Black History Month: Inherited Rhythms with DJ Style & Friends 

Join Bris-Story for a special Black History Month event exploring Bristol’s vibrant music culture of the 1980s and its lasting influence on the city’s creative identity. 

Through a live panel discussion and after-party with Donovan (City Rockas) and DJ Lynx (3PM) this event will celebrate the African and African-Caribbean traditions and experiences that helped shape Bristol’s distinctive sound and creative landscape. 

Drawing on personal lived experiences and professional expertise, our panellists will reflect on the people, communities, and movements that contributed to one of Bristol’s most influential musical eras. 

Discussion themes 

• The cultural influence of African and African-Caribbean communities on Bristol’s music scene 
• The legacy of the Windrush generation and their contribution to the city’s cultural identity 
• The artists, collectives, and creative pathways that emerged during the 1980s 
• How the sounds, stories, and innovations of this era continue to inspire Bristol’s music culture today 

The evening honours the enduring contributions of early West Indian pioneers and Windrush settlers whose creativity, resilience, and community spirit helped shape modern British culture. Their influence played a vital role in creating Bristol’s rich multicultural environment, fostering a unique musical fusion that continues to resonate across generations. 

Panellists 

• DJ Style (Host) 
• Nathan Lewis (Breakdancer, E-Force) 
• Ray Mighty (Smith & Mighty)
•  Leroy Murray (Soul Twins) 
• Gillian Beresford-Bernard (Bristol West Indian Dance Team / 80s Music Promoter)

DJs and after-party 

Sounds provided by Donovan (City Rockas) and DJ Lynx (3PM) 

More about the panellists

DJ Style

Over the last 36 years, DJ Style has been an instrumental part of establishing the Hip-Hop and R’n’B scene in Bristol, starting underground nights, that would become permanent fixture in many night clubs. He has launched Code Of The Streets, as mixtapes, radio shows & a club night, that has served Bristol for 21 years. This is evidence of his talent and skill, and the reason why DJ Style is highly regarded as amongst one of the best in his field.

He is also a cultural curator, and community storyteller with a deep connection to the city’s rich musical heritage. Through his work, he has championed the stories, sounds, and experiences that have shaped Bristol’s diverse cultural identity, particularly the contributions of African-Caribbean communities. As host, DJ Style brings first-hand knowledge, passion, and insight to conversations about music, culture, and community. 

Donovan City Rockas

The legendary City Rockas were originally formed in 1983 by brothers Donovan and Tee, alongside their cousin Loui P. They were later joined by their younger brothers, Joey Jay and Double Jay, who began DJing as the next generation of City Rockas.

Driven by a shared passion for music, the crew started collecting vinyl from an early age. By their twenties, they had hand-built their own sound system and were DJing across Bristol, appearing at renowned venues including the Tropic Club, Mozart’s, Vadims, the Mayfair Suite and Western Star Domino, as well as countless underground house parties throughout St Paul’s.

The crew also became a familiar presence on pirate radio, broadcasting on stations such as Emergency Radio and Black FM. Their reputation continued to grow through the promotion of one of Bristol’s most iconic Soul Nights, highlighted by a memorable performance from the late Joyce Sims, who stepped in as a last-minute replacement for Gwen McCrae (RIP) at the Trinity Centre.

DJ Lynx

A veteran of the Bristol and South West music scene, Lynx is a multi-genre DJ and producer renowned for his technical skill and crate-digging expertise (finding rare, obscure or overlooked music). Emerging from Bristol’s vibrant music culture in the 1980s, he has evolved from a pioneering pirate radio DJ into a respected producer and a longstanding fixture on the regional club circuit.

As a founding member of the influential hip-hop crew 3PM, Lynx helped shape an important chapter in Bristol’s music history. His work included releases with Smith & Mighty, as well as his own production contributions to the group’s 1990 3PM EP. Alongside his production work, he became a prominent voice on the city’s airwaves, first as a key figure on B.A.D. Radio and later as the host of the influential 3PM Experience show on Galaxy Radio.

Over the course of his career, Lynx has performed alongside internationally acclaimed artists and crews including The Roots, De La Soul, Cash Money and The Rock Steady Crew. Known for his broad musical knowledge and adaptable style, he has developed a reputation for expertly selecting and mixing music across Jazz, Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul, Funk and Boogie.

Ray Mighty

Raymond Edward Mighty, also known as Sledgehead, is a Bristol-based DJ, producer and co-founder of one of the pioneering groups that helped define the city’s influential breakbeat and trip-hop sound. A key architect of the emerging “Bristol Sound”, he was instrumental in blending reggae, dub, hip-hop, soul and breakbeats, creating a musical style that would gain international recognition. 

Following an introduction to Daddy G and Lloyd at Revolver Distribution, the group released their debut four-track 12-inch record, Anyone?, in 1988. The same year saw a string of influential releases, including the Acid Off A Way Parts 1 and 2 singles on Three Stripe and R&R Records, Walk On featuring Jackie Jackson, and Clash of the Beats with MC Kelz. 

