Jamaica

The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres, such as mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub music, dancehall, reggae fusion and related styles. Jamaica's musicculture is a fusion of elements from the United States (rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul), Africa and Caribbean islands such as Trinidad and Tobago (calypso and soca). Reggae isespecially popular through the international fame of Bob Marley. Jamaican music's influence on music styles in other countries includes the practice of toasting, which was brought to New York Cityand evolved into rapping, For years, and still today, Jamaican Music, such as slangs and beats has been copied into other cultures because of the originality and creativity within the islandsvibe. British genres as Lovers rock and jungle music are also influenced by Jamaican music.
Ska is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor torocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues.
Rocksteady was the music of Jamaica's rude boys by the mid-1960s, when Bobmarley and The Wailers and The Clarendonians dominated the charts.
By the early 1970s, rocksteady had evolved into reggae, which combines elements from American soul music with thetraditional shuffle and one-drop of Jamaican mento. Reggae quickly became popular around the world, due in large part to the international success of artists like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and BunnyWailer. Marley was viewed as a Rastafarian messianic figure by some fans, particularly throughout the Caribbean, Africa, and among Native Americans and Australian Aborigines. His lyrics aboutlove, redemption and natural beauty captivated audiences, and he gained headlines for negotiating truces between the two opposing Jamaican political parties (at the One Love Concert).