A Huddersfield hip hop artist and producer has brought out a film and song in tribute to his ancestral home in the Caribbean.
Savvy – also known as Asaviour – had written the track Where We Come From to pay homage to Carriacou which is part of Grenada and where many people travelled from in the 1950s, 60s and 70s to make Huddersfield their home.
But just as he was about to release it the island was devastated by Hurricane Beryl in July 2024 so Savvy put it on hold to concentrate on efforts to help the island.
Now he’s releasing it with a new mix and it goes along with a poignant film he has made that shows Huddersfield and Carriacou, along with their indelible links.
The relationship between Huddersfield and the tiny Caribbean island of Carriacou is a deep-rooted historic bond dating back to the Windrush era.
Following post-war labour shortages in the UK, a significant migration wave from Carriacou moved to West Yorkshire and a notable portion of Carriacou’s population settled in Huddersfield to work in local manufacturing, engineering and public services.
Savvy said: “This created a tight-knit diaspora where nearly every family on the 13-square-mile island has a direct relative or connection in Huddersfield.
“The cultural exchange between both locations remains active, keeping alive traditions like the carnival, big drum nation dance and Parang music across both West Yorkshire and the Caribbean.’’
He said the song and film he has produced shows the strength of the bonds between the two places.
Savvy added: “This project is not merely a chronicle of place, it is a story of living kinship. Born out of the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Beryl on Carriacou in July 2024 it highlights the unbreakable transatlantic bond forged over decades between the island and Huddersfield.
“It traces how a small West Yorkshire town responded to a disaster over 4,000 miles away, transforming collective grief into community action, relief and cultural preservation.
“The Huddersfield Caribbean community mobilised immediate funds, shipped essential aid containers and set up long-term support networks.’’
The hurricane devastated the island, tearing roofs off homes, destroying infrastructure, cutting off power and water and stripping the island’s lush landscape bare.
In response, Savvy has also created a short film documenting his own personal experience and the people of the Carriacou community.
You can watch it at https://youtu.be/rPKhRDGFRGc
There are two versions of the song Where We Come From – one before the hurricane and the other after.
The original version featuring Ruby Wood from Submotion Orchestra is a hard-hitting hip-hop and UK soul anthem that’s a deeply personal, reflective track anchored in local roots, identity and the environment that shapes us. You can listen to it here https://savvyakaasaviour.bandcamp.com/track/where-we-come-from-ft-ruby-wood
The remix is smooth, roots-infused reggae and hip-hop fusion which again features Ruby but this time with Grenada musician SammO and the children of Harvey Vale School on Carriacou and you can hear it here. https://savvyakaasaviour.bandcamp.com/album/where-we-come-from-the-remix
It’s also available on all major digital streaming platforms.
Savvy is Nigel Cudjoe, a Huddersfield musician and producer whose sound is rooted in hip hop yet is also a kaleidoscope of influences including soul, rock, jazz, funk and electronic music. He is celebrated for introspective songwriting and social observations, tackling themes of identity, class and society’s struggles.
He is the driving force behind Saving Grace Music, a platform that supports both established and emerging artists, and The Saving Grace Collective which is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to empowering marginalised individuals through music, film and multimedia projects.
Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content, copywriting and ghost-writing autobiographies.
