23 years of Odyssey

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

Kilamanjaro, Stone Love to play at historic session

As if tonight's 23rd anniversary Bass Odyssey celebration is not enough, Yaniq Walford is already planning an even more significant step for sound systems next year.

Considering the often combative history of the sound systems, having Kilamanjaro, Stone Love, and Bass Odyssey play at the same session would have been unheard of - and, Walford pointed out, has not happened before. But she is already looking forward to next year, when she hopes to develop the event into a sound-system festival.

"I have been to Europe and seen some, and it really blew me away," Yaniq, daughter of Bass Odyssey owner Keith Walford, said. Along with her brother, Keith Walfore Jr, she now dows much of Bass Odyssey's business as their father is taken up with his duties as member of parliament.

"Hopefully, the reception this year will grow into next year and we grow into a festival," she said.

The anniversary session will be held at Seven Star Lawn (also called Lighthouse) in Salem, Runaway Bay, St Ann. Negotiating for the three sound systems to play together took some doing, Walford saying that she got some history lessons from Kilamanjaro owner, Noel Harper. The three sound system owners - Keith Walford, Harper, and Winston 'Wee Pow' Powell of Stone Love - will be honoured, Yaniq making it clear that it will not be a drawn-out process which would interrupt the flow of the session.

Notably, all three sound systems will be carrying their own equipment and it will be an extended affair, from 'bass only' until the other frequencies are brought in and the music is played at about 3 p.m. Walford said the "early warm" starts at about 6 p.m. and will be a Jamaica 50 tribute where earlier songs are played. "You can expect some big dubs of that era," Walford said. After that, she said, "it is not an oldies party so we are moving up." "Moving up", of course, means playing the hot songs of the day.

TEAR IT UP

Having spoken to Powell as well as Harper, Walford said the expectation is that each sound system owner would direct his crew and "I guess they will tear it up".

"The buzz I am getting on the ground, especially men and women who go dance long time, is that it is an attraction in itself," Walford said.

Previously, the event was kept in St D'Acre, near Alexandria in St Ann where Bass Odyssey is from. Keeping an annual event on the third Saturday of August featuring Bass Odyssey was late selector Kevin 'Squingy' Bennet's idea. He died in November 2009, and although the dance (renamed the Legend anniversary) was still kept, it did not attract the crowd support it did previously.

Now there are two events: Bass Odyssey's anniversary tonight on the coast, and the Squingy Memorial next weekend on the standard third Saturday in August in the hills of St Ann. Walford stressed that profit from the Squingy Memorial will go towards the late selector's children.

And there are promising early signs for what Walford hopes will be an international sound-system festival. "I spoke to Sentinel (from Germany), and they like the idea as well," she said.