Hintze

The Development of Caribbean Music 20th-21st Century

**The Caribbeans and Music**
The Caribbeans are an island chain positioned in the Caribbean Sea, just slightly below the United States. This chain of islands consists of Cuba, Bermudas, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and others. The island chain consist of a total of twenty-two independent countries and seventeen territories [|(1)]. Along with the plethora of culturally unique islands in such a geographically succinct area comes the mingling of cultures and musical styles. The musical styles were mostly influenced by slavery and by the past colonization of the Caribbean islands by France, Spain, America, and other nations [|(2)]. Beginning in 1917, musicians from Cuba and Puerto Rico were forced to migrate to the United States due to the rapid increase of available musicians. Adding to that, Acosta, L. states in his article that the main U.S. owned record labels were in Havana, Cuba during that time [|(2)]. Keeping in mind that the Caribbeans had a very rich musicultural history, it would be impossible to mention all of them ; thus this wiki's focus will lie on Jamaica's musical development. Included in this wiki will be a description of some popular artists such as Bob Marley. Caribbean music implements a blending of musical intsruments and the use of off beats to create a unique form of music. In order to better understand the progression of Caribbean music and the ideals it expresses one must analyze the events in history. To assist in this, we will provide a timeline of artists and their music at an interval of ten years and will provide excerpts of songs from important musicians of the time. Although this wiki will primarily focus on the developement of Caribbean music in Jamaica, it will aim to show the progression of Carribean music and how it has impacted the world.

**Timeline of Caribbean Music and Its Development** **1930** During this period, Rastafarianism was created. Rastafarians are well known for their Dread locks and use Marijuana [|(3)]. This might be a stereotype, but that is what many would think of first. Aside from the use of drugs and hairstyle, there is a shadowy side to the followers of Rastafarianism. There have been cases reported about anti-white crimes. An example of this is seen later in the wiki. They made up their own religion, as they wanted to distance themselves from Western influence [|(5)]. Even though Rastifarianism shared many aspects of Christianity, their beliefs are different. First of all, in the center of the belief is Haile Selassie. He is a man who was crowned the Emperor of Ethiopia. Adding to that, he believed that he was a descendant of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon [|(5)].One might see this declaration as insanity, but his credentials were believed by many. A statement from Haile Selassie said to members of the United Nations, "//Until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes…the dream of peace…will remain a fleeting illusion//", described his ideals and future wishes of equality; however, he knew that there would be no lasting peace until the judgement of a person based on color stopped[|(5)]. He was seen as the second Messiah by Jamaican preachers and was thus declared the central figure in Rastafarianism. Due to this, Ethiopia was believed to be the holy land. The biblical story of the Israelite slaves being liberated from Egypt became twisted as blacks were seen as the new "Israelites" and the "Egyptians" were the white oppressors [|(7)]. From then on, the Rastafarian belief was made, in which the black population of the Caribbean, and in particular Jamaica, followed the ideas provided by the "living God" as Haile Selassie was also referred as. This striving for the holy land, Ethiopia, and the above mentioned story made Rastafarians fight vigorously for their liberty. The use of Marijuana in the culture is mostly due to two factors: the primary factor being its availability in Jamaica (and the Caribbean isles in general), and secondly the inferior living conditions of the blacks [|(8)]. During colonial times and a bit later, slaves used the drug to numb their brains to endure the repetitive menial labor and the pain associated with it. In addition to this, it was considered a the holy plant, because the Bible contained references to a plant growing on King Solomon's grave. [|(8)]. It was due to this that the marijuana leaf was assimilated into the culture, music, and Rastifarian belief.

**1940** The nineteen fourties was a weakened time for Caribbean music as World War II dominated the global spotlight. During this time German U-Boats patrolled the Caribbean Islands causing many to fear attacks. This was done to attempt a full scale land invasion from Florida after the U-Boats captured Cuba and the surrounding waters. Although World War II was a large part of this decade, this period of time saw a progressive expansion of Rastafarianism as more and more individuals in the Caribbean converted to the ideals of equality, some out of fear and others in hope that it would end the war. In this period of time several prominent Jamaican musicians were born, includign thoses that would later create Ska and Reggae. Some of these musicians include Clancy Eccles, Winston Jarrett, and Vincent Ford. While this period might seem as unimportant for Caribbean musical development it allowed the expansion of Rastafarianism and the spread of its ideals of equality and acceptance. During this decade the Rastifarian belief began to establish itself within the Caribbean Islands bringing with it the use of marijuana which was readily abundant in the island chain.

**1950** The 1media type="youtube" key="5xCAhavB7QM" height="168" width="209" align="left"950's ushered in a new form of Caribbean music called Calypso to Jamaica. Calypso music originated from the slave trades in which slaves were unable to communiacte to one another. Their only alternative for communication lied in music. This music eventually evolved into a unique genre of Caribbean music characterized by a regular background beat with harmonizing voices. These songs would normally be incorporated with dances by women during the festival of Carnival as a form of entertainment in addition to the music. An example of this is The Ravens, a Caribbean musical group, who sang a Calypso song in 1951. This style of music is still in use in Jamaica and is still a vaible part of the musical world in the Caribbean.

