SOUND SYSTEM CULTURE
Friday 21st June 2023, 11pm. I'm told that Odunsi will be at the Place Frantz-List in Paris. I see a dozen speakers stacked up in front of 300 people, talking, laughing, dancing and singing. One of these speakers makes a shrill sound, and the audience plugs their ears. I take the opportunity to sneak up in front of the stage, unaware that I'm about to witness one of my first SOUND SYSTEM concerts.
Born in 1940 in the ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica, sound system culture used to be a way of creating low-cost street parties. During these events, the DJ would bring all his reggae vinyl records and play them through a sound system.
BASS SYSTEM
Originally, sound systems were used to broadcast a large number of SKA, DUB and REGGAE vinyl records. The sound of the vinyl gave honor to the most important instrument in reggae music: the bass. This instrument, which is often forgotten, is the main instrument of reggae music. "Is this love" would never have been "is this love" without Aston Barrett's bassline, and the same goes for Lucky Dube's "Going back to my roots".
"When I started going to parties, there were reggae classics that I knew, that I listened to on CD, and when I listened to them on the party broadcast system, I'd rediscover the track: "wait but, is that really the same track?" There's this bass line, in fact, that I wasn't paying attention to at all, and the same song you see in another dimension".
CHARLES
Sounds systems are also political spaces, in terms of their location, their audience and the message they spread. We often think of reggae as a musical style, but it's quite the opposite. Reggae is a culture, a spiritual movement, a cry of struggle. It carries a number of revolutionary messages against capitalism, imperialism and colonialism. So sound systems also served as places where these issues could be discussed and organized.
MEET UP SYSTEM
In addition to being free, sound systems are also meeting places. It's important to consider the roots of this system, which mainly benefited the poorest Jamaicans, since their music halls were reserved for the elite and the wealthy. Consequently, it was through street parties that the message of reggae was spread. These large venues were also used to spread the Rastafari message (link to article) while meeting new people. The primary function of the sound system is to create a "safe place" for communities suffering from marginalization or racism. In short, we're experiencing the joy of African diasporas.
"Thanks to sound systems, I've met a lot of artists with whom I still collaborate".
S.
LOVE+ROOTS+UNITY+
LOVE+ROOTS+UNITY+
LOVE+ROOTS+UNITY+
LOVE+ROOTS+UNITY+
LOVE ROOTS+UNITY
CONTEMPORARY SOUND SYSTEM
Today, the sound system has spread to many musical styles, including drum and bass, jungle and electrodub. This culture can also be found at rave parties. The audience for sound system enthusiasts has also diversified and democratized. Aduni strongly recommends you try one out.