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Jah Shaka (born Neville Powell – 12 April 2023), also known as the Zulu Warrior, was a Jamaican reggae/dub sound system operator who operated a South East London-based, roots reggae Jamaican sound system from 1970. His name is an amalgamation of the Rastafarian term for God and that of the Zulu Kingdom king Shaka Zulu.
He arrived in England in 1956 and attended Samuel Pepys school in Brockley, South London.
Jah Shaka started out at the age of 12 on the Freddie Cloudburst Sound System as an operator, before setting up his own sound system. By the late 1970s Shaka's system had rapidly gained a large and loyal following due to the combination of spiritual content, high energy rhythms, massive sonority and his dynamic personal style. That following notably included many of the pioneers of post-punk such as Public Image Ltd and The Slits.
In 1980 Shaka played himself in the film Babylon (directed by Franco Rosso, although he directed the scene he appeared in), operating his Sound System in a soundclash at the climax of the story. In 1986 footage of the Jah Shaka soundsystem appeared in the Black Audio Film Collective's Handsworth Songs. (2026). 9781846310140, Chicago University Press. ISBN 9781846310140
In addition to Rastafari, Shaka cited Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, George Jackson and Angela Davis as influences.
Shaka stayed true to his spiritual and distinct musical style during the 1980s when many other Sound Systems had started to follow the Jamaican trend towards playing less orthodox styles tending towards slack dancehall music. In 1989, Shaka visited Jamaica and worked with many musicians there, including King Tubby.
On 23 September 2000, he suffered numerous injuries during a house fire. In 2002, Jah Shaka appeared before a large crowd in New York City's Central Park. Live footage of Shaka is featured in the documentary All Tomorrow's Parties based on the musical festival, which was released in 2009.
Artists featured on releases in the 21st Century include both established singers like Tony Tuff, and new emerging artists like Rockaway and Principle - who have sung over produced by his son Malachi, known as Young Warrior.
Shaka also established the Jah Shaka Foundation to carry out assistance with projects in Ghana, where the foundation has bought of land in Agri, 30 miles outside of Accra. It has also managed to distribute medical supplies, wheelchairs, library books, carpentry tools, drawing materials and records to clinics, schools and radio stations in the Accra area establishing important links with the local communities.
Shaka himself was actually a youth worker years ago, and has regularly been quoted encouraging youths to study geography and history so they know "what's happened, where it's happening and who's doing it".
Shaka's uncompromising "Warrior Style" inspired a host of UK reggae artists and Sound Systems such as The Disciples, Iration Steppas, Jah Warrior, Conscious Sounds, and Zion Train.
In 1990, Shaka recorded a crossover dubplate discomix tune with Overlord X-Raggafunk entitled "Come And Get Me", a retake of a tune from Shaka’s "Dub Symphony" album, which was eventually released on the Island Records' subsidiary label, Mango. Other non-reggae artists claiming Shaka as an influence include Mark Stewart and Kevin Martin. Basement Jaxx have cited Jah Shaka as being their best night out ever. Don Letts has also frequently referenced the influence of Jah Shaka on John Lydon and on the punk scene as a whole. Neneh Cherry stated that a Jah Shaka dance in Streatham would be the event in the past she would like to revisit and show her children.
Jah Shaka recordings have been sampled in Jungle music, including on tracks by the Ragga Twins and The Dream Team. Drum and bass was also influenced by Jah Shaka's sound system, and a number of the DJ's who feature in that genre, such as Fabio, Bryan Gee, Jumping Jack Frost and Congo Natty followed and were influenced by his sound. He is also cited as an influence on dubstep, especially artists such as Digital Mystikz and Mala.
Jah Shaka's son Young Warrior started his own sound system in 2011 and has played at dub and reggae events across the UK and Europe, including Notting Hill Carnival.
In 2017, Jah Shaka received a JaRIA (Jamaica Reggae Industry Association) Honour Award for "Extraordinary impact on the Reggae Industry (Sound System)" at Courleigh Auditorium, Kingston Jamaica. In that year he also received an International Reggae Day award as a "pioneer of dub".
In October 2023 Jah Shaka was awarded a post-humous special recognition award by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
On 13 September 2025 an engraved stone honouring Jah Shaka was unveilled at Dalston Square in Hackney, in recognition of his groundbreaking soundsystem performances at venues such as The Four Aces Club and Cubies which were located in the area.
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