Renowned Japanese sound system Mighty Crown celebrate their 30th anniversary and forthcoming retirement at Sound Forge, Port of Spain on Wednesday, as part of their global Final Round Tour.
An eight-time world clash champion, Mighty Crown is now in the twilight of their illustrious career and has embarked on a world tour to allow fans one last chance to see the 'Far East Rulers' in action.
According to mightycrown.com "Mighty Crown was founded in 1991 by friends from Yokohama, Japan. Mighty Crown gradually got their fame by playing at clubs and by selling self-produced mix tapes throughout Japan.
"After building their sound system (movable speaker boxes) in 1994, they started clashing with other Japanese sound systems and became the undisputed and undefeated sound clash champion in Japan (1998). Since then, they have been influencing and leading the whole dancehall scene in Japan. Japan was not the only place they have been playing."
Members Masta Simon, Sami T, Cojie and Ninja are world renowned certified 'sound killers' and master jugglers and have entertained the masses with three decades of top-flight sound clashes and shows, rooted in reggae and dancehall music.
The website said the group "started living in the United States from the early 90's and gradually learned the Jamaican language and the dancehall flex by hanging out in studios, record shops, and in the streets of Brooklyn, NY. They started playing at local clubs in Brooklyn and Manhattan around 1992 and eventually lead their way to the World Clash '99 held in Brooklyn, NY. On their first appearance in World Clash'99, they defeated sounds from Jamaica and the United States and became the first Japanese sound to get the World Clash trophy. Since then, they have been touring major cities in the United States, the Caribbean (Jamaica, Antigua, Bermuda, TT, St Lucia, Barbados, St Kitts, and etc), and Europe (England, Germany, Switzerland, and others)/"
Event organiser, Kwesi Hopkinson (Hypa Hoppa) of Scorch honoured Mighty Crown's legacy. He said it was mandatory they visit Trinidad before bringing an end to their musically, barrier-breaking career.
'They've been so influential in the sound system fraternity and even the spreading of Caribbean culture in places like Asia, particularly in the 90s, early and mid-2000s come up.
'They would have played songs that even Jamaicans weren't playing. Their versatility and appreciation for a culture that is not theirs first, was very inspiring for us.
'It would have inspired us to go on and a sound system from Trinidad. I was also the first promoter to bring them to our shore in the early 2000s and it was only right that I go the honour of doing this last showcase.'
Hopkinson and DJ Dane (Lord Hype) are the faces of TT-based sound system Radioactive. They are arguably one of the nation's top-ranked sound systems and hold a wealth of experience and internationally-acclaimed dubplates to back their name.
With such a rich history in sound system culture, Hopkinson does not believe
