Curated By: Azad (One Wise Sound)

Selectors

At The Controls

IRIE magazine is proud to present this month’s ROCK feature from Azad (One Wise Sound) celebrating seven amazing Selectors at the Controls; MissLulú, DJ Jahel (New Zion Sound), Yumi (Yumi Hi-Power Sound), Zion Rose (Zion Way Sound), DJ Papalotl aka Buttahfly FX, DJ Sweet V & DJ GREEN B (Coo-yah Ladeez Sound)!

DJ JAHEL of NEW ZION SOUND (Tel Aviv, Israel)

DJ Jahel has been one of the most active and interesting DJs in the Israeli Reggae scene for over 8 years. As a member of the New Zion Sound, she has played in many of Israel’s most popular clubs and open air festivals. She has also toured in many European countries playing alongside a wide variety of popular sound systems and artists like Aidonia, Assaassin, and more. Her unique DJ sets include Dancehall, Reggae and Rub A Dub.

Jahel’s first official Mixtape entitled ‘Awakening’, was released on Novemver 19, 2015 at ‘Ozen Bar’ in Tel Aviv (Powered by YA! Productions). At first the mixtape was supposed to be 2 cd’s, each with different styles. While working on the mixtape, she decied to combine the two into one long mixtape. The mixtape is about the riddims from the 80’s- 90’s and how they maintain & influence the new generation of music by the ‘rebirth riddims’. On the mixtape you can hear Leroy Gibbons and Vybz Kartel on the same Riddim. The name, ‘Awakening’, is a confirmation that the foundation music is still alive!

Yumi of YUMI HI POWER SOUND (Jamaica/ Japan)

Yumiko Gabe aka Yumi Hi-Power was born and raised in Japan. She has resided in Jamaica since 1993. Yumi started a mobile sound system 2004, won more than 20 trophies. a winner of international all female sound clash, the Queen Battle Royal kept in New York 2012.

She started to work with the Suncity 104.9fm from 2014 for the Reggae Wednesdays 2AM – 6AM, only a Japanese female DJ plays on radio in Jamaica. Since she has worked with the Sanctity 104.9fm and link up with Flabba Holt of the Roots Radics, she shift from dancehall to roots reggae to promote love and peace.

ZION ROSE- ZION WAY SOUND – (Trinidad/ Conneticut)

Now living in Trinidad, Empress Ayrikah is known in the music scene as Roots/Foundation Selectress Zion Rose. Owner and strictly vinyl Selectress of Zion Way Sound, she came onto the music scene in 2010. Spinning the latest culture music in her hometown of Hartford, Connecticut, she wanted to showcase the music of her Rastafarian culture. Promoting the positive upliftment the music brings. From early on, Zion Rose has been captivated by music. In 2005, Hartford Selector, Brains from Black Roots Sound showed her the art of the turntables. Quietly practicing… she found new freedom.

But in 2005, the same year she began, she put it all down, choosing to focus on her family and her Rastafarian livity (way of life). In 2010, no longer able to stay away from the music, she became part of a Culture Night at a local venue in Hartford. At the end of 2010, Ayrikah joined in onan all female sound based out of Brooklyn, NY called Rebel Dawtas. The transformation was made from Empress Ayrikah to Zion Rose. This sound went on in 2011 to become Champion Female Sound in a clash called Queen Battle Royale 2011. Beating out other top female sounds from New York, Jamaica, Antigua and Canada. In 2013, Zion Rose separated from the sound and formed her own…Zion Way Sound (because Zion way is the only way). Spinning music only as she’s always known and loved it to be played…on strictly vinyl.

Since the rise of Zion Way Sound, Zion Rose has spun in places such as New York, Washington, Florida and California, just to name a few. Zion Rose also has had the blessings to spin along side legendary Selectors such as Tony Screw of Downbeat, Black Chariot, and the great Ilawi of Jah Love Sound. Zion Rose is on a mission. A mission to bring together and strengthen people, through music all the while remaining spiritual and royal as a female in the music scene.

Buttahfly FX of KINGSTON 12 SOUND (Los Angeles, CA)

DJ Papalotl aka Buttahfly FX is a multi-media artist where her first and foremost passion is mixing music of all eclectic styles. Her dj specialty is Reggae Roots and Dancehall. In 1995, after living a year as a university student in Jamaica, a dj friend suggested that she take her love of Reggae music to the next level by schooling her on how to cut and mix on Technics 1200’s. Since then, DJ Papalotl has taken her turntable skills into clubs, festivals, cultural, political and music gigs, art exhibits, theatre and comedy shows bringing a unique groovy flavor to any event that she’s called upon to play. She has formed a sound, ‘Kingston 12 Hi-FI’, with none other that veteran singer and dj Shinehead and is currently touring, playing dances, hosts her own radio show called Buttahfly FX, and can be seen with Kingston 12 Hi-Fi Sound System will be opening for Irish and Chin’s event at Roy Wilkins Park July 10 highlighting sound systems like Stone Love Metro Media Fire Links, and many more.

DJ SWEET V (Brooklyn, NY)

This Miami-born, Brooklyn-based vinyl connoisseur is a staple within New York’s reggae community. She’s taken over the airwaves as a guest at every radio show in the area, including East Village Radio (Jamaica Rock), BBOX Radio (Shanty Town/Watch This Sound), WNYU (Tunnel One/Hip-Hop And Her Family).

