For the first time will Oga from Jah Works Japan tour Europe, starting in a few weeks in Switzerland. There are several performances planned that can be named as Rumbles (or clashes), for example, at the fourth edition of Salento Summerclash in Italy where Oga from Jah Works Japan will compete against Safari Sound International from Sweden.
Such a musical competition for the reggae sound system is interactive as the audience will be part of it as well, as they can vote after the host of the competition will ask for the opinion. These public rumbles are getting organised all over the world and such competitions are also planned for Jah Works during his first European tour.
Sota Ogwa, better known as Oga is the selector and producer behind Jah Works, part of the sound system culture in Japan and not to be confused with the roots-reggae band Jah Works from the United States, as this musician is based in Osaka. Although Jah Works Japan is not founded by Oga, he is currently the front runner of it, as it is now a one-person operation.
Jah Works is seen as one of the highest-ranking Japanese sound systems, created in 2004, the group was inspired by the Jamaican sounds Bass Odyssey and Stone Love to build their own boxes and start playing the music they love. Last year Jah Works Japan won the Japan Rumble.
Oga does perform regularly overseas, he also has lived for a longer time in New York, Jamaica, Canada and a few European countries and is also active on the radio. He has weekly program OGA WORKS RADIO that gets broadcasted every Wednesday.
A sound system is an important part of Jamaican popular culture and consists of a group of DJ’s, engineers and MCs playing a combination of ska, rocksteady and reggae music with their turntables and huge speakers. According to the Jamaica Observer, the interest in reggae and dancehall have been very strong in Japan for many years. Especially since the success of Might Crown from Yokohama, a group that started in 1991. Even it has been stated at least once that Japan is the capital of Jamaican music.
For more information about the upcoming European tour of Jah Works Japan, check out the Twitter page of Sky’s Da Limit Promotion.
Source: Sky’s Da Limit Promotion
