Blessings all over, seen …

By: Brian Jahn

Mar 31 2011

Tags: Black & White Photography, Dacehall Reggae, Jamaica, Kingston, Photography, Radio, Rastafari, Reggae music, Roots Reggae, Sound System, Sound System Reggae, U.K. Reggae

Category: Bob Marley, City, Dancehall, Dancehall Reggae, DeeJay, DJ, Enviornment, Ganja, Jamaica, Kingston, Lovers Rock, Rasta, Rastafari, reggae, Reggae music, Rock Steady, Rocksteady, Roots Reggae, Sound System

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Sound System in New Kingston. (1996)

Sound system (sound system)
Same old rhythm
Disco jive, drive I man wild no.
Sound system (sound system)
Got I man a swinging
Juke Box jive can’t cramp I style.

Sock it to me sister
Move and mash it mama
Feel the fashion father
Bop and bounce it brother..eh.

“Sound System”  – Steel Pulse

Like Nashville, Kingston is music city, except I would bet more music is heard in Kingston on a daily basis. It’s music 24/7, music coming from shops, from taxi’s and places like this 12 volt sound system. This shot is from one of the places I used to hang out at in New Kingston, they always had music, it was either sound clash mix tapes or from IRIE FM. At night it was off to one of the many dances that would go on, Super D, House of Leo or Top Line it was always a great time. As the saying goes in Jamaica, music is life.

What amazed me most at first was that the dances went on till 7 a.m. or so, and people had to go to work. What also amazed me that it didn’t seem to be a problem blaring bass thumping music out of ten-foot speaker columns till dawn, in a neighborhood. Of course this was way before Jamaica enacted the “The Noise Abatement Act” in 1997 which basically says no loud music after 2a.m. on weekends or after midnight during a weeknight.

There is now a debate going on about if the law should be changed or amended for “traditional community events”. At a recent JLP community meeting one Senator said,  “You must be allowed to relieve yourself of the stress, the tension you feel on a daily basis. And what better way than to sit down and listen to some good music and drink some good liquor? We are looking at that now to allow you to do that without being harassed.”

And don’t forget, check out the new page on the blog for new projects, the link is at the top of the page. My latest project is putting together a photo book on street photography in Kingston. For a link to the project click HERE. Please check it out and help spread the word.