Our Music Our Freedom
BBC Radio presenter, music producer and co-founder of Oily Cart, Max Reinhardt, interviews celebrity artists and under the radar local legends, to tell the story of Wandsworth’s diverse communities through 50 years of music.
From 1970s reggae, 1980s hip hop, Bhangra and 1990s grime, to 21st Century indie, rock and electronica - dive into our jazz, folk, classical and South Asian musical heritage through the stories and memories of Wandsworth’s vibrant and influential music scene. Interviews to be released as podcasts from Autumn 2025.
From January – March 2026, Max will curate a series of live gigs in small music venues across the borough, celebrating our rich musical heritage, shining a spotlight on local talent, and championing our grassroots venues. Each live performance will include a piece of music on the theme of ‘freedom,’ connecting our music heritage to Wandsworth’s heritage of sanctuary and radical ideas.
Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Max Reinhardt is a regular presenter on BBC Radio 3's Late Junction. With Rita Ray, he shares Artistic Directorship of Celebrating Sanctuary music festival, and club nights The Shrine and The Mambo Inn. He is musical director/composer for Oily Cart, a Wandsworth based company that specialises in creating immersive theatrical experience for children and young people with learning disabilities.
Listen to the first six podcasts here:
Co Się Dzieje? (What’s happening?) East European Sounds and Stories
Looking at the Polish and Bulgarian communities and their music in Wandsworth and
how life and music has been developing especially in recent decades. The large Polish
community will be reflected by voices talking about its clubs, its churches, its welfare
organisations and listening in to its music. Also featuring voices and music from the
Bulgarian community.
Take Me Where The Music’s Playing - Live Music Venues in the Borough
A whirlwind tour of local music venues in the borough from the Clapham Grand, which celebrates it 125th anniversary this year, to grassroots spaces – The Half Moon in Putney, The Bedford in Balham, Magic Garden in Battersea and World Heartbeat in their new home in Nine Elms.
A Tale of Two Schools: Spencer Park & Elliott
Featuring the stories of the unique and illustrious careers of students of the former
Elliott School (since 2012 it has become Ark Putney Academy) – including Jamie XX,
Aphex Twin, Burial, Hot Chip and the Maccabees – and Spencer Park – including Dennis
Bovell, Noel McKoy and Matumbi, Pasademas, Investigators and Marie Pierre.
What’s the Craic? Irish Sounds and Stories
The Irish Community has been one of the larger communities in the borough over the last 50 years. Exploring the history of Irish music in the borough over that time with longtime resident Jean Rathbone, instrumentalist Gerry Diver and singer/musician Lisa Knapp.
The Fair Field Full of Folk
Folk music across the decades in the borough for venues and locally based musicians, from Bert Jansch’s Guitar shop and the legendary Half Moon pub in Putney in the ‘70’s, through the peaks and troughs of the music in the 80’s and 90’s, into the 21st century with its visits from Waterson-Carthy and stories and music of a prominent folk musician’s life in the borough from Lisa Knapp and some of the artists on Wandsworth based labels including Domino Records.
Cymande…The Greatest Band You’ve (probably ) Never Heard Of
Cymande are a British ‘Nyah-Rock’ band from Balham, originally active in the early 1970s. The two founder members lived on the same street, Byrne Road, and discovered a mutual love of music . The band they formed in 1971 released three albums before disbanding in 1974 - completing USA stadium tours with soul and funk stars like the reverend Al Grean. After gaining newfound popularity when their music was sampled by premiere league rap artists, including the Fugees, De La Soul and MC Solaa, they reformed in the 2010s and have toured worldwide ever since.