Jazz and hip-hop infused consciousness from an astoundingly creative drummer and her trio

Romarna Campbell is an irrepressible force for good in music and in life. An Olivier Award-winning composer, drummer, and music educator, Romarna hails from Birmingham and is now based in London. Known for her dynamic artistry, she has toured globally with acts like Fever Ray, Benjamin Clementine, and Courtney Pine, gracing stages such as the Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera House.

In 2020 she self-released “25 Songs For My 25th Birthday” which she co-wrote, co-arranged, and co-performed with Soweto Kinch, Tomeka Reid, Sumi Tonooka, and Lady Sanity, among others. Her single “Inherently Political” is a super-charged sonic assault on racism, released in the same year.

A Berklee College of Music alumna and mentor, Romarna is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians. Mentored herself by Dr. Gary Crosby OBE, Terri Lyne Carrington, Neal Smith, and Billy Kilson, she now leads the Tomorrow’s Warriors Frontline Ensemble and has worked with the Ladywood-based Notebenders.

Chaos brings her compositions to life with bassist Mutale Chashi and pianist Cenk Esen. Romarna’s mission is to create music that reflects our current reality with artistic integrity, inspiring the next generation, especially those from diverse socioeconomic, racial, and gender backgrounds, to find opportunities and solutions to follow a similar path. On Romarna’s request, we have invited some young local musicians to collaborate with her trio for this performance.