According to the history of Jamaica, the slaves from Africa brought over drums called "BURRU" which were used in an arrangement called talking drums. These were used during Jonkanoo celebrations, which were a Christmas time activity; the planters encouraged these until they found out that the slaves were using their drums and conch shells to communicate with each other. By the turn of the century, Calypso from Trinidad and Tobago and Samba from Central America were introduced to the Jamaicans to form a new mix of music called Mento.
MENTO.
Mento was the popular music in Jamaica before ska, rocksteady and reggae. It was an established style in both rural and urban areas as early as the turn of the 20th century. Mento bands usually include one or more of the following: banjo, guitar, a bass lamellophone called a rumba box, and maracas. They sometimes include the fife, clarinet, violin or saxophone. The songs played were usually work songs with humorous lyrics passed down through generations. .
SKA and ROCK STEADY.
In the mid 1950's the youth of Jamaica were more interested in listening to American music than anything from Jamaica, so musicians were called on to emulate the sound of imported American music, within a few years this music turned into Ska. Ska was a big band type of sound with horn arraignments, piano and a quick beat. Ska was easy to move to and created a form of dance called skanking. The beat of Ska slowed down a bit in the early 60's and Rock Steady emerged. With Rock steady the drums became less prominent and there was a heavier bass tune, and the music was a bit slower and more laid back.
REGGAE.
By 1969 the new, enduring sound of reggae had established itself. Reggae is a combination of traditional African Rhythm and blues and indigenous Jamaican folk. The synthetic style is strictly Jamaican and includes off beat syncopations, up stroke guitar strums, chanted vocal patterns and the lyrics associated with the religious tradition of Rastafari.
Jamaica also has a lot of traditional local music. ... Mento is music of Jamaica and it's a type of music that varies significantly from other forms of Caribbean music. ... Ska music from Britain and America influenced Jamaican version. ... Reggae's earliest roots lie in many types of Safrican music. ... The roots are located towards the Eastside of Jamaica and they tend to have a Neo-Africian style. ...
Rastafarianism traces its roots back to both the Jamaica tradition of Maroon resistance and the influence of Jamaican-born Marcus Garvey (1887-1940) with his vision of African redemption. ... The global spread of popular Jamaican music has helped spread awareness of the Jamaican Maroons to other parts of the world. ... This demonstrates his efforts to use music to teach the world about Jamaican struggles. In the 21st century, Rastafari sentiments are spread through roots reggae and dancehall, subgroups of reggae music, with many of their most important proponents promoting the Rastafarian...
Intro The music issuing from the Caribbean Island of Jamaica has for decades and many will argue even longer demonstrate a uniquely Jamaican identity. ... African music of Jamaica has been identified with unique sounds. ... The impact of struggles for freedom and class justice on Jamaican music cannot be understated. ... It is a common theme present in Jamaican music such as reggae. ... This was evident in the music in Jamaica because the common themes were relating to the political and economic situation of Jamaica. ...
With musical styles like mento, rock steady, ska, and dub, many styles of music have come out of Jamaica, some lasting hundreds of years, but no other Jamaican music has had nearly as much impact worldwide as Reggae. Reggae is a combination of traditional African rhythms, American rhythm and blues, and indigenous Jamaican folk music. It is a music that is unique to Jamaica but it has its roots in New Orleans R&B. ... Rasta as it is more commonly called has its roots in the teachings of Jamaican born Marcus Garvey who preached a message of black empowerment and started the "Back to Africa"...
Demonstrations were held by Jamaicans to contest apartheid. ... Reggae is a form of music that was born from the most impoverished slums and barrios of Jamaica; redemption songs inspiring hope and revolution to a people so long oppressed. ... Reggae is distinguishable by the deep groove and Jamaican flavor. ... Reggae music is the music of Rastafarians. ... The lyrics in roots reggae music define a lifestyle of consciousness and understanding, as well as a rejection of societal practices promoting inequality, conformity, oppression and ignorance. ...
Trinidad outlook on music has changed in so many ways when calypso music started. Calypso music originated in Trinidad it's a style of afro Caribbean music and it occurred in the early to mid-20th calypso music shares a lot with different cultures in the Caribbean like Guyana and n others. ... Soca has grown since the music incorporate funk ,soul and dance music genres and continues to blend in gospel music styles with soca music hitting the charts in Trinidad now the celebrations which originated in Trinidad now see present day many other island are referring soca to the roots of calypso...
Dreadlocks on a Rastafarians' head symbolize their roots ("Rasta's symbols" 3). ... It started a Holy Day for the Jamaicans to celebrate and he told them not to emigrate from Jamaica to Africa (2). ... Bob Marley made the music popular worldwide. His reggae and the reggae of the other artists tell about their "roots", and about their suffering in the ghetto (1). ... The music of reggae grew from the music of Ska, which is an earlier type of dance music that started in Jamaica (1). ...
Like many other Jamaican teenagers, Bob found music a relief from the realities of ghetto life. ... So he worked in America just enough to be able to finance his music, and then he returned to Jamaica seven months later. The Jamaican ska music had changed by slowing down and becoming a little more sexual. ... In Jamaica, many individuals were now practicing the Rastafarian way of life. ... He spent a great deal of time reading the Bible and working the land trying to return to his roots for some answers. ...
In order to properly understand Rastafarianism you must examine its roots and the time period in which it arose. ... The main goal of the Rastas was to get back to their African peasant traditions/roots while Garvey wanted to incorporate the black community into modern economic development. ... Rastas were exposed to the Burru music that mocked society and this influence is later apparent in the development of their own style of music known as reggae. ... The popularity of Rasta culture grew from the mainstreaming of reggae music and the 1972 electoral campaign for prime minister by th...
