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The Beginning
The earliest form of reggae or Jamaican music is Folk music. Folk music was popular during slavery and up until abolition in 1838. (myislandjamaica.com) -
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Mento
Mento was influenced by folk music with sounds from acoustic guitar, rhumba box, hand drums, and acoustic instruments. Mento music was the first recorded music in Jamaica. -
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Ska
Ska music is a mixture of Mento combined with jazz and blues. The main theme of Ska music is usually love and unity. Bob Marley started his career singing Ska music. (myislandjamaica.com) -
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Rocksteady
Rocksteady music is a mixture of Ska, R&B and Mento. It is slower paced with more melodies. The rocksteady era was short lived but was very influential to reggae music. (myislandjamaica.com) -
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Reggae
Reggae was introduced to the world in 1962 right before Jamaican independence. The first reggae song recorded was called "Long Shot" by the Pioners in 1968. In 1969 Bob Marley and the Wailers were formed and in 1970 best of the Wailers was released which spread reggae all around the world. In 1978 the first reggae festival was successful which was in Montego Bay Jamaica. (myislandjamaica.com). -
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DanceHall
Dancehall is a popular genre of music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1970s. It evolved from reggae and features electronic beats, fast-paced rhythms, and a focus on the DJ or MC, who provides commentary over the music. Dancehall's roots can be traced back to the sound systems of Jamaica in the 1950s and 1960s. These were large mobile speaker systems that would travel around the country and play music at events such as parties, dances, and concerts.