He was a giant of the Jamaican sound system, hiding in plain sight. Hear him tell his story in the video below…

Cyril ‘Count C’ Braithwaite (1926-2011) was an original Jamaican sound system success story. From his yard at 6 Wellington Street in West Kingston, Jamaica Count C helped to shape modern pop culture and personally mentored more than a few international music careers. A contemporary of Tom the Great Sebastian and a rival to Duke Reid, Count C was a trendsetter and tastemaker before dancehall, reggae, rocksteady or ska. Little known outside of West Kingston… inside he was the Wizard of the West.

Read more on Count C in the latest issue of Wax Poetics.

…via.

An interesting piece on the life of the chief engineer at one of Jamaica’s most successful studio, via Babylon Falling and SEEN. Check out an excerpt below…

Sylvan Morris worked as a recording and mixing engineer at the forefront of the development of Jamaican music in the 1960s and 1970s. Equipped with a pitch perfect ear, a naturally inventive spirit, a hands-on approach and an intense work ethic Morris not only managed to create a sound of his own, but also was highly sought after by the musicians of the era, to whom he was affectionately known as ‘My Operator.’ Over the course of a quarter century Morris worked closely with such luminaries as Bob Marley and the Wailers, Jacob Miller, The Heptones, U-Roy, Augustus Pablo, Alton Ellis, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown and many more….

Check out the full interview here: Via Babylon Falling: An interview with Sylvan Morris.

I originally posted this one last year around Christmas time….I felt like it was perfect to bring back today. Check the original post below…

A little something for the holidays. Thanks to DJ Junior for the heads up. Check out some samples below and after the jump along with a link to download the album…

A little music for your Sunday. I should have maybe put this up a few months back, but better late than never, right? Check out the music below….

Tracklisting is after the jump….

Imag via siobhanart on Flickr.

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A little something for the holidays. Thanks to DJ Junior for the heads up. Check out some samples below and after the jump along with a link to download the album…

A big, huge, Rest In Peace to Alton Ellis OD, who passed away this morning in London. For those who don’t know the name, know that the man had a huge influence on Jamaican music, and on the world of music on the whole.

Need proof? Check out the joints after the jump.

For more information on the death of Alton Ellis, click here.

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