Segment: No Community, Just Survival - Our Generation Worked and Sent Money Back Home

Summary

Episode Overview

Theme:
This episode of the Konnected Minds Podcast, hosted by Derrick Abaitey, delves into the coming-of-age experiences of African immigrants in the UK during the 1980s and 1990s. The segment, "No Community, Just Survival," explores how Derrick’s guests navigated life with little communal support, focusing instead on working hard, sending money back home, and gradually building new identities through music and entrepreneurship.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Early Years: Football Aspirations & Family (00:04–02:01)

• Street Life & School:
  • Knowledge recounts spending time at chip shops and visiting friends more than attending classes.

    “The only time you see me in school is maybe school at lunchtime when we're playing football. Then I'll go because everybody wants me to be on their side.” – Knowledge [00:09]

• Parental Support:
  • Knowledge highlights the devotion of his father, who wrote letters to football clubs (e.g., Arsenal, QPR, Colchester) to get him trials.

    “My father will come with me at 8 o'clock in the morning, all the way to 6 o' clock, standing there in his jacket... Daddy, you just did that for me.” – Knowledge [00:53]

• Large Family:
  • The challenge of supporting 14 siblings, all of whom eventually moved to the UK.

    “If I sit down here, I think how 14 siblings ended up in the United Kingdom… All 14 of us ended up together in the United Kingdom.” – Knowledge [01:44]

The End of a Dream & Early Jobs (02:01–04:09)

• Football Dreams Dashed:
  • Knowledge describes being told by Watford FC that he wasn't good enough.

    “The journey ends here. Just like that.” – Moscam quoting Mr. Tom Wally [02:32]

  • Emotional impact: Knowledge admits to disappointment, but maintained hope for another opportunity.
• Transition to Work:
  • Started with newspaper rounds (£7 a week), then McDonald's.

    “My first job was I was doing paper rounds, just delivering newspapers early in the morning, earning seven pounds a week.” – Knowledge [03:06]

  • With little responsibility, the money went to buying music records.

Youth, Freedom, and Lack of Responsibilities (04:09–05:09)

• Simple Pleasures:
  • Freedom and lack of financial responsibility were cherished.

    “You didn't, you had no response... no bills to pay, nothing to worry about. I don't even think there was no mobile phone for you to worry about anybody calling you.” – Knowledge [04:09]

• Disconnection from Home:
  • Knowledge never stayed in touch with friends back in Ghana until he returned years later.

    “Until I came back to Ghana, I never had any connection with any of my friends.” – Knowledge [04:29]

The Pull of Music & First Ventures (04:41–05:20)

• Investing in Interests:
  • Knowledge starts buying musical equipment with his wages, despite lacking clear long-term vision.

    “Buying all those things just for me, just for me to have… I had no vision. I didn't know what it was going to lead up to.” – Knowledge [05:12]

Social Life and Community (05:20–06:50)

• Limited Communal Spaces:
  • Few options for Black youth apart from youth clubs, friends' houses, and church or funerals.

    “No Ghanaian nightclubs, no Ghanaian restaurants... that generation was the generation that's coming to the diaspora, work and send money back home.” – Knowledge [05:44], [06:00]

  • Community hangouts were mainly church or funerals:

    “The community hangout I remember was either you going to church with your parents, or it's a funeral and you following your parents…that to me was more of a hangout.” – Knowledge [06:22]

The DJ Path and New Enterprises (06:56–08:37)

• Mentorship and Collaboration:
  • Moscam (Most Comfort), a friend and DJ, introduced Knowledge to DJ’ing and music production.

    “I want to be a DJ, you know... teach me.” – Knowledge [07:23]

  • Portable disco: A group of Ghanaian friends formed a team, pooling equipment to rent out for parties and, notably, funerals.
• Rise of Acid House Culture:
  • The group capitalized on the booming Acid House scene in London, renting out equipment for raves at venues like Bradley Studios in Kings Cross.

    “The biggest music scene at the time was acid house... Most promoters would rent an empty warehouse and need equipment.” – Moscam [08:05]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the lack of community:

  “That generation was the generation that's coming to the diaspora, work and send money back home.” – Knowledge [06:00]

• On the transition from support to self-reliance:

  “He did that time and he thought about each and every one of us… that's what I'm saying.” – Moscam [01:37]

• On youthful freedom:

  “The freedom at that time was beautiful, you know, no responsibility.” – Knowledge [04:15]

• On building the music venture:

  “We decided to come together, all our equipment, let’s put our equipment together and start renting out to various people…funerals and also for parties.” – Knowledge [07:28]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:04–00:53 – Recollections of street life and father's support for football dreams
• 01:19–01:54 – Family size, all siblings moving to the UK
• 02:09–02:57 – Football dreams ending and emotional aftermath
• 03:02–03:36 – Early jobs and what the money meant
• 04:07–04:24 – Reflections on youthful freedom and lack of responsibility
• 05:31–06:29 – Social activities for Black youth in that era (youth clubs, church, funerals)
• 06:56–08:37 – Birth of the DJ path and leveraging the Acid House scene

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Conclusion

This segment paints a vivid picture of survival and adaptation among Ghanaian immigrants in the UK. Without the robust communities seen today, their experience was driven by the imperative to work, send money home, and seize scarce opportunities, often finding self-expression through music and entrepreneurship. The perspectives shared illuminate both the hardships and the creative resilience of the era—reminding listeners how far the community has come and the importance of building something lasting for the next generation.

