The story of BRAFA Square

Written By Culture Hackney

Find out more about the story that became ‘Hackney’s answer to Live Aid’ in 1985 and visit the square in Shoreditch Park.

A black and white image of a group of people. Contributors to the BRAFA charity single outside Hive Studio, Stoke Newington, 24 February 1985 © David Corio

Contributors to the BRAFA charity single outside Hive Studio, Stoke Newington, 24 February 1985 © David Corio

In between the new Britannia Leisure Centre and Shoreditch Park you will find BRAFA Square, named in recognition of ‘The British Reggae Artists Famine Appeal’. During the mid-1980s BRAFA raised thousands of pounds for Ethiopian famine relief by recording a charity song 'Let's Make Africa Green Again' and holding a benefit concert in Shoreditch Park, Hackney.

The story was rediscovered in 2019 when a local resident recalled attending the benefit concert in Shoreditch Park in 1986.

Together with BRAFA founder Leon Leiffer, Hackney Council tracked down concert organisers, the musicians that played and sang on the record, and the music journalists and photographers who covered the story. BRAFA musicians and their families, local residents and people from across the world came forward with memories, photos and newspaper cuttings, helping us piece together the story of ‘Hackney’s answer to Live Aid in the 1980s.’

You can visit the permanent information panel installed in the square where the 'Let's Make Africa Green Again’ melody and a timeline charts the history as inscribed in the steel tree and bench surrounds. It serves as a permanent reminder of the impactful, but almost forgotten, history of the BRAFA fundraising campaign.

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of ‘Let’s Make Africa Green Again’

To honour the 40th anniversary of the BRAFA singe, Hackney Council funded  Rising Tide music charity to run a five-week workshop which saw original members of BRAFA work with young people to reimagine the song for a new generation. Working with Leon Leiffer, Rising Tide CEO Jermain Jackman brought together 30 intergenerational participants and created three new songs inspired by the story of community, activism and charity. These new compositions were performed at Hackney Town Hall and the Hackney Empire on Windrush Day 2025 as part of The Blessing event. Watch their work in progress and see how they got on below!

Hackney Museum BRAFA Teaching Packs

Also to celebrate the 40th anniversary, Hackney Museum commissioned brand new teaching resources for schools and educators to learn more about the history in honour of Black History Season 2025. The free teaching packs can be downloaded from the Hackney Museum website now and include printable worksheets a British Reggae listening calendar, lyrics and audio files.

Remembering BRAFA: The documentary

To document the history and to commemorate the opening of BRAFA Square a Booklet was produced and a documentary was filmed, which includes interviews with founder member Leon Leiffer, BRAFA co-organisers and their families plus many of the musicians who performed on the charity single and at the benefit concert.

BRAFA Square the opening

BRAFA Square was officailly opened by Mayor Philip Glanville on 6 October 2021 with original members of BRAFA, their families, and reggae music legends in attendance. They included Leon Leiffer, Winston Reedy, Winston Francis, Pauline Reid, Audrey Scott, Janet Kay, Black Steel, Jah Bunny, Fay Addison and The Blackstones!

Relive the magic from the opening night, over on the Hackney Council Flickr page and rewatch the speeches and entertainment in the video below.

BRAFA on the Antiques Roadshow

In 2022 BRAFA founder members and families were invited onto the Antiques Roadshow to share their story. The episode filmed at Clissold Park in August 2022 is available to watch on Apple TV.

A group of people in the park standing by a group of framed objects

Leon Leiffer founding member of the Blackstones talks to Marc Allum in Clissold Park for a recording of The Antiques Roadshow

More information & resources

Culture Hackney