REGGAE RUNNINGS -- October 2006

By Jesse I

 

Welcome to a new monthly column exclusively dedicated to reggae and dancehall - a long time coming, and something of a first for Australian street press. As well as covering the local scene and happenings in the dancehalls here, I aim to keep you informed about developments in the music worldwide, and cover the hottest new releases on both CD and 7" vinyl. To kick things off though, I thought I'd better start by simply letting you know where you can hear these sounds...

Jamaican music in Melbourne has come a long way in the last few years, to the point where we are now known as the "reggae capital" of Australia . More international tours, more radio shows, and more and more regular club nights are all evidence that the scene is healthier than it has ever been, and hopefully the trend will only continue.

106.7 PBS FM has always been a champion of reggae on the Melbourne airwaves, with reggae programming stretching back decades. Since the start of 1999, I've presented Chant Down Babylon on PBS (Saturday 5-7pm) with a focus on righteous Rasta sounds - from the vintage classics through to the freshest new roots from Jamaica and beyond. Last year also saw the introduction of Derek M's Heartical program (Sunday 8-10pm), the number one program in town when it comes to the UK dub movement, while Systa BB continues to touch on all sub-styles of the genre and more on Planetary Chaos (Friday 1-3pm). Dirty Harry's Rasta Rhythms (Thursday 11pm-12.30 on 3CR 855AM) holds the title as the longest running reggae show currently on Melbourne radio, while Yoni Ranking's Ranking Sounds (Friday midnight-2am on 102.7 RRR FM) is the newest, another welcome addition to the local airwaves.

While reggae bands have traditionally been the most common form of live reggae heard in Australia , the "soundsystem" has always been the dominant vehicle for reggae dances in Jamaica . Just as reggae has made huge inroads here in recent years, so has soundsystem culture - where once people would come to a dance only to ask the selector when the band is coming on, people now come prepared with lighters and whistles, and a deeper knowledge of the music and dancehall vibes. Since its conception in April 2001, Chant Down Sound's monthly "More Fire" night has grown into the biggest regular reggae night in Australia , stretching over two levels of the Mercat X hotel (aka Deep 11, 456 Queen St ). As well as residents Ras Crucial, Damajah and I, More Fire features regular guests from around the country, from 10pm til morning on the second Saturday of every month. Several monthly reggae parties have sprung up since More Fire, including Rastafari Rhythms (third Saturday of every month at Dream), Housewife's Choice (third Friday of every month at the Croft Institute), Jah Words (first Wednesday of every month at Barbukka), and Redder Red (first Saturday of every month at Bunker). First Floor in Fitzroy has been a big supporter of reggae over the last few years, and they currently host two weekly sessions, Burning New on Thursdays (with Flavio, Daneekah & Ruffiki), and Mash It Up early Sunday evenings before Players Ball (with Sista Itations, Daneekah, Ras Crucial and I on rotation).

Terrasphere Productions have been promoting reggae on a bigger scale for several years now, and have been especially busy lately. Following on from the success of Third World, Lucky Dube, Lee Scratch Perrry and Mad Professor already this year, Terrasphere's latest tour will feature UK ragga veteran Tippa Irie, performing soundsystem-style with Mikey Boops of the legendary Saxon crew. Wednesday 30 th November at the Prince of Wales bandroom, with support from Chant Down Sound, Natty Sistren, RuCL, Ranking Yoni and more.

Next month I'll be taking a look at the humble 7" vinyl single, and it's continued importance in the world of reggae. In the meantime, if there's anything you'd like to know, or let me know about, email me at chantdownsound@yahoo.com . Respect!