Watch Chicago legend Terry Callier perform classics including “What Color is Love” and “Dancing Girl.” An eternal favorite here at In Sheep’s Clothing HQ, Terry Callier aka “Jazz’s […]
Skateland Rally w/ Tenor Saw, Cutty Ranks, Yami Bolo, Super Cat, Burru Banton, John Wayne (1985)
One of the greatest dancehall videos on YouTube…
Precious dancehall history on YouTube… In the early ’70s, the People’s National Party (PNP) and Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) began hosting political rallies at reggae and dancehall sound clashes. Also known as rally dances, these events would feature political speeches in between performances from some of the biggest names in Jamaican music at the time making for some truly unforgettable moments in reggae and dancehall history. While these events were very much more about the party than the actual party (if that makes sense), the sessions did feature original rally songs meant to spread the message of the political parties involved including equal pay for women, minimum wage, free education, etc.
The following session recorded in 1985 at the legendary Skateland roller disco in Kingston, Jamaica is maybe one of the best available online. The video features King SturMars Sound System along with reggae legends Tenor Saw, Yami Bolo, Burro Banton, John Wayne, Cutty Ranks, Super Cat, Peter Metro, Ricky Tuffy, Joe Lickshot, and more. Yami Bolo is no more than 13 years old in this video…
Notably, the session also features some of the earliest computerized dancehall “riddims,” like the highly influential “Sleng Teng” which was released not too long before this video was recorded. Produced using mass produced, affordable digital keyboards and drum machines, these digital riddims (instrumental backing tracks) would come to take over the dancehall scene and lead a musical revolution in Jamaica. Read about the Japanese woman who created the iconic Casio MT-40 preset behind the “Sleng Teng” riddim here.
Check out a few other classic digital dancehall riddims included in the video:
Walk Like Granny Riddim
Featured on Prince Jammy’s classic and highly influential Computerised Dub album on Greensleaves. First made popular on Wayne Smith’s “Walk Like Granny.”
Tempo Riddim
Probably the second most iconic riddim right behind the “Sleng Teng,” “Tempo” hits hard and has a bit of a roots flavor to it.
Run Down the World Riddim
“This riddim belongs on the mount rush more of riddims.”
