Leroy "Niah" Thwaites. MY HOW times have changed," comes the cry from veteran sound system operator Leroy "Niah" Thwaites. These days he plays mostly oldies and his engagements are largely confined to dance sessions. But times were, when his Grotto Swing sound system was all the rage in the dancehall.
"The dancehall today encourages violence. All this matey business is not good for the social development of our youth. That kind of music constantly draws them into confrontation and that is one of the reasons I have decided to just go the oldies route, apart from the fact that it is the better music," he chuckled. "I have to play music for big people who respect each other."
Grotto Swing celebrates 25 years on the road this year. A big celebration is planned for October 14 at La Roose on Port Henderson Road. The event will take the form of a stage show featuring Ken Boothe, Pat Kelly, Strange Jah Cole, Jimmy London and Carl Dawkins. In addition, the veteran selectors will be on show, among them Bunny Goodison, Errol from the Rock, Wee Pow of Stone Love, Jimmy Metro of Metro Media, Father Gemmy of Gemini, Black Prince, Afrique and Niah himself. Winston Williams will be the MC while Lloyd Parkes and We the People band will provide backing.
Grotto Swing started from a house stereo. "After I bought my first stereo and had it for a year, I gave it to a technician and asked him to put in a bigger transformer. He game me an amplifier which pushed 50 watts and said I should get two boxes. This excited me for a while, then I wanted more power. He then built a 100-watt amplifier, and I found I needed two more boxes. Next, he built a power amplifier and a pre-amp and the sound was on the road," he recalled.
In those days he was playing 12 in. speakers and he wanted larger boomers. "I called my mother in England and asked for four 15 in.speakers and she sent four 18 in.speackers instead. In 1977 we became transistorised and the sound got 'sweeter' with mixers, equalisers etc. Grotto Swing has always been a medium sized sound since then and we have tried to maintain that. The sound now boasts twelve 18 in. speakers and is based at the corner of Slipe Pen Road and Hannah Street.
