DJ Profile: Siobhán O’Brien and The Windrush

By Lauren Larking

Siobhán O’Brien (she/her) brings the vibes to WECB every Monday from 10-11pm. Her show “The Windrush” focuses around Jamaican dancehall, ska, and reggae, and features artists with Caribbean influences like FKA Twigs, Nina Simone, and Skip Marley. O’Brien, a sophomore with an International Marketing and Communication major and Music History and Culture minor, named her show after the Windrush generation. This references the Carribeans that immigrated to the UK during the ‘50s to ‘70s who brought their music and culture to London. 

“I’m half Jamaican so I grew up with a lot of Jamaican music. My uncle is a DJ and I always hear stories about him growing up in the music scene in London. It’s just the music I listen to,” O’Brien said. “Especially going to Emerson, which is a PWI [predominantly white institution], I knew it was going to be important to talk about this music that a lot of people listen to and share the history behind it.”

O’Brien curates songs and shares her research each week, occasionally doing deep dives into specific artists. One of her most recent focuses was FKA Twigs, who is half Jamaican.

“FKA Twigs new album CAPRISONGS was more upbeat and I noticed she used a lot of Jamaican artists and dancehall. It was a bit of an exploration into the African diaspora, so I focused on that as well in my show, as well as how she played around with different genres,” O’Brien said. “I did another deep dive into Amy Winehouse. She isn’t Jamaican, but she did a lot of reggae covers because she grew up in London during the Windrush generation.

Each week she hopes listeners leave with “an understanding of the historical context of some of the music they listen to on a daily basis and the background of these artists and how their culture has influenced the music they create.” 

When asked if WECB would see her again for another show next semester, O’Brien says “Yes, definitely.”

The playlist from each week’s show can be found in numbered order on her Spotify: siobhán o’brien.