The Reggae Month sound systems clash started with eight sounds. After the first round has ended, all systems go for the semi-final rounds. Four sounds remain to battle this round.
Host Badda Bling sent the much-anticipated round one semifinalist sounds off with a bang. This clash started in the same manner that it ended. We saw the likes of Ruff Cut International and Nexxt Level go to war musically.
Juggling Into the Semi-Final
The first round was the juggling section, where each sound system had the chance to juggle freely with their best tunes. First up was Nexxt Level.
“Mek me introduce Nexxt Level sound dah way yah.” Nexxt Level began their set playing “Strange things are happening” Papa San; “What a rat race” Bob Marley; “Angola” Jah Bouks; “Skanking” Chronixx; “Turn your lights down low” Bob Marley and Lauren Hill versions. They also dropped Marvin Gay’s “Let’s get it on”, Barrington Levy “Broadway”, Beenie Man “Foundation”, to name a few. The tunes provided the audience with a taste of what was to come.
Ruff Cut came with energy from the start. “Yuh see like when you a drive a matic, all now you nuh go inna drive. Listen how yuh big up Jamaica 60. Busy Signal “Jamaica Love” blared from the speakers, followed by Barrington Levy’s “Prison Oval Rock”; Damian Marley “Welcome to Jamrock”; Yellowman’s “Zunguzeng”. Still more tunes flowed, Dugsy Ranks “Wife”; Dirtsman “Hot this year”; Snagga Puss’s “Tatty Dance”. Ruff Cut even took it way back with Miss Lou’s classic “Long time gal mi neva see yuh”, right before playing Jimmy Cliff’s “Harder they come”.
Dennis Brown Top 5 Songs – Challenge Round
Picking up where they left off, Nexxt Level began by saying, “We haffi big up a legend, a prince”. Immediately proceeding to play classics “Get myself together”, “Here I come”, and “Wolf and Leopard”.
“Deh song yah a di first song Dennis Brown ever sing. Him do this at 12 years old,” Ruff Cut stated before playing hidden classics. “No man is an island”, “Money in my pocket”. The MC stopped this song mid-way and called a young lady on stage, emptied his pockets, before going onto the next tune. “If I had the world”, followed by “Friend for life”, which was voiced by one of the judges, Jack Scorpio. This was the moment that gave Ruff Cut the edge in round two. To bring an end to the challenge round, Ruff Cut MC played “Love has found its way” for the ladies.
Dub for Dub, Chune for Chune
Nexxt level began the last round with dubs the likes of “In a chune fi chune” Freddie Mcgregor, “Freedom is a must”, and John Holt and Daddy Uroy’s hit “Wear you to the ball”. “You see deh artist ya, Him a di original granilated sugar”, the MC stated before playing Sugar Minott’s. “Oh, Mr DC.
Ruff Cut’s delivery couldn’t be downplayed as they too came out for the kill in the final round. Pelting dubs from Stephen Marley’s “No cigarette smoking in my room” and Barrington Levy’s “Prison Oval Rock”. “People, it look like a me a play Nexxt Level Sound, Toots kill dat”, Ruff Cut’s MC stated, before playing Toots and the Maytals,“ I say yeah”.
Semi-final round one clash was sizzling and had those in attendance eager for round two. Both sound systems came with a full arsenal. However, only one would be able to move on to the finals of Wray and Nephew’s Echoes of Sound Systems clash.
In the end, Ruff Cut won and became the first sound, advancing to the finals.
You will not want to miss the round two semi-final clash between Kush International, going up against Jamrock Sounds.
