“It's definitely about the collective view. Thinking about the legacy that we're going to leave. For this reason, I call it the gift of the Windrush Generation.”
- Linett Kamala
Across countries and continents, genres and generations, sound system culture has built an immense legacy since originating in the Caribbean in the 1940s. Stacks of speakers first staggering upon the streets of Kingston, Jamaica, able to be packed up and transported around by a tight-knit crew of DJs, vinyl record collectors, self-made sound technicians, who all shared an infectious love for reggae music and its associated sounds. The Windrush generation brought this established concept and huge vibes in tow upon their arrival to the UK between 1948 and 1970. The communal power and collective nature of sound systems very quickly seeped into an evolving Black British music and UK dance scene, making a lasting impression, now very accurately described by the inspiring Linett Kamala: ‘a gift from the Windrush generation.’
This February, 948 Collective and Jumbi joined forces once again, to honour this important cultural legacy by presenting a panel discussion on all things sound systems – at legendary central London venue The Social.
Bringing together musically-inspired menswear designer Nicolas Daley, Notting Hill Carnival board director, DJ Linett Kamala and in-house historian selector Mark The Professor, the influential trio, as guided by DJ, presenter and South London legend Matty Chiabi, discussed their memories and first interest in sound system culture, how it has influenced their works and career, the seminal role of sound systems at Notting Hill Carnival and what needs to be done to preserve the scene at its roots. Sharing their true passion for sound systems and some wicked stories, we get to the bottom of sound systems at their core: their power is from the community spirit they inspire around music, and as long as people keep understanding this, this legacy will live on.
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Matty: Hello everyone. Welcome to ‘Soundsystem(s)’ talk. I'm your host, Matty Chiabi. This event is being run by 948 Collective and Jumbi so please make some noise for them. Doing the Lord's work! Today is all about recognising and celebrating the influences, impacts and joys that sound systems have had on us as a culture at large, with a necessary nod to the Windrush generation, which brought it into the British soundscape. We'll be discussing with our esteemed panellists, the origins of sound system culture, what it looks like today and where it could be going in the future. All the money made from ticket sales tonight will be directly funnelled into the 1(948) Windrush Legacies Grant. This is an initiative started by 948 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Windrush Generations arrival. You can find more information on this around the room, but we'd like to thank you all for buying a ticket and contributing to the grant. Let's introduce our panellists. Nicholas, how are you doing?
Nicholas: Good, thank you!
Matty: You are an eclectic, renowned London-based menswear designer. That correct?
Nicholas: Correct.
Matty: Using fashion as a vehicle to explore the intrinsic interplay between fashion music and culture. Your work often intertwines a more personal narrative around Black British and diasporic themes. Next we have Linett Kamala. I'm just gonna say really quickly, Linett used to be my teacher. So this is like, this is a full circle moment. She was the first woman to ever DJ at Notting Hill Carnival when she was 15 years old, I think that deserves a clap. She now sits on the board of directors for Notting Hill Carnival, and when she's not shutting it down, she's engaging her community through various art wellbeing and educational practices. Definitely one of my biggest inspirations Miss! I'm going to try not to call you Miss today.
Linett: [laughs] And I'm going to try not to say you're in detention.
Matty: And finally, we have Mark The Professor. Give him a round of applause.
Selector and historian, you have played alongside David Rodigan I hear?
Mark: A few people. Rodigan, Sacks?. So many different people over the years, yes.
Matty: And your part of Soca Saga Boys as well?
Mark: Soca Saga Boys, Mighty Ruler Sound System, Stereo City, Reference Library, have I left out anybody?
Matty: So we're just going to take a deep dive into sound system culture, we're going to speak about your experiences, and how sound system culture has influenced your work, and so forth. Okay, so we all know, or if you didn't know, sound system culture originated in a downtown area in Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1940s. It emerged as a social and musical phenomenon that was deeply rooted in the Caribbean islands cultural and social context. So with Jamaicans' shared love for music, their desire for communal entertainment and DIY attitude or accessibility to sound equipment, sound system culture was born. Can you guys tell us about your earliest experiences of sound system culture? Linett, you want to go first?
Linett: Yeah, sure. So, I'm the daughter of a musician. My father came over from Jamaica in the late 1950s, along with my mother, and settled in the Notting Hill Carnival area. So I guess for me, I was handling records from a very early age. Back then, I used to capture the lyrics. You had to put the needle on the record, take it off, write it down in a little book, put it back down. That was my Sunday job. I was born in Harlesden as well, which as a lot of you will know, back then it was the epicentre of reggae music: Trojan Records, Jet Star Records, or Orbitone Records and so on. So, yeah, it just felt like a natural thing. In the early eighties, I had a mate whose brother was in a sound system. I thought: ‘Yeah, I'd like to do that, too!’. So I guess that's kind of how I got into it.
Mark: Similar to Linett, my parents came over in 1954. My first experience of sound systems, or my first journey with music at the level that I own now started in 1979, when I was 12. That's when I started to collect records. As you mentioned, Orbitone, that's one of the first labels or places I bought records from. I got Errol Dunkley’s OK Fred from there. So starting as a record collection is where my interest first started.
When you go and buy records, you want to play them. Then you start to, you know, go to friends parties, and start playing tunes and stuff. And then you want to be in a sound system.
We would then gather other mates that wanted to be in a sound system, starting your own sound systems. But before being in a sound system myself, going into dances, even sounds like Java (Java High Power aka Java Nuclear Power were an 80's/early 90's Sound System from North West London) Tippatone, Coxsone Sound System and sounds from that sort of area. When they all used to play in North West London, going to those dances, that was what got me into it. I said, “Man, this is for me. This is what I want to do.'' That's my earliest inspiration I would say.
