Contents - Beth Lesser

tal balance between professionalism and street credibility. Despite the rough
necks, the gun salutes, the posses, Stur-Gav maintained a quiet dignity, an air
of pure professionalism. As Chaplin explained at the time, “Stur-Gav, it no
‘just come up’ - like most of these sound. U Roy have a following from him
deejay King Tubby’s and he go through the struggle.”
Eventually Josie and Charlie did come back to the set. But, by that time,
both men had outgrown the sound system. They were touring internationally
and doing stage shows. After that, the sound would disappear and re-emerge
periodically. U Roy never gave up as he loved being in the business and saw it
as his true profession.
Today, Stur-Gav sound is still up and running. Although the sound still
plays in Jamaica, most of the demand is abroad, and U Roy spends a substantial
portion of his year touring. “We only play one type of music,” He asserts.
“We strictly play rub-a-dub. We don’t come out of that range. We no cross
over no bridge, no boarder, no nothing. Strictly rub-a-dub music. Whoever
hear my sound, and expect to hear a soft music or a calypso – don’t expect to
hear that. Those thing will stay at my house (because I listen to every different
type of singer). But when it comes to my sound, my sound play just one type
of music- rub-a-dub. You hear the vocals, you play the version – this is how we
deal with it. I don’t plan to change that style. Whenever people refuse to hear
that style, I know exactly what to do, put my sound down. Yea. When people
stop wan’ hear that style whe’ my sound play, my sound put down.”
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