Mafia Tone is a pioneering music brand active early in the UK reggae movement. The Jah MafiaTone HiFi sound system launched in Birmingham UK 1975, active until 1980.
During this short time Jah Mafiatone HiFi made a considerable impact acting as a key player in developing the city as a hub for reggae in the UK. Proprietor Stafford Douglas and his team operated the sound system in various venues across the UK, filling many dance halls.
Entering the existing roots reggae scene as a "David" against "Goliaths" of the time such as Sir Coxsone International, Jah Shaka and Fatman Sound, Jah Mafia Tone HiFi quickly climbed the ranks as a mighty sound system becoming a household name within the UK's reggae and Afro-Caribbean communities (ref).
Jah MafiaTone HiFi had a clear influence in the introduction of the Rastafarian ideology into Birmingham's dancehalls. This was owed to Stafford's frequent trips to Jamaica where he would source the best music of the genre. As standard he would also conduct and cut dub versions to these tracks to be played exclusively by Jah MafiaTone HiFi back in the UK.
Stafford Douglas was an avid music fan with an acute ear for musical melodies which gave him an creative edge over his sound-men counterparts.
He launched the Mafiatone record label and released the world renowned classic Dungeon voiced by Glen Miller in 1972. After recording only two tracks on this label, he moved on to launch the Art & Craft label putting out the timeless gem Motherless Children by Symbol that same year among many others by artists such as Johnny Clarke. Recording between the UK and Jamaica he scouted and produced many recordings for numerous reggae artists, many of which have had successful music careers.
Now Generation label was launched in 1985 and produced the first hit for Bonito Star, Money Can't Buy Me Love in 1986.
(Discography to follow)