Nicholas: For me, it probably comes from my parents. My mum is from Scotland and my dad is Jamaican.They met in Dundee, and as a couple, they decided to run one of the earliest sound system nights in Scotland called the Reggae Klub. So anyone who follows the brand, you know, the t-shirt I'm wearing today, this is what my Dad designed for the Reggae Klub. They ran it from 1978 to 1982. And they had the likes of Aswad and Misty in Roots. My dad would get all the white labels from Greensleeves and Trojan and my mum would be doing the door because my dad would just let everyone in [laughs].
I think even before I was born, my parents' love and appreciation of sound system culture and bringing people together through the power of music is something which has then become very innate. It’s something which I've tried to carry on that torch in the context of the my fashion collections, my fashion shows.
On Friday, together with The Mighty Ruler Soundsystem, we had an event at the V&A for the Friday lates. The first thing I said to the V&A team is “Alright, we're getting the system, we're getting the sound system in.” Yeah, that was the first green light, that email went straight away. I just knew that was always the heartbeat of that moment. I guess you know, I'm very proud of what my, what my parents did. What I do is flashes of what they did 30 years ago, with me as their child, following in a similar footstep. It was a very proud and humbling moment.
Matty: What's the link between sound system culture and fashion for you? I feel like back in the day, people were looking slick, you know. Especially when sound system culture came over to Britain through immigration through the Windrush generation. Originally sound system culture has always been about being outside, being vibrant and being very communal. I feel like when it came to Britain it became more intimate for a little bit - Lovers Rock, intimate house parties, etc. I don't know if anyone watched Small Axe? [crowd cheers]. It was sick. People were looking slick, they were looking suave. So how did that impact your work in terms of fashion?
Nicholas: I mean, I guess it's just about style really. The style you play, the style of fashion and how you move, everything has a style. That's all from our ancestry. You go all the way back to Jamaica, all the way back to West Africa. I feel like all of that is brought over. You look at films like Babylon and you have iconic individuals in sound system culture. I researched Shaka, what he was wearing, you know, all the quilted jackets. This was from a fashion context, but also bringing that into the appreciation of who was playing and who is a part of sound system culture and just fusing that with fashion. So I guess for me, it's always been about style, more than fashion, if that makes sense.
Matty: Love that. Mark - got a question for you. You're an avid vinyl collector, right? Yep. How many records do you think you have?
Mark: I would estimate probably about 15,000 or so.
Matty: What made you like start collecting them? What's the aim? Is it to have a billion, is it to preserve the history there?
Mark: Well, for me, it's just like, you know, you have those moments in life. When you experience something, you hear something. In 1979 My dad bought this hi-fi set up, like a state of the art hi-fi, Sony hifi. My Dad's a big jazz collector. Big jazz collector. He didn't like reggae, but you know, you always do the opposite of what your parents do sort of thing. And I had a cousin that used to be in a sound system and then my next door neighbours, their son used to play in a sound called Java. So I used to hear music next door and I'm hearing certain records and getting the titles of them and then you only want to go and buy them.It was things like, Gregory Isaacs, My Number One. This was one of the tunes I played a lot. It was one that I know I want to collect more like records like this.
In ‘them days’ we used to have Tony Williams, a famous reggae DJ alongside David Rodigan. So Tony Williams would have a show on a Sunday, Rodigan would have a show on a Saturday night. You're just tuning in hearing these tunes. There was a tune called To Love Someone by Paul Dawkins. One of my all time favourite tunes. You know when you hear a tune? You think, wow, I want this tune. Prior to that, when I told my cousin I was starting to collect records, he gave me some records. There was Gene Chandler, Get Down. Linvall Thompson, If I follow My Heart and Cornell Campbell, Queen of the Minstrel.
There was also Book of Rules by the Heptones. But when I played the b-side, which was Crystal Blue Persuasion, that was a moment like, magic was sweet. And then from that day on I wanted to collect every sweet record ever made. And this has been just so many records. Ain't got enough money and not enough time. I mean, I'm married now, my wife doesn't want me to buy any more records. She wants some more space in the house and that. But yeah, it's just this, this journey man. And it doesn't stop. It just doesn't stop. I'm gonna keep on collecting records - but don’t tell my wife! [laughs].
Matty: How do you think sound system culture has changed in the modern day? You know, there are a lot of DJs like myself...I can't play on vinyl. I wish I could.
Mark: Come with us and we’ll sort you there.
Matty: Yeah, yeah yeah, I need a lesson. But how do you think that has changed soundsystem culture?
Mark: Well, for me, and from my observations being involved in sound systems, I think, as when CDs came in, that changed a lot of things for a DJ. Back in the day, sounds were popular. But certain sounds are popular because they would have certain tunes that other sounds wouldn't have. I was in a sound called Nightlife Experience. We were like a party sound from North West. So from 1988 to 1998 there was probably not a weekend I didn't play out. Certain people booked us because we had certain tunes. In them days, when sounds played, you had one guy that played the soul, one guy that will play the lovers rock, I would play some of the deep revive as well. One guy play a dance. Someone who was the operator who was just there. It's like you had this whole team.
It was all these different things. Then things changed when you became a DJ, and then it wasn't about ‘your sound system, you're bringing your sound system’. The promoter would hire a set, then DJs were booked and then you find the idea. This is the main reason why I mentioned the CD things. When I used to be in the sound nightlife I was the one collecting big tunes and stuff. There were other guys who used to play, you know, bashment and stuff like that. They were always like: “Oi can I borrow your tunes? To record them on CD, I want to put some tunes on a CD.” I remember one particular story. I saw one of my friends down the high street, he said "Yo professor, how come you weren't at the dance the other day?” I asked what dance. He said “It was a dance, there were some tunes dropping, they wereyour tunes!” So I talked to one of the guys and he said; “Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I knew you were busy with your girl and things so I didn't bother you!” Basically, he has copied all my tunes, and he's going out playing on his own. That's just one story. After this people just then started going and getting rid of records, everything just changed. I think the saving grace for sound system culture is the roots sound systems. Because they are still proper sound systems. Still, with a proper team, still with a proper rig. And it continues. So DJs are still DJing but I think roots systems are carrying the torch for sound systems. As far as I'm personally concerned anyway. I don't know. What do you guys think?
