Jah Shaka, also known as the Zulu Warrior was a Jamaican reggae/dub sound system operator who has been operating a South East London-based, roots reggae Jamaican sound system since the early 1970s. His name was an amalgamation of the Rastafarian term for God and that of the Zulu king Shaka Zulu. Based in the UK, he had been operating his sound since the mid-1970s. In the 1980s, he was famous for keeping up his roots and culture agenda, while most of the UK sound systems followed the Jamaican trend for digital dancehall riddims and "slackness" lyrics. While this move placed him outside the reggae mainstream, he acquired a new (white as well as black) following. His fans and musical cooperators, like The Disciples, Jah Warrior and Iration Steppas went on to coin a distinct electronic style of dub nowadays typical for the UK. With his strictly Rastafarian attitude and the dry and heavy sound of his productions, which are (in contrary to most of the more recent UK dub) recorded with live instruments, yet stripped down to the maximum, Jah Shaka was considered the forefather of UK Dub. He died on 12th April 2023.
Links to Peel[]
Peel seemed to have first played Jah Shaka's material in the early 80's and would often play some of his songs during that period as well as in the mid 90's. In the early 00's, it seemed Peel didn't play any of Jah Shaka's music, mainly due to the artist not releasing any new material during that period. After his death in 2004, it was later found out that Peel had an album called New Decade Of Dub, released in 1996, which was a collaboration between Jah Shaka and the Mad Professor.
Shows Played[]
- 21 December 1981: Revelation 18 (12") Jah Shaka Music
- 21 December 1981: Revelation Dub (12" by Jah Shaka - Revelation 18) Jah Shaka Music (under the name Shaka Ridim Section)
- 1982
- 17 January 1982 (BFBS): Revelation 18 (12") Jah Shaka Music
- 21 September 1982: Verse 4 (LP - The Commandments Of Dub) Jah Shaka
- 18 October 1982: ? (album - Commandments Of Dub) Jah Shaka Music
- 21 October 1982: Verse 4 (LP - The Commandments Of Dub)
- 1983
- 12 January 1983: Judgement Dub (album - Brimstone & Fire) Jah Shaka Music
- 1984
- 23 April 1984 (BBC World Service): Warrior Dub (album - Jah Shaka Meets Mad Professor At Ariwa Sounds) Ariwa
- 1994
- 28 January 1994: Verse 2 (album - The Commandments Of Dub) Jah Shaka
- 05 February 1994 (BFBS): Slave Rebellion (Compilation LP - Dubhead Volume Three) Shiver
- 29 July 1994: Jah Solid Rock Dub (LP - Dub Salute 3) Jah Shaka
- 06 August 1994 (BFBS): Jah Solid Rock Dub (album - Dub Salute 3) Jah Shaka Music
- 12 August 1994: Mercy Gone Dub (LP - Dub Salute 3) Jah Shaka Music
- 20 August 1994 (BFBS): Mercy Gone Dub (album - Dub Salute 3) Jah Shaka Music
- 09 September 1994: Addis Ababa Dub (album - Dub Salute 3) Jah Shaka Music
- 30 September 1994: Pressure Dub (album - Dub Salute 3) Jah Shaka Music
- 15 October 1994 (BFBS): Pressure Dub (album - Dub Salute 3) Jah Shaka Music
- 1996
- 18 May 1996 (& Mad Professor): 'Natural Roots (CD-New Decade Of Dub)' (Ariwa)
- 26 May 1996 (& Mad Professor): 'Wig Wam (CD-New Decade Of Dub)' (Ariwa)
- 01 June 1996 (& Mad Professor): Chanting Down The Wicked (CD - New Decade Of Dub) Ariwa
- 01 June 1996 (BFBS) (& Mad Professor): 'Wig Wam (CD-New Decade Of Dub)' (Ariwa)
- 15 June 1996 (& Mad Professor): 'Roots Jamboree (CD-New Decade Of Dub)' (Ariwa)
- 21 September 1996 (BFBS) (& Mad Professor): Slave Rebellion (Compilation LP - Dubhead Volume Three) Shiver
- 22 September 1996 (& Mad Professor): Slave Rebellion (Compilation LP - Dubhead Volume Three) Shiver