Trooper celebrates the big 5-0 with ‘Jarro

Rain couldn’t stop the show, and on Saturday night, dancehall fans dutifully assembled at House of Dancehall, Cargill Avenue, to celebrate sound system, Killamanjarro’s milestone 50th anniversary. It was a night when the music really did all the talking, and a number of celebrities – representing all the eras - rolled out to join the festivities. Chief among them was former ‘Jarro selector, Ricky Trooper, who put on a masterful display.

Trooper, who played on the sound from 1989 to 2000, in a pre-event interview with The Gleaner, recalled the days when ‘Jarro was a rub-a-dub sound, and noted that all the leading deejays at the time vied to perform live on the sound system.

“After that, Jarro become the number one clash sound, killing everybody and winning trophies from Rockers and Binns Awards. The biggest clash that I can recall took place on April 22, 1995 at Portmore Entertainment Centre. That was when we get the clash title and go international, after we kill King Addies from New York,” a delighted Trooper recalled, adding with relish that after that he became known as the ‘serial killer’.

Owner of Killamanjarro, Noel Harper, recalls it as “the greatest clash”.

“One of the first big clash was when Trooper killed Rodigon, but the greatest clash was in 1995 when he killed King Addies.

“From then, he got a different kind of respect, “ Harper stated. “Trooper left the sound in 2000 when he built his own, but I understood that he wanted to move on. So he did, without any issue, and he is back to celebrate the 50th with us,” he added.

Ricky Trooper was one of the selectors advertised for Saturday night’s show and, for him, it was a night on which he could not have been anywhere else.

“Me and the boss good same way. We ah family,” he emphasised. “I have a lot to thank ‘Jarro for. I travelled to places like England, America and the whole of the Caribbean playing music and getting endless fans.

When I leave the sound, the fans dem bash me and call me traitor,” he laughed.

Among the many accolades gathered by Killamanjarro over the years are the World Clash title, and Sound System of the Year on numerous occasions.