Birmingham sound systems
Birmingham is often called the heartland of British sound system culture outside London. Handsworth's Quaker City was founded in 1964 by Karl Irving and still plays today; in 1979 it competed for the Gold Cup at Digbeth Civic Hall. Jah MafiaTone Hi-Fi (1975–80) helped bring Rastafarian ideas into the city's dancehalls, and Errol Arawak started King Earthquake at Birmingham blues dances in the late 1970s.
Still playing
- King EarthquakeBirminghamStill playing
Birmingham. Errol Arawak, late 1970s; first called Mighty Earthquake. Back since 2000; also a label.
- Quaker CityHandsworth, BirminghamStill playing
Handsworth, Birmingham. Founded in 1964 by Karl Irving from Montego Bay; started with ska, then reggae. Competed for the Gold Cup at Digbeth Civic Hall in 1979, and its…
- Jah Hamma Sound SystemBirminghamStill playing
Birmingham roots and dub sound established in 2007, which marked ten years in 2017. Runner-up to King Earthquake in the 2009 Jah Works Dub Cup, and has played alongside…
Legacy sounds
- Studio CitySmall Heath, BirminghamLegacy
Small Heath sound founded in 1970 that became known for entertaining audiences around the country. It inspired the teenagers who went on to form UB40, as told in the…
Possible matches
- Jah MafiaTone Hi-FiBirminghamPossible match
Possibly Jah MafiaTone HiFi, Birmingham 1975–80 (Stafford Douglas).
Ran a sound, chatted on one or carried the boxes? Add your sound system to the register.