Linett: It's interesting that it's almost been separated out. I want to talk about the MC. Back in the day, my older sister, women were very prominent on the mics in sound systems in the 1970s and 80s. And it was just a thing. People like Janet Kay, they came through from sound systems, and that's now kind of been plucked out and separated. So you have rappers now, but the MC was someone that was described almost like the newspaper of the day. They would be very topical, just reading the crowd. I find it really weird that sometimes people just play music and don't even look up or there's no MC like, where's the vibe? I know when I get booked I come with my mic. I just think that it has become separated out and fragmented in that respect and it's a shame.
I think with sound systems it's about a collective. It's not about the individual. It's about the we, not the I in it. I think in society, we've got a lot that we can take from that.
I've certainly seen, maybe not quite a revival, but a renewed interest, particularly in like the art form of it, the making of it, you know, the sound quality. And that's really great to see. And you know, and people are getting back into vinyl as well.
Mark: In my eyes it never died.
Linett: Exactly. Nothing sounds better than vinyl. When I started, I started with vinyl. But I'm USB now. So I've gone through the changes, you know, and we'll talk probably a bit later about some of the stuff I've done recently with CDs, because they've become redundant in a way. I've recycled them and I've turned them into costumes. You can have fun. Scratched ones, don't worry. [laughs].
Mark: You know the thing is with USB, I remember going somewhere and lugging, lugging all my records. I was playing with this other DJ, you don't put your records away when you're right next to other DJs. I was looking round at saying to him "Where's your tunes?”. He took out his key out to show me some USB stick. I'm like, damn, things change.
Linett: I would say just one thing, I recently came into a collection of records right, and I forgot how heavy they were. I did my back in for like four days carrying these.
Mark: That's the reason why I only play 7”. When you're carrying 12 inches, it's just l too heavy.
Matty: [laughs] A USB stick guys, it's easy! Attach it to your key ring. Simple. Now, I'm really intrigued to know...because I'm sure everyone in this room has been to Notting Hill Carnival, right. We all love it. It's a vibe. But Linett, obviously you played there when you were 15 years old. How has Notting Hill Carnival changed from then to now?
Linett: Okay, well, I'll try and be brief. So first things are timing for sure. A lot of us will remember it did kind of start Friday and go all the way through to like Tuesday morning. I miss that part in terms of the sound systems at nighttime for sure. And clearly, it's become more people. The crowd has become a bit more diverse I guess. It was historically a Caribbean carnival, a Black British thing, but it's become much more mixed now in that respect. So it's much more reflective globally, in particular of London. The music styles obviously, have always changed as well. But there's been some fundamental things that have stayed and it is ultimately, regardless of the changes to the area. When my parents settled, it was some of the worst housing in the entire UK, that's why they offered it to the Caribbean people. My parents told me there were signs that said “No blacks, no dogs, no Irish”, in the windows. That's because the race relation act hadn't started, it didn't exist. So I think that kind of connection to the people, what it stood for, I would say that's changed a bit. There are lots of people who come and think ‘oh it's just a party’ and it's not, you know. A lot of people who over time forgot that Carnival has come from the racist murder of Keslo Cochrane. That's why the people ended up on the street in the first place. With Rhuane Laslett you know. Women coming together in the community and saying ‘What can we do?’ and ‘How can we do this?’
“I think what has also changed a bit as well, which I hope we can bring back as I got in that way, was the young people on the Sunday. So you older people, you know...we got the Monday. Bring through the next gen. We need to kind of bring that back. But there's so many fantastic things that are still there. There's the vibes, the smile, it's like nothing else because it's grown organically.” - Linett Kamala
Matty: What's your favourite thing about Notting Hill Carnival today? This is a question for the whole panel by the way.
Linett: I live literally near the footprint of it, so always for me it's just the morning of it the build up to it, I guess. I think that's the best vibe. The few days before Carnival in Notting Hill it's just epic. And then the actual morning. Those in the know, they know, the nights before there are parties and things like that!
Nicholas: I guess for me, it's just the same thing, bringing people together. I almost see it as meditation. Whether I go to Channel One or Aba Shanti. I just find my spot and my pocket and I just know I’m with all my bredrin and all my people. I'm just in this very special moment, which again, has was derived from oppression and rebellion, the origins of Notting Hill Carnival. The last Carnival was even more special for me because I collaborated with Mangrove, the steelpan group, and designed a limited edition t-shirt for all the pan players.
It was a chance to kind of show my artistic creativity to bring something to carnival. That was a very special moment to see a panorama of them all playing. I know obviously they came second place, I know that Ebony got the crown. A little bit of confrontation [laughs]. But for me, it was just a very special carnival last year. To feel that where I am in my career, that I can start to bring some of my energy and some of my beliefs and ideas and you know, the proceeds of the t-shirt went back to the Mangrove Foundation, so again, trying to use my my creativity and my voice to help contribute to what is such a special moment for London for the for the Black British community. Hopefully it inspires people to do similar things.
Mark: I guess carnival is just...well, it was whining behind the trucks years ago, but I'm a married man so I can't really go too much into that. But yes, that’s an element of it. [laughs].
Matty: Part of the culture. [Room laughs].
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Mark: On a personal level, as I was an MC as well. In the early 80s, like going into a certain sound system, you had Saxon, Jamdown Rockers, Java. That's when the British MC boom was at its height. Everyone wants to be an MC. You would just go around and hear all these great MCs on the mic and it was just amazing. Just amazing. I always remember those moments, those times. I even have a few tapes of those dances as well. And so, yeah, it's that for me.
