Duke Vin – The man who gave birth to the sound system and Ska

Revealing documentary telling the tale of Duke Vin and the rise of Ska to be shown at UK ’s biggest independent film festival - Portobello Film Festival

Duke Vin and the Birth of Ska: Sunday 6 Sep – Westbourne Studios

Portobello Film Festival: 3-20 September, Westbourne Studios, The Tabernacle and Inn On The Green

London in the 1950's was a cold place in more ways than one. Or so it appeared if you were one of the thousands of newly arrived Jamaicans. Many were overqualified for their menial jobs. Thousands of others quite simply could not get work. Discrimination and racial tensions culminated in fierce riots in both Nottingham and Notting Hill Gate. It was in this environment that the Jamaican soundmen; Duke Vin and Count Suckle arrived in the UK in 1954. They both stowed away on a boat from Kingston and brought with them a sound that was sweeping across the small Caribbean island and would later change the face of music in the UK . This was the sound of ska!

Duke Vin and the Birth of Ska by Gus Berger, tells the story of Duke Vin, the man who built the UK ’s very first sound system in 1956, and who helped popularize Ska in the UK and make it one of the most influential musical styles, the effects of which can still be heard today. The documentary shows the rise of this unique music: music which evolved from speeded up American R&B covers to brass heavy songs that spoke of freedom and independence. After branching out to reggae and dub to the skinhead movement of the 80s, Ska was finally revived in the nineties and noughties by popular bands lincluding No Doubt.
 
Portobello Film Festival takes place 3-20 September at, Westbourne Studios, The Tabernacle and The Inn On The Green.