The reggae pioneer and record producer Jah Shaka, who has died suddenly in his late 60s, was a giant of the British sound system scene. In a career that lasted more than 55 years, he transformed the sound system landscape with a distinctive and idiosyncratic style, eschewing the dominant trends to focus exclusively on contemporary reggae that was spiritually uplifting and politically relevant, presenting the music as a means of inspiration and empowerment for the disenfranchised and oppressed.
At the many dances he held in diverse underground spaces, playing on an ancient and archaic Garrard turntable in a trance-like state, Shaka would chant messages of encouragement as well as exhortations of transcendent devotion to Rastafari, adding custom-built effects and live percussive elements to increase the dramatic tension.
