Created as part of Opera North's Resonance programme, which is supported by the PRS foundation's Talent Development Partnership and is aimed at supporting UK based BAME musicians, 'I should have hugged you tighter when we last met' is the product of online collaboration during lockdown by the artists Balraj Singh Samrai, Pandit G, Gavsborg, Farah Ahmad Khan, Shanique Marie, Tunde Adekoya and Vikaash. It was premiered on Maryanne Hobbs' 6Music show back in August, and received a very deep emotional reaction from her audience.
The brief was to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on music makers but 'I should have hugged you tighter when we last met' goes further than that, providing an insight into the ways in which the pandemic and debates around institutional racism collide. There is reference here to everything from the high Covid mortality rate for BAME patients, to Brexit, to #ClapForCarers and its counterpoint campaign #YouClapForMeNow. Like an audio diary come collage, this incredibly moving piece packs a powerful punch, and it will leave you feeling both devastated and moved. It will stay with you for a very long time afterwards.
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