{"id":114426,"date":"2018-12-05T21:46:48","date_gmt":"2018-12-06T02:46:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kingston12.net\/?p=114426"},"modified":"2022-11-22T16:01:47","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T21:01:47","slug":"kingston12-hifi-carrying-the-sound-system-legacy-into-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingston12.net\/2020\/2018\/12\/05\/kingston12-hifi-carrying-the-sound-system-legacy-into-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Kingston12 HIFI: Carrying the Sound System Legacy into the Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kingston 12<\/strong> represents the postal or zip code in West-Central Kingston, Jamaica that, along with adjacent areas of Trench Town (Kingston 13) and the south-central part of the city, was the axis of the cultural renaissance that gave the world Reggae music. It is the home of the Ambassador Theater \u2013 the place that was the flagship for presenting new talent to Jamaica and the world. The Ambassador (Bass), alongside the Majestic, Palace, and Ward theatres, provided the stages for the Vere John\u2019s Hour. This was the talent show that introduced the country and subsequently the world to artists like Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, Bob Marley, Don Drummond, Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, Peter Tosh, Millie Small, Hortense Ellis, Bob Andy, Jackie Edwards, and many more of the stars that became the icons of the Reggae music industry.<\/p>\n

Kingston 12 was the \u201cHarlem\u201d of the Caribbean – an area that attracted artists such as Jackie Opel and Lord Creator who came all the way from Barbados and Trinidad, respectively.
\nThese artists in late 1950s to early 1960s became the foundation of Jamaica\u2019s Sound System Culture. As early as 1950, Tom Wong, a Jamaican of Chinese ancestry established \u201cTom the Great Sabastian\u201d in East-Central Kingston. His sound system launched the career of the great Count Matchuki who later joined Clement Dodd\u2019s Sir Coxsone Downbeat. Tom\u2019s main rival at the time was Cyril Braithwaite\u2019s \u201cCount C \u2013 the Wizard of the West.\u201d Count C dominated the western end of the city. These two sound systems laid the groundwork for the sound system culture which quickly followed Jamaican migration to England and the United States, and later provided the base for the spread of Ska, Rock Steady and Reggae worldwide.<\/p>\n

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Sound System Speakers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The sound system culture quickly spread amongst the poorer classes of\u00a0 \u00a0Kingston and adjacent parish \u2013 St Andrew. Several new players entered the\u00a0 \u00a0arena. The pioneers among them were Clement Dodd (Sir Coxsone\u2019s\u00a0 \u00a0Downbeat), Author \u201cDuke\u201d Reid (Duke Reid the Trojan), Vincent Edward\u2019s (King\u00a0 \u00a0Edward-the Giant) and Cecil \u201cPrince Buster\u201d Campbell\u2019s (Prince Buster \u2013the\u00a0 \u00a0Voice of the People). That was around the same time Jamaican journalist, Vere\u00a0 \u00a0John, started a weekly one-hour talent show, which he named after himself. It\u00a0 \u00a0was a live performance showcase of fresh, young Jamaican talent. The audio of\u00a0 \u00a0the show was recorded for a later weekly broadcast on the country\u2019s single radio station: RJR (for Radio Jamaica & Radio Fusion)<\/p>\n

From the beginning, there was intense competition among the sound system operators. They competed for crowds, music, and eminence in the local community. Thus, the Vere John\u2019s talent exposition provided an opportunity to identify new talent that could enhance that competition. Few recording studios existed at the time. However, the sound system operators came to the show with the specific intent of identifying new talent that they could use to record exclusive Jamaican versions of American R & B and Jump Blues songs, or sometimes original materials that they played exclusively on their sound systems. These sound systems provided a reasonable alternative for the poorer sector of the population who wanted entertainment but could not afford to hire the live bands that existed at the time, such as Byron Lee and the Dragoneers, Kes Chin and the Souvenirs, and the Percy Myers Combo for their parties.<\/p>\n

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Leroy Sibbles – One of Kingston 12’s International Reggae Artists<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This competition among the sound systems not only laid the groundwork for today\u2019s dancehall \u201cselector culture,\u201d but was also the foundation upon which the entire Jamaican music industry is built. The art of toasting on records flourished during this period. This consisted of rhyming vocal patterns over instrumentals that later evolved into social commentary; it also became an important part of the entertainment. Over the years this legacy has provided roots upon which multiple Jamaican musical genres emerged – from Jamaican Jump Blues, Ska, Rock Steady to today\u2019s Reggae and Dancehall.<\/p>\n

Today, many young selectors and sound system operators have embraced the opportunities presented by new technologies to create modern Dancehall \u2013 substituting computer-assisted beats and instrument simulation for real instruments and live musicians. This is usually supported by computer-generated playlists via programs like Serato and Virtual DJ – replacing turntables. However, one sound system that has figured out how to master the new technology and new trends without discarding the foundation is Los Angeles, CA-based Kingston12 Hi-Fi. This sound system is under the direction of the super talented, master DJ, rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, and Reggae\/Hip Hop artist Edmund Carl Aiken, Jr. – Shinehead (Jamaican In New York fame). His partner in life and music \u2013 Diana Camacho aka DJ Papalotl aka Buttahfly \u2013 makes up the other half of the Kingston 12 Hi-Fi team who is charting the path by showing fans how to navigate both lanes without choosing one at the expense of the other.<\/p>\n

The sound system is named after the historic LA Reggae club venue Kingston12 which was founded by Richard O\u2019Brian, aka King Richard, a Jamaican expatriate in Los Angeles, California who operated it as part of a restaurant \/nightclub establishment. He, along with his family, ran the venue they named after the community in Jamaica that they hailed from, which of course guaranteed the authenticity of the music given Kingston12\u2019s aforementioned musical history.<\/p>\n

The Kingston12 enterprise was also the first of its kind on the US West Coast. Richard and his family established a place where for more than twenty years Los Angeles residents and visitors were treated to live reggae performances, and\/or club DJ\u2019s playing Reggae, Dancehall, and Hip Hop music, while having an authentic Jamaican meal or mellow island drinks.
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