ELEVATE YOUR SOUND AT
ROOTS & RESONANCE
We caught up with Amanda Star, an award-winning presenter and CEO of Young Black Shining Star, to talk about her experience co-creating and hosting the Roots & Resonance weekender, as well as her upcoming project, Elevate Your Sound.
Roots & Resonance took place last week at BEAM Theatre in Hertford.
It was a lively two-day celebration of music, movement, and culture, featuring acts such as Ras Happa and a live podcast from Zoe Cornibert (The Black Circle Podcast), who interviewed Dr Tessie Ojo, CBE.
The event also included a live showcase from Elevate Your Sound, an initiative that focuses on developing artists and giving them access to opportunities to perform and share their talent.
The artists from Elevate Your Sound who performed at Roots & Resonance included venuswithoutlove, Mwavzs, Tobi Renii, Shanesonn, Kudzai, and Denisaa.
venuswithoutlove reflected on her experience and said, “I wasn’t expecting to receive so much love and support from the EYS team after the programme. It’s really made London feel like home for me.”
Tobi Renii added, “I got to collaborate with my peers on the EYS programme to freestyle and create music on the spot. It really pushed me out of my comfort zone.”
Other talent in attendance at Roots & Resonance included Richard Blackwood and Olukemi Omoniyi.
Alongside the music, there was spoken word, capoeira, and sound baths, creating a unique experience for everyone who attended.
Building on the success of RiddimUP in 2024, we are partnering with Elevate Your Sound to further develop young artists following their pilot in Ghana.
This forms part of BANG’s Creative Arts initiative, which focuses on developing and showcasing young people’s artistic talent through music, visual arts, and media production.
As a result, young people:
- Develop creative soft and hard skills applicable to work
- Use media as a platform to showcase art and creativity
- Access opportunities to work in the media industry
We plan to expand this work in 2026, collaborating with musicians and artists who are committed to developing their talent.
We want to develop relationships with investors, musicians, and sponsors to ensure every young person gets the opportunity to elevate their sound.
