Studio 969 rocks Sumfest mall with old vinyl records

Neither Gucci, Moschino nor Michael Kors made it into the fashionable Reggae Sumfest mall that transformed the grounds of the Catherine Hall Complex in Montego Bay, St James.

In fact, Night One of the event tagged the world's largest reggae festival, depicted 'All Things Jamaican'. Several of the vendors in the authentic mall stood out, but none garnered the attention that Charl Baker's Studio 969 got.

Using old vinyl records, Baker's roots, rock, reggae store was the home of predominantly red, gold and green records, highlighting the various genres of music to have impacted the island's culture.

A lover of the preservation of the earth, Baker told The Gleaner she "reduces, reuses and recycles products such as driftwood, plastic, tin cans and bits of fabric".

Her vinyl records, introduced specially for the Reggae Sumfest crowd, are beautifully painted, and enhanced with various trees.

Instead of allowing products to be thrown out in the garbage, Baker repurposes and gives them new life, helping also to reduce the carbon footprint in the process.

The artist, who hails from St. Andrew, says she had a fascination with trees since childhood.

"My earrings that are made from scrap are 'Leaves of Life', said Baker.