Matty: So sound system culture is a massive part of all of your work. You mentioned it before Nicholas with your V&A takeover with the help of the Mighty Ruler sound system. And Linett, with your sound and light installation that you created for Kilburn Festival, Bass Tone Regeneration. So you guys are flying the flag for sound system culture. But who do you think is going to fly the flag in future generations? How are we going to maintain this?
Linett: This is something that's, you know, dear to my heart, as I said. I think COVID was really a time when we had quite a few losses within the sound system community, people passing. I kind of kept thinking about the legacy I guess. I've always, as you know, been in education, and it was like, okay: how are we bringing through the next generation, particularly within sound system culture. I finally got a bit tired of everyone saying, yeah, the youth are there, and we're going to do it, but really, they wouldn't even let them anywhere near your decks at carnival. So I set up Lim Kam Art. That's my company, running the Lin Kam Sound System Futures Programme, it was just organic. I thought, let me just try and get young people with a passion that might be interested beyond, like DJing, or the glam of it, so to speak. Ones that just want to learn more about the history of the actual event. And we start with that. And so for two weeks just before carnival, we gathered up a group of nine young people. What was great was the gender balance. That's another thing about going forward. It needs to be more reflective of society, whilst maybe going back to a little bit how it used to be.
Matty: What is the current gender balance?
Linett: Sound systems, led by females? I don't even want to say, it literally is not even a handful. But that being said, women have always been there, but they haven’t been visible. I wanted to try and bring about more visibility for women. So as well as the Lin Kam Sound System Futures Programme I've recently launched the Original Sounds Collective, with support from Guinness. That was to really amplify the presence of women in sound system culture, but also to skill us up you know. This year will be 39 years since I've been involved in sound systems, but I'm still learning things!
I'm still from that era where girls weren't allowed to do woodwork. You know, you had to do needlecraft. So I think going forward, it's about skilling up. Hopefully, as I say, people will care enough. It's definitely about the collective view, and thinking about the legacy that we're going to leave. For this reason , I call it the gift of the Windrush Generation.
When we did the Lin Kam Art takeover at the British Museum last year. Some of you might recall, there were two events in London that day. There was Beyonce, and then there was Lin Kam Art. And guess what everyone was talking about? Come out at Tottenham Court. We bought the stacks down, and we bought the culture into that space. I think that that'll be the way forward. And that's something that I'm very passionate about doing, and will continue to do all year round. You know, it's about education. And it's about people respecting and honouring the culture, and what it stood for. Going forward and what it can do, the power, really, it's a powerful tool, and I think it needs to be used in the right way. It can really bring people together in a positive way to do things for the world. It's a universal thing.
Mark: Well, I can't fault that answer. For me, well I ain't dead yet! I am still part of the carnival. Still part of the Soca Saga Boys. Big up my crew. Our founding member, Tony Cumberbatch RIP. He started the Soca Saga Boys System. My sound, Stereo City, was a subsidiary of that. This was going for years and some of the guys, their sons and their daughters got involved and continued. They got involved in taking it over, making costumes and things. And now the older lot are just watching what’s going on. That's the generational power. Hopefully they continue to do it and they carry on. What is also carrying on that tradition is the steel pans. We talk about sound systems but steel pans were an integral part at the beginning of carnival. As that legacy still carries on, you see school bands, so they must be learning in school, you know the torch continues. The whole aspect of steel bands, sound systems, you have different genres coming in. Sounds that play house, and sounds that play all sorts of music. And this will continue. The original element will be there, mayne new genres of music still to be invented will be played, other people from different backgrounds. It will just get bigger and bigger. As long as the origins are remembered, as Linett mentioned the killing of Kelso Cochrane which started the race riots at Ladbroke Grove at the time.
So if people remember it's not all jump up and having a party and having some fun, there is a historical, cultural reason why it is there. When those things are remembered we can have great fun and it can evolve. I see great things for Carnival. - Mark The Professor
Nicholas: Wow, listening to all of that, I am reflecting more on my experience as a fashion brand. I've been lucky enough to work with The Mighty Ruler and Sinai Sound System at the Southbank takeover in September. Dennis Bovell played and then Sherelle played at the end. That’s how I saw it as a journey. It went from Lovers Rock to 160 bpm. Start with the roots, start with the foundation and then going on to Sherelle who is an amazing DJ and a great friend. At events we’ve had Don Letts play, I have worked with Benjamin Zephaniah, Dennis Bovell. Linton Kwesi Johnson as part of my Fred Perry project. It's also been working with Mungo's Hi Fi and Messenger Sound System, two of Scotland's most renowned sound systems. I'm just actually sitting here like, wow I've actually worked with a fair few sound systems. And working with the institutions, it is the first time some of them have had these systems in. The V&A on Friday for example, (Friday Late x Nicholas Daley: Fabric and Folklore). It was the first time they had that kind of rig in there and even at the Southbank centre. The glass was just wobbling, vibrating.
One of my favourite nights I ever went to was seeing one of the last times Shaka was playing. I am so glad I dragged myself out to E1. (Not saying that you should be dragged out, because it is a pilgrimage regardless). Then seeing his son, who has his own sound system,Young Warrior, at the Black Excellence Awards. Shaka was given an accolade for his contribution to his music and then speaking to his son. It's just taking it in and seeing the impact.
My journey has been short in comparison, and we have these amazing people here who have contributed so much, for me it's like I will do anything I can to have dialogue, to have influential people who are part of it.
I want to do everything I can to make sure this culture, our culture is celebrated and treasured. Also not forgetting the people who are here speaking tonight, and the people who I have had the privilege to work with. I see them bringing in the new energy, Sherelle, Iconika, Mala, Nia Archives, anyone else who is bringing dubstep, jungle, anyone else who is bringing the origins of sound system culture and seeing where it goes next. I just feel very privileged and lucky to have that experience with so many amazing people, surrounded by sound system culture.
