Ed Accura
Ed Accura is a British songwriter, producer, rapper, and host of In The Deep End podcast, screenwriter, and producer of the documentary feature film A Film Called Blacks Can't Swim, and Blacks Can't Swim The Sequel, and the forthcoming Blacks Can't Swim REWIND, all directed by award-winning filmmaker Mysterex (MO-AM).
Ed co-founded the Black Swimming Association (BSA) with Seren Jones, Danielle Obe and Alice Dearing. The BSA was set up two years ago to champion inclusivity, representation, and diversity in aquatics; highlighting the value of swimming as an essential life-saving skill and showcasing aquatic opportunities and aquatic career pathways which are otherwise invisible to African, Caribbean, and Asian communities.
According to official figures released by Sport England, 95% of Black adults and 80% of Black children do not swim, similarly 93% of Asian adults and 78% of Asian children do not swim.
Born in London and raised in the UK and Ghana. Ed Accura began to fulfil his passion for music in the '90s which started with the production of experimental avant-garde and jazz-inspired sounds. His passion for Hip-hop soon became very evident which led him co-founded the UK hip hop crew, 617, with D.R.A. and Bolistik in 2003.
Under his independent production company, Accura Records, he went on to produce and feature on nine studio albums with styles ranging from hip-hop with 617 and as a solo artist all the way to street jazz under the name NOIZE.
His song writing took a turn in 2010 when he made the conscious decision to only make music that created social awareness. This was highlighted in 2016 when he wrote and dedicated the song Bear A Witness to a homeless person on the streets of London that had passed away not long after he had shared a burger with him outside McDonalds. As a result, he founded and run the Bear A Witness Homeless campaign for 2 years.
The next music project Ed embarked on would change his life forever. Sat on a boat on holiday with friends and family in Barbados in August 2018, Ed wrote the song A Film Called Black Can't Swim, highlighting his aquaphobia and inability to swim. The song was intended to highlight the issue with the disproportionate number of people of African, Caribbean, and Asian heritage that did not swim and encourage someone to make a film about it. Ed ended up making that film and the rest as they say is history.
Discography (Albums)
Blacks Can't Swim REWIND The Official Motion Picture Soundtrack (2022) Blacks Can't Swim The Official Motion Picture Soundtrack (2021) Ed Accura - Talk 2 Frank (2016) Ed Accura - Return of the Social Misfit (2015) Ed Accura - Observations a Social Misfit (2010) Noize - Late Night at the Karma Lounge (2014) Noize - Impressionz of a Colourful Mind (2012) Noize - Silent Journey (2011) 617 - Circa 74 (2008) 617 - Bittersweet (2006) 617 - The Vault (2003) Accura - No Holds Barred (1997) Accura - Five X Five (1992)
Discography (Ed Accura Singles)
Change the Narrative (2022) A Film Called Black's Can't Swim (2019) Streetlink (2018) New Age ofThingz (2017) Bear A Witness (2016)