As a producer, Raymond played a significant role in shaping Bristol’s music scene. He produced Massive Attack’s debut single, Any Love (1988), and co-produced the Fresh 4’s UK Top 10 hit Wishing on a Star (1989), helping to lay the foundations for the city’s global reputation as a centre of musical innovation. 

Gillian Beresford-Bernard 

Gillian Beresford-Bernard is a presenter, compere, dancer, and cultural advocate who has played an integral role in shaping Britain’s Caribbean entertainment and community scene. Born in Guyana, she moved to Bristol in 1964 and three years later joined the Bristol West Indian Dance Team, representing Caribbean culture across Europe at the Commonwealth Conference.

In 1973, Gillian met her future husband, Mike Bernard, also known as DJ Superfly, a pioneering Black promoter in the South West.  Their work spanned some of the city’s most influential venues, including The Dugout, The Bamboo Club, Trinity, the Mayfair, the Granaries, and the Malcolm X Centre. As promoters, Mike and Gillian hosted events featuring renowned acts and DJs, including Jazzie B and members of the Wild Bunch during the 1980s. In the early stages of his career, legendary broadcaster and DJ David Rodigan also made appearances at events in Bristol that they helped bring to local audiences.

After moving to London, Gillian became a presenter and compere at the prestigious Moonlighting Club in the West End. Working alongside her husband, who served as the club’s resident DJ. Gillian also co-founded the Mahogany Dance Group with seven friends, creating a collective dedicated to celebrating Caribbean heritage through dance and performance. The group appeared alongside well-known musical acts, including Third World and Light of the World, helping to showcase Caribbean culture to wider audiences.

Leroy Murray 

Leroy Murray is a founding member of the renowned DJ collective Soul Twins, celebrated for their eclectic blend of Soul, Funk, House, Hip Hop and Jazz Funk. The duo became a significant force in Bristol’s Black music scene, creating opportunities for Black music events at iconic venues including Hollywood’s, Thekla, The Inkerman and Dingy’s. They also organised popular coach trips to major music events across the UK, helping to connect audiences and strengthen the culture. 

Inspired by MTV, Radio Luxembourg and Bristol venues such as the Dug Out, Leroy and his brother turned their passion for music and dance into Soul Twins, building a reputation that extended beyond DJing. Their growing influence led to an invitation from BBC Radio Bristol to present the community programme Close Up. 

Following their time at the BBC, they became involved in the launch of B.A.D. Radio, Bristol’s first pirate radio station of the mid-1980s. The station played a pioneering role in the development of the city’s Black music broadcasting scene and paved the way for stations that followed. 

Soul Twins also made a lasting impact on Bristol’s live music landscape, promoting performances by artists including Gabrielle, Rick Clarke and Omar, and sharing stages with the legendary Loose Ends. Working alongside friends and collaborators such as Delroy Dixon and Nick Stupart, Leroy championed an inclusive approach, often saying that it was all about sharing the music. 

Today, Leroy remains active in the entertainment industry, providing technical management for events and drawing on more than 50 years of experience and insight into the evolution of Black music culture.

Nathan Lewis 

Nathan Lewis is a UK-born athlete, martial artist, performer and pioneer of Bristol’s hip-hop and breaking culture. After spending part of his childhood in Jamaica, he returned to the UK in 1977 and, in 1982, joined the Arts Opportunity Theatre in St Paul’s, Bristol. There he trained in acting, dance and music, later touring across Europe and establishing the creative foundation that would shape his diverse career. 

A dedicated martial artist since 1978, Nathan has represented England internationally and achieved remarkable success in competition, becoming a three-time World Kickboxing Champion, four-time European Kickboxing Champion and Kung Fu National Champion. His contributions to martial arts have been recognised through induction into both the M.A.I. Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Fame and the Combat Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Fame, alongside receiving a W.M.O. Certificate of Appreciation for his work in film and television. 

Alongside his sporting achievements, Nathan played a pioneering role in the development of Bristol’s hip-hop scene. He began breakdancing in 1983 and started rapping the following year, drawing on the performance skills he developed through theatre. As a founding member of Imperial Force (E Force), Bristol’s first breaking crew, he helped establish a vibrant local breaking culture and earned a reputation for taking on challengers from across the city. 

Nathan performed alongside hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa at Bristol Studios on Frogmore Street and was inspired by artists including T La Rock, Triple Threat, Beastie Boys, Kurtis Blow and Kool Moe Dee. His journey was also shaped by Bristol’s rich Black music ecosystem, including influential crews, DJs and stations such as Wild Bunch, City Rockas, Soul Twins, UD4, Black FM, Galaxy Radio and FTP Radio. Through his achievements in martial arts, music and performance, Nathan has made a lasting contribution to both Bristol’s cultural heritage and the wider development of UK hip-hop culture. 

More about Bris-Story 

Bris-Story is dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and sharing memories, images and stories of 1980s and 1990s era Bristol. It highlights the people and cultural movements that have contributed to the city’s unique identity, ensuring that these stories connect people and are recognised and passed on to future generations. 

Image credit: Andrew Williams & Steven Greaves.