The Sound Clash - DJ culture Began

Sound system battles were getting really famous in Jamaica. This event turned cultural and more people were getting interested. Jamaicans were trying to make their own sound system and the challenge was to make the biggest sound system and bring the best sound quality. Build a sound system was a way to make money. Jamaicans were putting their sound systems on the streets to bring the crowd and the owners could make business with the local bars. In 10 years the culture of sound systems had a big evolution there was one time that the producers couldn’t bring more sound quality and most of the sound systems were getting the same sizes.

Suddenly producers started to look for other ways to bring the crowd.  They began the Dj selection. The DJ culture began the owners of the sound systems were trying to get the best hits. Sometimes get a track implied travel and just some of the DJ’s could make it.

In the 1950’s Coxsone Dodd Downbeat ruler and Duke Reid the Trojan were two DJ’s really famous, they battled at the Sound Clash event and this battle was never forgotten by the Locals. There is a long story behind this battle but the most important thing is that these two men created the DJ culture. 

Coxsone Dodd aka Down beat Ruler

Duke Reid aka The Trojan

Thomas Wong and The Great Sound system

Between 1850’s and 1860’s a lots of Chinese groups immigrated to Jamaica in way to open their business and make money to support their kids and help them to reach great schools. 

Around the 1920’s Jamaicans were used to listening jazz music. Jamaicans are really known around the world because they love music and they love to dance.

The Chinese’s started to be involved with local Jamaicans. The music was a method to put the community together.

Thomas Wong is one of the guys you will always hear from Jamaica music history. His father was a Chinese Jamaican and his mother African. Wong   was born in Kingston in the early 1940’s he was owner of an iron store. Thomas became famous because he helped to develop the Dancehall system. the locals didn’t have money to afford professional music bands or even the local unprofessional. They were just buying some hits from that time, and it was already quite difficult to get. But it was easier to pay someone, who could bring the music and play. Wong had He’s big sound system known as Tom the Great Sebastian. The name was given by some circus artists.

At the time Thomas was playing for the citizens and in 1952 he had is first sound system battle against Count Nick.

 Thomas won the battle. Accidently both build a new culture of sound system battles that now a days is commune is Jamaica.

Snakehip, the Influences / The Rise of the Funk, Mr. James Brown

If we look back in the time and try to find some influences of the Hip Hop Culture,
 we can find a Man who invented his own dance. Way different from the classical dances that at the time people were dancing, you can find a Man named Earl Tucker AKA Snakehips or Human Boa Constrictor. Earl Performed in  Many clubs in Harlem NY, iand with his exhibitions, he won his reputation. In the middle of 1920’s snakehips was well known in Harlem and his flexibility open to him the doors for other opportunities of work. Because of his own dance Earl Tucker performed in some short movies and his name appeared in the open credits always as Snakehips"

                                                                              (1905 -1937)

 If you see some of his moves, you will easily understand that his dance was an inspiration for other dances, he had some groove that you could indentify  in soul dance. You can still see some of his waves now a day in some Hip Hop dances.

Jazz, Soul, Gospel were the music at the time and if I want to start from somewhere I need to talk about the music.

James Brown, Our Soul brother number Nº1, is one of the most known singers, songwriters, musicians, and recording artists of the Music History. The Sex Machine Man has the privilege to have his name on the Rock and Roll wall of Fame.

3rd of May 1933, a legend, the fathers of the Music Funk was Born in Barnwell, South Carolina, United States.

James Joseph Brown, his full name, AkA the Hardest shown man business, brought the music that only he could hear. The Godfather took the Jazz, Soul, Gospel to a new version called Funk.

James is also really known in the World Dance Hip Hop History. His Funky steps are still memorable all over the world.

Funk / stank / stink were the most known expressions by the middle of 1950’s used in Soul music although Funk or Funky started to appear more often because of Him. His music was spicy and attractive for the generation, but in fact James Brown brought the music that the people wanted to hear!

His music had a lot of energy and the crowd, were taking him to the highest level. Watching James brown performing was and is still a dream of a singer!

For the ones who don't know, Mr. James Brown was not just a great singer. James was himself on stage and every single time he was performing he was improving is own dance steps. He inspired a lot of kids, those that on that time were amazed by him.

 James had a lot of hits like Papa's Got a brand new bag, Sex Machine, I Got you Feel Good, it’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s world. But … He made one named Get on the good food and accidently James inspired kids to create a new street dance called Break Dance. 

Ying and Yang - Vision

If we really want to understand this journey we need to reflect about the world we live.

The Chinese History, talks about the phenomenon of Ying and Yang.

This mystery that it's been living in the Book of  “Tao Te Ching”. The Book talks about the ethics of K'ung Fu tzu, and Buddhism, which first appeared in China during the 1st century CE.

Ying and Yang is the dark and the light, as being the creative power, which sustains all life and being. Ying and yang are not to be seen as Gods or Deities in any sense. They are the natural forces behind nature.

Resuming Ying and Yang is the balance of life. It's normal that in our world, there is good things and bad things …

Good Things and Bad Things.

This is what I want to talk about.

have you ever tried to put yourself out of your routine and just looked around?

Our World created Humans and Humans created different cultures.

And because they are different they don’t accept each other’s. But One thing I do accept I accept Ying and Yang and I can’t judge something if I don’t understand both sides.