**1960** The ninteen sixties experienced an increase in the Jamaican music industry and with it a new form of music. This new form of music was known as **ska** and was the Jamaican interpretation of American R&B and Soul music of the time. Ska was marked by an accent on the offbeat of the music and was widely popular with the poor of Jamaica because it allowed an escape from their daily troubles. With the rise of this new form, musicians became a regular part of Jamaican culture and with it came the creation of a Jamaican music industry. This industry mainly focused on musicians singing popular songs from America and around the world. With this practice came the eventual abuse in which poor children were promised wealth in exchange for their help [|(11)]. During this time various musicians began their musical career. One of these musicians was Robert Nesta Marley aka Bob Marley. Bob Marley, a devoted disciple of rastifarianism, began his musical career in the capital of Jamaica. At first his career in music was uneventful. In the early sixties he was offered twenty dollars to record three songs for a record industry. This was a common practice in Jamica as recording industries would pay impoverished individuals small amounts of money for the rights to their music and the wealth it accrued. This continued until the mid-sixties where he met with other Jamaican musicians. Through this he met the Wailers and with it a way into the music world. His rise to fame did not happen until the seventies where his albums became internationally known for their powerful lyrics and accented off beats common with Caribbean music [|(11)].

media type="youtube" key="KyLLlgdY2aQ" height="219" width="240" align="right" **1970** Bob Marley gained success during this decade with the mainstreaming of his songs and albums. These songs incorporated the ideals of freedom from oppression, freedom from discrimination, and overall equality. These motifs were common of his music as he spoke of freedom from discrimination and the isms of the world in his song "One Drop" and many others paying homage to the plight of the oppressed. In addition to this, the seventes brought with it another form of music called Soca. **//Soca//** was a mixture of performance with music as women project their bodies to the world through dancing and movement [|(12)].

The influence of Reggae music on the western musical world was great. Some genres such as Punk merged or 'fused' together with reggae, creating mixtures of music similar to the seperate genres, but with unique aspects thrown in. An example of this would be Ska-Punk [|(6)]. This blending of musical lines was not unique to Punk music as more and more genres integrated aspects of other genres. In fact many genres fused even later on in the year of 2010 and onward.

media type="youtube" key="Ou_ZBxWvjGs" height="165" width="262" align="right" **1980** The advent of the eighties brought with it a time of sorrow for Reggae listeners with the death of popular Caribbean artist Bob Marley [|(9)]. He died on May 11, 1981 at the young age of thirty-six from cancer. Bob Marley knew he was dying and imparted his advice for his followers in the following video. After his death came an influx in his popularity with more and more people listening to his music. In addition to this, the eighties marked a period of time when Reggae music began to become immersed into the culture of the world. Examples of this are evident in the clothing of the eighties and the film industry adaptations.

media type="youtube" key="BpqdexBnNkM" height="185" width="283" align="right" **1990** An interesting aspect of the nineties was the continual integration of Jamaican culture into realms of film and entertainment worldwide. One of many examples would be the Disney movie called "The Little Mermaid". In that cartoon, Sebastian the crab, represented a Rastafarian person [|(10)]. This was seen with the off beat accents of his speech and the distinctly Caribbean slant of the song "Under the Sea." The movie came out just a year before this decade, but was nominated in 1990. The striving of the Western world for something new and unique made it possible for cultures to mingle. Whether it is music, language, or styles, there will always be diversity through globalization.

**2000** Rastafarian protest against the symbols of the Western culture was once more observed at a murder of thirteen parishioners in a St. Lucian church. The crime was called to be one of the most significant post-colonial murders committed by Rastafarian followers [|(4)]. One of the reasons for such a crime is the past of African people who got dragged across the ocean to be enslaved. The oppression and bad treatment of Caribbeans was very likely the trigger for this event. One may even observe it in the modern-day U.S. that racism still exists, same will apply to the people on the Caribbean isles, even though it was fairly recent. Radical protest against white people has been occurring all throughout the time of slavery and beyond, but this is one of the most prominent acts of violence towards white people in recent Caribbean history. To exemplify the seriousness of this event here is a quote from one of the protesters. He said: "//I continued what I was doing. I poured gas on him; he ran out on the street. I also saw a white woman with nun clothes on her coming inside of the church from Laboria Street, and when she saw me, she turned back and I struck her with the 2×2 [canister] on the back of her head, and she fell//" [|(4)]. The other parishioners at the church were burned alive. They justified this act of violence as a protest "...for the equal rights and justice and for the freedom of [their] nation" [|(4)].