Matty: Well said. Thank you panellists.
- Linett Kamala
Across countries and continents, genres and generations, sound system culture has built an immense legacy since originating in the Caribbean in the 1940s. Stacks of speakers first staggering upon the streets of Kingston, Jamaica, able to be packed up and transported around by a tight-knit crew of DJs, vinyl record collectors, self-made sound technicians, who all shared an infectious love for reggae music and its associated sounds. The Windrush generation brought this established concept and huge vibes in tow upon their arrival to the UK between 1948 and 1970. The communal power and collective nature of sound systems very quickly seeped into an evolving Black British music and UK dance scene, making a lasting impression, now very accurately described by the inspiring Linett Kamala: ‘a gift from the Windrush generation.’
This February, 948 Collective and Jumbi joined forces once again, to honour this important cultural legacy by presenting a panel discussion on all things sound systems – at legendary central London venue The Social.
Bringing together musically-inspired menswear designer Nicolas Daley, Notting Hill Carnival board director, DJ Linett Kamala and in-house historian selector Mark The Professor, the influential trio, as guided by DJ, presenter and South London legend Matty Chiabi, discussed their memories and first interest in sound system culture, how it has influenced their works and career, the seminal role of sound systems at Notting Hill Carnival and what needs to be done to preserve the scene at its roots. Sharing their true passion for sound systems and some wicked stories, we get to the bottom of sound systems at their core: their power is from the community spirit they inspire around music, and as long as people keep understanding this, this legacy will live on.
Matty: Hello everyone. Welcome to ‘Soundsystem(s)’ talk. I'm your host, Matty Chiabi. This event is being run by 948 Collective and Jumbi so please make some noise for them. Doing the Lord's work! Today is all about recognising and celebrating the influences, impacts and joys that sound systems have had on us as a culture at large, with a necessary nod to the Windrush generation, which brought it into the British soundscape. We'll be discussing with our esteemed panellists, the origins of sound system culture, what it looks like today and where it could be going in the future. All the money made from ticket sales tonight will be directly funnelled into the 1(948) Windrush Legacies Grant. This is an initiative started by 948 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Windrush Generations arrival. You can find more information on this around the room, but we'd like to thank you all for buying a ticket and contributing to the grant. Let's introduce our panellists. Nicholas, how are you doing?
Nicholas: Good, thank you!
Matty: You are an eclectic, renowned London-based menswear designer. That correct?
Nicholas: Correct.
Matty: Using fashion as a vehicle to explore the intrinsic interplay between fashion music and culture. Your work often intertwines a more personal narrative around Black British and diasporic themes. Next we have Linett Kamala. I'm just gonna say really quickly, Linett used to be my teacher. So this is like, this is a full circle moment. She was the first woman to ever DJ at Notting Hill Carnival when she was 15 years old, I think that deserves a clap. She now sits on the board of directors for Notting Hill Carnival, and when she's not shutting it down, she's engaging her community through various art wellbeing and educational practices. Definitely one of my biggest inspirations Miss! I'm going to try not to call you Miss today.
Linett: [laughs] And I'm going to try not to say you're in detention.
Matty: And finally, we have Mark The Professor. Give him a round of applause.
Selector and historian, you have played alongside David Rodigan I hear?
Mark: A few people. Rodigan, Sacks?. So many different people over the years, yes.
Matty: And your part of Soca Saga Boys as well?
Mark: Soca Saga Boys, Mighty Ruler Sound System, Stereo City, Reference Library, have I left out anybody?
Matty: So we're just going to take a deep dive into sound system culture, we're going to speak about your experiences, and how sound system culture has influenced your work, and so forth. Okay, so we all know, or if you didn't know, sound system culture originated in a downtown area in Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1940s. It emerged as a social and musical phenomenon that was deeply rooted in the Caribbean islands cultural and social context. So with Jamaicans' shared love for music, their desire for communal entertainment and DIY attitude or accessibility to sound equipment, sound system culture was born. Can you guys tell us about your earliest experiences of sound system culture? Linett, you want to go first?
Linett: Yeah, sure. So, I'm the daughter of a musician. My father came over from Jamaica in the late 1950s, along with my mother, and settled in the Notting Hill Carnival area. So I guess for me, I was handling records from a very early age. Back then, I used to capture the lyrics. You had to put the needle on the record, take it off, write it down in a little book, put it back down. That was my Sunday job. I was born in Harlesden as well, which as a lot of you will know, back then it was the epicentre of reggae music: Trojan Records, Jet Star Records, or Orbitone Records and so on. So, yeah, it just felt like a natural thing. In the early eighties, I had a mate whose brother was in a sound system. I thought: ‘Yeah, I'd like to do that, too!’. So I guess that's kind of how I got into it.
Mark: Similar to Linett, my parents came over in 1954. My first experience of sound systems, or my first journey with music at the level that I own now started in 1979, when I was 12. That's when I started to collect records. As you mentioned, Orbitone, that's one of the first labels or places I bought records from. I got Errol Dunkley’s OK Fred from there. So starting as a record collection is where my interest first started.
When you go and buy records, you want to play them. Then you start to, you know, go to friends parties, and start playing tunes and stuff. And then you want to be in a sound system.
We would then gather other mates that wanted to be in a sound system, starting your own sound systems. But before being in a sound system myself, going into dances, even sounds like Java (Java High Power aka Java Nuclear Power were an 80's/early 90's Sound System from North West London) Tippatone, Coxsone Sound System and sounds from that sort of area. When they all used to play in North West London, going to those dances, that was what got me into it. I said, “Man, this is for me. This is what I want to do.'' That's my earliest inspiration I would say.
