It was from the top of his platform that I met Vander, the man behind Bass ma Boom sound system. He is known for bringing the reggae touch to some of the pieces of the band Les Colocs, of which he was the bassist. But that wasn't the subject of our discussion, I wanted to dig deeper into the roots of soundsystems and his role on the rue de la Reine in Gaspé.
First of all, the first sound systems were created in Jamaica in the 40s. The orchestras being very expensive to make the party, it is rather a DJ armed with a wall of loudspeakers often tweaked, which put the atmosphere in the districts. Each neighborhood had its own sound system. This real first electronic art even leads to friendly battles between DJs determining who would spin the best ska and reggae hits! It is with the dubplates, instrumental version of the popular pieces, that the reggaeman began to perform live on riddim.
For 3 years Vander has been in charge of the atmosphere at rue de la Reine. "It's more than just being a dj, you know (...). It's more than being a dj, you know (...) I come here and I land to create something! " he tells me. Far from being a purist of the reggae culture, Bass ma Boom sound system wants rather a project gathering around the music, whatever it is. A format that he has been promoting in Gaspésie, his adopted land for a few years now.
In fact, the musician almost has stars in his eyes when he talks about the community aspect of the music.
Bringing people together through music
"I started here at FMBM 3 years ago and we quickly saw a change, it livens up the street, people dance or gather in front of the Sounsystem, music is unifying!"
Whether it's on one of the Gaspé beaches or here at the FBMB, the music lover doesn't fail to push some of his compositions from time to time, but the watchword is festivity no matter what the style!
One thing that Jamaica and Gaspé have in common is clearly the tempo... and it's pretty slow!
You can also dance to the rhythms of Bass ma Boom sound system on Saturday, August 12 at the Bistro-bar le Brise-Bise until the wee hours, and Vander promises special guests.
