EPISODE · May 12, 2026 · 22 MIN
Reggae Dancehall Pioneers: King Edwards | The Third Giant of the Original Sound System Trinity
from History of the Caribbeans | Exploring Resilience and Culture · host history experts | Joe & Kevin
Before the recording studios. Before the international labels. Before the world knew what Jamaica was capable of — three men were running speaker systems in Kingston's open yards, competing for the loyalty of a working-class community that needed music the way it needed air. Tom The Great Sebastian. Duke Reid. And King Edwards — the foundational figure the written record has been slowest to reclaim. This episode tells the story of the man who helped build the world's first DJ culture, who disappeared from the documentation before the cameras arrived, and whose mystery — a record he played at every dance but never let finish — has never been solved. Part of the History of the Caribbean series. New episodes weekly.
What this episode covers
Before the recording studios. Before the international labels. Before the world knew what Jamaica was capable of — three men were running speaker systems in Kingston's open yards, competing for the loyalty of a working-class community that needed music the way it needed air. Tom The Great Sebastian. Duke Reid. And King Edwards — the foundational figure the written record has been slowest to reclaim. This episode tells the story of the man who helped build the world's first DJ culture, who disappeared from the documentation before the cameras arrived, and whose mystery — a record he played at every dance but never let finish — has never been solved. Part of the History of the Caribbean series. New episodes weekly.
NOW PLAYING
Reggae Dancehall Pioneers: King Edwards | The Third Giant of the Original Sound System Trinity
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Mar 26, 2026 ·1m
Mar 19, 2026 ·34m
Feb 18, 2026 ·11m
Feb 11, 2026 ·45m