Over the past four weeks Jamaica and the world have been treated to what has been a top class display of the sound clash craft with Guinness Sounds of Greatness on TVJ. Now the show moves to Round 2 and the performances are expected to be that much more interesting. The series, which began on Saturday September 3 has already seen eight Hot Shot sound systems battling it out in the hopes of winning over $1Million in cash and prizes and the bragging rights of being labelled Guinness Sound of Greatness 2011.
In Round 1, the first clash between Rich Squad and Crazy Chris saw Rich Squad reign supreme and prove that they had the strength of character and skills to move forward in the competition. That clash was followed by Bredda Hype versus Area Code 876 on September 10. Bredda Hype reached for greatness and walked away with a win.
The third clash in the series was between Kingston based sound system Coppershot and Westmoreland sound Black Blunt. Contrary to many expectations, it wasn’t a walk over as Black Blunt had to work hard to secure a win. September 24 saw what was expected to be the wickedest clash of round one, Maestro and Boom Boom, and Jamaica was not disappointed. The clash was so intense that there had to be a tie-breaker which Maestro won with a vintage Everton Blender.
This Saturday October 1 will see the start of Round 2 with the four Hot Shot sounds who reigned supreme in Round 1 squaring off against each other and four veteran sounds also competing to be the top sound to reach the final.
Round 2 will begin with Rich Squad squaring off with Bredda Hype. Rich Squad which comprises DJ Izzle, Paro, Reagan and of course head honcho Little Richie, started only two years ago. Little Richie who leads the sound has had stints with radio station Hitz 92 FM and sound system Swatch International. On the other hand, Bredda Hype, the man at the helm of the sound system of the same name, says his affiliation with the art began from a very tender age as he would follow closely the trends in the business. The sound system which started in 2005 comprises Bredda Hype, Hammer Head and Fire Finger.
The second Clash in Round 2 airs on October 8 between veterans Bodyguard and Silverhawk. This is said to be the most anticipated clash of the series as these two sounds have never met in all sound clash history. Bodyguard, which hails from Clarendon, was formed in 1987 and is no stranger to the sound clash world with many titles under its belt. The outfit was the first World Sound Clash winner in 1993 in London. Their formidable opponents, Silverhawk, brainchild of producer Steely who died in 2009, were heavyweights in the clash ring from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Silverhawk has had several memorable clash wins, decimating the likes of Stone Love, Bass Odyssey and several others.
Saturday October 15 will see a return to one of the greatest rivalries in Jamaican sound clash history: Black Kat versus Ricky Trooper. Black Kat, based in Manchester and lead by Pink Panther, has been in the sound business for more than 17 years and has the envious reputation of winning five world clashes back to back. Ricky Trooper, who now runs the Sound Trooper system, has a long history of clashing against Pink Panther, especially when he was the lead toaster on Kilimanjaro. According to Trooper, he has killed the most sounds, won the most trophies and played in the biggest dances.
The last clash of Round 2 will be between two of the hottest sounds in the competition: Black Blunt and Maestro. Maestro, a native of Western Kingston, credits the founding fathers of Reggae and other genres as the life blood that fuelled his passion for music. Formerly of Swatch International, Maestro knows the dancehall crowd and has a great feel for selecting the right songs at the best time.
Lead by their charismatic leader, Avatar, Black Blunt hails from the parish of Westmoreland. Formed approximately three years ago, Black Blunt is seeking to prove that talent from rural Jamaica is just as good as, or even better, than urban talent. Avatar’s infectious and animated personality allows the audience to feel what he is feeling. Avatar is joined by fellow front man selector Young Blood and describes the sound system as the voice of the ghetto people.
This Saturday October 1, Round Two of the Guinness Sounds of Greatness unfolds with exciting matchups as four veterans compete for a chance at maintaining their dominance and winning over $1Million in cash and prizes. On the other hand, there are four Hot Shot sounds that all want to be etched into dancehall history by beating a veteran for the title of Guinness Sound of Greatness. Watch the show every Saturday night on Television Jamaica at 9:30pm as sound clash history is created.
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