Transcript

[Interviewer]

What were you doing on the street?

[Knowledge]

I remember moving from chip shop to chip shop. I had, you know, it's one or two places that were just random places going to friends, house friends that were not even in school as well. And the only time I mostly be you be the only time you see me in school is maybe school at lunchtime when we're playing football. Then I'll go because everybody wants me

[Moscam]

to be on their side.

[Knowledge]

So then that was the only time I even go to school. Just lunchtime, just to play football. Then we're not going to the class. So, you know, there became a time to say to that I really want to be a footballer. And in fact he helped me.

[Moscam]

Wow.

[Knowledge]

Yeah, he helped me. He started writing letters to various clubs to give me trials. Colchester, Colchester Football Club. Football Club, Arsenal Football Club. Because we live closer to Arsenal qpr. It's quite most of the London teams. My father actually wrote letters, posted letters for me to get trials and majority of them we did get response back, you know, so this is something that he did, he did for me and I was, I appreciate it so much. I remember, you know, one time even I had trials at Queens Park Ranger. That was 1986 and that was one of the cold winters in the UK. My father will come with me at 8 o' clock in the morning, all the way to 6 o', clock, standing there in his jacket, all that memories. I'm like, wow, Daddy, you just did that for me. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

I mean, with what, 14 siblings?

[Moscam]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

What number are you in the list of siblings?

[Knowledge]

I think I'm number.

[Moscam]

Gosh, number 11.

[Knowledge]

Okay.

[Moscam]

Yeah, I'm number 11.

[Knowledge]

Okay.

[Moscam]

Yeah.

[Knowledge]

All my siblings are gonna kill me.

[Interviewer]

Did that have time for every other sibling? Just as he did.

[Knowledge]

He did that at time and he

[Moscam]

fought about each and every one of us.

[Knowledge]

You wouldn't, you won't say that way,

[Moscam]

but yes, that had time for everybody,

[Knowledge]

every one of us. That's what I'm saying. If I sit down here, I think how 14 siblings ended up in the United Kingdom, that's not three or four.

[Moscam]

All 14 of us ended up together in the United Kingdom.

[Knowledge]

And no, no, just being in the United Kingdom, giving us the opportunity to go to school to further our education.

[Interviewer]

But then, okay, so the time you finally dropped out, when did you realize that now football is not actually going to work?

[Knowledge]

When I, when I was, I got actually, I got told I'm not, I'm not good enough to be a footballer. I was, I was with, I managed to sign what you Called YTS form at the time.

[Moscam]

YTS meaning youth training scheme with Watford Football Club. And that's only for a period of two years. And the final year, I just called into the office by one Mr. Tom Wally. Now I can't forget his name.

[Knowledge]

And he just said, you know what we're looking for.

[Moscam]

The journey ends here. Just like that.

[Interviewer]

How old were you at the time?

[Knowledge]

I think 14. Wow.

[Moscam]

Yeah.

[Knowledge]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

How did you feel?

[Knowledge]

I think I was. I wasn't old enough to understand what

[Moscam]

was actually happening to me in terms of.

[Knowledge]

I was disappointed. Yeah. But I was also thinking, there's gonna

[Moscam]

be another chance somewhere else.

[Knowledge]

Yeah.

[Moscam]

Honestly, I was that good of a footballer, I believe that I could get another chance.

[Interviewer]

Okay, so from 14 to 18, what happened?

[Knowledge]

I started working.

[Moscam]

Actually, after that, I worked in McDonald's.

[Knowledge]

Okay.

[Moscam]

Yeah.

[Knowledge]

It wasn't my first job.

[Moscam]

My first job was I was doing paper rounds, just delivering newspapers early in the morning, earning seven pounds a week.

[Interviewer]

While you were still in school?

[Moscam]

Wasn't still in school yet, right? It was, yeah. Most. Most young boys at that time were doing that, you know, delivering newspapers. Yeah.

[Knowledge]

And then, yeah, after that, I started working in McDonald's.

[Moscam]

And now when I started earning some money and I decided to start buying records with the money I was earning

[Knowledge]

from McDonald's because I wasn't paying rent,

[Moscam]

obviously, mom and dad, so just.

[Knowledge]

I was misusing the money. It wasn't a lot, but.

[Interviewer]

So there are some of our. Well, our parents. A lot of my parents are going to be watching this, right. And they probably around the same age as you, and then they are thinking, you know what? Like, I was life. They are reminiscing about how life was those times, you know, talking about the newspapers and it being so cold. I think those times used to be really cold.

[Knowledge]

Very cold.

