Oral history interview with Patrick Hylton
Object Details
- General
- Associated documentation for this interview is available in the Anacostia Community Museum Archives.
- Title created by ACMA staff using text written on sound cassette, contents of audio recording, textual transcript, and/or associated archival documentation.
- Names
- Howard University
- Hylton, Patrick C.
- Collection Creator
- Smithsonian Institution. Anacostia Community Museum
- Place
- Jamaica
- West Indies
- Washington (D.C.)
- United States
- Occupation
- Lawyers
- Topic
- Africans
- Caribbeans
- Caribbean Americans
- Playwrights
- Emigration and immigration
- Reggae music
- Ska (Music)
- Rocksteady (Music)
- Dancehall (Music)
- Music
- Rastafari movement
- Social history
- Identity
- Gangs
- Discrimination
- Interviews
- Culture
- Jamaicans
- See more items in
- Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity among Black Immigrants in Washington, D. C. Exhibition Records
- Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity among Black Immigrants in Washington, D. C. Exhibition Records / Series 3: Oral History Interviews
- Sponsor
- Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
- Extent
- 2 Digital files
- 1 Sound cassette
- Date
- 1993 July 01
- Archival Repository
- Anacostia Community Museum Archives
- Type
- Archival materials
- Digital files
- Sound cassettes
- Citation
- Black Mosaic: Community, Race, and Ethnicity among Black Immigrants in Washington, D. C. exhibition records, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
- Collection Rights
- Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
- Note
- The total playing time of interview recording is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Scope and Contents
- Patrick Hylton spoke about how he became involved in the music scene in Washington, DC; a description and the evolution of reggae, including the instruments used, in the Washington, DC region and internationally; why he decided to come to Washington, DC; why he applied to Howard University; how he supported himself financially while attending Howard University; returning to Jamaica for about 5 years after he finished school in the United States; and why he returned to the United States again; plays he wrote; his law practice and political action work; and his wife and children. He identified himself as a Caribbean citizen, American citizen, and citizen of the world. Hylton explained the relationship between Rastafarianism and reggae music; the history and relationship of ska, rocksteady, dancehall, and reggae music; the relationship between culture, everyday life, and music with descriptive examples; how and why music changes over time, illustrating changing economic, political, and social conditions; music comes from the people; and the role and purpose of music in people's lives. He also discussed crime and the posse; and racial, ethnic, and national origin discrimination. Hylton stated he writes plays and uses music in the plays, including his current work on a reggae musical. He talked about the lewd and vulgar content, and lack of creativity in current music; and explained there is nothing for him to learn from current music. Interview is in English. Digital audio files include very loud white noise and static; loud background noise, including people talking and sirens; and a little sound distortion. Interviewee's voice is difficult to hear at times.
- Collection Restrictions
- Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
- Record ID
- ebl-1712088000981-1712088003372-0
- Metadata Usage
- CC0