Jah Shaka
Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox musical artist
Jah Shaka (born Neville Powell<ref name="Henry & Back">Template:Cite book</ref> Template:Circa – 12 April 2023), also known as the Zulu Warrior, was a Jamaican reggae/dub sound system operator who operated a South East London-based, roots reggae Jamaican sound system from 1970.<ref name="Mosco">Template:Cite web</ref> His name is an amalgamation of the Rastafarian term for God and that of the Zulu king Shaka Zulu.<ref name="Vibesonline" />
Career
Jah Shaka was born in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, an area which has produced numerous roots reggae stars, amongst them Toots Hibbert, Everton Blender, Barrington Levy and Freddie McGregor.<ref name="Vibesonline">Template:Cite web</ref>
He arrived in England in 1956<ref name="Red Bull">Template:Cite web</ref> and attended Samuel Pepys school in Brockley, South London.<ref name="Goldman" />
Jah Shaka started out at the age of 12<ref name="Reel">Template:Cite journal</ref> on the Freddie Cloudburst Sound System as an operator,<ref name="Moskowitz2006">Template:Cite book</ref> before setting up his own sound system.<ref name="dubandreggae">Template:Cite web</ref> By the late 1970s Shaka's system had rapidly gained a large and loyal following due to the combination of spiritual content, high energy rhythms, massive sonority and his dynamic personal style. That following notably included many of the pioneers of post-punk such as Public Image Ltd and The Slits.<ref name="Katz">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1980 Shaka played himself in the film Babylon (directed by Franco Rosso, although he directed the scene he appeared in<ref name="dubandreggae"/><ref name="Mosco" />), operating his Sound System in a soundclash at the climax of the story. In 1986 footage of the Jah Shaka soundsystem appeared in the Black Audio Film Collective's Handsworth Songs.<ref name="Eshun">Template:Cite book</ref>
In addition to Rastafari, Shaka cited Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, George Jackson and Angela Davis as influences.<ref name="Vibesonline" /><ref name="Small Axe" />
Shaka stayed true to his spiritual and distinct musical style during the 1980s when many other Sound Systems had started to follow the Jamaican trend towards playing less orthodox styles<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> tending towards slack dancehall music. In 1989, Shaka visited Jamaica and worked with many musicians there, including King Tubby.<ref name="Ray Huford BSL">Template:Cite web</ref>
On 23 September 2000, he suffered numerous injuries during a house fire.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2002, Jah Shaka appeared before a large crowd in New York City's Central Park.<ref name="Eksperyans">Template:Cite web</ref> Live footage of Shaka is featured in the documentary All Tomorrow's Parties based on the musical festival, which was released in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Label
From 1980, Shaka released music on his own Jah Shaka Music label from Jamaican artists such as Max Romeo, Johnny Clarke, Bim Sherman and Prince Alla as well as UK groups such as Aswad and Dread & Fred.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He released a number of dub albums, often under the Commandments of Dub banner.<ref name="Small Axe" />
Artists featured on releases in the 21st Century include both established singers like Tony Tuff,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and new emerging artists like Rockaway and Principle - who have sung over riddims produced by his son Malachi, known as Young Warrior.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Non-musical work
In the early 1980s, he ran a three-storey community hub in New Cross, known as the Culture Shop, which acted as a focal point for local black youth and housed a record store, a Caribbean food outlet and a Rastafari-oriented hair salon.<ref name="Katz" /><ref name="Reel" />
Shaka also established the Jah Shaka Foundation to carry out assistance with projects in Ghana, where the foundation has bought Template:Convert of land in Agri, 30 miles outside of Accra.<ref name="Ray Huford BSL" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It has also managed to distribute medical supplies, wheelchairs, library books, carpentry tools, drawing materials and records to clinics, schools and radio stations in the Accra area establishing important links with the local communities.<ref name="Moskowitz2006" />
Shaka himself was actually a youth worker years agoTemplate:When, and has regularly been quoted encouraging youths to study geography and history so they know "what's happened, where it's happening and who's doing it".<ref name="Red Bull" />
Death
Jah Shaka died on 12 April 2023, at the age of 75.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His official Nine Night was held on 21 April at the Great Hall, Goldsmiths University,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> followed by an official memorial event at the E1 venue on 22 October 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Legacy and influence
Jah Shaka events were renowned for attracting a wide audience from all backgrounds, races and ages.<ref name="Small Axe">Template:Cite web</ref> His dances attract numbers previously thought unthinkable for this genre of music.Template:Citation needed Shaka believes it to be a testament to the quality of the message that he expounds in his choice of music and his Rastafarian beliefs. His followers are known to be vocally ardent, and have developed dance steps that resemble African war dances.<ref name="Goldman">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Shaka's uncompromising "Warrior Style" inspired a host of UK reggae artists and Sound Systems such as The Disciples,<ref name="Whitfield" /> Iration Steppas,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jah Warrior,<ref name="Mosco profile">Template:Cite web</ref> Conscious Sounds,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Zion Train.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Non-reggae artists claiming Shaka as an influence include Mark Stewart<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Kevin Martin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Basement Jaxx have cited Jah Shaka as being their best night out ever.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Don Letts has also frequently referenced the influence of Jah Shaka on John Lydon and on the punk scene as a whole.<ref name="Whitfield">Template:Cite web</ref> Neneh Cherry stated that a Jah Shaka dance in Streatham would be the event in the past she would like to revisit and show her children.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Jah Shaka recordings have been sampled in Jungle music, including on tracks by the Ragga Twins and The Dream Team.<ref name="Muggs" /> Drum and bass was also influenced by Jah Shaka's sound system, and a number of the DJ's who feature in that genre, such as Fabio, Bryan Gee, Jumping Jack Frost and Congo Natty followed and were influenced by his sound.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="The Independent obit">Template:Cite web</ref> He is also cited as an influence on dubstep, especially artists such as Digital Mystikz and Mala.<ref name="Muggs">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Jah Shaka's son Young Warrior started his own sound system in 2011 and has played at dub and reggae events across the UK and Europe, including Notting Hill Carnival.<ref name="Eagles">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2017, Jah Shaka received a JaRIA (Jamaica Reggae Industry Association) Honour Award for "Extraordinary impact on the Reggae Industry (Sound System)" at Courleigh Auditorium, Kingston Jamaica.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In that year he also received an International Reggae Day award as a "pioneer of dub".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In October 2023 Jah Shaka was awarded a post-humous special recognition award by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 13 September 2025 an engraved stone honouring Jah Shaka was unveilled at Dalston Square in Hackney, in recognition of his groundbreaking soundsystem performances at venues such as The Four Aces Club and Cubies which were located in the area.<ref name="Hinds">Template:Cite web</ref>
References
External links
- Official website (archived)
- The Jah Shaka Dub Commandments - Illustrated Discography and flyers gallery