Take a Chance on Aba Shanti-I

Wilkswood Reggae Festival is chuffed to announce that the celebrated Aba Shanti-I will be performing with their own custom-built set-up in the Jah Spirit Sound System Arena at this year’s event.

Aba Shanti-I (born Joseph Smith) is a UK sound system operator and dub producer who has been playing throughout UK and Europe for over 30 years. He has been a resident sound system at Notting Hill Carnival since 1993 and was voted the No. 1 DJ in the World by DJ Magazine in the same year.

Born in Hackney of Antiguan parents who immigrated to the UK in the 1960s, the young Joseph was first introduced to roots reggae music by his father Alan Smith, who himself ran a sound system called Count Alan in the 1960s.

While deejaying for the Jah Tubby’s sound system, Aba Shanti-I was known as Jasmine Joe. In 1990, Aba took over the running of the Jah Tubby’s sound system, debuting at the Leicester Carnival.

When Aba embraced the Rastafarian faith he adopted a new and more positive attitude and, with his rediscovered faith, a new name: Aba Shanti-i. His new name in turn became the name of his soundsystem. 

Since then, Aba Shanti-I and his sound system play regularly in the UK, with residencies at the Notting Hill Carnival since 1993, Leicester Carnival and the University of Dub as well as performances all over Europe.

Aba Shanti-I has produced and recorded with his brother and the band the Shanti-ites, releasing records on their own Falasha imprint. Their first record, Tear Down Babylon was released in 1993 and Aba Shanti-I currently has a studio on Morning Lane, Hackney. Aba Shanti-I sound system plays music in the roots reggae and dub style and he cites, Dennis Brown, Bob Marley, Junior Delgado, Yabby You and Prince Lincoln as inspiration. The original tracks are usually supplemented by reverb, delays and effects to generate his distinctive sound.