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Music executive, Maxine Stowe, is heading up a movement to push a month of activities to highlight the potency, cultural pull and international relevance of the dancehall genre. The activities will be anchored by a high-energy four-the-hard-way sound clash showcase celebrating 40 years of its history.
“As an extension of Sugar Minott’s legacy ... we are defining the final week of May as ‘Dancehall Strong’ (not weak), between May 25 to May 31 to showcase the potency of the collective artforms,” Stowe said.
Presented under the auspices of the Dancehall Music Museum, the week-long celebration will kick off with the Sugar Minott Earthstrong on May 24 and climax with a dubplate, traditional throwback sound clash with a quartet of sounds, dubbed fittingly, ‘Jungle 4 Sound Clash: 40th Anniversary Throwdown!’ on May 31 at the Arnett Garden Football Stadium.
“This initiative is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and protecting the heart and soul of Jamaican sound system culture and dancehall music, both locally and internationally. This isn’t just a museum; it’s a movement, celebrating the spread of dancehall through migrant Jamaican communities from London to New York,” Stowe said.
No one more than Stowe knows the power of the Jamaica-to-New York connection. A true veteran with decades of experience in the industry, she knows the importance of participating in transforming our inner city music communities through supporting these entertainment events.
AIDED IN DANCEHALL’S INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
In the last 40 years, Stowe has worked with every major record company that has helped to aid dancehall’s international development including Universal Music Group by way of Island Records, Youth Man Promotions, VP Records, Sony and Ghetto Youths International.
Stowe believes that the Jungle 4 Sound Clash will serve as a nostalgic reminder of the raw energy of 80s Dancehall and the significant role of Sugar Minott’s Youthman Promotion Sound System.
“It’s not a clash per se, the sound systems which will celebrate the format include Stur Mars, Youthman Promotion, King Jammys and the current rub-a-dub sound King Tafari,” Stowe explained.
The week-long festivities will be boosted by the involvement of dancehall-reggae superstar Sizzla Kalonji, who has invested in developing the youths of August Town with the Sizzla Youth Foundation, Kalonji Music Studio, King Tafari Sound System, and the historic connection with the Caveman Sound System.
This year also represents a landmark year in the history of dancehall. The museum is proud to highlight the 40th anniversary of Kenneth ‘Skeng Don’ Black’s Skengdon label and Stur Mars sound system, with reissues through VP Records.
She pointed to 1985 as the year when new technology redefined the production of Jamaican music.
“It was the ground zero for the geopolitical and culturally anaesthetising force that came to be known as dancehall. And in that landmark year, the emergence of new technology fundamentally transformed dancehall music, from its production to its distribution and fanbase interaction,” Stowe, who is the widow of Sugar Minott stated.
King Jammy’s Sleng Teng riddim and Sly & Robbie’s Herbman Hustling celebrated the arrival of this new technology, and its success ushered in the age of digital drum machines and synthesisers, facilitating fast-paced rhythms and a distinct sound that would later spark the birth of reggaeton and other international copycats.
According to Stowe, everything shifted – musically, culturally, and politically in that year.
“This clash culture, with its innovative sound technology, catalogues, and crews, paved the way for dancehall’s global explosion in the 90s, turning dubplate specials into ultimate weapons and elevating artistes to sound system stars. The Sting show, born from this dynamic era by Supreme Promotions’ Isaiah Laing, showcased the power and influence of dancehall on a grand stage,” Stowe said.
Several other dancehall icons and pioneers such as Danny Dread, Winston Riley, Sly Dunbar, Prince Buster, Isaiah Laing, Lady G, and Spragga Benz also celebrate their birthdays in May.
English (US) ·