Well what is with Reggae today? There are many branched forms of it and they are called Reggae Fusion. An example of a song like that would be "Price Tag" by Jessie James. one can clearly hear the Reggae elements that are unique in the genre, but also the more modern influences of pop and hip-hop. It also has the slow and relaxed progression as we are used to hearing in Reggae songs. Of course this is not the only song and not the only genre that mixed with Reggae. As previously discussed, many genres borrowed Reggae elements media type="youtube" key="qMxX-QOV9tI" height="155" width="280" align="left"from time to time. This is nothing new, for example, during the Orientalism period many poets started writing about the magical stories of the Middle east because they were fascinated by it; well the same concept applies in this case. Music spreads globally since the invention of the LP and gives people the chance to get introduced to all kinds of genres and styles.Just like many other forms of music, Reggae branched out into different sub-genres and was used in genres like pop, hip hop,and rock. This blending of genres, or 'fusion' as it is known as, is a direct result of globalization.
 * 2010 to Present Day**

Influences of Reggae music continue to occur as lyrics from "Get Up Stand Up" by Bob Marley were chanted by demonstrators at the Occupy Wall Street rallies in 2011. Other examples of these are evident as current musicians from across the world pay homage to the ideals of equality promoted by Bob Marley. In 2008, two Serbian musicians unveiled a gold statue of Bob Marley at their concert to show their respect to the historical leader and his drive for equality for all.[| (11)] While the Reggae of the sixties and seventies may appear as non-existent it remains a large part of the musical industry.

**Conclusion**
While Caribbean music has been forgotten as a popular choice of music, it still remains as an influence. These influences are seen in films and music as these industries have borrowed aspects of music and fused them with others. Examples of these are seen in Shark Tale, Euro trip and other recent films that use Caribbean music or traits in the movies. Even though the music originated from slave songs and was influenced strongly by the colonization, Caribbean music remains a distinct entity and has evolved from it base slave roots. These evolutions have occurred throughout the history of the Caribbean Islands as each decade has built upon the previous ones. This progression of music is evident as contemporary genres of Caribbean music were created from blending one genre with another. An example of this is Ska-Punk which blends the Ska music of the sixties with modern-day punk. The cross-over and merging of music continues to take shape as new blends of music continue to arise with more and more musicians appearing. When one thinks of Caribbean music a picture of Bob Marley might appear, but in the future who knows what will happen. These cross-overs will continue and all genres of music will eventually impact one another. Overall the Caribbean musical development might have been the first to integrate globally, but it will certainly not be the last.

Citations:
(2) Acosta, Leonardo. “The Year of 1898 in the Music of the Caribbean: Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Machinations of the U.S. Music Industry.” //Centro Journal// 16.1 (2004): 6-16. //Academic Search Complete//. Web. 19 Dec. 2011.

(8) Benard, Akeia A. “The Material Roots of Rastafarian Marijuana Symbolism.” //History & Anthropology// 18.1 (2007): 89-99. //Academic Search Premier//. Web. 21 Dec. 2011.

(5) Blumberg, Jess. “Rasta Revealed.” //Smithsonian// Jan. 2008: 34. //History Resource Center: World//. Web. 19 Dec. 2011.

(4) Griffin, Elmer Glenn A. “Come, We Go Burn Down Babylon: A Report on the Cathedral Murders and the Force of Rastafari in the Eastern Caribbean.” //A Caribbean Journal of Criticism// 21 (2006): 1-18. //Literary Reference Center//. Web. 20 Dec. 2011.

(7) Guiton, Derek. “Seeing ras Tafari Plain: a Phenomenological Viewpoint.” //British Journal of Educational Studies// 33.3 (1985): 262-277. //Education Research Complete//. Web. 20 Dec. 2011.

(6) Pareles, Jon. “POP REVIEW; A Fusion of Punk and Reggae That Has Lasted.” //New York Times// 3 Oct. 1994: 12. //Newspaper Source Plus//. Web. 20 Dec. 2011.

(12) Pinto, Samantha. “’Why Must All Girls Want to be Flag Women?’: Postconial Sexualities, National Reception, and Caribbean Soca Performance.” //Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism// 10.1 (2010): 137-163. //Academic Search Complete//. Web. 18 Dec. 2011.

(1) Pulwarty, Roger S, Leaonard A Nurse, and Ulric O Trotz. “Caribbean Islands in a Changeing Climate.” //Environment// Nov.-Dec. 2010: 16-27. //Academic Search Complete//. Web. 19 Dec. 2011.

(3) “Rastafarianism.” //The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia//. Columbia University Press, 1 Nov. 2011. Web. 20 Dec. 2011.

(9) “Reggae fans in Jamaica mark 30th anniversary of death of reggae icon Bob Marley.” //The Canadian Press// 11 May 2011: n. pag. //Newspaper Source Plus//. Web. 21 Dec. 2011.

(11) Ruff, Rex. //Bob Marley Life and Legacy//. N.p., 2011. Web. 21 Dec. 2011. .

(10) United States. //The Little Mermaid, 1989//. //Library of Congress//. LOC, n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2011.

By Ryan Webb and Yuriy Hintze