, she founded Black History Studies with her husband Mark Simpson. Charmaine has over 10 years of experience working in both the public and voluntary sectors at both local and national levels. An experienced Youth Worker, Charmaine has worked with disaffected young people in a variety of settings for the London Borough of Brent and Crime Concern in Wembley and Harlesden.

Passionate about Black History, she is currently working on a variety of projects to teach Black History to children. In December 2010, Charmaine created a series of free resources to accompany the new children’s book ‘The Great and Mighty Wall.’

Charmaine Simpson is a passionate Personal Finance Coach and Financial Educator and is the Executive Vice President of a Financial Education Company. Focused on helping clients achieve financial wellbeing by teaching, empowering and inspiring clients to identify their goals and help them find practical solutions to money challenges and ultimately live the life they want to live. Charmaine works with clients who want to save money, create a budget, pay off debt or just improve their financial literacy in general.

Clary Salandy

Clary Salandy was born in Trinidad but has lived and worked in the UK since she was 16, being one of the founders of Mahogany Carnival Arts for Notting Hill in 1990. She is now one of the UK’s leading carnival designers, and has worked on major events such as the Queen’s Golden Jubilee procession and the opening ceremony for the Special Olympics in Leicester in 2009. Carnival is clearly a passion for her, both because of its Caribbean history and its life-enhancing democratic appeal and she says, ‘Carnival is a visual, dynamic, larger-than-life way of working.’

Claudette & Paulette Patterson

Twin sisters Paulette & Claudette Patterson were members of lover's rock group Prediction.

In 1985, the girls formed themselves into a duo & signed to Jam Today Records. The main track was ‘Dazzle You’ & the girls toured the country, performing in clubs & giving radio interviews.

Sadly, on June 15, 2007, Paulette Patterson passed away.

Clement Bushay

Clement 'Clem' Bushay is a record producer who also ran Bushay’s record label. He produced Tapper Zukie’s debut album before moving on to become a well known lovers rock producer working with Janet Kay, Louisa Mark and Junior English.

Cleveland 'Popsy' Deer

Popsy runs Starlight Records, based at 17 Craven Park Road in Harlesden. This shop, was part of Trojan/B&C’s Musik city retail outlets.

City retail outlets. When the Trojan/B&C companies folded, a trio, including present day manager Popsy, took it over in 1976. A reggae-focused stockist, it also sold its own releases on the Starlight, Black Music and Black Joy labels. In 2019 Popsy and Roy ‘Hawkeye’ Forbes-Allen (of Hawkeye Records, the only other remaining record store in Harlesden) were honoured with International Reggae Day/ British Black Music Month awards for still being in business for over 40 years. Popsy also ran the record label Starlight Records, with Desmond Bryan, the owners of the Starlight record shop. In addition to releasing reggae material produced by the label owners, they were the outlet for many Jamaican producers, such as Prince Jammy, Winston Riley, and Bunny Lee, which were spread across the Starlight, Black Joy and Black Music labels.

Cllr Abdifatah Aden

Mayor of Brent 2022-23. Abdifatah Aden has lived and worked in Brent since 1990s. Abdi became interested in fostering community development and cohesion leading him to become involved with local politics; standing in his first local election in 2010. He has been councillor for Stonebridge ward since 2018 and has been involved with many committees focused on improving the borough. He was appointed Mayor of Brent for 2022-2023.

Cllr Michael Adeyeye

Michael Adeyeye was born in Nigeria, has lived in Brent since 1970. He was a ward councillor for Queen’s Park 2010 - 2014, and served as Mayor of Brent 2012-13.

Cllr Bertha Joseph

Bertha Joseph was Brent's first Black Mayor in 1998-99. She was appointed the role again from 2006-2007.

Cllr Bobby Thomas

Mayor of Brent 2013-14.

Cllr Joyce Bacchus M.B.E., J.P

Mayor of Brent 2000-1.

Colin Brown (Cee Bee)

Colin Brown of CeeBee Multimedia first started entertaining people around 1975 when his dad asked him to play the music at one of his numerous house parties. He later progressed to playing music in and around London on his sound system The Mighty 3 Hi–Fi with his co-owners. He was both a selector and MC. Their sound system was at its peak in the 1980’s playing alongside sounds like: Saxon International, Nasty Rocker, Stixman, BMW, Addis-

Colin Robinson

Colin is known as a Reggae music entrepreneur and producer and has also (in collaboration with others promoted a number of high profile shows, particularly in the 1980s and 90s. He has worked as a manager and agent for various Reggae artists as well as working with other producers. He has over thirty years experience in the Reggae music industry.

Courtney Pine CBE

Courtney Pine CBE is a British jazz musician. He went to Kingsbury High School, where he learnt to play the clarinet. At 14, Pine taught himself how to play the saxophone. In 1986, aged 22, Pine found fame when his first album Journey to the Urge Within entered the UK Top 40 charts. Pine’s music mixes jazz with hip-hop, garage and reggae beats, bringing jazz into the mainstream.

Cyrille Regis MBE

Cyrille Regis was a professional football player for West Bromwich Albion and Coventry City. Born in French Guiana, Regis moved to Stonebridge as a child. He attended Cardinal Hinsley School in Harlesden, where he showed great promise in football and went on to represent the borough in the Brent boys’ team. As a dual English and French citizen, Regis was eligible to play for both countries but chose to represent England. Regis was the third black footballer to play for England. He trained as an electrician, and only stopped working in the trade when he became a professional footballer.

Cyrlene Braithwaite

Cyrlene Braithwaite's previous works in the UK include being a team leader, teacher, assessor, working with adult offenders & ex-offenders. In 2013 she started a monthly showcase in Leicester called City Link-Up Unsigned which was followed in 2015 by her first Britain’s Got Reggae event. Britain’s Got Reggae (BGR) offers a syncopated spin on the popular television franchise and aims to give unsigned UK reggae artists opportunities and exposure in a competitive field.