SWAMP SAFARI - REGGAE UNIVERSITY

Kaya (Zizkov, Prague) and Vincent (Portland, Jamaica) first met in September 1989 on the Open Air Reggae Fest at Revnice. At that time none of them was a DJ, and probably would never expected such a turn. Kaya was a vocalist of the reggae ska band AMARILLO and Vincent the festival MC just started his studies at the Czech Technical University of Prague.

Some time after Vincent joined the band SVIHADLO, where he performers until now, and together with other former member of Svihadlo Jirka Simsa (nowadays Tea ingle ;-) introduced to the Prague public first original Jamaican dance. Simsa being the DJ and Vincent a MC „properly“ commenting on the music.

By the way Jirka Simsa and Tomas Toula (DJ DOUBLE T) are historically the first Czech players of reggae.

At this point I would like to point out that instead of the steady terms taken from hip hop, in Jamaica the SELECTOR is the person selecting the music and which we here call DJ, and DJ is the one who we here call MC, and MC is the one that presents performers to the public. Quite confusing isn’t it??

During the 1989 and 1990 reggae discotheques moved from Sporilov house of culture to the D club in Vinohrady. With the foundation of the civil Reggae club union the frequency of discotheques also multiplied, and new selectors appeared on the scene such as: Martin Tankwey (BABALET), Bourama Badji (BABALET, HYPNOTIX), Jirka Charypar (BABALET, SVIHADLO), Uncle Mísha (RADIO 1) and last but not least DJ Kaya (RADIO 1), these days already without Amarillo.

Kaya and Vincent were meeting each other on various stages and for couple of years more or less competed with each other. Everything changed in January 1998, when Kaya invited Vincent as a regular guest to his residential Thursday nights at the SWAMP Smichov. Somewhere about that time they also started using the name Jamaica Swamp Safari Sound System when playing outsider Swamp, more or less, because they wanted to drew attention to the fact they were also playing somewhere else, but are the same Dj (or Selectors ;-)

The name of the sound system is taken from the now again existing club Swamp, but also from the

Jamaica

alligator’s zoo, from the James Bond movie that is called Jamaica Swamp Safari. It can be found between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay (Few times Kaya drove around, and supposably Vincent as well :-) The name was shortened to SWAMP SAFARI SOUND SYSTEM.

Members of the SWAMP SAFARI CREW are Kaya, Vincent (together with Svihadlo is also a singer of Dub-O-Net band), Mighty RD that has not been playing for a while, special guest from Munich Jah T and DJ Ama a.k.a 12Play from

Mali

. Around the year 2000 arise the new SWAMP SAFARI FAMILY something like the hockey farm. Members were ladies Martina (at present full member of Swamp Safari) and Kordula (not playing at the moment) and DJ K-Kamil (now lives in Ustí nad Labem, North Bohemia). At the SWAMP SAFARI venues you can time to time meed the dancers Jana, Tereza and Eda. Last but not least member of the SWAMP SAFARI CREW, driver, logistician, and now the equal selector is Hroutil.

Since 2005 Swamp Safari Crew are Kaya, Vincent, Hroutil & Hopi.

Members of SWAMP SAFARI own more than 2500 original CDs, mostly of the original Jamaican music such as ska, blue beat, rock steady, roots reggae, dancehall, lover’s rock, ragga, bogle etc., but also with the african music: yu yu, soukous, jive, chimurenga etc. as well as Latino American: soca, salsa, rumba, samba, cha cha cha, calypso etc., hip hop a r&b can be found too. From July 2001 SWAMP SAFARI CREW owns one of the best DJ consoles in Czech Republic: 5 CD players Omnitronic DJS-1100 Scratch Workstation, mix Rodec MX 180 MK III, mix Omnitronic PM-660 PRO, multi effect Korg Kaoss Mixer II a 2 mikes Shure SM 58.

In case a club or festival stage is equipped with the projection technology, we can provide the projection of some Jamaican movies, music video and concerts (more than 40 titles on original DVD or VHS tapes).

SWAMP SAFARI SOUND SYSTEM plays regularly in most of the Prague clubs, but also in Brno, Ostava, Ustí nad Labem, Chrudim, Nymburk, Pardubice, Hradec Kralove, Dvur Kralove and other cities (hundreds of performances). Abroad we have played in Wiena (AT), Rotterdam (NL), festivals such as Reggae Ethnic Session (2001, 2002, 2003), Reggae Meeting (2003, 2005, 2007), Pohoda - Trencin (SK) (2002), Open Air Field (2001), Sazava Fest (spring and summer 2004, 2005), Go Planet Roxy (2003), Bob Marley Forever (2003, 2004), Mighty Sounds (2005 - 2007) etc. etc.

We are very proud that we were able to play alongside top reggae stars such as Burning Spear, Black Uhuru, Luciano, Mad Professor, Bushman, Anthony B., Derrick Morgan .......

... and in case you will invite us, we can play for you too!!!!!! ;-)