Sitting unassumingly by the poolside of the Jamaica Pegasus, with the hubbub of the day's World Cup matches still fresh in the minds of many, they made an interesting 'odd couple'.

But don't be fooled by the demeanour and the casual clothes. Sammy T and Ninja, can be lethal, that is if you're an unsuspecting sound system selector.

The two are part of a roughly 15-strong combo that is the the Mighty Crown sound. The set celebrates its crystal anniversary (15 years) this year and thus the members are on the island as part of the activities for their grand celebration, which actually peaks on July 4.

Mighty Crown was born in Japan and wended its way along the dancehall trail to New York's Jamaican community. Winning the World Sound Clash in 1992 made their repuatation as a 'clash' sound and brought them worldwide exposure via tours to various countries.

The touring brought them to Jamaica for the first time in 1996, but for Sammy, the trip was fraught with trials. "I get held up at gunpoint, at knifepoint, I had a bottle thrown at me, all kinda things," he explains.

But such experiences, which would have felled lesser men, left him undaunted in respect of his love for the music and the culture.

"This is not something you do for the hype or the bling," Ninja pipes in. "Is something you have to have in you blood. You have to love it, otherwise you not going stick with it."
Stuck with it they have, and it has paid off for them, with a clothing line, artiste management projects and their own record label, among other ventures.

So far though, none of them have given in to the prevailing trend of becoming recording artistes themselves. They do, however, have some interesting thoughts on the topic.

"If a selector come out with a tune and it take off, it's because the people want to hear it," Ninja said. "That means the artiste need to step up their game and come with good stuff that the people want to hear."
And what about conflict of interest? "Well, the selector can't push him tune alone," Ninja replied.

The two go on to relate expereinces where artistes have been uncooperative in dealing with them. "We have guys that we love to work with - Assassin, for one, I can call him anytime. But you have other guys just don't realise that when they give us a tune, is we the sound system that is putting them out there, so is better you work with us." In elaborating, Sammy said, "Some of them just have the belief that well, you have money so you mus' give dem some money."

That aside, the team has also worked to build Mighty Crown into more than just a 'clash sound'. "Because of the World Sound Clash, people tend to associate we as just a clashing sound, but we go out there and prove that we have the juggling skills also," Ninja said.
It has in fact taken years for them to get respect for their juggling, but that too has come.

"The key is you have to know music and and you have to know the type of people that you playing for," Ninja said. Sammy agreed; "What work in Jamaica is not the same thing that will work in Barbados and that is a different juggling from what willl work in Trinidad. And even so, things in Jamaica change so fast you have to be always thinking and ready to respond".

Not that they have turned their backs on clashing altogether. They list Tony Matterhorn as among their favourite contenders. Why? "Cause him put excitment into the ting. You feel like you have to earn you stripes."

So what's on their personal mix CDs? For Ninja its Beres, and classic lovers' rock as well as R&B and other vintage genres. "The dancing ting is what the kids love now, but we want to see the days come back when people really dance, not the stand off in a line and move up."

Sammy favours roots reggae classics but also enjoys the cassettes of the early sounds, like Kilimanajro and early Stone Love.

Though still building their reputation in Jamaica, the Mighty Crown are regularly greeted by audiences of 20,000 or more in their home base of Japan, yet another testament to the singularly universal appeal of Jamaican music and the culture that goes with it.

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