Swatch International the real ‘Passa Passa’ sound

Even after 34 years, Swatch International remains active on the sound system scene, with bookings in places like Japan and the United States.

“We are getting overseas dates now more regularly. The US tour last year was a huge success, and we already have repeat gigs for 2026 to 2027 with a lot of satisfied promoters. We have a Japan tour coming up, plus we will be touring Europe later this year,” O’Neil Miles, founder of Swatch International, said.

Over the years, the sound system has built a loyal underground following for its way of customising dubplates and creating a vibe that can move any crowd. It became legendary for starting the ‘Passa Passa’ weekly street dance in March 2003, which packed the streets of West Kingston for years. Now, Swatch International is bringing back the original Passa Passa with an authentic, rowdy event, complete with all the bells and whistles that made it legendary.

“The rebirth of the original Passa Passa street dance style will be a reality in the near future,” Miles vowed, but held off giving an exact date.

The event will be held at its original location at Miles Enterprise Limited, located at 47 Spanish Town Road in downtown Kingston.

The real Passa Passa sound was born in 1991, created by a young Miles, who first fell in love with music during his teenage years at Jamaica College. Swatch quickly rose through Kingston’s sound system scene in the late ’90s, with legendary selectors like Maestro and Genius running the decks.

The outfit now runs with a team of 20, including the maintenance crew, a technician, and selectors like Leighton ‘Jett’ Murray, Nicholas ‘Silent’ Powell, Ricardo Tucker, and Dalton Whylie. Other key members include Oniel ‘Boy Boy’ Trought, Richard ‘Little Richie’ Campbell, Walter ‘Ice Box’ Blackwood, and Delroy ‘Barge’ Burnette.

“Right now, we are uniquely placed to dominate for the foreseeable future as we have a vibrant young core of selectors mixed with seasoned veterans,” Miles said.

Swatch has been active online over the past year, posting mixes on SoundCloud and connecting with fans on Instagram and Facebook.

Since Hurricane Melissa, the sound system has been helping out in St Elizabeth. Working with local promoters, the team has handed out care packages to displaced residents and provided single-burner gas stoves with 25lb cylinders to affected families.

“We are booked in St Elizabeth almost weekly, so we have made a special effort to partner with promoters from areas that were affected badly by the recent hurricane, to assist people with care packages and other forms of necessities. We seek out the most vulnerable people in their communities, then we donate items on the day of the dance,” Miles shared.

entertainment@gleanerjm.com