ENTITY · CLASH
World Clash
Well supported
The international sound-clash series launched in New York in 1999 by Irish and Chin, putting the leading sounds of Jamaica, North America, Europe and Japan on one stage under agreed rules. Mighty Crown of Yokohama won the first staging — the result that announced the clash had gone global.
At a glance
- Type
- clash →
- Confidence
- Well supported
Coverage areas
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Connections
Debate & reception
How people argued about the music — praise, criticism and public debate. See all debate & reception →
debate
Broadcasting the clash: does televising a sound clash preserve the culture, or change what happens on the night?
Sound clashes such as World Clash and Guinness Sounds of Greatness have increasingly been filmed, streamed and archived on video, giving fans far outside the dancehall a way to experience the culture and giving selectors a permanent record of their best sets. Some argue this broadcasting has preserved and globalised clash culture that once existed only in memory and bootleg cassette; others say a camera in the room changes selectors' behaviour and audience conduct, turning a raw, local contest into a performance staged for an outside audience. Neutral framing; no verdict. Sources: general sound-clash broadcast/streaming coverage; Jamaica Gleaner clash coverage archive.
Stance: broadcasting that preserves and globalises the culture vs a camera changing what happens on the night