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Review by Roots
Heavy Manners & Great Expectations
Great Expectations is rather an apt description
of how one approaches a Jah Shaka event.
If you've seen the man before, you'll know basically
what to expect - a booming bass for a happy (very happy) race -
that will literally rock the place; a night of the
heaviest dub, slyly delivered in a dread manner.
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| Bo Mr Selector! |
If the venue's good, the technical's sound, Shaka
will touch the very essence of your soul.
If not - expect a crashing head and vibration sickness.
Luckily, the latter was not to be.
Jah@ the Cluny
Jah Shaka at the Cluny, Newcastle on Sunday 30 November,
turned out to be one stonking night out.
The mood was light and joyous; festive in the truest
sense of the word.
Not being one to name drop - but I did see Jah Shaka
at a festival in Central Park, New York one summer; and reggae's
at its finest al fresco.
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| A typically tropical punter |
The atmosphere in the Cluny was defiantly tropical.
The humidity was as high as the eclectic, if not
a little motley crowd, who skanked as if their very lives depended
on it.
Intoxicating Rhythm
Mr Shaka moved like a man half his
age; a Dickensian ragamuffin, wiry, agile and dexterous on the decks.
Shaka danced non stop as he spun a selection of
dancehall classics or 'versions'.
A Shaka gig is very much an experience, it can also
be addictive.
There's something about the deep, primeval, throbbing,
repetitive slam of the heaviest dub that just leaves you wanting
more.
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| Jah introduces
the crowd to the joy of decks |
Dub reggae is exhausting and exhilarating, decadent
whilst seductively simple.
If you get a chance to catch Jah Shaka at a venue
near you, do so. The wily old fox of dub comes highly recommended.
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