Kingston’s Dual Identity And The Sound System Parties
As a destination, Kingston is woefully misunderstood. Jamaica’s capital city does have a gritty reputation, but the city is more relaxed than headlines would have you believe. As in any other city, there is slums and crime, but it is also cosmopolitan, has a pulsating nightlife, a party for every day of the week, a booming local music scene and quiet enclaves perched on hills with spectacular vistas of the city and sea.
Kingston has two halves that simultaneously impress. The city’s setting and size can be overwhelming with noise and traffic. Travel warnings from countries like the U.K on Kingston abound. The West Kingston incursion with a notorious gangster, Dudus, led to shootouts with police in the street.
Downtown by the waterfront is where you find culturally curated experiences in museums and vibrant street markets all framed by a spectacular harbor. Uptown is home to the business center in New Kingston, hotels and some of the island’s best restaurants and newly minted coffee shops. Cultural must-sees like Devon House; a mansion of Jamaica’s first black millionaire, George Stiebel; The Bob Marley Museum and Emancipation Park are all uptown. At the foothills of Kingston are sprawling expanses of well- manicured land where mansions with grills sit surrounded by high electric fences.
Downtown is home to historic colonial buildings, courts, street markets and one of the Caribbean’s best art museums: The National Gallery. The energy around places like Parade is dizzying as trucks, cars pedestrians and hand-carts compete for their right of the road. Vendors selling their wares call out prices with cheeky selling points: “Don’t let your kids walk around in dirty clothes. Get your washing soap!” Sharing downtown are the ghettoes of West Kingston.
Trench Town and Tivoli Gardens are immortalized in many reggae songs from when a young Bob Marley used to sing ska to modern day dancehall tunes. The stories from downtown are full with a hard knock life experiences. Downtown meets uptown in the realm of music.
Kingston is famous for its sound systems; giant speakers stacked in a venue with a ‘selector’ or DJ playing the latest dancehall tunes. In the 1970’s, sound systems began to roam the streets. Selectors had turntables, speakers, and a mic. They held impromptu sessions in the middle of the street playing over records. Artists honed their lyrical skills on these systems. Musical street battles meant the winner had well-deserved street cred and an even bigger fan following. Sound systems are regarded as the lynchpin of popular Jamaican music.
Sound system parties make up Kingston’s cultural DNA. Think part block party, part fashion show, thrown in some acrobatic dance moves and you’ll get the picture. Streets in selected neighborhoods are closed down for a night to accommodate a party. These parties are safe as residents are responsible for security and don’t take too kindly any violence at their events.
Where to find the parties
Head uptown to Stone Love’s HQ for their weekly Weddy Weddy Wednesday party and prepare yourself for some wild bent over, dancing where the music of downtown meets an uptown venue. For tunes served on a vinyl platter with a heavy side of bass, all roads lead to Dub Club at Skyline in Jack’s Hill. The weekly sessions are a Sunday night staple for partygoers seeking to revel in a chilled roots reggae experience. Dubclub has an air of mystery; there are no flyers distributed or radio and television ads, but the party has a massive core following. Mingle with Japanese tourists, art students, and Rastafari aficionados. Allow rockers, roots, and dub tracks wash over you as you soak in the amber hue of the city lights below. Dubclub feels like the coolest house party on the island.
Inner City Dub is Kingston’s newest hotspot in Tivoli Gardens. Weekly selectors keep the music flowing for the dubites. Guest performers like Jah9 and Iba Mar often pass through and take the mike. There’s an ample supply of Appleton Rum and Red Stripe.
Uptown and downtown rarely mix, however, taken together they form a compelling and charmingly chaotic whole. Kingston is certainly never dull. Please jump right in.
Cover photo by Gregg Regula.
