Love conquers all - Husband-and-wife duo wins Reggae Sumfest Global Sound Clash

When Rohan 'Little Shabba' Henry and his Japanese wife Marie 'Bad Gyal Marie' Sano arrived at the Catherine Hall venue in St James on Wednesday night, they were determined to keep the 2024 Reggae Sumfest Global Sound Clash crown in Jamaica.

Their plan was to use their sound system, Notorious International, to compete fiercely against two overseas sound systems: defending champion Dynamq and the German one-man outfit, Warrior Sound.

Little Shabba's goal was to weaken the competition, paving the way for either Notorious International or their Jamaican counterparts, Bodyguard or Code Red, to take the title. However, to his delight, Little Shabba, who founded Notorious International with Bad Gyal Marie at their Maxfield Avenue, Kingston 13 home five years ago, not only silenced the overseas entities but also upstaged their local counterparts. While the Global Sound Clash trophy and the cash prize were gratifying, Little Shabba is hoping this success will open doors for him, positioning Notorious International as a top-tier, in-demand sound system.

"This win has lifted Notorious International to a place where the world will know us. So I look forward to doing some of the big shows all over the world. This is both a happy and an exciting time for us," said Little Shabba. "I can't wait to see where this journey is going to take us."

He said Notorious International has been on the road before but was not making the desired impact. After taking time out to recalibrate, reorganise, and reposition, he is now confident that they are on the path to achieving his dream of success.

"We took time out to study and realise where we were going wrong ... so now we fully ready and equipped to take on the world," he said.

Like Little Shabba, the road to winning the Global Sound Clash title was one that Bad Gyal Marie invested heavily in. Developing a passion for reggae, she took the bold step of leaving her homeland and coming to Jamaica to experience the culture first-hand. After 13 years, she is now satisfied with the result. In addition to winning the coveted global title, she also found the love of her life in Jamaica - Little Shabba.

"I still cannot believe I really won this clash," said the beaming Bad Gyal Marie. "I have to give thanks to Jamaica. I'm a woman, I'm Japanese, and I entered the Global Sound Clash, and Jamaican people made me win. I am happy ... really happy."

Bad Gyal Marie said she cannot wait to return to Japan to celebrate her success with her people.

"Reggae and dancehall are big in Japan. Winning this title will mean a lot to Japanese people," she said.