Dread Junction Lively Up Yourself Written by Vince Carnovale Photo by Annie Shillington Design by Lyndon Pike
One of Australia’s foremost, knowledgeable and respected DJ identities in the reggae music business, Prince Vince has hosted “Dread Junction” a fortnightly 2-hour reggae program on Fine Music Sydney since 2010. It’s been described as ‘Australia’s hottest 2-hour reggae show’ with Prince Vince presenting a strictly Roots & Culture selection featuring the best riddims, new & old exclusive rare cuts and tunes originating from Jamaican culture dating right back to the early 60’s as well as the sounds of now! But what is so great about reggae music is that much of what exists in popular music today started in Jamaica. To put things into perspective, it’s worth going back in time before the rise of Bob Marley and the Wailers to trace the origins & roots of reggae. In the 50’s Jamaicans were listening closely to Miami and New Orleans radio. Rock ‘n Roll & R&B was the order of the day. But whilst catchy, nothing at that time was embracing the African heritage, there was little notion then in America of Afrocentricity. At the end of the 50’s different local sound system operators like Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid and Prince Buster rose to prominence and started to cut their own records. The local sound systems in Jamaica were really taking off and this drove the local recording business, with their need to have the latest hot recording. The emergence of the effervescent beat of ska was simultaneously brewing in the early 60’s. At this time the colony of Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom on 6 August 1962. In Jamaica, this date is celebrated as Independence Day, a national holiday. Rocksteady is a sensational rhythm which slowed down the beat during the mid/late 60’s. Reggae is considered to have hit the town having been formulated around 1967/68. Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945, in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica. In 1963, Marley and his friends Peter Tosh & Bunny Wailer formed the Wailing Wailers. The Wailers’ big break came in 1972, when they landed a contract with Island Records. They took the world by storm. The rest is Legend. Prince Vince presents Dread Junction on alternative Wednesday mornings fortnightly on Fine Music Sydney from Midnight – 2am. You will always hear the best in reggae including the old favourites but also featuring latest releases from Jamaica, the UK, Europe, America and from our very own Downunder.
Wednesday 1 October at Midnight
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