Artists

Project co leads – Cleo Lake and Dr Jessica Moody

Executive Producer – Cleo Lake

Musical Director – Stephen ‘Blaggy’ Blagrove

Principal Dancers – Latisha Cesar, Penny Marie, Cleo Lake

Musicians – Stephen ‘Blaggy’ Blagrove, Clive Smith, Richard Davis, Alan May, Fitzroi Lake-Amatey

Music Producer – Courtney Beckford

Stephen Blagrove (Blaggy)

Stephen Blagrove, also known as Blaggy, was born in Bristol and has over 45 years of experience in African and Caribbean dance and music.

He is a graduate of Community Music (London) and the Black Dance Development Trust.

Stephen was a member of Ekome (Bristol) and a founder member of the Adzido Pan African Dance Ensemble (London).

An accomplished singer, performer, teacher, and recording artist, Stephen has worked across all levels of education, sharing his skills in schools, colleges, and universities. He has performed in numerous venues and theatres across the UK and internationally, and has helped establish a wide range of arts projects around the country.

Latisha Cesar

Latisha Cesar is an interdisciplinary artist and   educator- who specializes in creating spaces for collective healing. Their practice of movement music and storytelling is guided by their Haitian heritage. At the heart of their work is helping people build knowledge of self to create connection and healthy communities.

Penny Marie is a Bristol based dance practitioner. She has taught and performed for 30 years in the community, nationally and internationally. Trained in West African and contemporary dance, she has toured and performed with dance troupes and as a solo artist.  She has taught and performed on the festival circuit and a regular teacher at Glastonbury festival. Her work also spans into the theatre, movement director for the critically acclaimed musical ‘Our Little Hour’ which has toured the UK in 2024 and 2026. She collaborated with different artists over the years, creative projects in the community and developed work that is now part of Protest and racial justice exhibition at the M Shed. She is part of the Vital Beats charity team which brings support and well-being through drum and dance in the criminal justice system working in prison and women in trauma in the community. 

She has developed her dance company Freedom Soul Dance, bringing regular classes and workshops, its ethos is for people to feel their own unique expression, joy and connection in movement. 

Clive Smith
Polymath creative Clive Smith took on bass guitar an absolute essential component of the music. Spanning music, visual art, archive and film, Clive brings a wealth of knowledge to every project.

‘To be asked to work on such a project like this was an honour. To feel the spiritual flow and inner standing that was shared and felt throughout this project was a grand rising for the present and future of what’s to come .’

Richard Davis

Richard Davis, born in Guyana and now based in Bristol, is a highly respected percussionist, drummer and singer who has been working with World Jungle since its beginnings in 2000. He is widely recognised in percussion and world music circles across the South West.

Richard began his drumming journey in 1977 with Ekome Arts, where he performed as the group’s Master Drummer, accompanying traditional Ghanaian dance and delivering workshops. Since then he has developed a deep and versatile musical practice rooted in Pan-African and African-influenced traditions, including Caribbean, Cuban, South American and Brazilian rhythms.

In 1985 Richard became percussionist with the Bristol ska band Moonshot, a well-known name on the local music scene. Alongside this he has collaborated with numerous musicians and groups across Bristol, including Dub From Atlantis and 201 Over, and continues to be in high demand as both a percussionist and vocalist for live performance, recording sessions and collaborative projects.

Richard regularly leads drumming and singing workshops in schools, colleges and community settings, sharing African and Latin American rhythmic traditions with new generations of musicians. He performs with a range of groups including ACE Percussions, Afidance, Kuumba, PAX Productions and World Jungle, and has appeared at major festivals such as Glastonbury Festival, WOMAD, Tribe of Doris, ACE Wales events and St Pauls Carnival.

Over the years Richard has also performed and collaborated with internationally recognised artists including Patti Boulaye, Peter Gabriel, George Dizikunu (Adizo), Ben Badoo and Kanyinda Koko of the Master Drummers of the World.

Alan May

Alan May is a Bristol based community artist and musician. 

He was creative director of Bedminster Winter Lanterns; co-director of Albany Centre, Montpelier ; created visual imagery for many other projects including St Pauls Carnival schools’ mas’ camps;

Co-founded the Bristol School of Samba in 1986; Founder member of Bristol Reggae Orchestra since 2011; Saxophone player with Troy Ellis Hail Jamaica Band, Dapper Dan and the Playaz.