The Notting Hill Carnival is the largest street festival in Europe and originated in 1964 as a way for Afro-Caribbean communities to celebrate their own cultures and traditions. Taking place every August Bank Holiday weekend in the streets of London W11, the Notting Hill Carnival is an amazing array of sounds, colourful sights and social solidarity.

Port Antonio (1971-1986) is on the north east coast of Jamaiaca, set in a tropical rainforest with probably the highest rainfall on the island. A backdrop of hills with the John Crow and Blue Mountain ranges beyond. For During school holidays and weekends i wandered around with my camera trying to capture on film the unique character of this badland paradise. As the months turned into years I expanded my range to the surrounding villages and towns, and then at last into Kingston. It only became a project after I met the author journalist Micheal Thomas. Michael had just published an article on Jamaica in Rolling Stone. It was called The Wild Side of Paradise and uncovered a Jamaica beyond the beach resorts and American tourists. It also introduced Bob Marley, Reggae music and the Rastafarians to the rest of the world. In 1976 Michael Thomas and I published the book with Thames and Hudson in London. The reviews were mixed. The New Musical Express loved it, The Jamaica Tourist Board hated it. The book is now in its third edition. Published in June 2012 in Paris, it is an updated french and english bilingual edition. Each time we republish it we update it with new images and additional copy. This time it has been published as a small French only text edition by Allia and a full hardback illustrated edition by Patate Records. The story hasn’t changed much. Jamaica is still the same old Jamaica. READ EXCERPT : http://www.urbanimage.tv/?p=158

A full gallery of sound system and related images from Jamaica and the UK. If you are lucky enough to attend London's Notting Hill Carnival you will already know about Sound Systems. Pumping out loud reggae music at every street-corner, you could be forgiven for thinking that these mountains of loudspeaker cabinets and amplifiers were a British invention. But no, this innovative application of technology comes direct from the streets of Kingston Jamaica. - AB "Sound systems came from the sounds of the earth, from the bottom floor, and it took a long time to get respect. People didn't understand why I went to college and then went with a sound system -1 was considered a worthless boy. Without the sound system there would be no Jamaican music." - Winston Blake

The Most Beautiful Island in the Caribbean. the enchanting jewel of the Caribbean Sea beckons with its sugar white beaches, majestic cascading waterfalls, many charming Great Houses, hikes through lush trails of tropical flora in breathtakingly beautiful mountain peaks, or enjoy a night full of magic, as the cool sea breeze teases you with the sensual beat of reggae.

Essential to any Sound System are DJ's or Deejays, a term in Jamaican music for a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and "toasts" to an instrumental riddim as well as selecting the tracks.

The sound system concept first became popular in the 1950s, in the ghettos of Kingston. DJs would load up a truck with a generator, turntables, and huge speakers and set up street parties. In the beginning, the DJs played American rhythm and blues music, but as time progressed and more local music was created, the sound migrated to a local flavour. The sound systems were big business, providing one of the few sure ways to make a living in Jamaica.

Kingston is capital of Jamaica and Reggae capital of the world.

Images of Kingston Record Pressing Plants.

Record Shops

Examples of classic Reggae Labels - Vinyl 45's - Originals scanned from the Urbanimage collection.

Reggae remains the authentic manifestation of Jamaica's culture, a resounding affirmation of the Jamaican people's creativity. These are the places, the birthplaces of reggae both urban and rural.

Jamaican Reggae Posters and Street Art

Sound system is also used to refer to a pile of speakers and amplifiers, often called a rig. The equipment would include a van, loudspeakers, amplifiers, decks and cables but larger rigs might also carry a fog machine, lighting, projectors and an electrical generator.

Reggae studios record and mix singers, toasting djs, riddims and bands.

Is it true that Trench Town is named after the open sewer that ran through it? ... "No man, them call it that because of Mr Trench, the builder." - Father Bobby Wilmott Trench Town is a neighborhood located in the parish of St. Andrew which shares municipality with Kingston, the capital and largest city of Jamaica. In the 1960s Trench Town was known as the Hollywood of Jamaica. Today Trench Town boasts the Trench Town Culture Yard Museum, a visitor friendly National Heritage Site presenting the unique history and contribution of Trench Town to Jamaica. Trench Town is the birthplace of rocksteady and reggae music, as well as the home of reggae and Rastafari ambassador Bob Marley. - Wikipedia

UK Sound systems mostly from Notting Hill carnival.

Coxsone Outernational Sound System Sessions by Jean Barnard Sohiez