The most famous genre of Jamaican music is reggae, made famous by Bob Marley. There are so many other kinds of music found in Jamaica, it would be a shame to focus only on reggae. Mento, ska, rocksteady, dub music, dancehall and reggae fusion are just a few of the styles often glossed over in favor of the Rastafarian reggae sound now synonymous with Jamaica. There is a deep cultural statement in reggae, and it should not be forgotten, but for now let’s take a look at other musical styles found in Jamaica.
Jamaican folk music begins with mento, which ironically has many similarities to Trinidadian calypso. There difference between the two lies in their influences; calypso has a Spanish sound, while mento has stuck to the musical traditions brought over by African slaves. Slaves who could play an instrument were often made to perform for their master, and thus a European flavor made its way into the music. Mento has an acoustic sound, incorporating the guitar, banjo, hand drum and rhumba box. Perhaps the most significant role of mento has been its affect on ska and reggae.
Jazz is credited as being born in the area of New Orleans when in fact it was the sub-genre Dixieland Jazz that began there. However, slaves brought from areas like Jamaica to New Orleans were the ones playing the music and singing the songs. Therefore the roots of jazz lie in the slave population brought from Africa to the Caribbean. From the early 1900′s, Jamaica has produced many talented jazz musicians. Music schools began developing jazz programs and even the tradition of brass band jazz. Musicians were trained for military bands, as well as the jazz genre. Slow economic times prompted the best of the jazz musicians to leave the island in search of fame in Europe or North America.
Ska is a genre with its origins firmly in Jamaica, making its first emergence during the 1950′s. The ska sound is a combination of mento, jazz, rhythm and blues. The evolution of ska can be divided into three waves: the original birth in the 1950′s and 1960′s, the ska revival in the 1970′s and that of the American popularity arriving in the 1990′s. The main characteristics of the modern ska sound is the steady walk of a bass line accented by upbeat rhythms and razor sharp lyrics. Ska brought with it the popularity of DJ’s in their purest form. In Jamaican music the DJ talked during an instrumental song, delivering humorous and thought provoking comments about local celebrities. This ongoing conversation during stripped down pop songs evolved into ‘toasting’, becoming more and more complicated. When toasting hit the US, it morphed into rap music.
Rocksteady is a similar type of music to ska, but with more emphasis on the bass line and the use of the rhythm guitar. Desmond Decker and Alton Ellis are widely considered to be the fathers of rocksteady. They brought the genre to the charts when Bob Marley and The Wailers were dominant.
Dub music is simply the remix of previously recorded music with a prominent bass line. The early 1970′s saw dub music emerge as a way of remaking old reggae songs. Lead instruments and vocals would drop in and out of the mix, but the flavor of the original piece was still there.
Dancehall is basically a musical accompaniment to rhythmic speech. In the 1970′s the lyrics of songs in most genre’s were politically and spiritually based. Dancehall began to take the focus from serious subjects to those of love, cars, dancing and sex. Eventually artists emerged who preferred to include violent lyrical content, often causing conflict between each other.
Reggae fusion is the combination of reggae, dancehall, jazz, rock and hip hop. Its origins are in Jamaica, but Jamaican musicians living in North America and Europe has also claimed to be the first to write reggae fusion music.
Jamaica is not only rich in beautiful beaches and luxurious resorts, it is also home to some of the most influential genres of music in the world’s history. Jazz has touched every culture on the planet, and it all started with a population of African slaves on the island of Jamaica. Reggae gave a voice to the resilience of a people, and dance hall music evolved into some of the highest grossing kinds of pop music in history. A visit to Jamaica will most always be an excellent experience, but a new appreciation for the music originating from there will make you see the country in a whole new light.
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