Historic lascar seafaring heritage takes centre stage at Cutty Sark Festival

Ansar Ahmed Ullah:

The rich maritime heritage of South Asian Lascars, especially Bengali sailors, resonated through the historic Cutty Sark as Bengali folk music and traditional sea shanties came together at this year’s Sea Shanty Festival on 23 November.

Local schoolchildren from Lucas Vale Primary School in Deptford took centre stage, performing a Bengali river boat racing song they learned through workshops led by renowned Bengali folk artist Gouri Choudhury and Laila Sumpton. The Year 5 students also presented their own original sea shanty, inspired by historical accounts of Lascar sailors drawn from Royal Museums Greenwich archives.

“Hearing young voices sing in Bengali aboard the Cutty Sark connects us directly to the often-overlooked history of Lascar sailors who were crucial to British maritime trade,” said Gouri Choudhury, whose band later performed a selection of traditional Bengali sea and river songs.

The festival’s diverse programme also featured performances by shanty crew The She Shanties and the London Sea Shanty Collective, led by Laila Sumpton, highlighting the multicultural heritage of Britain’s maritime history.

The event represents a significant step in recognising the contributions of Lascar sailors, who served on British merchant ships from the 17th century onwards but whose stories have often been left out of traditional maritime narratives. The festival, which was held at one of London’s most iconic maritime landmarks, demonstrates how traditional sea shanties can bridge cultures and generations while preserving important historical narratives.