Soundsystem

The sound system concept first became popular in the 1950s, in the ghettos of Kingston. DJs would load up a truck with a generator, turntables, and huge speakers and set up street parties. In the beginning, the DJs played American rhythm and blues music, but as time progressed and more local music was created, the sound migrated to a local flavor. The sound systems were big business, and represented one of the few sure ways to make money in the unstable economy of the area. The promoter (the DJ) would make his profit by charging a minimal admission, and selling food and alcohol. It was not uncommon for thousands of people to be in attendance. By the mid 1950s, sound systems had eclipsed live musicians in any combination for the purpose of staging parties. By the second half of the decade, custom-built systems began to appear from the workshops of specialists such as Headley Jones, who constructed wardrobe-sized speaker cabinets known as "House[s] of Joy". It was also around this time that Jamaica's first superstar DJ and MC, Count Machuki (b. Winston Cooper) rose to prominence. As time progressed, sound systems became louder--capable of playing bass frequencies at 30,000 watts or more, with similar wattage attainable at the mid-range and high frequencies--and far more complex than their predecessors, record players with a single extension speaker. Competition between these sound systems was fierce, and eventually two DJs emerged as the stars of the scene: Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd, and Duke Reid.

 

The History of Soundsystem and Jamaican Music (Video)

 

www.dailymotion.com/related/x1ze9o/video/x2ebz7_story-of-...

 

www.dailymotion.com/related/x2ebz7_story-of-jamaican-musi...

 

www.dailymotion.com/video/x1zeeu_reggae-the-story-of-jama...

 

Soundsystem style videos from the 1980s

 

www.dailymotion.com/video/xz3p6_ubrown-jamaican-soundsyst...

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jxqauNyLMY&feature=related

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAK7zvSZFqg&feature=related

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PdqmrpWOYs&feature=related

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzedvUTa1nE&feature=related

 

Listen

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIu9xbk3Ngo

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAK7zvSZFqg&feature=related

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Uploaded on September 22, 2009
Taken on September 22, 2009