BORN and raised in the seafaring community of Rae Town, Earl “Senor” Daley was a regular at dances there during the 1970s. Thirty-nine years ago he started his Classique sound system, which is synonymous with the weekly dance in his hometown.

On August 7 Daley will be one of the selectors for Let’s Go Dancin’, which will be held virtually for the first time because of the novel coronavirus.

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For someone accustomed to playing for packed venues in Jamaica, North America, Europe and Japan, working virtually is a new ball game for Daley.

“I have adapted to virtual parties very much, though the pandemic has disrupted my schedule immensely,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

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Daley and Classique formed the foundation of the popular Rae Town dance with the husband-and-wife team of Bunny and Norma Wright, who operated a bar there. The Sunday event drew hundreds of oldies music fans to the central Kingston neighbourhood before complaints of night noise forced a move to Sabina Park in 2015.

The novel coronavirus has halted Rae Town dances at the famous cricket ground since March last year.

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As a teenager in the 1970s, Daley attended dances by dancehall ‘sounds’ such as Stereophonic, Virgo, Tippa Tone and Gemini. For a change of pace, he would tune into Grotto Swing and Afrique, which favoured soul and rhythm and blues.

On Saturday, Daley, who specialises in “oldies and retro music”, shares the selectors’ platform with Let’s Go Dancin’ founder Michael Barnett, Stokey Love and DJ Edson.

The Jamaica Observer is a co-sponsor of the event.

—Howard Campbell