Every true fan of Jamaican music is aware of general genre categories such as “ska,†“rocksteady,†“reggae,†or “dancehall.†But how useful are these labels? When you consider that “rocksteady†existed for only 2 years and some might say that “reggae†has been going for 40, is it meaningful to compare them?
The fact is that since 1959, every 1-2 years there has been a new trend in Jamaican musical style. (By “style†we mean the rhythmic groove of the music.) Although Jamaican music often pays homage to its “roots,†it is remarkable (to us as non-Jamaicans) how fast a style becomes considered outdated. As anachronous groups proliferate outside of Jamaica, most listeners don’t appreciate this “dated†aspect.
The shifts from one style trend to the next have been surprisingly clear. This is in large part due to the somewhat insulated trajectory of the Jamaican music industry and the phenomenon of a limited pool of studio musicians. With the advent of ragga (digital productions), the nature of this phenomenon shifted, and yet it remains intact.
The goal of the School of Reggay project is to map these style shifts, both in terms of dating/chronology and which musicians instigated them. In the process, we end up seeing the contributions of the (usually) “unsung†creators of Jamaican music: its instrumental musicians. We are interested particularly in how the various rhythm styles developed from both native Jamaican material and foreign influences.
The project’s method of working is in its second phase. The first phase was to identify, in rough form, each micro-genre (style lasting a few years) and create a representative discography arranged chronologically and with notes on musicians, producers, and other historical context. The present, second phase involves various “co-instructors†delving deep into the recordings to find what specifically makes each style unique. We then play the grooves, as the final test of understanding them physically. In the process (often making even finer distinctions of genre along the way) we understand and experience how each earlier style shaped later trends.
This MySpace page is a place to share some of our “findings†along the way. More importantly, we want to connect with others with whom to dialogue on these issues and learn from the musicians and experts; taking such a broad approach, it is impossible for us to be “experts†on each individual style. We welcome responses in the form of comments, blogs and Youtube vlogs. Please subscribe to our blog!
Regards,
School of Reggay Staff
