Sole Magazine: Event Edition '19 out now
The Sole Magazine: Event Edition ‘19 will be hitting shelves today in partner brand stores and select retailers. Featuring articles by Don Letts, Tom Breihan, Sonjah Stanley Niaah and many more. Cover design featuring performing artist Koffee photographed by Daniel Regan.
Sole DXB 2019 will be happening 5th - 7th December, 2019 at Dubai Design District (d3). Find out all the details here soledxb.com
About the Magazine:
Look at any festival line-up globally and there is little disagreement: hip-hop is the dominant cultural force of our time. The ubiquity of the genre has broken out of the English-speaking world, commandeering airwaves in France, Morocco, India and the Philippines. One might strain to remember a time when rappers were breaking into buildings to get their records on the air, but the democratisation of distribution by sites like SoundCloud is only a recent chapter in the journey of artists trying to get their work to ‘The People’. This year’s story takes us to Kingston, Jamaica, home of the notorious Jamaican Sound System and the forebearer to today’s digital streaming platforms.
Any risk of Jamaica being a sum of all its clichés is dispelled within minutes of driving away from Norman Manley International Airport. A world away from the glossy 80s brochures that shaved the edges off the island, the dimly-lit Palisadoes Road snakes through Kingston harbour and into Mountain View, where the sounds of dancehall carry through the night sky.
As a fossil of Africa, and the traditions of those that were robbed of their free will for over 400 years, Jamaica’s national inheritance has been centuries of colonial experiment. Since gaining independence in 1962, the country has continued to be crushed by the same macroeconomic forces that were supposed to save it. The inability of the powers that be to deliver on the promises they made has only widened the gap between the realities of the Jamaican citizen and the perception of the country’s tourists. This lightly populated, fertile land of 2.8 million people imports its food and exports its workers, draining paradise of potential.
Yet this island nation’s position as a cultural superpower remains unchallenged. From Peter Tosh to Koffee and Kartel, Jamaicans and their diaspora remain the most influential force in contemporary music, with the sound system serving as their weapon of choice for over six decades. Celebrated, and sometimes exploited, Jamaican music and all the genres it has spawned form the foundation for dance floors around the world.
Over the course of many months, we’ve had the privilege of meeting the creators and communities that continue to shape the country’s narrative. Through conversations and questions with academics and creators, we’ve only begun to learn about the Jamaican experience. And so with this issue, we give thanks, to our loved ones, on and off the island, for bringing us into your homes; for letting us tell your stories, and for being part of ours.
On December 5th, 6th, and 7th Kingston comes to Dubai. Welcome to the 8th edition of Sole DXB.
Sole Magazine: The Event Edition available now in partner brands stores and select retailers. Featuring articles by Don Letts, Tom Breihan, Sonjah Stanley Niaah and editorials with Gucci, Burberry + Farfetch.