DJ Jigga - file

I am a long-time sound-system clash fan from the days of listening to Kilamanjaro destroy Silverhawk in Skateland (on cassette) in 1987, through to the 90s clashes with sounds like 4x4 Exodus and then Death Before Dishonour every Easter Monday in MoBay.

Last weekend, I went to the finals of the Guinness Sounds of Greatness finals with Rebel T and Bodyguard and although I am disappointed that Rebel T won, I enjoyed myself. It was the cleanest clash I had ever been to; there were no sexual insults, no 'suck this' or 'suck that' and there were no expletives from the selectors or the turntables.

It is not unlike the Green Synergy competition, where the disk jocks went up against each other, with 'jigging' results all around.

Blood pumping

The 'clean' clashes are not necessarily more exciting than the 'anything goes' ones, although the latter tend to get out of hand with the cursing. However, there is nothing wrong with a judiciously placed curse word, live or on record; in fact, it gets the blood pumping and the excitement up a notch or two.

One thing though, I suspect that withdrawing from live event sponsorship has been hurting Red Stripe, especially with Magnum tagging along on events left, right and centre, and the Sounds of Greatness is a good way for them to get back into the swing. I had a little laugh when I saw that Isaiah Laing, Sting promoter, was one of the judges for theSounds of Greatness finals. This is after the big bust-up between Guinness and Sting.

Why don't they host a talent search with Johnny Gourzong as one of the judges and be done? The fact is that there are key figures in entertainment business, those with the respect and the authority of experience that no company, however big, can go around.

Anyway, I digress.

The clash selectors of old (including those who are still very much active in Irish and Chin promoted events) must be looking at the adaptation of their art in the Green Synergy and Sounds of Greatness contests with some amusement. After all, what is now being set up as big promotion is something they used to do as a matter of course; two sounds string up together, some war must break out.

Still, that is how things develop. Carnival was a spontaneous affair, then it got organised and a bit tamer than before but still entertaining. The good thing is that Guinness involved some outstanding sound systems, not just some fly-by-night drum pan.

I look forward to next year.

Rebel T disc jockey Mad Ras (right) cuddles the winners' trophy he received from Gareth Geddes of Guinness. Rebel T defeated Bodyguard in the Guinness Sounds of Greatness sound-clash final last Saturday at Mas Camp, St Andrew. - nathaniel stewart