Nicholas: For me, it probably comes from my parents. My mum is from Scotland and my dad is Jamaican.They met in Dundee, and as a couple, they decided to run one of the earliest sound system nights in Scotland called the Reggae Klub. So anyone who follows the brand, you know, the t-shirt I'm wearing today, this is what my Dad designed for the Reggae Klub. They ran it from 1978 to 1982. And they had the likes of Aswad and Misty in Roots. My dad would get all the white labels from Greensleeves and Trojan and my mum would be doing the door because my dad would just let everyone in [laughs].
I think even before I was born, my parents' love and appreciation of sound system culture and bringing people together through the power of music is something which has then become very innate. It’s something which I've tried to carry on that torch in the context of the my fashion collections, my fashion shows.
On Friday, together with The Mighty Ruler Soundsystem, we had an event at the V&A for the Friday lates. The first thing I said to the V&A team is “Alright, we're getting the system, we're getting the sound system in.” Yeah, that was the first green light, that email went straight away. I just knew that was always the heartbeat of that moment. I guess you know, I'm very proud of what my, what my parents did. What I do is flashes of what they did 30 years ago, with me as their child, following in a similar footstep. It was a very proud and humbling moment.
Matty: What's the link between sound system culture and fashion for you? I feel like back in the day, people were looking slick, you know. Especially when sound system culture came over to Britain through immigration through the Windrush generation. Originally sound system culture has always been about being outside, being vibrant and being very communal. I feel like when it came to Britain it became more intimate for a little bit - Lovers Rock, intimate house parties, etc. I don't know if anyone watched Small Axe? [crowd cheers]. It was sick. People were looking slick, they were looking suave. So how did that impact your work in terms of fashion?
Nicholas: I mean, I guess it's just about style really. The style you play, the style of fashion and how you move, everything has a style. That's all from our ancestry. You go all the way back to Jamaica, all the way back to West Africa. I feel like all of that is brought over. You look at films like Babylon and you have iconic individuals in sound system culture. I researched Shaka, what he was wearing, you know, all the quilted jackets. This was from a fashion context, but also bringing that into the appreciation of who was playing and who is a part of sound system culture and just fusing that with fashion. So I guess for me, it's always been about style, more than fashion, if that makes sense.
Matty: Love that. Mark - got a question for you. You're an avid vinyl collector, right? Yep. How many records do you think you have?
Mark: I would estimate probably about 15,000 or so.
Matty: What made you like start collecting them? What's the aim? Is it to have a billion, is it to preserve the history there?
Mark: Well, for me, it's just like, you know, you have those moments in life. When you experience something, you hear something. In 1979 My dad bought this hi-fi set up, like a state of the art hi-fi, Sony hifi. My Dad's a big jazz collector. Big jazz collector. He didn't like reggae, but you know, you always do the opposite of what your parents do sort of thing. And I had a cousin that used to be in a sound system and then my next door neighbours, their son used to play in a sound called Java. So I used to hear music next door and I'm hearing certain records and getting the titles of them and then you only want to go and buy them.It was things like, Gregory Isaacs, My Number One. This was one of the tunes I played a lot. It was one that I know I want to collect more like records like this.
In ‘them days’ we used to have Tony Williams, a famous reggae DJ alongside David Rodigan. So Tony Williams would have a show on a Sunday, Rodigan would have a show on a Saturday night. You're just tuning in hearing these tunes. There was a tune called To Love Someone by Paul Dawkins. One of my all time favourite tunes. You know when you hear a tune? You think, wow, I want this tune. Prior to that, when I told my cousin I was starting to collect records, he gave me some records. There was Gene Chandler, Get Down. Linvall Thompson, If I follow My Heart and Cornell Campbell, Queen of the Minstrel.
There was also Book of Rules by the Heptones. But when I played the b-side, which was Crystal Blue Persuasion, that was a moment like, magic was sweet. And then from that day on I wanted to collect every sweet record ever made. And this has been just so many records. Ain't got enough money and not enough time. I mean, I'm married now, my wife doesn't want me to buy any more records. She wants some more space in the house and that. But yeah, it's just this, this journey man. And it doesn't stop. It just doesn't stop. I'm gonna keep on collecting records - but don’t tell my wife! [laughs].
Matty: How do you think sound system culture has changed in the modern day? You know, there are a lot of DJs like myself...I can't play on vinyl. I wish I could.
Mark: Come with us and we’ll sort you there.
Matty: Yeah, yeah yeah, I need a lesson. But how do you think that has changed soundsystem culture?
Mark: Well, for me, and from my observations being involved in sound systems, I think, as when CDs came in, that changed a lot of things for a DJ. Back in the day, sounds were popular. But certain sounds are popular because they would have certain tunes that other sounds wouldn't have. I was in a sound called Nightlife Experience. We were like a party sound from North West. So from 1988 to 1998 there was probably not a weekend I didn't play out. Certain people booked us because we had certain tunes. In them days, when sounds played, you had one guy that played the soul, one guy that will play the lovers rock, I would play some of the deep revive as well. One guy play a dance. Someone who was the operator who was just there. It's like you had this whole team.
It was all these different things. Then things changed when you became a DJ, and then it wasn't about ‘your sound system, you're bringing your sound system’. The promoter would hire a set, then DJs were booked and then you find the idea. This is the main reason why I mentioned the CD things. When I used to be in the sound nightlife I was the one collecting big tunes and stuff. There were other guys who used to play, you know, bashment and stuff like that. They were always like: “Oi can I borrow your tunes? To record them on CD, I want to put some tunes on a CD.” I remember one particular story. I saw one of my friends down the high street, he said "Yo professor, how come you weren't at the dance the other day?” I asked what dance. He said “It was a dance, there were some tunes dropping, they wereyour tunes!” So I talked to one of the guys and he said; “Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I knew you were busy with your girl and things so I didn't bother you!” Basically, he has copied all my tunes, and he's going out playing on his own. That's just one story. After this people just then started going and getting rid of records, everything just changed. I think the saving grace for sound system culture is the roots sound systems. Because they are still proper sound systems. Still, with a proper team, still with a proper rig. And it continues. So DJs are still DJing but I think roots systems are carrying the torch for sound systems. As far as I'm personally concerned anyway. I don't know. What do you guys think?