It also can’t go without mentioning her numerous turns as guest selector all over Brooklyn and Manhattan (Coney Island Reggae On The Boardwalk (WKCR), Al Paragus HQ, Downtown Top Ranking with Deadly Dragon Sound, Mobile Mondays at Bowery Electric).

Sweet V is also co-founder of the ‘Us Girls’ female DJ trio, alongside Natasha Diggs and DJ Gizmo ‘Vintage Honey’, who together have had the East Village going nuts for quite some time.

Aside from that, she’s held it down solo on Tuesday nights at Spur Tree, one of the best Jamaican restaurants in Manhattan.

Most recently, she has been promoting and DJ’ing a monthly reggae party with selectors Jonny GoFigure and Jay Syro called Backayard Sessions out in Crown Heights (739 Franklin)!

You can also find her every Sunday night with King Lion Sound and The Den All-Stars at Pure Vibes Sundaze in East Flatbush, the center of Brooklyn’s Caribbean enclave. New York City is constantly abounding with DJ’s, but not all of them play from the heart. When Sweet V is on the set, you know that love and passion bleeds through the sound!

DJ GREEN B – Cooyah Ladies (San Francisco, CA)

Dj Green B of Coo-Yah! Ladeez Sound is one of California’s toppa top reggae dancehall selects. On the radio, in the club, or at the festivals, she delivers an energetic set filled with hot new music and all your favorite anthems.

Green B, a California native, became obsessed with reggae while living in Boston in the 90’s and scored her first pair of of Technics when she moved back to the Bay Area in 2002.

Fast forward fourteen years and she is now one of the best reggae/dancehall djs in California. Known for her mix CD series: ‘Hot Gyal Promotion,’ each disc is a seamless mix of new reggae and dancehall music, keeping you up-to-di time on what’s hot outta of Jamaica, the UK, and around the world. Her newest mixes have started to incorporate genres beyond reggae & dancehall, branching out into Afrobeat, Bass Music, Twerk, & Hip Hop.

Green B loves to travel and dj, she has been booked in the B.V.I.’s St Croix, Denver, Chicago, Washington DC, New York, Cape Cod & New Orleans, as well as two tours in the Pacific Northwest hitting Vancouver, Seattle, & Portland. In 2015 she was blessed to dj on Damian Marley’s Welcome To Jamrock Reggae Cruise, in addition to creating the ‘Official Mixtape’ for the cruise featuring all the artists performing on 2015’s ship. You can listen to it at djgreenb.com/mixtapes.

Summertime in California you can find Green B at Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in BOOMville, Reggae On The River in Humboldt, Island Reggae Festival in the South Bay and hopefully in Europe very soon (for bookings link: [email protected]). You can also catch Green B hosting ‘Dancehall Saturday Night’ on The Joint- SiriusXM 42, dropping an hour long segment of brand new dancehall, rotating with top selectas from around the globe.

Green B won her first Dj Battle in the Bay area, held at Sweet Fingers Jamaican Restaurant & Club in San Leandro. Taking home the trophy and $1000 cash prize, beating out some of the Bay area’s best selectas. She started the first daytime reggae party in SF, Early Sundaze at Church and teamed up with dj Daneekah in 2007, bringing the Bay area Coo-Yah! Wednesdays, and forming California’s hottest female sound, the Coo-Yah Ladeez, known for playing all the “newest shit” when it comes to reggae/dancehall music.

Juggling weekly in the Bay Area is just one of the many places you can find Green B pon the decks, she also guests at every reggae~dancehall party from San Diego to Humboldt County… as well as opening for artists like: Spice, Shaggy, Tarrus Riley, Mavado, T.O.K., Beenie Man, Christopher Martin, Sister Nancy, Protoje, Pressure, Marcia Griffiths, Warrior King, Gyptian, J BOOG, Alborosie, Konshens, RDX, Kymani Marley, Turbulence, Mr Easy, Sister Carol, Winstrong & Soul Medic. Coo-Yah!

Wednesdays (no longer) brought SF outstanding stage shows featuring Gappy Ranks, Delly Ranx, Romain Virgo, President Brown, Winstrong, Million Stylz, Versatile, & Laza Morgan..plus hosted two Bay Area Dancehall Queen Competitions.

MissLulú (Tijuana, MX)

Lucero Solares a.k.a. MissLulú was born in Tijuana, Mexico in 1988. She grew up with a musician as a father a bohemian guitarist and singer. Around the age of 12 she took his musical tastes and awareness and focused them solely on reggae.

She began her musical career in 2007 at her university, becoming a radio conductor and the first woman producer of a television program devoted to reggae in her city, bringing to Mexico for the first time artists like Million Stylez & I Nesta. She has continued

with her project MUNDO REGGAE which was lead her to become a promoter, collector and dj, she is a founding member of Bocina Blasting Sound that has participated in major music festivals presenting, opening & sharing the stage with artists like Michael Rose, Ranking Joe, Ky-Mani Marley, Balaguero, Gondwana, Culture Prophetic, Derrick Parker, Mr. Williamz and more.

Her music collection being mainly vinyl includes New Roots, Digital & Early Dancehall that focuses on female reggae singers.

She currently coordinates one of the only monthly sound system nights in Tijuana, Mexico and transmits a live radio show every sunday on www.Mixlr.com/MundoREGGAE! Maaaad Respect!