LEGENDARY SOUND SYSTEM OPERATOR JIMMY SOLO, OF SHANG-HI DISCO FAME, DIES AT 80!

James “Jimmy Solo” Howard, who played a key role in the development of West Kingston’s music scene, died December 28 at age 80.

His son, Dr Dennis Howard, confirmed his death in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

Howard said he died at home in Kingston.

Originally from Spanish Town Road, Jimmy Solo was proprietor of Shang-Hi Solophonic Disco, a stalwart sound system in West Kingston. He came of age during the 1960s when that area was bursting at the seams with music. It produced artistes such as Prince Buster, Ken Boothe, Stranger Cole, Errol Dunkley, and The Techniques.

Jimmy Solo helped structure dancehall culture in his community, hosting a number of emerging ‘sounds’ at the Jazz Hut venue, including Klassique, Stone Love, and Metro Media, all of which became major players. He was also instrumental in developing the round robin concept where three or more sound systems played at the same location, and became first president of the Jamaica Sound System Association during the 1970s.

Dennis Howard

The Jazz Hut was also a meeting place for individuals who held differing political views throughout the 1970s when Jamaicans were bitterly divided in their support of the governing People’s National Party and Opposition Jamaica Labor Party.

Dennis Howard, the eldest of Jimmy Solo’s children, helped operate Shang-Hi for years with his brother Roderick and sister Novelette, one of Jamaica’s first female selectors. He described him as, “The best father, teacher, guide, advisor, and friend to the end. He was a sage and leader in West Kingston, respected for his insight and knowledge on a vast array of issues.”

By profession, Jimmy Solo was a sheet metal fabricator who worked on many major projects throughout Jamaica.

For his contribution to the sound system movement, he was honored by the Kingsley Goodison-led Tribute To The Greats and Stone Love Movement.

James “Jimmy Solo” Howard is survived by 10 children, 21 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.