Tribute to Allan Rolle, aka Jah Youth, the Roots Ambassador.

Go back 12 October, 2023

Video by Andreas Peeters & Gieljan Van Goethem • Audio by Toon Geeraerts

It is a sad time for the soundsystem community. It seems like the rightful leader and originator of this beautiful culture, Jah Shaka, has only just left us, but yet we must mourn another loss. Yes it is Jah Youth, the Roots Ambassador, who left this world last week, on the 6th of October 2023. And even when we are about to publish this tribute to another soundsystem legend who leaves an immense heritage to the world, I see Stryda's facebook, mourning for his friend Paul from Masaai Warrior crew. It's going too fast. Pay tribute to those who deserve it and while they are with us.

Picture by Dries Talloen

The passing of Allan Rolle aka Jah Youth means yet another loss within the key generation of British sound systems. There’s a lot of soundmen from the golden days of UK sounds (the 1970s and 80s) that are still actively involved in the music, but not many still own a full operating sound system. Jah Youth did own a full operating sound system. Jah Youth did stick to playing roots reggae music throughout his nearly 50 active years. Jah Youth did, with the help of his extensive crew, continue to spread and emphasize his message of Rastafari livity and African liberation.

Attending a Jah Youth dance was a special experience; an experience that could bring even non-spirituals into a true spiritual vibe. My first time attendance to a Jah Youth dance was in 2014, almost 40 years after Allan started playing his sound in East-London. It was at the Belgian Irie Vibes Roots Festival that I first saw the Roots Ambassador crew do their thing in full effect. They played tons of Augustus Pablo dubplates that I’d never heard before, their MC’s and singers were spitting fire and the whole crew waved red, gold and green banners. I’m convinced that I’m not the only festival attendee who was personally inspired and influenced by the Jah Youth crew on that day.

About eight years later, in 2022, my friend Samwise from Dub-Up Hifi, who had a good link with Allan throughout the years, hit me up with the idea to organize a sound meeting between his sound and the freshly rebuilt Jah Youth Roots Ambassador Sound System. Jah Youth would be playing in Eindhoven later that year and they were looking for an extra dance to play at, preferably in Belgium. Together with my brothers from the Roots Explosion crew and our long time partners Shikoba Soundsystem, we made it happen and set up a dance in Bruges in June 2022. That night, we got to know Allan, Empress Uwimana, G Vibes, Rim Bim, Natty Alex, Spongie and the rest of the crew, had a nice time reasoning with them and enjoyed a splendid selection all night long.

Flash forward one year, to Summer 2023, where we helped string up Jah Youth’s sound at Irie Vibes Roots Festival. Jah Youth wasn’t as lively as he’d been the year before, but little did we know it would be the last time we’d see him play his sound. This time, Prince Livijah and Brian De Lion also made it to across the border and the whole team delivered a stunning show, with a special guest performance by Wellette Seyon. We’d like to salute and pay our deepest respects to another legendary UK soundman and Rastafari elder who left us way too soon. Roots Ambassador forever!

By Dries Talloen

Selector Jah Frequency from Dub-Up Hifi developed a special connection with Allan Role, through soundsystem and his involvement with Irie Vibes Roots Festival. He wishes to pay hommage to this man who became a friend.

Sam Wise and Prince Livijah

“Hail Sam, how are you doing? And your family, everything all right with dem?“

A familiar phone call that would come to me from time to time, a white boy reggae enthusiast in a small town in West-Flanders. On the other end of the line was Jah Youth, a prominent figure in London's reggae soundsystem scene. Soft-spoken, always humble, and often with a laughter in his voice. Jah Youth, the Roots Ambassador. Throughout the years, I was fortunate enough to meet this man, reason with him, invite him to play in Belgium, and even meet with our respective sound systems.

It all began (where else?) at the Irie Vibes Roots Festival. Back in the days when I used to attend as a visitor, in 2014 Jah Youth was the soundsystem act on the Friday & let me tell you, He embodied the spirit of Irie Vibes perfectly. They came from the UK as one big family. While other sound systems sometimes focused on one individual, Jah Youth always operated as a collective with different roles. I remember not only Allan, but a whole group of singers, MC's, and support crew being present. Even Leon from London's famous Music House dubplate cutting studio, who has since also sadly passed away, was there lending his expertise. They were not only visually striking in their colorful outfits, but they also played the perfect soundtrack to the festival. They played an hour-long selection of Burning Spear to warm up the crowd; gathering in front of their towering stacks of red speakers, powered by a big array of Destructor amps. Later, Allan transitioned into playing Xana Romeo & Addis Pablo dubplates, showcasing that he was not living in the past, but staying current and ahead. As the crew waved their flags and chanted on the versions, you could always find Allan standing tall behind his control tower. Discreetly operating his signature Charlie preamp, delicately fine-tuning the sound and taking the audience on a journey of words, power, and sound. Occasionally, he would release his preamp to search for the next acetate dubplate in his endless Transco boxes. What an introduction to a legendary sound system!

Since then, I have had the pleasure of witnessing Jah Youth in action on several occasions. Whether it was on their old sound at Irie Vibes, borrowing equipment from Solution Sound at University of Dub (after the sound system was lost in a fire), on their new high-powered sound system built by Mykey Wattco, or during their DJ sets on Youth & Truth and Chalice Sound, the Jah Youth vibe was always present.

As I got to know him and his crew more personally, mainly through my work with Prince Livijah, I will never forget the encouragement he extended to me and many others. It was a true honor for him to call and ask for some dubplate cuts of fresh riddims. And Allan, always humble as he was, expressed his happiness upon receiving them, informing me that he had cut and played them in this or that session, and sharing his thoughts on them. Even this year, when we were considering changing our sound system's amplifiers, he was more than happy to provide his input and encouraged us to try the same amps he used since he was satisfied with them. Never did he act superior or imply that he was better, even though I will never be a fraction of the selector or soundman that he was. He truly embodied Rastafari, reggae music, and the soundsystem culture.

Allan's greatest contribution to the reggae and soundsystem world is the undiluted authentic vibe and message he presented in every aspect. If you have witnessed Jah Youth in session, you would know that you were witnessing an original African-oriented Rastafari soundsystem. They have always served as a living reminder and example of the roots of the music and culture we love. While reggae & dub music enjoyed a fair bit of mainstream success and we see the branching out of our beloved music into different directions, Jah Youth remained a steadfast tree with deep roots. This is something every soundman, selecta, and DJ should remember, and I personally feel privileged to have experienced it. For a tree without roots cannot grow.

Allan never wavered from his message, never followed the latest hype and always stayed true to his course. His music was conscious, deep roots with many singers and MCs present in a family-like atmosphere, delivered on a big and loud soundsystem. This was how I first saw them over 10 years ago, and it was still the same when I saw them three months ago at Irie Vibes Roots Festival.

To conclude, I would like to share a quote from Empress Wellette Seyon, who knew Allan personally. Her words for me perfectly captures how he was, is, and will always be remembered by. She said,

"The more I know and learn, the more I listen and observe, I see that the man himself made a far greater impact than his works, which is saying a lot, and that his works were in all ways an extension of the man that he is and was. It wasn't an act or an image. He is it. He is the message in the music. He is the culture. He is the livity. He is the foundation that so many have sought, and what is missing in the scene. When a flame is extinguished, the best way to honor its legacy is to be like that flame or rather, to be the flame for others. Jah Youth took that responsibility seriously."

Rest in eternal peace, Allan. Jah Bull, Jah Youth. Roots Ambassador forever!