The downtown Reggae vibe was brought uptown last Friday night for Sound System Fridays.  Host Sounds – Noble Works and Xixgon International featured live performances by veteran Foundation artiste, Otis Gayle and one of Dancehall’s most cultured – rising artiste, Jesse Royal.

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Things got underway just after 9 PM with Noble Works at the controls.  As a stranger to the downtown Reggae Scene, I had never heard of Noble Works previous to Deejay Shai’s (Xixgon International) request.  Noble Works, to their credit, play out four nights a week where they showcase their talent and versatility by juggling various genre’s of music – Reggae, Hip-hop, R&B and Dance.

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Noble Works held it down for their entire set, playing exclusively dubs and came close again when they returned to close the show after Xixgon’s prearranged early departure (Deejay Shai had Jesse Royal in town to promote IREMEMBER featuring Luciano alongside Royal).  Big Up Doug Skillmore and partner, Ian!  These two put on a great show and were solid from start to finish – they dropped Foundation dubs and even surprised us with a special Foundation guest artiste – Otis Gayle of Byron Lee And The Dragonaires and Studio One fame.  Not to mention, they saluted Canada by playing many Canadian artistes such as Blessed, Lindo P, Tonya P (who provided a custom Ron Nelson/Sound System Fridays dub), Gappy Ranks, Masicka, Randy Valentine, Million Styles (Sweden), Jahdaa Blakk, Mr. Williams (U.K.) and more.  I truly enjoyed Noble Works vibes, not bad for a two-year-old Sound!

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Big Up Xixgon International for passing through!  A talented and tight Sound that came out of Trinidad and Tobago that now reps Worldwide.  They came in and picked up where Noble Works left off.  With MC David and DJ (Deejay) Shai at the controls, anything can happen – LOL.  I noticed that Shai is not a very emotional person when it comes to the chunes that he plays – no smiling, no grooving, nuttin’! – I  guess he wants to focus on his craft and not get distracted.  That didn’t stop him from layin’ down big, big dubs by big, big artistes – always a treat!  Their set was flawless and it flowed – watch the show and see for yourself!  Once again, Big Up Xixgon International – David, Shai, Yves, Crash, Casey and Andrew – Thanks for passing through, representing and for taking things to the next level!

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Last but not least, Big Up to Jesse Royal!  This was my first time meeting him and I was impressed with his words of wisdom – his levelheadedness.  Mark my words, Jesse Royal will bus’, it’s only a matter of time.  He is a great example of what the International Reggae Scene needs right now – a fresh take on life and living from a creative and talented individual who is wise beyond his years.  We’ve seen a sample of what’s to come from this promising Cultural artiste – keep your eyes peeled and your ears pricked!  What a great show!  Enjoy the Podcast!

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