David Vélez - capsicum, music against racism CD (Marginal Frequency)

Label Description:
"'capsicum' is an album created by a collective of immigrant artists and cooks living in the UK, led by David Vélez. Through a combination of food sounds and musical performances, the album honors the resilience of diasporic communities as they challenge racism, xenophobia, and other forms of discrimination. The musicality of food sounds underscores the political significance of food for immigrant communities in the UK—the subject of research of this project.

To bring 'capsicum' to life, David Vélez began by recording the preparation of two dishes that represent immigrant communities in Britain: Chicken Tikka, cooked by Ruchi from India, and Jerk Chicken, prepared by Sister Sandra from Jamaica—both recorded in Huddersfield. He also captured the bustling sounds of the markets, where some of the ingredients were sourced, focusing on the calls of traders Joanne Mansley and David at Huddersfield’s Open Market, as well as sounds from Dalston Street Market in London. "