Journal entry #4
Kyle McLaughlin
Today we talk about the transition in the music forms inn
Jamaica and how it affected the people and how the people affected the music. We
start our musical journey into history from the 1960’s when Jamaica gained independence
from British rule. We start with Mento, leading on to Ska music, then on to
Rocksteady, then Reggae and ending in Dancehall.
Mento had a lot of instrumentals but most Mento songs had
vocals. The lyrics are typically a lot of fun generally portraying all the
issues, large and small, of life in Jamaica. They had a lot of songs about
Jamaica itself, some described Jamaican foods and recipes, and there were a lot
of songs about various fruits -- just one way that Mento gave you a real slice
of Jamaican life in the 1950s. All manner of relationships between people are
explored, as is the problematic and comic relationship between man and animal.
Though there a few serious or sad songs, the great majority were happy and
positive.
Ska used elements drawn from Jamaican Mento, Revival and Rastafarian
drumming, plus some rhythm and blues, boogie and swing. At this time most of
the early studio musicians were trained instrumentalists, and a lot of the
music was purely instrumental. These musicians were the innovators behind the
Jamaican music to come. Ska developed in
downtown Kingston around 1960 to 1966. It took a while for it to be accepted by the middle and upper classes,
for this music’s audience were mainly the Jamaican ‘Rude Boys’. Lyrics were
mainly about the social concerns of the country at the time. This music represented
the lower class in the beginning. The Rude Boy’s that listened were rebellious
out of work and reacted against economic tensions. Rude Boys often lived
outside of the law. Ska lyrics at the time reflected the life and times of Rude
Boys. Some examples include The Heptones' 'Gunmen Comin to Town', Desmond Dekkers'
'007 Shanty Town' and Prince Busters' 'Judge Dread' who handed out 400 year
sentences to Rude Boys.
By 1966 in Jamaica many audiences had grown tired
of the Ska beat and tempo, at this time the beat of Ska was slowed and Rocksteady
was born, and lasted from 1966 to 1968. Rumor
has it that it was a particularly hot Jamaican summer that led to this more
easygoing style but the real reason the continuing influence of American
R&B. By the mid 60's R&B was developing into the smoother soul styles
of like Motown, but Jamaican musicians responded to this with their own slower
smoother styles. The most renowned hit of the Rocksteady era was 'The Tide is high'
by The Paragons. In the 80's this was covered by Blondie and was one of their
biggest hits. The influence of another religious revival, Rastafarianism led to
further musical developments of Ska and Rocksteady and reggae was born.
Reggae’s music style originated as a development of Ska and Rocksteady.
Reggae is based on a rhythmic style characterized by accents on the off-beat,
known as the skank. Reggae is usually slower than Ska but faster than Rocksteady.
Since the arrival, Reggae music has been Jamaica’s emotional
outlet, to express thoughts and feelings about life, love and religion. Reggae
music is created with incredible amounts of soul and pride, It is more than
just music, it is a way of life for those who live in Jamaica and Jamaicans
around the world. Reggae’s era was from 1969 to 1983. Currently in Jamaica, Reggae is very soulful, it’s a powerful
social force that represents the pressures of everyday life and struggle,
putting them into words that describe, reveal and persuade the people that
listen to its powerful messages. The origins of Reggae derived from
confrontation and struggle, it’s based on freedom and never giving up. This
type of music has proven to bring crowds of people together, while uniting a country
and political party at the same time. This has been evident in Bob Marley uniting
two political parties in Jamaica, at The One Love Peace Concert in Jamaica
before he died. He also showed his music definitely united Jamaica and taught
us to appreciate ourselves as who we are and he even demonstrated the power of
reggae an the message it brings with the influence over in Zimbabwe. Bob Marley was honored by Zimbabwe’s
1980 Independence celebration because his music had given inspiration to
freedom fighters in the bush.
Dancehall in the beginning in the late1980’s
early 1990’s, was way more than music studios, record shops, and street corners
and anywhere the music is played, it extends to the inner cities that that
forces the elements for this musical form called Dancehall. It’s in the inner
cities that the vibes are built; the harsh realities provide the genesis for
the creative juices. Each sentence in a song represents an aphorism of inner
city life, which is easily recognized by the main participants. All the
different themes displayed in the music, are a reflection of the life lived,
reality of most of the Dancehall artists. The harsh realities of inner city
life are not the only influence that is manifested in the dancehall music. From
then until now, most of our dancehall artiste do not have
a first degree or a high school diploma, so this means actual good
substance isn’t present in dancehall music, what Dancehall is today same way is
just about petty social issues hype and fashion and drugs. The whole issue of
controversy sells may be an alternative for producing a good song. However when
two dancehall artistes find themselves in a lyrical war it is guaranteed to get
air play; what are the other benefits of insulting each other repeatedly to gain
popularity and what whim of fake faith and power. This is the sole factor of
dancehall music today, “mix up”. This shows exactly what is going on in
Jamaica at the given time whenever the Dancehall track is made. Vybz Kartel did
the song Clarke's and instantly the price and the sales of these shoes sky
rocketed.
After doing all the reading I have
done and knowledge gained within being a young producer and a fan of Ska,
Reggae and Dancehall I can safely say that with all the forms discussed they
all had the power of uniting the people, definitely influencing the listeners
and fans and vice versa for throughout all they represented life in jamaica and
issues wether it were the petty issues or it was real serious issues of
poverty, crime and violence, poverty and such.
Mento represented a time of coming
together, for it dominated that time in the 1960’s when Jamaica gained
independence and everybody was happy
with each other, happy to be a Jamaican , we became proud to be a Jamaican the
and started to accept our own Jamaican Identity. Ska came in for the Rude Boys
in the inner cities, depressed of their socio-economic statuses and elements
against them taking to live a life ‘badness’ to survive. Ska music was theirs
to let loose and appreciate. Ska ended in in 1966 where Rocksteady took over
for two years because the people got tired of hearing the beats and tempos of
Ska music. It was also a time where we were getting exposed to the happenings
overseas and the influence of American music groups like Motown, and styl mixed
with our African roots in the instruments catering to the same masses. Reggae
came in off the same African drum heartbeat as of its predecessors and this was
in a time when the country had already gained independence and time had been
passing and the country had been really depressed and Revival was prevalent and
Rastafari was growing so the drums
started to beat and the baseline followed for the country needed unity again in
the time of darkness and depression due to poverty and politics and losing of
faith in themselves to go on reggae had to be the voices of and to the people
of Jamaica to get them back in the peace love and faith frame of mind again.
Reggae had the hearts of the masses of the country but there was still a
minority that couldn’t attach themselves to the reggae music officially and
dancehall was created representing the inner city life and levity, but this
time it wasn’t from a revival or Rastafarian side this was just from the
depressed I got to survive by any means necessary frame of mind people uneducated
people, to where it is now, still influencing the uneducated but in addition
the youths of society where the topics are just about ‘badness, mix-up, weed,
degrading females, bashing of gays and promoting violence, if its hot off the
press and current they will sing about
the governments and last but not least the Hype of whats happening in the
different social circles’.
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