Giving Back While Moving Forward
I’ve been on the UK soca scene for a long while (since way back in the 90’s). I left it for a while and came back in 2011 full force with UK Soca Scene. For 20 or so years I have watched the scene shrink, change and grow. The vibe changed, not any better, not any worse, just different.
I missed the old vibe and I wasn’t the only one. The universe aligned and a like-minded group of us got together and created Jambolassie which is exclusively for the Soca Connoisseurs among us.
Jambolassie is a back-in-times fete. The soca/calypso played starts from 10 years ago and it’s highly likely you may hear some classics from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. What you won’t hear are any tracks from after 2006. It’s strictly back-in-times soca. As such, this will only appeal to a certain crowd.
- Feters who were fetting back in the early 00’s, 90’s and before.
- Or people who are younger than me and my peers but were raised (correctly so, lol) on back-in-times soca/calypso.
Older soca/calypso carries a different vibe, this is the vibe we craved for. It takes us back to a time where we were the youngsters in a fete getting on bad, drinking way to much, we were the original wining on anything crew. Sweat would be pouring off us. We used to take a change of clothes to a fete cos’ the first set would be dripping wet. Jambolassie was born out of this need for the old vibe.
Acknowledging The Right People
None of the old vibe would have been possible if it wasn’t for the artistes and producers who made the tunes and the dj’s who brought it to our ears and dance floors. We can’t build a new ‘soca brand’ which has an old vibe and not recognise the people who created that vibe for us.
For the first Jambolassie fete we booked Mr Smokey Joe. He was one of the pioneering DJ’s who is responsible for the UK soca scene we have today. Here is a little bit more information about him.
Smokey Joe has been DJ and broadcaster for over 40 years. Smokey got his first club residency in the early 70`s at the London Apollo club and quickly moved on to the world famous ‘Q Club’, London’s original soul, R&B venue, With regulars such as Chaka Khan, Bob Marley, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Dennis Brown and The Jackson’s to name a few until it closed in 1979.
There then followed a number of club residencies and freelance gigs, simultaneously leading early into developing the UK Soca music market, He set up ‘Hot Vinyl Records’ and ‘Smokey Joe Productions’ in 1979 which now has the largest Soca and Calypso catalogue in Europe, Smokey began his relationship with the Notting Hill carnival, over 28 years ago as a static sound system and later took his crew on the road.
In the late 80’s he was asked to help carnival band Cocoyea develop their live events and the legendary Smokey Joe Roadshow was created.
His roadshow was also a platform for developing up and coming DJ’s like Martin Jay, 1Xtra’s Slic, and many young Soca DJ’s.
His radio career spans three and a half decades including Soca shows on London’s WNK, Kiss FM and six years of presenting the ‘Socalypso review ‘on BBC London 94.9fm. He now presents a weekly programme on London based Bang Radio (Smokey Joe & Danny D) The Smokey Joe Roadshow now has a fresh line-up and continues to excite crowds and promote fresh talent.
Over the years Smokey Joe has received recognition in the form of awards from, the Reggae industry, Soca & Calypso industry & the Steel band fraternity. He has also received a Black History Award & been nominated for a CRE (Commission for Racial Equality) award.
Parallel to being a Caribbean music specialist in 2001, Smokey created a Masquerade brand ‘Arawak Carnival Club’ in conjunction with one of the most popular carnival Mas designers in Trinidad, (Big Mike from ‘Legacy’) for over 10 years.
True to form Smokey’s evolution of his music entertainment skills and the spectacle of carnival in the new ‘Smokey Joe Roadshow’ has now been launched (2013) as a carnival costume band will be on the road for London`s Notting Hill Carnival and other major carnivals, already collecting silverware the legacy continues, with Smokey’s musical production team launching new talent and a digital publishing arm leading into a new era of Caribbean music specialism.
Listen to his show on Bang Radio every Sunday.
For all of his achievements and what he has done for the scene it was only right that we gave him a Jambolassie award.
The next Jambolassie fete is the Saturday 20th Feburary 2016 at Kimo’s Wine Bar, London. The first one was awesome, bringing back the old vibes. If you’re a soca connoisseur, this fete is definitely for you.
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