A Living Legend of Jamaican Culture Takes the Stage
Channel One Sound System, a cultural act and living legend of Jamaican attitude that sparked the origins of reggae and ska, recently performed at the Festival Internacional Cervantino in Mexico. Their appearance resulted in a full house and thunderous applause.
The Birth and Evolution of Sound Systems
Sound systems originated in Jamaica during the 1940s and 1950s, later spreading to post-war Britain. These mobile discotheques served as a form of defiance amidst social marginalization, strict class hierarchies, and limited access to Western culture.
Inspired by the popularity of R&B in the United States, Jamaican artists began to experiment with blending various genres like calypso, jazz, soul, and doo wop. This fusion led to the birth of ska, rocksteady, reggae, and dub in Jamaica, as well as dubstep in the UK.
The influence of Jamaican sound systems crossed the Atlantic, enriching British culture. Post-World War II, the UK attracted labor from its colonies, including Jamaica, to aid in reconstruction efforts.
Channel One Sound System’s Cervantino Performance
“¡Que levante la mano el que ama el reggae!” exclaimed Mikey Dread and Jah-T, sons of sound system pioneer Mikey Dread, as they addressed a packed audience in Guanajuato, adorned in rasta attire and symbols.
The audience, undeterred by the heat and eager to enjoy the high-energy rhythms, paid 280 pesos for their tickets or waited in line early to secure a spot on the rear benches.
“Breaking barriers since 1979,” Channel One Sound System continued to uphold this motto. Jah-T, instead of performing on stage, engaged with the crowd, delivering a toasting session that earned him enthusiastic applause.
“We Knew What We Came For”
Emmanuel, Jockey, and Azul, three reggae music producers from Playa del Carmen, attended the Channel One Sound System concert and later performed at Bar Fly, a reggae hotspot in Guanajuato.
“Channel One embodies the original sound system culture from the 1960s and 1970s, spanning England to Mexico,” Jockey told a local media outlet. “We appreciate their demonstration of an all-vinyl set with a delightful fusion of Afro-sounds.”
A Cultural Heritage to Preserve
In 2018, UNESCO inscribed reggae on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognizing its preservation of essential social functions in music.
