Germaine Smith, Staff Reporter
WHETHER THEY are conscious of it or not, the roots of Jamaican selectors run deep in the history of dancehall and its development.
In the fetal days of the sound system business, sound operators who were playing imported R&B tunes would talk over the microphone while they flipped bulky vinyl LPs on the turntables. This evolved into them speaking over the tracks as they played tunes and out of this action evolved the deejay.
Today, dancehall crowds have the privilege of witnessing the writing of another chapter in the Jamaican music history book, as selectors expand their job descriptions.
MULTI-SKILLED SUPERSTARS
Many have become multi-skilled superstars, not confined to just pressing buttons and lifting needles, but spanning the entire range of entertainment.
Selectors dabble into music producing, they are competent stage performers, they have secured movie roles (notably Sky Juice in Shottas) and now they deejays as well.
A number of selectors have produced tracks which have made waves on local radio and in sessions. Selector Fire Links scored big with his own effort entitled Mad Instruments, the team of Jazzy T, Dr. Dre, and Delano of Renaissance Sound System made the Tunda Clap, Rebirth and now Steps rhythm, and the list continues.
Added to this, the names of those who traverse between deejaying and selecting stand out. Older dancehall heads will remember Spragga Benz made his name as a selector on the La Benz sound system. Ricky Trooper recorded tunes and dub plates as a deejay on Kilamanjaro and, more recently, Tony Matterhorn, Richie Feelings of Stone Love and Sky Juice of Metromedia, among others, have recorded tunes.
EARLY SIGN
The early sign of these role changes was the split several selectors made from the sound systems with which their names had become associated with. In the 90s, Fire Links reigned with terror on the Bodyguard sound system, Tony Matterhorn was the mouthpiece behind Inner City Disco before landing on King Addies, while Ricky Trooper blasted fiery dub plates for Kilamanjaro.
These selectors, among others, are all playing solo now. They have split from the sound systems they made their names on and are representing themselves on both the local and international stages.
One selector credited as the first to bring stardom to the selecting table is Sky Juice. Using outrageous antics and charisma as his tools, Sky Juice has etched his name in the dancehall history books. He agrees with the role changes of selectors and credits changing dancehall habits as the cause.
"The world know that we are the first who start the antics," he notes. "I used to watch Peter Metro and Tiger who do their jump up and down thing and the idea come to me... Mi seh to myself this is entertainment and the people love it, so me can gwaan hype on the microphone too.
"I used to be the first man who chat pon mic so much that the people used to say mi chat too much. But guess wha? It brought more vibes for the people dem; dem get more out of it when yu do that," Sky Juice said.
According to Sky Juice, music and dancehall habits changed and the intimate 'bubbling' between couples ended, making room for the focus to be on selectors and their antics. This, he adds, was a natural change, so if asked to choose his favourite time period, he could not.
"Back in those days it did different from now. Yuh can't really compare them and seh one better or one worse," he contends. "It is just that the time change and we change with it cause we a trendsetter. It's like the days when yuh never have computer; man set up dem business differently. Now that we have dem, they set it up to use them. With the music, we just change with the times," he said.
DEMANDS OF THE PUBLIC
Swam King, who was a main fixture on the Stone Love roster before going solo earlier this year, agrees that the roles of selectors have diversified because of the demands of the public.
"Right now there is a difference between those times and now. Nowadays the dances are more exciting for the people. When they come there they want to get hype. You as a selector have to interact more with the people in a different way to get them that excitement," he states.
Richie Feelings, who is attached to Stone Love, argues as well that the demand for extreme entertainment by patrons helped to diversify the roles of selectors. He contends that just like the artistes, selectors have a responsibility to their audience to perform.
"Back in those times when selectors used to stand up behind amps and boxes and just play tune, nobody saw them," he states. "When the deejays pass through the dance, nobody remember the selector. Nowadays we are like the artistes, so we have to entertain the people dem. He (the selector) has to be showing dance moves and commanding the crowd a certain way... The people need the attention and that command, 'cause dem enjoy it," Feelings said.
Feelings has already recorded four tunes and is working on the fifth. He thinks that selectors who record tunes add to their whole entertainment package.
KEEP THEM ENTERTAINED
"It's just how the music going now. We have to perform for the people and to keep them entertained. When yuh record is part of it. The big man Sky Juice started it with the early antics, so we just have to take it to the next level," he said.
"I had the talent from a long time now. Going on Stone Love, I used to put my voice over the tracks when mi play them, so I was used to it already. The music changed because of the dancing thing, so after some encouragement I just decided to 'voice' some songs."
Sky Juice's vision as a total entertainer was his reason for recording his tune. "It just that the music born inside me why I record the tune. I felt the vibes one day and we just do it after the producer encourage me. It's part of my vibes and my thing fi keep the people happy. We do everything and change with the time; that's why we do all movie," he contends. As far as he is concerned, he will continue to evolve as he sees fit.
In today's world, diversifying products has become a routine part of businesses which want to make it in the long term. In the dancehall selecting business, perhaps it is no different. When selectors offer more, they get more popularity, which means more bookings, which eventually means more cash in their pockets.
