Monte Blake, Of Merritone Sound System, To Receive Honourary Doctorate At UWI Graduation

Merritone Sound System’s Monte Blake will be among the 13 distinguished honourees at the upcoming University of the West Indies’ (UWI) 2024 Graduation Ceremonies.

The events, which will take place from Thursday, October 31, to Saturday, November 2, will see Blake receive the UWI’s Doctor of Letters (DLitt) for what the institution describes as his pioneering work in music.
Merritone was founded in 1950 in Morant Bay, St. Thomas, and is the world’s oldest continuously playing sound system.

He will join Beres Hammond, Rita Marley and Jimmy Cliff as music legends who have been presented with honorary degrees by the institution.

The UWI in its citation, acknowledged Monte Blake as a “Jamaican cultural ambassador” and credited him with preserving the rich musical legacy his father, Val Blake established.

“Merritone was the first sound from Morant Bay, St. Thomas. It started in the post-World War II’s genesis era of sound systems and has pioneered Jamaica’s sound system industry ever since… Now it is the only sound that remains from the original era making it the oldest continuously operating system in the world – the last sound standing,” the citation read.

The UWI noted that after Val Blake’s passing in 1956, Monte, along with his brothers Trevor, Winston, and Tyrone, upheld the Merritone legacy, cementing its place as a cultural asset for Jamaica and a crucial subsector of the island’s creative industry for over 70 years.

“Merritone today has the distinction of a symposium at The University of the West Indies, Mona highlighting its impact on Jamaican music,” it noted.

Merritone made its Kingston debut at the Wembley Club in 1962 and broke down stereotypes by using music to bridge socio-economic divides, playing at venues as varied as Trench Town and The UWI Mona campus.

The sound system was also the first in Jamaica to launch a website and offer online music selections. It pioneered live online music and event broadcasts long before the technology was adopted by Jamaican radio stations.

The UWI also noted that Blake also managed Kingston’s renowned Turntable Club from 1973 to 2000, which became the longest-running nightclub in Jamaica, hosting high-profile guests such as Prime Ministers and global superstars. The club was also the site of Jamaica’s first live recorded album, Dennis Brown Live from the Turntable Club. The club is now recognized as a National Heritage Site by the Government of Jamaica.

Following Turntable’s closure, Merritone continued to thrive, performing at various venues before settling into a decade-long run at the Waterfalls Club.

After Winston Blake’s passing, Monte became Merritone’s chief selector and Director, organizing key events such as the Annual Reunion and Homecoming, First Sunday at the Deck, and Sunday at the Regency. He also expanded Merritone’s reach into Cuba in the 1980s.

The UWI also cited Monte’s dedication to music education and philanthropy, adding that his passion for photography has also made him Merritone’s historian and archivist, and that he remains committed to promoting Jamaican music both locally and internationally.

Monte Blake will stand alongside other distinguished figures who have made significant impacts in the fields of advocacy, medicine, tourism, sport, business, education, and science as The UWI continues its tradition of honouring the contributions of Caribbean luminaries, among them, applied scientist Dr Conrad Douglas, Grenadian sprinter Kirani James and Governor General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dame Susan Dilys Dougan..