Anyone who's anyone in the world of reggae will have had dealings at some point with David "Ram Jam" Rodigan, or at least heard his name. If there is such thing in the UK as a superstar reggae DJ, then Rodigan is it. If not presenting one of his radio shows, or DJing in venues the world over, Rodigan will be found clashing some of Jamaica's biggest and best sound systems (and a lot of the time he wins), not to mention his numerous interviews with some of the biggest names in reggae, from the Skatalites and Prince Buster to the late greats Bob Marley and Augustus Pablo.

Rodigan has a long radio career behind him, spanning nearly 30 years, and he was recently inducted into the Radio Academy Hall of Fame. He started on BBC London in 1978, then went on to Capital FM and now hosts a weekly show on Kiss FM. Part of Rodigan's unique DJ style is taken from the pioneer Jamaican DJs such as Barry G and Mikey Dread, who even in the late seventies were still struggling to get airtime in Jamaica for specialist radio shows dealing exclusively with reggae music, something which had become a norm on the other side of the pond. By 1985 the situation in Jamaica was much different, and Rodigan was invited to go on air in Jamaica alongside the great Barry G, to perform what was to become perhaps the most famous reggae soundclash of all time. Recordings are still in circulation today, and many people owe their addiction to reggae music from first hearing that soundclash.

The Rodigan vs Barry G clash is a defining moment not only for Rodigan, but for soundclash culture too. A soundclash is where 2 or more sound systems compete against each other - armed with nothing but exclusive dubplates. Each dubplate can cost a small fortune - plus you have to have the right contacts to get these specially recorded versions of the current hit tunes. The sound system with the best dubplates (as voted by the crowd) is the winner, so often months of preparation are needed to get the right dubs from the right people (listen to the dubplate mix and you will notice every tune is dedicated to Rodigan). But despite the intensely competitive nature of the business, there is more to it than just money and contacts. Soundclash and dubplates are an essential part of the Jamaican music industry, bringing producers, engineers, artists and soundmen together on a regular basis, providing the fuel for many top tunes. As a soundman, Rodigan will often invest a lot of time and money on exclusive cuts of the latest tunes, in the hope that his dubs will go on to become hits, so many artists see him as a key to success in the UK market.

These days non-Jamaican sound systems competing on the world stage are nothing unusual - a Japanese sound system won the UK cup clash in 2005 - but when Rodigan first started back in 1985 few sound systems from outside Jamaica were deemed worthy of a clash. So what may have seemed a venture nothing short of madness back in 1985, turned out to be the first of many soundclashes against the top sound systems of the last 2 decades, from Bodyguard to Tony Matterhorn, and from Killamanjaro to the awesome Stone Love. For the past 25 years, Rodigan has been paving the way for non-Jamaican sound systems all over the world, making soundclash a truly international phenomenon.

Despite the huge contribution made by Rodigan over the years to the reggae industry, he is often overlooked by the mainstream - possibly because he makes no excuses for some of the more hardcore dancehall tunes he plays - but if you are in any doubt as to the high regard held for Rodigan among the reggae community and the music community in general, Rodigan once entered a soundclash in America against the Japanese sound system Mighty Crown. He arrived to find Wyclef Jean waiting in the wings with a dubplate for him. The dubplate was an exclusive version of Maria, Maria by Carlos Santana and Wyclef. What Rodigan didnt know was that the tune Wyclef had just handed him was number one in the US charts at the time, and whats more - he hadnt even asked for it.

"25 years in the business deserves a round of applause!"

Rodigan on the net:

www.rodigan.com

Rodigan on Kiss FM

Upcoming Rodigan soundclash