The Wyoming Harris' recording of Bloodshot Eyes had been at the top of the Jamaican charts throughout 1951/52. Considering that in the 40s and 50s Jamaicans on the whole were more Americanised where music was concerned, music lovers getting up early in the morning listen to music on the radio that was broadcasts on short wave from America. They would get up at around 5,oclock in the morning and switch on their short-wave radios to music from the powerful broadcasting radio stations such as WLAC, WINZ (pronounce W-i-n-zee) and the many other rhythm and blues radio stations that was on the airwave at that time Radio programs such as the Poppa Stoppa's hour coming through the radio waves from New Orleans could be picked up quite clearly you never get radio stations fading out on you until after 8am. Louis Prima, Bullmoose Jackson, Maxwell Davis, Lyn Hope, Big John Greer, Louis Jordan and Sam Taylor. The Ska was developed from these R&B New Orleans tunes. Hence, the sound system proprietors and DJ's grew in stature with Duke Vin then on the turntable as DJ for Tom the Great Sebastian sound system that led the way until Vin came to Britain in1954. In those days DJ's did not perform on records as they now do. Their little chitter chatter was over the microphone. Soon after his arrival in Britain, Duke Vin built his own sound system which was to become the first sound system in the United Kingdom. He instituted his first public play out in a church in Brixton back in 1956. Yes folks, today as in the 60's when the indigenous enigmatic Prince Buster performed the wedding ceremony of the Mento to Rhythm and Blues in return gave birth to the Ska. No one ever had an envisaging idea that in this time of the 21st Century the Ska is still has an exciting effective musical sensation! |
