Bone-chilling temperatures did little to scare off the thousands who converged on Amazura in Queens, New York this past Thanksgiving weekend at World Bash to celebrate the renowned Japanese sound system and eight-time world champion sound, Mighty Crown.
World Bash, the biggest sound system event of the year, was billed as a musical send-off for Mighty Crown, comprised of Masta Simon, Sami T, Cojie, and Ninja. The veteran group of Japanese selectors have flown the flag for reggae/dancehall and Jamaican culture for over three decades, and have now retired.
Organized and promoted by Irish & Chin, World Bash brought together Mighty Crown, Bass Odyssey, David Rodigan, Soul Supreme, Killamanjaro, Dynamq, Pink Panther, LP International, Bodyguard, Tony Matterhorn, along with surprise special guests, Wyclef Jean, and Metromedia with Skyjuice and Oliver, for a night focused more on celebration than competition.
“When I was putting the World Bash line-up together, I wanted it to reflect all the sounds (sound systems) that played a role in Mighty Crown’s journey. They’ve clashed with some of these sounds over the years and have even become rivals with them. Others are sound systems that inspired them to be soundmen, to get into the business.. sounds like Bodyguard and a Sky Juice, and so on,” said Garfield ‘Chin’ Bourne, who also manages Mighty Crown.
Juggling replaced clashing, and for hours each act took turns cycling through their respective anthems, letting loose familiar dubplates that rang out at ground-shaking volumes.
At one point, a tribute was extended to the Five Star General Panther, 9x world champion selector, in front of the international crowd. “He’s contributed so much to the growth of the arena,” said Chin, “and we needed to celebrate him.”
Celebrating sound system culture
More than a triumph for Mighty Crown, the night was an unquestionable victory for sound system culture, which has entrenched itself so deeply in Jamaican culture and the diaspora. The night’s success made it clear: The art and appeal of events like this are here to stay.
Reflecting on World Bash, Chin said, “The event was to commemorate their journey. At the same time, I wanted to put something together that would be such a strong force that it would shake the industry, and make people realize that the power of sound system is still there. For a long time, the sound system thing has been very quiet, so World Bash made the story. It’s a new day. I’m hoping it will spark interest in sound system culture.”
“What I’m ultimately trying to do is create a modern industry that celebrates each other for their contribution, despite whether they get along or not. The arena has been so entertaining because of multiple people, not just one person, right? So, I’m trying to lead by example and get people to celebrate each other. Once we celebrate each other, people will then celebrate us as well.”
