To commemorate the occasion Punch
Records are bringing two of the greatest
roots, reggae and dub acts of all time,
Channel One and Mad Professor, together
for a joint nationwide tour.
Channel One are one of the UK's best
known, foundational sound systems,
comprising prime selector Mikey Dread
and MC Ras Kayleb. Established in 1979,
they first played Notting Hill Carnival
in 1982, and have been a regular fixture
there ever since. Mad Professor is the
esteemed dub music producer and
engineer, known for transitioning dub into
the digital age. His music was created
specifically to be played through sound
systems, so it's a match made in heaven.
The UK's first homegrown sound system
was brought over by Duke Vin in 1955,
and it's from this pivotal point that a
culture was born. Vincent George Forbes
was a Jamaican-born sound system
operator and selector who began his
career as a selector on Tom the Great
Sebastian. In 1973 he was one of the
founders of the Notting Hill Carnival, and
performed at the event for 37 years.
Stowing away in a boat from Kingston
in 1954, he arrived in London where he
built his first sound system from a £15
speaker, a £4 amplifier and a second-
hand turntable. What he started was a
movement originating in the Caribbean,
spread around the globe as a by-
product of the migration at the time and
something that maintains its cultural
significance to this day, entwined as it is
within the UK's own social fabric.
Sound system culture remains so popular
in the UK because of its authenticity – it
is the way roots reggae is meant to be
transmitted and enjoyed, and because
it is made by and produced for normal,
working people, it has flourished outside
the hands of the official media. Quite
simply, sound system is the real deal.
This tour offers a great opportunity for
people to immerse themselves in a music
and culture rich in history and vibe, as
well as a rare chance to see both Channel
One and Mad Professor together, truly
doing what they do best.
7
53
Issue 80 / 2015
REGGAE / DANCE HALL
guestlist.net
2015 marks the diamond jubilee of the UK sound system phenomenon
60 years of sound
system culture
