101 Jamaican Music Facts: These Will Make You Put On Your Dancing Shoes

Jamaica is a small island country, spanning only 145 mi (233 km) long and 50 mi (80 km) wide with a population of about 2.9 million people.

Yet, it is quite impossible to measure the influence this country has had on the world of musical innovation in the past few decades. Jamaican music includes various types of folk music and globally popular genres like reggae, ska, dancehall, dub music, rocksteady, and mento.

Today, everyone is familiar with the music style called reggae, which originally emerged in the small ghettos of Kingston in Jamaica, which was popularized worldwide by Bob Marley, a very famous personality in the world of music.

Reggae songs gained global fame as a musical style originating from Jamaica which left a huge cultural influence over world music. Reggae music is generally political and social, spiritual, militant, hopeful, and sometimes even romantic.

Another genre that emerged in Jamaica known as dancehall evolved into what is today's hip-hop, a modern genre of music.

Let's discuss dancehall music in Jamaica, the reggae sound system, and its instrumental versions.

Fun Facts About Jamaican Music

The genre of music, reggae, is based on an earlier version of music called ska, according to the definition in 'The Dictionary of Jamaican English'.

Reggae has typical musical characteristics like a heavy four-beat drum beat, electric guitar accompanied by bass guitar, and a scraper, which was corrugated sick rubbed by a plain stick. Jamaica is considered the world’s most prolific creator of recorded music in the world.

Although the live music scene is quite small in Jamaica, musicians working on sound systems and DJs are often seen in many places, from resorts to beaches.

In Jamaica, the whole month of February is celebrated as ‘Reggae Month’ in honor of the king of reggae, Bob Marley, and the Crown Prince Dennis Brown who were both born in the month of February. The first reggae month was celebrated in 2010.

Likewise, July 1 is designated as International Reggae Day worldwide, in order to celebrate reggae music and Jamaican culture.

In 2018, UNESCO included reggae music into the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

One can also travel to Jamaica and attend various reggae festivals, some of the most popular ones being Montego Bay’s SumFest which is held in July every year, and the Rebel Salute festival which happens in January.

The Grammy Awards introduced a category for 'Best Reggae Album' in 1985, in order to create Jamaican music’s unique place in the American music scene.

History Of Jamaican Music

Although reggae is the most famous genre of music originating from Jamaica, there are several other genres that are quite popular in the small island country, which was a precursor to famous reggae music.

Jamaica’s first musical movement took place mainly after its freedom from British colonization. Ska was an upbeat type of music, including various elements of Caribbean mento and calypso, with American jazz, blues, and rhythm music. Ska gave rise to early Jamaican legendary bands like the Skatalites.

Many ska musicians experimented with music and slowed down the tempo of the upbeat ska songs, addressing social issues and giving socio-political messages through their music, which evolved into a genre of music called rocksteady.

Rocksteady music saw several changes in instruments, wherein instruments like bass, drums, and guitars were more prominently used which were quite common in British and American rock bands.

Although rocksteady music did not take root in the global culture for long as the emergence of reggae music swept the nation and the world.

It inculcated the use of a slower rhythm and heavy bass, having central themes around topics like love, justice, peace, and equality.

Reggae music’s popularity was achieved by the greatest artists of the time like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Sphere, who mirrored the ideals of the counter-cultural movement happening in America at the time. The lyrics of reggae music were popular as they addressed various socio-political issues, touched religious themes, and spread a message of love and peace.

Reggae music was brought into the mainstream when artists like Bob Marley and his band The Wailers, Black Uhuru, Jimmy Cliff, Toots & The Maytals, became globally popular as reggae artists.

'Buffalo Soldier', 'No Woman No Cry', 'Pressure Drop', 'Many Rivers To Cross' are some famous reggae songs.

In the last couple of decades, reggae music has been evolving still, creating sub-genres of music like reggaeton, dancehall and trip-hop.

Traditional Jamaican Music Facts

Jamaica is the third largest island in the group of Caribbean islands, with a population of about 2.9 million people.

It was originally native to the indigenous tribe of Arawaks. The history of Jamaica and its music are two things that are intertwined with each other and have been influencing each other since ancient times.

Jamaica has undergone colonization several times, first by the Spanish and then by the British, which has also influenced the culture and music of the island in many ways.

Jamaica was a major hub for the trans-Atlantic slave trade, which gave rise to several uprisings, especially because the majority of the population in Jamaica was African or of African descent. This majority of Africans and people of African descent formed their own homes in Jamaica after slavery was abolished.

Hence, the musical culture in Jamaica is highly influenced by African music culture, borrowing the distinctive sound of African music that involves the steady one drop rhythm which is also a characteristic element of reggae music.

Jamaican music also finds its roots in the African style of singing that is known as call and response, which usually involves talking in rhythm over music. This form of music is also common in Jamaica and is known there as Jamaican rap.

The evolved version of this style of singing which has its roots in African and Jamaican culture is popular worldwide as rap music.

Likewise, under the influence of British colonization, several slaves had to learn music that was popular in Europe at the time, like waltzes, reels, and quadrilles which also influenced the black Jamaican folk music for almost a whole century.

Jamaican Music Genres

One of the oldest genres of Jamaican music is Jamaican folk music, which was quite common throughout the country before the actual musical revolution. Walter Jekyll was the first person who wrote a book called ‘Jamaican Song and Story’ in 1904, which recorded and categorized every folk song and story in Jamaica and its culture.

By the late '40s, mento music became quite popular for its unique style. Mento drew its influence from calypso music and includes elements of both African and European music. Mento is usually played on acoustic instruments like the banjo, rumba box, which is a large bass on which a player sits to play it, and guitar.

The early years of 1960 saw the emergence of ska music. Ska was an upbeat type of music with a fast beat, including various elements of Caribbean mento and calypso, with American jazz, rhythm and blues, and boogie-woogie rock music.

It involved soulful music with upbeat rhythms, many of these songs sing about love and romance. Ska became very popular in the country at the time, giving rise to early Jamaican legendary bands.

By the end of the '60s, many ska musicians experimented with music and slowed down the tempo of the upbeat ska songs, addressing social issues and giving socio-political messages through their music, which evolved into a genre of music called rocksteady.

Rocksteady music saw several changes in instruments, wherein instruments like bass, drums, and guitars were more prominently used which were quite common in British and American rock bands.

Although rocksteady music did not take root in the global culture for long as the emergence of reggae music swept the nation and the world.

Reggae inculcated the use of slower rhythm and heavy bass, having central themes around topics like love, justice, peace, and equality.

Reggae music’s popularity was achieved by the greatest artists of the time like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Sphere, who mirrored the ideals of the counter-cultural movement happening in America at the time. The lyrics of reggae music were popular as they addressed various socio-political issues, touched religious themes, and spread a message of love and peace.

Roots reggae, a subgenre of reggae music, was influenced by Rastafarianism, which became popular after Bob Marley supported the religion.