THE SKINNY ON SOUND SYSTEMS AND DANCEHALL CULTURE
In this post we will take you through a crash course of the volumizing nature of sound systems and the dancehall culture surrounding the epic setup.
The sound system concept originated in the 1950s in Kingston, Jamaica. DJs would load up a truck with a generator, turntables, and huge speakers to set up street parties. The sound system scene is generally regarded as an important part of Jamaican cultural history and as being responsible for the rise of modern Jamaican musical styles such as ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub. When Jamaicans emigrated to the United Kingdom, the sound system culture followed and became rooted there in the 1970s.
The sound system system has now become modernized and less cultural in most Jamaican events however is still alive and well in ghetto sessions and dance halls like Lime light and Stone Love (A sound system club of sorts).
In the dance hall the sound system is usually setup at corners of the designated party location. In most instances these locations are in the middle of street or on a field or court. It’s in these instances you refer to these sessions as; ‘Street Dances’. The baddest (Best) and most fearless dancers (Usually females) frequent climb atop the sound box pyramids to whine and dance as they’re cheered on by the crowd and often time the parties Disc Jockey. Essentially the sound system is a very important part of world dancehall culture.
