Bass Odyssey

Bass Odyssey
Playing at the Annual Mothers' Day Event, 2012
Background information
Origin	Saint Ann, Jamaica
Genres	Reggae, Dancehall
Years active	1989 (1989)–present
Labels	Bass Odyssey Entertainment Ltd.
Website	www.facebook.com/BASSODYSSEY
Members	Worm, Dwayne, Damion, Lexxy, Harry D, Keithy Keith, Country Speng, Villy, Bishawn, Price, Frasqo, Mario, Charly Blacks
Past members	Kevin Squingy Bennett (1972 - 2009), Glamma G, Lenny, Tinna One, Skinny, Dj Mark, Bunny Hayles

Bass Odyssey is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall sound system founded in 1989 by Keith Walford.

Originating in Alexandria, St. Ann, Jamaica, Bass Odyssey is one of the few that still maintain the authentic sound system format of huge amplified portable speakers, stacked as columns for a live performance. Founder and owner Keith Walford was involved with music from an early age. After graduating from York Castle High in 1976, young Keith who joined his father's local mechanic business, partnered with him to expand it by adding the service of being a vendor and operator of juke boxes and gaming machines across the island. As both a hobby and small business gig, young Keith would play vinyl and cassettes on his massive component set at small events such as weddings and birthday parties. Simultaneous with his increasing demand was the re-emergence of the sound system era in the Jamaican entertainment scene in the mid 1980s which inspired his path to establish the Bass Odyssey Sound System in 1989. For this reason, many dispute the established date of Bass Odyssey Sound System as 1989 due to the earlier career of Keith as a Dj and selector himself playing at numerous local gigs. Initially the transition involved Walford, close friend at the time Bunny Hayles, Winston and first official selector Tinna- One.

Bass Odyssey quickly became a household name due to their notorious clashing style which dominated the peak of the modern sounclash era in the early - mid 1990s. Keith moved on to play a dual managerial role with Hayles and Tinna-One was joined by Glamma G. Winston had gone on to pursue other business activities. Around 1991, Kevin Squingy Bennett, fresh out of Ferncourt High joined the team as a drum machine player. Tinna-One took up opportunity and migrated to England and Glamma G and Squingy quickly rose to stardom as 'the juggling/clashing twins' due to the slight physical resemblance and unmatched energy. Around this time (early 1990s) the Bass Odyssey name had taken flight and had garnered a huge following in the Jamaican diaspora in USA, Canada and the UK. With frequent tour dates the team expanded to include Lenny, a longtime sidekick of Glamma G (both had worked together on Amplex Sound System from Spanish Town) and later Dwayne, Worm and Skinny.

In 1994, Walford and Hayles parted ways due primarily to differences in managerial views. A few months afterwards Glamma G and Lenny also went on to pursue other musical paths. This split saw the dawn of a new team and era in sound system culture. Walford maintained the sound system and rebuilt it to surpass its former glory giving rise to ace mixer Dj Mark who joined Squingy to become the new face of the now commercialized clash arena in the early to mid 2000s.

"Kevin Squingy Bennett"