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Check Republic catches up with Fast-rising LADe – Pause

Check Republic catches up with Fast-rising LADe – Pause (more…)

SSC: LONDON REVIEW ON PAUSE MUSIC

Sound System Culture: London exhibition

Sound System Culture is a compact, informative and carefully curated exhibition tucked away in a corner of west London arts venue The Tabernacle. Using photographs, archives and memorabilia, as well as highly detailed narratives, it traces the history and growth of sound system culture in London, from private parties in the 1950s to the modern day Notting Hill Carnival. The travelling exhibition began in Huddersfield, journeying to Bristol and Birmingham before hitting London this month.

Born out of a need for ‘community focus’, these systems acted as vehicles for the excluded Caribbean people to be heard in London. This was achieved through decades of dedication towards sound and communication – these systems were, and still are, the stars, taking precedence over the musicians that play on the decks. These gargantuan speaker set-ups provided the people with music from their homeland in the way that it was meant to be heard.

“The totality of the way we play music on sound system, you won’t get that anywhere else” – Jah Shaka

Soundsystems in the flesh are magnificent, but also make for beautiful photograph subjects. A personal favourite was a photograph of an illuminated Reggae Roast Soundsystem taken by Nick Caro. I was struck by its symmetry and stature – without someone behind the decks or people dancing around it, it seemed so calm and peaceful in contrast to the rumbles and roars is frequently emits.

“There is still a message to be heard, whether it’s on a record or over the sound system, and that message has to go to the four corners of the Earth” – these words quoted from the legendary Jah Shaka in an accompanying text echo the sentiments of this exhibition. Taking the systems from the dance to the gallery, Sound System Culture is spreading the rich history of reggae music to a wider audience. Dense but engaging; busy but with the entire audience engrossed and appreciative – it’s an event that I urge any music fan to see. There was a lot of love in that small gallery, not just resonating amongst the diverse crowd of dedicated fans and newcomers, but within the photos of important musicians, events and sound systems, all paying the utmost respect to the music.

Photo: Notting Hill Carnival, London, August 1979. © David Hoffman www.hoffmanphotos.com