Aba Shanti-I

Joseph Smith was born in Hackney, London, UK of Antiguan parents, who immigrated to the UK in the 1960s.{{cite web | last = Leicester Mercury | title = THIS MUCH I KNOW: Aba Shanti-I | date = 27 July 2013 | url = http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/KNOW-Aba-Shanti/story-19576434-detail/story.html | accessdate = 23 December 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131224114313/http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/KNOW-Aba-Shanti/story-19576434-detail/story.html | archive-date = 24 December 2013 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }} He was first introduced to roots reggae music by his father Alan Smith, who himself ran a sound system called Count Alan in the 1960s.{{cite web | last = Falasha Recordings | title = Who's Who page on Falasha Recordings website | date = 14 November 2004 | url = http://www.falasha-recordings.co.uk/who%27swho/who.htm | accessdate = 23 December 2013}}

While deejaying for the Jah Tubby's sound system, Aba Shanti-I was known as Jasmine Joe.{{cite web | last = Falasha Recordings | title = Aba Shanti-I profile on Falasha Recordings website | date = 14 November 2004 | url = http://www.falasha-recordings.co.uk/profiles/ABAPRO.html | accessdate = 23 December 2013}} In 1990, Aba took over the running of the Jah Tubby's sound system,{{Citation | last = Barrow | first = Steve | author-link = Steve Barrow | last2 = Dalton | first2 = Peter | title = The Rough Guide to Reggae | publisher = Rough Guides | year = 2004 | edition = 3rd | chapter = 8 | page = [https://archive.org/details/roughguidetoregg00barr/page/413 413] | isbn = 1-84353-329-4 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/roughguidetoregg00barr/page/413 }} debuting at the Leicester carnival. Since then, Aba Shanti-I and his sound system play regularly in the UK, with residencies at the Notting Hill Carnival since 1993, Leicester Carnival and the University of Dub. The sound system has also played in Belgium, France, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Portugal and Spain. From 1991 to 1993 Aba Shanti-I hosted the legendary Aba Shanti-I Sound System sessions at The House of Roots in Vauxhall, London. The weekly sessions were documented by photographer Mark Aleksy who attended the sessions. Aleksy is currently working on publishing a photobook featuring images from this time, "Bassland. A Roots Reggae Sound System Visual Odyssey".{{Citation |title=Music and Orality |date=2010-06-29 |work=Babylon East |pages=61–100 |url=https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1198x5w.7 |access-date=2025-02-12 |publisher=Duke University Press |isbn=978-0-8223-9273-6}}

Aba Shanti-I has produced and recorded with his brother and the band the Shanti-Ites, releasing records on their own Falasha imprint. Their first record, Tear Down Babylon was released in 1993. Aba Shanti-I currently has a studio on Morning Lane, Hackney.

• Tear Down Babylon (1993)
• The Zulu Warrior (1994)
• Positive Vibration (1995)
• Children of the Most High (1996)
• The Position Vibration (1999)
• Jah Liveth (2000)
• Love in the Ghetto (2000)
• What A Gwan (2004)
• Father Give Life (2004)
• Behold (with Prince Malachi, 2004)
• Inna Sanctuary (with Shandi-I, 2005)
• Every Day (2005)
• Revelation Time (with Shandi-I, 2008)
• Digital Children (with Sister Miriam, 2008)
• Youth Man (with Emmanuel Joseph, 2009)
• Rastaman (with Emmanuel Joseph, 2009)
• Our Father (with Jackie B and Sister Miriam, 2012)
• Babylon Falling (2013)

• Wrath of Jah Verse I (1996)
• Pure Spirit (1996)
• Jah Lightning and Thunder (1996)
• Rasta Soul-Jah (with Ras Iyah, 1997)
• Jericho Walls (1999)
• Undiluted
• Psalms From The Heart (with Emmanuel Joseph, 2010)
• Inna Sanctuary (with Shandi-I, 2011)
• The Whole of Me – Testament I & II (with Blood Shanti, 2014)

Aba Shanti-I sound system plays music in the roots reggae and dub style. He cites, Dennis Brown, Bob Marley, Junior Delgado, Yabby You and Prince Lincoln as inspiration. The original tracks are usually supplemented by reverb, delays and effects to generate his distinctive sound.

• Notting Hill Carnival The sound system has been resident at the Carnival since 1993. It was originally situated on Powys Road, moving to Springbrook Road, then Southern Row; the system is currently situated on the corner between Southern and East Row.{{cite web | last = The Notting Hill Carnival | title = Sounds Systems at the Notting Hill Carnival | date = 2013 | url = http://www.thenottinghillcarnival.com/sound-systems.html | accessdate = 23 December 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131026040521/http://www.thenottinghillcarnival.com/sound-systems.html | archive-date = 26 October 2013 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}
• University of Dub Aba Shanti-I was a founder sound system of the University of Dub in the late 1990s and has been a regular ever since.{{cite web | last = University of Dub | title = University of Dub Sound Systems | date = 2017 | url = http://www.universityofdub.com/sound-systems | accessdate = 4 September 2017 | archive-date = 4 September 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170904202648/http://www.universityofdub.com/sound-systems | url-status = dead }}

Aba Shanti-I's brother, Blood Shanti, is a drummer and vocalist, contributing to both Aba Shanti-I's recordings and live performances. Aba Shanti-I also has a son who accompanies him to many of the shows. His son is a drummer in the band Six Soldiers.

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{{DJ Mag Top 100 DJs Poll − No 1 DJ|state=collapsed}}

• [http://uncarved.org/dub/aba/aba.html Gregory Whitfield's interview with Aba Shanti Sound System ]

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Category:English people of Antigua and Barbuda descent

Category:People from the London Borough of Hackney

Category:British dub musicians

Category:English reggae musicians

Category:Sound systems

Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)