Dance Gets Nice Again: Lord Tippatone Hifi with Selector Jah Wise in Brooklyn 11/20/09

Nov 27, 2009 Features, Reviews

Words and Photos by Quoc Pham

As I am writing this post over thanksgiving, I realize that we should be thankful for all the artists, musicians and individuals who helped shape our musical culture and affected many of us in a personal way. With the passing of Alton Ellis and Michael Jackson just to name a few, this year has been especially tough  and it reminds us why we should appreciate those who remain as living legacies of musical eras which must not be forgotten. Last Friday, I was fortunate to attend a dancehall party in Brooklyn called “Dance Gets Nice Again”.  The dance featured legendary selector Jah Wise from Tippatone Hifi, one of the most important sound system of the early reggae era. Held in a small venue called the Culture Barn – essentially someone’s garage – the party had an intimate feel with an eclectic audience of old timers alongside hip kids vibing to the sound of pure foundation reggae music.

The late 60’s were undoubtedly one of the most prolific period in modern Jamaican history. The blooming of the local recording industry and a string of international successes in the charts set the stage for Reggae to become a bonafide world class music. During this transition period, sound systems were naturally at the center of the action. As the dominance of the previous decade’s two giants – Coxsone’s Downbeat and Duke Reid’s Trojan – started to fade, a new generation of sound systems arose and  competed fiercely for the island’s sonic supremacy. Among these, Lord Tippatone Hifi emerged as one of the top two sounds, rivaled only by King Tubby’s Hometown Hifi. With Jah Wise at the control and Big Youth on the mic, Tippatone ruled the dances from its home turf of  Spanish Town to the island’s countryside where the sound would regularly travel.

Well into his fifties and with a deep musical knowledge that emanates from his enigmatic personna, Jah wise is the quintessential sound system man.  His record collection is legendary and he allegedly owns the world’s two most exclusive specials:  Bob Marley’s only known recorded dubplates in praise to  a sound system. Jah Wise first joined the Tippatone crew as the “boxboy” – the kid transporting speakers and equipment – before quickly becoming the sound’s top selector and eventually its ambassador. Besides his musical career, Jah Wise is also a renowned artist whose artwork  can be seen gracing many landmarks including the facade of  Lee Perry’s infamous Black Ark studio. He also appears painting Horsemouth’s motorbike in the 1978 feature film “Rockers”.

That night,  I had the opportunity to meet an individual  who has had a profound influence on an entire musical culture.  It was a humbling experience and this is what I’m thankful for this year.

If you recently had a similar experience worth to be thankful for, please share in the comment section.

Tags: Brookyln, Dancehall, Events, Quoc Pham, Reggae, Sound system, Tipppatone