Sound System Culture Jamaica & UK 1986-88.
April 1986 that I took my initial photos with a Leica and a handheld lamp (no flash) It was here that I truly first encountered Jamaican sound system culture and the nascent dancehall scene.
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'Inna Dancehall Style
Inna Dancehall Style captures the extraordinary exuberance and creativity of Jamaican dancehall. A massively influential subcultural scene, it was raw, sensual and at times even bombastic, with an edginess born on the streets of the capital, Kingston. Dancehall music would eventually achieve worldwide prominence and notoriety, as would its fashion with bespoke boutique and homespun outfits. The early 90s was arguably its golden era and my photos cover the years of 1992 and 1994, mainly at The House of Leo Stone Love sessions on Cargill Avenue, and the Topline club at Southdale Plaza. Also included are a small set of UK Dancehall photos taken in London In 1993 on assignment for The Guardian and The Sunday Times respectfully. Images from my collection have also been published in numerous books including Reggae Xplosion (Virgin books, 2001), Lloyd Bradley’s Reggae: The Story of Jamaican Music, ( BBC, 2002), Black Style (V&A, 2004), Street Style by Ted Polheums (PYMCA, 2010), Sound System: The Story Of Jamaican Music by Chris Salewicz and Adrian Boot (2012 ) and On The Dance Floor (A24, November 2022). In addition, two diptychs and a single image from the my collection were acquired by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2015.
Notting Hill Carnival August 25 2019
J'Ouvert revellers at the Notting Hill Carnival, London, UK, 2019.