LEGENDARY DJ and sound system pioneer Jah Shaka passed away from an unknown cause on Thursday 13 April 2023, a day after announcing a new tour date. He leaves behind a legacy that has shaped reggae music for generations to come.
The singer, producer and label owner also known as Zulu Warrior was at the helm of sound system culture in London, releasing some of the scene’s most seminal records and spearheading the influential Jah Shaka Sound System, which he began operating and touring in the 1970s.
With his spiritual messages and deep, rattling sounds, Shaka was revered by musicians and dancers across a range of genres and cultures, from the next generation of dub legends such as Iration Steppas and Jah Warrior to post-punk musicians including the Slits and Public Image Ltd. He continued to perform and tour his system up to his death.
Shaka moved to London from Jamaica as a child in the late 1950s as part of the Windrush generation. For him and his contemporaries, music was an important tool in navigating the hostile environment they found themselves in. “When people left Africa for the Caribbean, all they could bring with them was their music, their songs and their memories from home. So, over the years, this is all that people had to keep them together,” he said in a 2014 Red Bull Music Academy lecture. “In the 1950s and 1960s in London, there were house parties — 50, 60 people with only record players. It helped families know other families, which was important at that time because the people were so forced to be segregated.”
Around this time, Shaka began working with local speaker builder Freddie Cloudburst and was responsible for keeping his sound system in good condition. After years of maintenance work, he began playing records on the system and started to build his own. By the late 1970s, Shaka’s sound system had developed a cult following; he starred as himself with his system in the 1980 film Babylon.
A by-word in cultural excellence, Jah Shaka paid supreme attention to sound, giving his system a boost that others lacked. Tapping directly into Jamaican culture, he also looked to the UK, becoming a focal point for African-Caribbean communities in London and beyond. A key player in bass culture, Jah Shaka featured in seminal 1980 film Babylon, and stayed true to the spiritual elements inherent within dub and roots reggae even as Jamaican music strayed towards the more lavish colours of dancehall and ragga.
An inspirational figure, his influence — both direct, and more subtle — arguably changed the face of British music. Grime pioneer Wiley, for example, recalled sitting outside a Shaka dance in the 80s, feeling the Earth rumble under his feet.
Countless producers, DJs, and MCs worked with Jah Shaka over the years, testimony to his spirit, and his ability to draw the best out of those around him. News of Jah Shaka’s passing was confirmed by a number of sources.
Trevor Jackson saluted his impact, commenting: “Had a lot of wild club experiences in my time but nothing could beat stumbling into the Rocket hazy headed & bleary eyed becoming overwhelmed by the power of bass. Formative years, divine sounds, THE master.”
Jumpin’ Jack Frost added: “The king of Kings has left us. The greatest soundman that ever lived.”
Bass abstraction guru The Bug commented: “So sad to read Jah Shaka has departed this planet.. Rest in peace. A heroic figure who kept Dub alive, when few cared… I spent many all nighters being transfixed by his passion and selections..” Farewell, Jah Shaka — enjoy your next journey.
