Request Line is the first short film which describes the timeline of heritage work being done by True Form Projects.
Request Line’ is the first short film which describes the timeline of heritage work being done by True Form Projects. It documents how a record collection was rescued to create a new archive when Oriental Star Agencies, one of the oldest South Asian music stores and labels in the UK, had to close at its original address in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, 2017.
Original records and many different objects were recovered within a few days of closing. They included original paintings, awards, editing equipment, VHS videos, and numerous other items including one of the largest South Asian record collections in the UK. This collection was used for a variety of radio programmes beginning in 1971 but had been unused for many years due to the onset of digital music.
As the first UK radio programmes of South Asian music in the Midlands, the records were played at Radio Birmingham at BBC’s Pebble Mill. The owner at the time Mr Mohammed Ayyub described receiving ‘sacks full’ of requests by postcard. Some of these requests are shown in the film. These written notes ask for music that people wanted and waited to listen to for different reasons.
From celebrations for loved ones to wanting to be reminded of songs from another time. In the record collection there are different rarities which range from live shows in Trinidad to limited edition remixes, picture discs, many Pakistani 7-inch records and some phonographs that date back to the partition of India and Pakistan.
As well as playing records for the main radio request show at BBC Pebble Mill, there were many other events organised such as live mehfils, concerts and events, like the ‘Asian Music Competition’ concerts at the Birmingham town hall, live qawwalis by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, mehfils and bhangra shows.
This project will look to archive and excavate from the collection and collect the memories of those that moved here at the time and who loved the music that reminded them of home and the music of being here.
True Form Projects
We collect oral histories, capture people’s experiences and talk to them about their lives. We photograph, film, interpret and create content that is exciting and undiscovered. We curate groundbreaking work and make sure that those we engage with feel respected. Our archive is rare, sought after and valuable to us as are our communities.
