Article : Soundtrooper & Harry Toddler

Reggae Vibes Report:
Sound Trooper featuring Harry Toddler at Las Manas, Antwerp, Belgium.

On Friday 1st June 2001 Boombastic Sound and Crucial P presented a wicked Reggae Dancehall Showcase at Las Manas, Antwerp, featuring SOUND TROOPER with top selector Ricky Trooper and the deejay Harry Toddler (ex-member of the Scare Dem Crew), with support from the Belgian sounds Boombastic and Bong Productions.
As part of their European tour Trooper and Toddler appeared in Antwerp for their second gig to take place in this part of the world. After Belgium they are expected to bring the real Jamaican dancehall vibes to the dancehall massive in Germany, France, Switzerland and Italy.
For those who don't follow the Jamaican dancehall scene that closely we have featured a profile of Sound Trooper and Harry Toddler, both being much anticipated stars in their own discipline on the island of Jamaica.

SOUND TROOPER
Ricky Trooper has been known as one of the most feared selectors in the business. He is also known for his razor sharp lyrics, matched only by his murderous and creative killing dubplate specials. Ricky Trooper started on the legendary Killamanjaro sound system as a DJ, then moved up as a selector, took the sound to new heights. After reaching his top with the Jaro sound, the selector decided that it was time to move on, even though he has upper most respect for Papa Jaro. As a selector Ricky Trooper has put most artists on the road to success like for example Luciano, Sizzla, and the Grammy-Kid Beenie Man himself. Ricky Trooper is always looking ahead to create and expose new talents to the world of reggae music. Since leaving Killamanjaro, selector Ricky Trooper has set up his own sound system: Sound Trooper. It was launched in May 2000, and has been since doing very well on the Island and overseas. Trooper has been tearing down dancehalls all over the world as his fans become exuberant with vibes that they receive from his Hype Juggling. In the past he was known as a War selector, today he is still a War selector if anyone dare to test, but nowadays he has the girls winding and screaming to and for his compelling vibrant juggling. Sound Trooper has every living reggae artist known to man on dub. He also has artists cut on rhythms no one would expect but at the same time one is coerced to ball FORWARD for the element of surprise Trooper presents.

HARRY TODDLER
Harry Toddler started his career as a deejay at the age of 14 - like countless other JA-based artists - on various Jamaican sound systems. His road to success began when he formed the Scare Dem Crew together with Elephant Man, Nitty Kutchie and Boom Dandimite. As a crew they had several hit singles in Jamaica with one of the most memorable being "Badman Nuh Stray" together with Buccaneer. Although the Crew proved very successful in Jamaica and also internationally, the Scare Dem Crew split up a few years ago and especially Harry Toddler and Elephant Man are rated as top Jamaican artists since. One of his first solo records after leaving the Scare Dem Crew, was the instant hit "Badman Nuh Dress Like Girl" and became Toddler's first Nr 1 on the reggae charts in Jamaica, London and New York.

Today Harry Toddler records for almost every ace dancehall producer and major label in Jamaica delivering hit after hit with tunes like "Long Time", "Watch Yu Friends", "A Fassy Dem", "You Know" while incorporating his catchphrase "NANANA JAHJAHJAH" in everyone of them. Since last year Harry Toddler seems unstoppable, scoring his second Nr 1: "Dance The Angel" which also became the name for a new dancestyle on the Island. By now Harry Toddler's tunes appear on almost every Dancehall compilation set that hits the streets. His fans don't have to wait that long for the deejay's debut CD as it is scheduled to be released in the autumn of the year 2001.

By the time we entered the venue called Las Manas it was already near to the midnight hour. Bong Productions - a sound system we already have captured in action at several other events - were warming up the dancehall fans who were eagerly awaiting the Jamaican stars. Not an easy task but the selectors of Bong Productions showed that they have really improved a lot as they delivered a truly decent juggling set.

After Crucial P - the MC for this event - had introduced Ricky Trooper, he took the stage opening his set with a renown tune from a so-called "spaghetti" western (if we are not mistaken "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly"). What followed was a very powerful and energetic performance of an experienced soundbwoy who knows how to get a dancehall crowd going. He not only played the latest dubplates, tunes, and riddims, but also treated the people to a fine and well anticipated vintage set featuring some wicked tunes from way back.
By the time Crucial P called Harry Toddler to come on stage it was obvious that the heat was on.

The fans who had been waiting for Harry Toddler gave him a warm welcome and expressed their approval when the deejay delivered his well known catchphrase "NANANA JAHJAHJAH" for the first time. Although Harry Toddler did not manage to keep everyone's attention till the very end of his set, he brought a decent show as was underlined by some "lighter" moments of the fans. Besides performing most of his latest dancehall pieces, including his big hit tunes, he often addressed himself to his audience trying to get them involved. The invitation going out to some dancehall queens in the first row in order to join him on stage while performing "Dance The Angel" was, of course, inevitable. After having said goodbye to the audience, Ricky Trooper came on stage for the second part of his show.

Text: Teacher & Mr. T. ~ Photos: Teacher
Profiles: courtesy of the promoters Boombastic sound and Crucial P.