According to police reports, on August 30, the last day of the festivities, officers attempted to arrest a pickpocket near Portobello Road. A number of carnival-goers – both black and white – came to the pickpocket’s aid and within minutes, this incident escalated into violence. Other witnesses later said that the presence of white fascist gangs had also contributed to the riot.

The police made 66 arrests – and in a subsequent trial, which cost a record £250,000, 17 black youths were charged. Only two were convicted.

Going the 9 to 5 route they say, “would have meant we would not be as free as we are to think what we want, read what we want, say what we want. We would never have wanted that.”

The legacy of these generations is rooted in the triumph over circumstance, a testament to the resilience and resistance of the Jamaican spirit. “You know what they say,” adds Boot, “you need hard times and stress to make good music.”