Chronixx, Protoje
Head of the Institute of Caribbean Studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Dr. Sonjah Stanley Niiah, says Jamaica might need to undergo another Reggae Revival very soon, as the genre is under threat of being arrogated by other countries, as it appears the nation’s artists are once again steering clear of recording songs within the genre.
Considered a breath of fresh air from the abrasiveness which had taken a stranglehold on dancehall, Jamaica’s Reggae Revival movement began around 2010 to give life to what many had described as a dying genre, which was losing its appeal and was no longer capable of captivating the youth who were moving towards hip hop and trap music.
Part II – ROCKSTEADY
Rocksteady was the Jamaican musical genre that succeeded ska, growing in popularity in the late 1960s. The late Hopeton Lewis one of the foremost rocksteady singers in 1968 and whose song “Take it Easy” was one of the more popular hits of the era had said, “The music and the dance needed to simmer down after the high energy of ska. The replacement was rocksteady, which was cool and easy.”
The successor to ska and precursor to reggae, rocksteady was performed by several Jamaican vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, The Maytals, The Heptones, and The Paragons, as well as individual artists like Lewis and Alton Ellis.
[Many thanks to Peter Jordens.]
Jamaica is traditionally described as the “land of wood and water,” but that description would be more accurate, as the “the land of wood, water and music.” Music, and dance, have been a part of Jamaica’s history dating back to slavery serving as expressions of faith, hope, resistance, love, romance, and national pride. Over the years, Jamaican music has evolved from its traditional roots that included gospel, pocomania, quadrill, dinki mini, and Zion revival music. Influenced by the African culture from which enslaved people in Jamaica originated, the music throughout the early years featured heavy use of drums, and wind instruments like bamboo flutes.
Dancehall: A Reader on Jamaican Music and Culture Edited by Sonjah Stanley Niaah ISBN 9789766407506 Book description Dancehall: A Reader on Jamaican Music and Culture contextualizes the emergence of the globally popular dancehall genre, while tracing the complex and often contradictory aspects of its evolution, dispersion and politics. This collection of foundational essays places dancehall in…
Stanley Niaah looks at dancehall jamaicaobserver.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from jamaicaobserver.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.