At the artistic and cultural level, this Caribbean Island of the Greater Antilles of only 10,991 km², Jamaica represents a world lighthouse. More specifically, in the contemporary history of world music, this cradle of Rastafarians radiates beyond its island boundaries. This "success history" of the music industry deserves our attention because it is an exceptional example that the size of a nation is not measured in terms of area but rather cultural wealth. In this perspective, these lines that follow will present a first part of a retrospective of Jamaican music. The reggea is the tip of the iceberg, it will be neglected but we will not limit ourselves. So this first step will retrace the first musical genres that have pioneered the reggea, such as Mento, Ska and Rocksteady. The precursors of reggea
We do not know if the word "precursor" would be the most appropriate, here it is a question of evoking the musical genres that preceded the reggea. This one is the most known all over the planet but, well before, at the beginning of the 1900's there was the Mento, later in the years 1960, successively born the Ska, the Rocksteady and the Reggea.
The Mento
The mento appears in the Jamaican peasantry at the end of the 18 th century. This musical genre is designed to alleviate the pain of the poor living conditions of the peasant. This popular music was the first to announce the reggea. This style created before the independence of this nation is inspired by African roots, the peasantry, popular music of the United States as the Jazz and Trinity music whose calypso with which it was confused. Mental versions were called calypso without necessarily being. The word mento does not only refer to the genre but also to its dance. When listening mento it sounds cuban troubadour also.
Ska and rocksteady
Everything is played in the 1960s, these two musical trends heralding the reggea will successively disappear until disappear to open the way to Reggea. The first Ska inspired by jazz and rhythm and blues, with an electrifying beat and melody conveying messages and subversive claims. The segunda, the rocksteady, also influenced by the American music in vogue at the time as the soul, is marked by a more soothing melody and a message of peace.
In part 2 we will give important lines to Reggea and Rastafarianism (next)!