Guinness goes high-tech with Mobile Music Machine

It's a Friday night in Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth, and a group is gathered, drinking Guinness and vibing to some thumping dancehall music at Sonia's Hot Spot. The bass is thunderous but crisp, the top-end is clean and clear and the treble resonates with purpose.

Most persons are gathered around a Toyota Hiace bus that has been stripped and converted into a sound system - the Guinness Mobile Music Machine.

"Everywhere you go, people are marveled with the concept. The most frequently asked question is if is foreign it come from," said Stuart Duquesnay, who outfitted the bus and is considered one of Jamaica's 'technical gurus'. "Everywhere you go, it turns heads. It has that 'wow' effect. A lot of people, for the first time, can't see how so much sound can come out of one mini-bus."

Jaw-dropping effect

The state-of-the-art bus has been visiting bars across the island since March as part of the Guinness Greatness in the Streets promotion. With each stop comes the jaw-dropping effect. Operated by respected sound system selector Nico Bam Bam, the exterior of the bus is fully wrapped with images of the Guinness logo; it has a hydraulic roof, which reveals speakers for added sound quality, and the bus produces thousands of watts of amazing sound.

"They (Guinness) told me what they wanted and we came up with the design. I pretty much knew what they wanted because I have done a number of works for them," Duquesnay pointed out.

Duquesnay said the substantial investment took him and his staff six weeks to complete. He said after completion, and seeing the impact the final product has on people, the long hours spent on the Music Machine's development were all worth it.

"Most people are blown away by the retractable roof. I'm proud of the fact that so many people have appreciated the work that my team and Guinness have done," said Duquesnay. "It's a sense of joy that the street has warmly embraced it."

Guinness brand manager Gary Dixon said in coming up with the concept of Guinness Greatness in the Streets, he wanted a wow factor that would appeal to consumers.

Attention-grabbing device

"The bus really gets persons' attention when it pulls up and the speakers are elevated from the roof," said Dixon. "And then, when you hear the sound system play, it definitely signals that something great is about to happen."

Dixon added that the idea for Guinness Greatness in the Streets was to connect with consumers through music by bringing the entertainment to them.

"Music plays a very important role in the life of our consumers, and community and a sense of togetherness are also vital to them, so we came up with Guinness Greatness in the Streets, where we could deliver a musical experience to our consumers in their communities," said Dixon.

The Guinness Mobile Music Machine makes its next stop at Don Ruben Bar on Spanish Town Road on Thursday.