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Tek a moment, mek dem reintroduce demselves.
Niahtone the Original Scorcher, is one of Brooklyn’s original soundsytems founded by Connie, Butler and Kani (Niah) of the Niahtone Family. Its roots took form in 1972 with a group called Connie HiFi formed by Uncle Butta and Connie (now) of the Niahtone Family. In the 70’s, Connie HiFi entertained massive crowds in various Brooklyn basement parties, $1-ramas, and of course the Buffalo Football tour parties – an annual event that is a tradition of the Niahtone soundsystem to date.
As the family began to grow, so did the sound and Niahtone the Original Scorcher was born. Between the years of 1975 and 1997, when Connie HiFi officially became Niahtone, Niahtone found themselves among New York’s top 5 sounds which also included Sir Tommy’s, Down Beat, Third World, and Jah Life Soundsystem. A budding relationship between one of NY’s top reggae producers at the time, Jah Life (H. Wright), and Kani, Niahtone’s operator during this time, enabled Niahtone to so quickly be counted among New York’s top soundsystems.
Kani was the operator of Niahtone while he also held a job at Channel One Studio in New York as a mixing engineer and assistant producer. It was through the contacts he made working at Channel One and through his relationship with Jah Life that Kani was given access to new, hot and raw materials first. Through these contacts Kani established lasting relationships with artists that frequented the Niahtone sessions such as Silver Foxx, Lone Ranger, Johhny Ringo, Nicodemus, Rev Maddoo, Willow Wilson, Mikey Jarrett and a long host of singers and dee-jays.
Through the eighties Niahtone continued to play, but they were not as prominent as in earlier decades. At this point the next generation of the Niahtone family began to take a keen interest in the sound. During the mid to late 90’s Niahtone was operated and selected by Big Touch, Carly Blacks and Tone. With a mission to return Niahtone to its rightful position in the music fraternity.
This new generation with operators and selectors Albee “Chiney Man”, Mahdi Blacks, Junior Best, and Irie Tyree, have brought up to date vibes to Niahtone, while the elder operators continue with the traditions that earned Niahtone its reputation as a champion sound.
Today Niahtone is on its way, and there is yet another generation waiting to take Niahtone into the future.
This World is Mine – Carlton Livingston