[Interviewer]

And the sort of life you had as a young person there. What was one of the most beautiful memories between that age of 14 and 18 hit.

[Knowledge]

The freedom that you had a freedom. You didn't.

[Moscam]

You had no response.

[Knowledge]

You know, you're not responsible to anything. You know that freedom that I had no bills to pay, nothing to worry about.

[Moscam]

You don't worry about sending money back home.

[Knowledge]

I don't even think there was no mobile phone for you to worry about anybody calling you. No. The freedom at that time was beautiful, you know, no responsibility.

[Interviewer]

Then how did you used to stay in touch with some of your friends back home with that?

[Knowledge]

I never.

[Interviewer]

You never did.

[Knowledge]

Until I came back to Ghana, I never had any connection with any of my Friends.

[Interviewer]

Okay, now you've made money from McDonald's. Some small money.

[Moscam]

Small money, yeah.

[Interviewer]

Now talk me through the first venture you decided to start.

[Knowledge]

I started to buy equipment, musical equipment. Because I did like music at the time, even once I was here in Ghana where we're living in the suit. We were surrounded by two nightclubs.

[Moscam]

So obviously right in the middle of two nightclubs. So every night you just hear music, playing music. Also I was into music, so I started buying musical equipment. Little speakers, little amplifiers here and there. And then obviously I was buying records as well, you know, to play just

[Knowledge]

for myself, just to own something. Yeah.

[Moscam]

So that's what most of my money went on.

[Interviewer]

What was the plan?

[Knowledge]

Buying all those things just for me, Just for me to have it as myself, something to do. It was. I had no vision. I didn't know what it was going

[Moscam]

to lead up to.

[Interviewer]

During those times as a young, an 18 year old or 17. Let me just take it back to 17. 17 year old in London. What were some of the activities that a lot of black people used to do within our community?

[Knowledge]

It wasn't a lot. I mean there wasn't a lot we

[Moscam]

could have done except for going to youth clubs. You know those days youth club was

[Knowledge]

very, very popular or hanging out with friends on the street.

[Interviewer]

There were no community hangouts like Ghan coming together.

[Knowledge]

No, no, that wasn't, that was not there. No Ghanaian nightclubs, no Ghanaian restaurants. No. Why is that generation was not ready for that or that generation wasn't made to that. That in fact that generation was the generation that's coming to the diaspora. Work and send money back home.

[Moscam]

That's what it was like.

[Knowledge]

You know, people were doing morning cleaning, people working as nurses or whatever is to is working and sending back up money back home. So it wasn't about building what we have now.

[Moscam]

We have various nightclubs, we have various restaurants, we have various sports places you could go.

[Knowledge]

That wasn't the case at that time. So community hangouts was not in fact the community hangout I remember was either

[Moscam]

you going to church with your parents

[Knowledge]

or it's a funeral and you following

[Moscam]

your parents, you go into that.

[Knowledge]

That to me was more of a hangout.

[Interviewer]

So there was no like what we have today, you, you guys just indoors, outdoor playing football, just activities, youth clubs, church, funeral. That was it.

[Knowledge]

That was it. All right. Church and funerals played a major part

[Moscam]

in a lot of us growing up back then. I mean we all know about Ghanaian funerals, although it's a funeral is also it's a part. It's a part. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

So yeah, okay, yeah. But then what was the transition from that to becoming a dj?

[Knowledge]

I had a very good friend of mine called Moscam.

[Moscam]

Most Comfort is a very good friend and he was a DJ as well. But Knowledge is a dj. Moscow is also a producer. He was producing for one or two UK artists at the time. So in one of our meetings, I remember going to his house and I saw him with all his equipment that he had, the techniques, turntable, the Sunlab mixer, the microphone, everything else. And he was doing his thing.

[Knowledge]

So I just trying to say, look, Moss, teach me.

[Moscam]

I want to be a dj, you

[Knowledge]

know, because I was, I was buying equipment, but I was just buying it for myself.

[Moscam]

And then after seeing what he's done in setup, I said to him, look, I want to be a dj, so teach me. So that's how I got learned how to be a DJ through Moscow, who was the same person as well. Muskamp managed to take me to a group of guys, which leads to my next discussion, which is 90 his squad, whereby there was at the time those four Ghanaian guys, which grew up to be six Ghanaian guys. We decided to come together all our equipment, let's put our equipment together and start renting out to various people to use our equipment for funerals.

[Knowledge]

Funerals and also for. For parties. I mean back in the day, that

[Moscam]

time, one of the. The biggest music scene at the time was a music scored acid house. Acid, like the acid Acid?

[Knowledge]

Yeah. Okay.

[Moscam]

Acid house was the biggest thing at that time. It was the biggest thing we could. We, you know, it was, it was driving the uk, you know, the UK dancing was crazy. You go to places and used to be a place in Kings Cross called Bradley Studios, you know, so we used to take equipment there for them. Most promoters that were doing acid house music will rent an empty warehouse and they need equipment.

[Interviewer]

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