Linett: It's interesting that it's almost been separated out. I want to talk about the MC. Back in the day, my older sister, women were very prominent on the mics in sound systems in the 1970s and 80s. And it was just a thing. People like Janet Kay, they came through from sound systems, and that's now kind of been plucked out and separated. So you have rappers now, but the MC was someone that was described almost like the newspaper of the day. They would be very topical, just reading the crowd. I find it really weird that sometimes people just play music and don't even look up or there's no MC like, where's the vibe? I know when I get booked I come with my mic. I just think that it has become separated out and fragmented in that respect and it's a shame.
I think with sound systems it's about a collective. It's not about the individual. It's about the we, not the I in it. I think in society, we've got a lot that we can take from that.
I've certainly seen, maybe not quite a revival, but a renewed interest, particularly in like the art form of it, the making of it, you know, the sound quality. And that's really great to see. And you know, and people are getting back into vinyl as well.
Mark: In my eyes it never died.
Linett: Exactly. Nothing sounds better than vinyl. When I started, I started with vinyl. But I'm USB now. So I've gone through the changes, you know, and we'll talk probably a bit later about some of the stuff I've done recently with CDs, because they've become redundant in a way. I've recycled them and I've turned them into costumes. You can have fun. Scratched ones, don't worry. [laughs].
Mark: You know the thing is with USB, I remember going somewhere and lugging, lugging all my records. I was playing with this other DJ, you don't put your records away when you're right next to other DJs. I was looking round at saying to him "Where's your tunes?”. He took out his key out to show me some USB stick. I'm like, damn, things change.
Linett: I would say just one thing, I recently came into a collection of records right, and I forgot how heavy they were. I did my back in for like four days carrying these.
Mark: That's the reason why I only play 7”. When you're carrying 12 inches, it's just l too heavy.
Matty: [laughs] A USB stick guys, it's easy! Attach it to your key ring. Simple. Now, I'm really intrigued to know...because I'm sure everyone in this room has been to Notting Hill Carnival, right. We all love it. It's a vibe. But Linett, obviously you played there when you were 15 years old. How has Notting Hill Carnival changed from then to now?
Linett: Okay, well, I'll try and be brief. So first things are timing for sure. A lot of us will remember it did kind of start Friday and go all the way through to like Tuesday morning. I miss that part in terms of the sound systems at nighttime for sure. And clearly, it's become more people. The crowd has become a bit more diverse I guess. It was historically a Caribbean carnival, a Black British thing, but it's become much more mixed now in that respect. So it's much more reflective globally, in particular of London. The music styles obviously, have always changed as well. But there's been some fundamental things that have stayed and it is ultimately, regardless of the changes to the area. When my parents settled, it was some of the worst housing in the entire UK, that's why they offered it to the Caribbean people. My parents told me there were signs that said “No blacks, no dogs, no Irish”, in the windows. That's because the race relation act hadn't started, it didn't exist. So I think that kind of connection to the people, what it stood for, I would say that's changed a bit. There are lots of people who come and think ‘oh it's just a party’ and it's not, you know. A lot of people who over time forgot that Carnival has come from the racist murder of Keslo Cochrane. That's why the people ended up on the street in the first place. With Rhuane Laslett you know. Women coming together in the community and saying ‘What can we do?’ and ‘How can we do this?’
“I think what has also changed a bit as well, which I hope we can bring back as I got in that way, was the young people on the Sunday. So you older people, you know...we got the Monday. Bring through the next gen. We need to kind of bring that back. But there's so many fantastic things that are still there. There's the vibes, the smile, it's like nothing else because it's grown organically.” - Linett Kamala
Matty: What's your favourite thing about Notting Hill Carnival today? This is a question for the whole panel by the way.
Linett: I live literally near the footprint of it, so always for me it's just the morning of it the build up to it, I guess. I think that's the best vibe. The few days before Carnival in Notting Hill it's just epic. And then the actual morning. Those in the know, they know, the nights before there are parties and things like that!
Nicholas: I guess for me, it's just the same thing, bringing people together. I almost see it as meditation. Whether I go to Channel One or Aba Shanti. I just find my spot and my pocket and I just know I’m with all my bredrin and all my people. I'm just in this very special moment, which again, has was derived from oppression and rebellion, the origins of Notting Hill Carnival. The last Carnival was even more special for me because I collaborated with Mangrove, the steelpan group, and designed a limited edition t-shirt for all the pan players.
It was a chance to kind of show my artistic creativity to bring something to carnival. That was a very special moment to see a panorama of them all playing. I know obviously they came second place, I know that Ebony got the crown. A little bit of confrontation [laughs]. But for me, it was just a very special carnival last year. To feel that where I am in my career, that I can start to bring some of my energy and some of my beliefs and ideas and you know, the proceeds of the t-shirt went back to the Mangrove Foundation, so again, trying to use my my creativity and my voice to help contribute to what is such a special moment for London for the for the Black British community. Hopefully it inspires people to do similar things.
Mark: I guess carnival is just...well, it was whining behind the trucks years ago, but I'm a married man so I can't really go too much into that. But yes, that’s an element of it. [laughs].
Matty: Part of the culture. [Room laughs].
Mark: On a personal level, as I was an MC as well. In the early 80s, like going into a certain sound system, you had Saxon, Jamdown Rockers, Java. That's when the British MC boom was at its height. Everyone wants to be an MC. You would just go around and hear all these great MCs on the mic and it was just amazing. Just amazing. I always remember those moments, those times. I even have a few tapes of those dances as well. And so, yeah, it's that for me.
