40 Years Since Kenneth Black’s Stereo Mars First Rocked Kingston
40 years ago, in 1985, Kenneth Black introduced the brand new, all-conquering sound, Stereo Mars, at the legendary Skateland, Kingston, Jamaica. Featuring an all-star lineup of deejays and singers such as Super Cat, Nicodemus, Burro Banton, Tenor Saw and more with Danny Dread at the controls, this session captured all the live energy and vibrancy of the golden era of 80s Dancehall.
As a pivotal figure in the evolution of the Digital Dancehall era and owner of one of the most influential soundsystems of all time, Stereo-Mars (often referred to as Stur-Mars), Black also produced iconic Reggae and Dancehall artists such as Sugar Minott, Frankie Paul, Nicodemus, Little John to name but a few, including a rising star named Clive Bright, known to the world as Tenor Saw.
Black’s journey began in the mid 70s as a DJ and dance promoter, where he brought some of the top sounds to his hometowns of Clarendon and Manchester. During this period, Black established his close collaborator, the ace selector Danny Dread, who, at the time, was working with Papa Roots soundsystem, also known as Socialist Roots Hi-Fi. The Stereo Mars soundsystem emerged from this foundational relationship, becoming a powerful influence in the Dancehall scene, helping to elevate Black’s continued partnership with Sugar Minott and Maxine Stowe of Youthman Promotion.
Also in 1985, Black had begun to release music on his newly founded label Skengdon, utilising the vocal talents of the aforementioned DJs, plus singers such as Junior Delgado, Cocoa Tea, Gregory Isaacs and many more, riding raw, stripped-back, digital Dancehall riddims built at Black’s new state-of-the-art recording studio Diamond Studio Centre (SKD) in Miami, Florida. The studio became a hub for innovative music production and together with his assembled team of engineers and musicians, including Anthony ‘Crucial Bunny’ Graham, Oswald ‘Chunny’ Palmer, Steelie & Clevie, and Jackie Mittoo, they were instrumental in creating the rich catalogue of works during this time, yielding over 150 singles and 10 albums.
Check out the latest Skengdon releases here: https://skengdon.lnk.to/Listen-Now