Reggae Rooms present: DJ Derek

Tree House Fire // Strobe Circus

DJ Derek (born Derek Morris 1942) is a Bristol-based DJ whose blend of 60s rocksteady, reggae, ska, dancehall and soul music has made him an icon for many in the industry, including a host of Jamaican producers and Massive Attack.

DJ Derek spent 10–18 years working as an accountant at Cadburys, yet gave it up to play reggae in the St Pauls area of Bristol Derek kindled his love for music as a washboard player in the 1950s and has played popular sets at many major festivals, including Glastonbury and The Big Chill.

He MCs in Jamaican Patois while DJing, despite never having visited Jamaica. He picked up the accent from a Bristol based Jamaican barber, and it has since helped him be accepted in the black music industry. In 2006, He released the album DJ Derek Presents… Sweet Memory Sounds, a compilation of some of his favourite tunes. In addition to having an encyclopaedic appreciation of the above music, DJ Derek is a notable fan of real ale and is also renowned for having visited every single Wetherspoons pub in the UK. He has also featured in Dizzee Rascal's music video 'Dirtee Disco' playing himself as a DJ in a disco hall for old aged pensioners.