In Jamaican popular culture, a sound system is a group of disc jockeys, engineers and MCs playing ska, rocksteady or reggae music. The sound system is an important part of Jamaican culture and history.

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The sound system concept originated in the 1950s in Kingston, Jamaica. DJs would load up a truck with a generator, turntables, and huge speakers to set up street parties. The sound system scene is a part of Jamaican cultural history and responsible for the rise of modern Jamaican musical styles such as ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub. When Jamaicans emigrated to the United Kingdom, the sound system culture followed and became firmly rooted there in the 1970s.

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Ska (/sk??/; Jamaican: [skjæ]) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae.[1] It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the off beat. It was developed in Jamaica in the 1960s when Stranger Cole, Prince Buster, Clement “Coxsone” Dodd, and Duke Reid formed sound systems to play American rhythm and blues and then began recording their own songs.

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Jamaican sound systems in the 70s-80s

 

Good Old Jamaican SKA! – Original 60’s Ska Music Compilation

0:00 Broadway Jungle – Toots & the Maytals
2:40 Madness – Prince Buster
5:14 Simmer Down – The Wailers
7:51 Blessings of Love – Alton Elliss & the Flames
10:09 Jezebel – Lloyd & Glen
12:09 Denham Town – Winston & George
14:09 Free Man – The Ethiopians
16:36 Rudy Got Soul – Desmond Dekker & The Aces
19:15 Rudie Gets Plenty – The Spanishtonians
21:49 Jailhouse Rudie – Bob Marley & The Wailers
24:03 Rough And Tough – Stranger Cole
26:58 Guns of Navarone – The Skatalites
29:18 Enjoy Yourself – Prince Buster
32:17 I’m So In Love With You – The Techniques
34:33 Behold – The Blues Busters
37:05 Watermelon Man – Baba Brooks
39:47 Don’t Throw Stones – Prince Buster
42:41 Occupation – Tommy McCook & Don Drummond
45:27 Storm Warning – Lyn Twitter & The Comets
47:48 I’ll Never Grow Old – The Maytals
49:42 Dance Crasher – Alton Ellis
52:05 Carry Go Bring Come – Justin Hinds & The Dominoes
54:52 Musical Storeroom – Frank Anderson
57:37 Over The River – Justin Hinds & The Dominoes
59:54 Silver Dollar – Tommy McCook & The Skatalites
1:02:43 Don De Lion – Don Drummond
1:04:42 Arte Bella – Ken Boothe & Strager Cole
1:07:14 One Step Beyond – Prince Buster

 

Roots Reggae Selection

Leaving Rome – Jo Jo Bennet & Rhythm Rulers
Jahova – Tommy Clarke
Rescue the Children- Junior Murvin
Nothing Is Imposible – The Inturns
Poor And Humble- Wayne Wade
Lovers Leap- Bim Sherman
Going to Zion- Winston Francis
Warrior- Johnny Clarke
Babylonians- Sylford Walker
Two Face Rasta- Cornell Campbell
Jah Jah Conqueror- Linval Thompson
You´re no good- Dennis Brown
Great Tribulation- Hugh Mundell
Rock Away- Gregory Isaacs
Fire Burn- Kiddus I
Come Rain or Shine- Don Evans

 

60’s 70’s Early reggae rocksteady ska

The Gaylads – Joy in the Morning : 00:00
Al Barry,The Cimarons – Morning Sun : 02:57
Alton Ellis – What Does It Take (To Win Your Love) 05:45
Roland Alphonso – Sai Pan : 08:33
Roy Panton – Endless Memory : 11:21
The Slickers – Johnny Too Bad : 13:54
Jackie Edwards – Johnny Gunman : 16:48
The Paragons – Quiet Place : 19:02
Owen Gray – Give Me a Little Sign : 20:50
Alton Ellis – Cry Tough (with Tommy McCook) : 23:21
Jackie Mittoo – El Bang Bang : 25:06
The Maytals – Pressure Drop : 27:57
Keith & Tex – Tonight : 30:47
Keith & Tex – Hypnotic Eyes : 33:16
The Zodiacs – Walk on By : 36:09
Prince Buster – Nothing Takes the Place of You : 38:31