1600s - 1900s Jamaican Folk Music |
Ring Games/Nursery Songs
Click for a Classic Jamaican Song Sung by Miss Lou Jamaica's Heritage in Dance Kumina (koo-mih-nah) (African Jamaican religion filled with drums/music, dance, and ceremonies. It was brought to Jamaica from the BaKongo people of present-day Congo.) Click for Kumina Drummers |
Early 1900s - Early 1950s Mento |
Late 1950s - 1960s Ska |
[pronounced: skyah]
Combined Mento, American Jazz and R&B Ska Artists: Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, Desmond Dekker, The Wailers, & more Popular in both Jamaica & the United Kingdom Ska Documentary Click to Experience Ska More Ska |
Rocksteady |
Rocksteady Artists: The Maytals, Fab 5, The Gaylads, The Paragons, & more
Rocksteady Documentary Trailer Click to Experience Rocksteady |
Late 1960s - Today Reggae
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Slower than Ska
Reggae and Rocksteady have slight differences. Reggae has the "extra" or third beat. Click to Experience 60/70s Reggae Click to Experience 80/90s Reggae Click to Experience Today's Reggae |
Late 1970s - Today Dancehall
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Fast-Paced dancing music of Jamaican youth (PG-18)
Began with a relatively slow pace, but has increased over time |