Matty: So sound system culture is a massive part of all of your work. You mentioned it before Nicholas with your V&A takeover with the help of the Mighty Ruler sound system. And Linett, with your sound and light installation that you created for Kilburn Festival, Bass Tone Regeneration. So you guys are flying the flag for sound system culture. But who do you think is going to fly the flag in future generations? How are we going to maintain this?
Linett: This is something that's, you know, dear to my heart, as I said. I think COVID was really a time when we had quite a few losses within the sound system community, people passing. I kind of kept thinking about the legacy I guess. I've always, as you know, been in education, and it was like, okay: how are we bringing through the next generation, particularly within sound system culture. I finally got a bit tired of everyone saying, yeah, the youth are there, and we're going to do it, but really, they wouldn't even let them anywhere near your decks at carnival. So I set up Lim Kam Art. That's my company, running the Lin Kam Sound System Futures Programme, it was just organic. I thought, let me just try and get young people with a passion that might be interested beyond, like DJing, or the glam of it, so to speak. Ones that just want to learn more about the history of the actual event. And we start with that. And so for two weeks just before carnival, we gathered up a group of nine young people. What was great was the gender balance. That's another thing about going forward. It needs to be more reflective of society, whilst maybe going back to a little bit how it used to be.
Matty: What is the current gender balance?
Linett: Sound systems, led by females? I don't even want to say, it literally is not even a handful. But that being said, women have always been there, but they haven’t been visible. I wanted to try and bring about more visibility for women. So as well as the Lin Kam Sound System Futures Programme I've recently launched the Original Sounds Collective, with support from Guinness. That was to really amplify the presence of women in sound system culture, but also to skill us up you know. This year will be 39 years since I've been involved in sound systems, but I'm still learning things!
I'm still from that era where girls weren't allowed to do woodwork. You know, you had to do needlecraft. So I think going forward, it's about skilling up. Hopefully, as I say, people will care enough. It's definitely about the collective view, and thinking about the legacy that we're going to leave. For this reason , I call it the gift of the Windrush Generation.
When we did the Lin Kam Art takeover at the British Museum last year. Some of you might recall, there were two events in London that day. There was Beyonce, and then there was Lin Kam Art. And guess what everyone was talking about? Come out at Tottenham Court. We bought the stacks down, and we bought the culture into that space. I think that that'll be the way forward. And that's something that I'm very passionate about doing, and will continue to do all year round. You know, it's about education. And it's about people respecting and honouring the culture, and what it stood for. Going forward and what it can do, the power, really, it's a powerful tool, and I think it needs to be used in the right way. It can really bring people together in a positive way to do things for the world. It's a universal thing.
Mark: Well, I can't fault that answer. For me, well I ain't dead yet! I am still part of the carnival. Still part of the Soca Saga Boys. Big up my crew. Our founding member, Tony Cumberbatch RIP. He started the Soca Saga Boys System. My sound, Stereo City, was a subsidiary of that. This was going for years and some of the guys, their sons and their daughters got involved and continued. They got involved in taking it over, making costumes and things. And now the older lot are just watching what’s going on. That's the generational power. Hopefully they continue to do it and they carry on. What is also carrying on that tradition is the steel pans. We talk about sound systems but steel pans were an integral part at the beginning of carnival. As that legacy still carries on, you see school bands, so they must be learning in school, you know the torch continues. The whole aspect of steel bands, sound systems, you have different genres coming in. Sounds that play house, and sounds that play all sorts of music. And this will continue. The original element will be there, mayne new genres of music still to be invented will be played, other people from different backgrounds. It will just get bigger and bigger. As long as the origins are remembered, as Linett mentioned the killing of Kelso Cochrane which started the race riots at Ladbroke Grove at the time.
So if people remember it's not all jump up and having a party and having some fun, there is a historical, cultural reason why it is there. When those things are remembered we can have great fun and it can evolve. I see great things for Carnival. - Mark The Professor
Nicholas: Wow, listening to all of that, I am reflecting more on my experience as a fashion brand. I've been lucky enough to work with The Mighty Ruler and Sinai Sound System at the Southbank takeover in September. Dennis Bovell played and then Sherelle played at the end. That’s how I saw it as a journey. It went from Lovers Rock to 160 bpm. Start with the roots, start with the foundation and then going on to Sherelle who is an amazing DJ and a great friend. At events we’ve had Don Letts play, I have worked with Benjamin Zephaniah, Dennis Bovell. Linton Kwesi Johnson as part of my Fred Perry project. It's also been working with Mungo's Hi Fi and Messenger Sound System, two of Scotland's most renowned sound systems. I'm just actually sitting here like, wow I've actually worked with a fair few sound systems. And working with the institutions, it is the first time some of them have had these systems in. The V&A on Friday for example, (Friday Late x Nicholas Daley: Fabric and Folklore). It was the first time they had that kind of rig in there and even at the Southbank centre. The glass was just wobbling, vibrating.
One of my favourite nights I ever went to was seeing one of the last times Shaka was playing. I am so glad I dragged myself out to E1. (Not saying that you should be dragged out, because it is a pilgrimage regardless). Then seeing his son, who has his own sound system,Young Warrior, at the Black Excellence Awards. Shaka was given an accolade for his contribution to his music and then speaking to his son. It's just taking it in and seeing the impact.
My journey has been short in comparison, and we have these amazing people here who have contributed so much, for me it's like I will do anything I can to have dialogue, to have influential people who are part of it.
I want to do everything I can to make sure this culture, our culture is celebrated and treasured. Also not forgetting the people who are here speaking tonight, and the people who I have had the privilege to work with. I see them bringing in the new energy, Sherelle, Iconika, Mala, Nia Archives, anyone else who is bringing dubstep, jungle, anyone else who is bringing the origins of sound system culture and seeing where it goes next. I just feel very privileged and lucky to have that experience with so many amazing people, surrounded by sound system culture.
Matty: Well said. Thank you panellists.
Foreword & transcription by Georgia Rianna