MOBO Awards 2024 preview at the Winter Gardens in Sheffield.

The Star, Sheffield

Transcript

00:00 - Thank you very much, it's Alistair from Sheffield Star.

00:02 Would you mind giving me your full name please?

00:03 - It's Harris Lee.

00:04 - Lovely, you're down from Trax you say?

00:06 - Yeah, Trax.

00:07 - What is Trax?

00:08 - Trax is a charitable organisation

00:09 that helps young people get the platform

00:12 and the confidence and everything to do music.

00:16 It's a musical.

00:16 - Sheffield yourself or is it from downtown?

00:19 - Yeah, born and raised Sheffield.

00:21 - Cool, we've got the Nobel Awards for the first time

00:23 here in Sheffield today.

00:25 What kind of opportunity does that present?

00:26 How do you sort of see that as a chance

00:27 to sort of seize on it properly?

00:29 How do you feel today?

00:30 - We've been brewing, the Sheffield team's been brewing,

00:32 but with the MoBos now, it's really shone a spotlight on us.

00:37 So from now on I feel like people are gonna start growing.

00:41 More and more art is coming out of Sheffield.

00:43 - Do you know much about the MoBos before today?

00:45 - Yeah, it's a good part of my childhood.

00:47 I remember every year, family, we sit down,

00:50 watch the MoBos and it's like,

00:52 you go to school next day, like,

00:53 ah, he won, da, da, da, who won, who won,

00:55 stuff like that, so yeah.

00:56 - You were on stage today, you got to do a performance too.

00:59 Who do you want to be as performer?

01:00 What's your art really?

01:02 - It's like R&B and soul and neo-soul

01:05 and hip-hop type music, so I sing, I rap.

01:08 I'm still finding my sound really,

01:09 but that's kind of my area.

01:12 - No, no, no, you had a proper crowd today.

01:14 You had the children in front of you too

01:15 from primary schools too.

01:17 Unique crowd, how did it feel?

01:18 - Wow, the crowd was amazing.

01:20 I loved the choirs, the choirs were great.

01:23 Energy was amazing from everyone, all smiles.

01:26 It was just great to see everyone out in the city

01:28 just enjoying life.

01:30 - Cool, one last thing, if you want to say something

01:32 to the people from Trax, if you want to sort of like

01:34 give a bit of support or a shout out today,

01:36 what would you say?

01:36 - Yeah, Trax has been instrumental for me.

01:39 I started this last year, like, in the summertime,

01:44 and Trax just gave me that platform

01:47 and that guidance, support, help, and the management

01:50 of just, you know, so I can get on stage like this.

01:54 - Hello, Tom, it's Alistair from the Sheffield Star.

01:58 We're here outside of the Winter Garden

01:59 where there is a bit of a preview party

02:01 for the Mobile Awards coming up tonight.

02:03 How do you find the atmosphere here today?

02:05 - The atmosphere's electric.

02:06 You know, there's been so many people here.

02:08 We've got school children coming in

02:10 from right across the city, and the performances,

02:13 the storm disarmed by the way of race.

02:15 Oh my gosh, everyone needs to have their tissues with them

02:18 because this is a real celebration of music.

02:21 Everyone's getting involved, a celebration

02:23 of black music and culture, and you know,

02:25 this is Sheffield's, you know, really making sure

02:28 that we celebrate the Mobos and make sure

02:30 that they're a legacy.

02:32 - There are lots of, like, music schools

02:33 and sort of music groups here today,

02:34 especially from young people.

02:36 We've got opportunities like this.

02:38 How do you best sort of build on this going forward

02:40 or make it a proper fixture for the city?

02:43 - If we build on it, by doing what we've done this week,

02:45 which is about making space for up-and-coming talent

02:48 in this city to say, "This is your city,"

02:51 by putting people on the streets of East Haines

02:53 on Monday night, it's like, you know,

02:55 given performance slots here today,

02:58 given people the chance to do it here in Sheffield,

03:01 inspire the next generation so that if they're

03:04 in the Winter Gardens today, they're on the Mobo board,

03:07 nobody likes to do the future years.

03:09 - Cool.

03:10 What sort of party can we expect tonight, I suppose?

03:13 - I think a party like she hasn't seen before.

03:15 The red carpet is coming, the stars are gonna be here,

03:19 and I think it's gonna be a big party,

03:21 but it's really important for us as a city

03:24 that this is more than just the award show,

03:27 which is why we worked hard with a whole range of partners

03:30 to put on these fringe events to make sure

03:33 that we're bringing in the whole Sheffield community

03:36 to celebrate black music and culture,

03:39 and the Mobos have recognised this is not one,

03:42 this is two.

03:43 We've put on a show this week, and we're very much hoping

03:46 that this is the start of our relationship

03:48 with Black Lives Matter.

03:50 - Thanks very much, Alistair from the Sheffield Star,

03:52 here with Councillor Martin Wright outside

03:53 of the Winter Gardens for the Mobo Awards,

03:56 sort of a preview event we've got going on here today.

04:00 So tell me about the atmosphere inside there today,

04:01 how do you feel it?

04:02 - It's absolutely buzzing, it's fantastic.

04:06 We've put on a whole range of events in Sheffield.

04:09 Some of them in the Winter Gardens.

04:11 I've never seen so many people smiling, having a good time.

04:16 It's great.

04:19 - It's very artistic in there, I feel.

04:20 Like I've seen people sketching as they walk around,

04:22 people looking excellently dressed as well,

04:23 it's got a real cultural vibe to it.

04:25 - There's music, there's food, there's art,

04:28 there's culture, it's great.

04:30 - So building on that, why do you think Sheffield

04:32 was chosen for the Mobo Awards this year?

04:33 It's the first time it's come to the city.

04:35 - So I wasn't involved in the detailed discussions,

04:37 but I understand the Mobos approached Sheffield,

04:40 negotiations took place, and we were selected.

04:43 - Right, well, what's the best way we can sort of build

04:46 on this in the future?

04:47 Like is there a way to make this as a legacy,

04:48 or to sort of build on this as a stepping stone

04:51 for people in the city?

04:52 How can we make the most of it?

04:53 - Well, some of the legacy is on display

04:55 in the Winter Gardens today.

04:56 So there's been a whole range of programs

04:59 with local schools, fringe events have been

05:03 helping local artists, giving advice on how to pursue

05:10 a career in the music business,

05:12 and just generally promote Afro-Caribbean culture,

05:17 music, black origin in Sheffield.

05:20 - And what kind of welcome are we gonna give people tonight?

05:22 - A big one.

05:23 (laughing)

05:25 (upbeat music)

05:28 ♪ You never come again ♪

05:30 ♪ For you and me, life is not promising ♪

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