Mykal “Wassifa” Brown MBE didn’t just build a sound system. He built a movement, a memory bank, and a community.
Founder of the legendary Wassifa Showcase International, Mykal Brown has been at the heart of Birmingham’s sound system culture for over five decades. From block parties to international stages, his work has championed reggae as both art and activism—amplifying voices that mainstream venues and institutions often ignored.
Born and raised in Birmingham, Mykal Brown created space where none existed: spaces where young people could dance, learn, and belong. In the 1970s and 80s, his pioneering sound system became a lifeline for a generation of Windrush descendants navigating racism, exclusion, and economic hardship. Wassifa wasn’t just about bass—it was about belonging.
Over the years, Mykal Brown has supported and shared stages with global artists including Destiny’s Child, Puff Daddy, and Jennifer Lopez. But he has always remained rooted in local community—mentoring young creatives, curating cultural festivals, and preserving the rich legacy of Birmingham’s African-Caribbean music heritage.
In 2022, the “Wassifa Front Room” exhibition honoured the spirit of those early dances, recreating the intimate, homegrown spaces that shaped British sound system culture. His contributions have been recognised in the BBC’s On Record series, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Festival, and by countless community organisations, artists, and audiences whose lives have been shaped by his work.
Now honoured with an MBE for services to music and culture, Mykal “Wassifa” Brown continues to share and preserve sound system history—not as nostalgia, but as a living, evolving part of British cultural life.
