Jamaican Music

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2010-12-04T01:29:00.000-08:00

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2010-12-02T20:08:00.000-08:00

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2010-12-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

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2010-12-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

2010-12-02T10:34:00.001-08:00

http://www.google.com.jm/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=11&ved=0CHQQFjAK&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mixpod.com%2F&ei=ruX3TNmzCYO2sAOh4pzmAQ&usg=AFQjCNFJxno_2PPWKFoOCdiAWZ85IM9keg

2010-12-02T10:33:00.001-08:00

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2010-12-02T10:32:00.001-08:00

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2010-12-02T06:54:00.000-08:00

Jamaican Culture And Jamaican Traditions

Amaican culture can be aptly described as the Jamaican human activity within different aspects of everyday life that relate to Jamaican traditions. Jamaican culture can be divided into several sectors or sects, usually called Jamaican aspects of culture.

Origin: Jamaican culture is defined as the origin of its entire population. The Jamaican culture is mixed as most of the society is ethnically diverse. There are several nations and peoples, the majority are African, then Indian and Chinese, then the minority being European. There is a North American contingent but they did not contribute to the origin and main stream Jamaican society.

Traditions: Jamaican traditions assist in defining the culture of the society. Jamaican traditions are ritualistic acts that are carried out over a specific period of time or at a specific event. This is very prevalent in Jamaican society and is fundamental in defining Jamaican culture. The most popular Jamaican traditions are for most national holidays, such as Christmas cake, Sorrel, pudding at Christmas time, Fried fish, lent at Easter time and other national holidays. Rituals such as the famed Nine Night after the death of a loved one are a popular Jamaican tradition that characterizes the Jamaican culture.

Cuisine: Jamaican cuisine and cooking is an important aspect of cultural embodiment. The foods and the recipes make a culture richer. The Jamaicanculture has been enriched by superb Jamaican foods such as Jerk Chicken Recipes, Jerk Pork and the infamous Red Stripe Beer. It is foods such as these that help to define Jamaican culture.

Religion: Another key indicator and unifying aspect Jamaican culture. Jamaican has developed a unique type of religion. The primary type called Pocomania which was a blend between European Christianity and African religious practices, the secondary is Rastafarianism. This religion is practically by a small amount of people in the country, hence is not really a unifying aspect but gives Jamaican culture through religion its uniqueness and hence requires mention.

Music: Reggae and its derivatives such as dance hall, rock steady are key for the development of Jamaican culture. This music has its origins in Jamaica and cannot be claimed by any other nation. The captivating type of music has led to a growing following. The music has an upbeat aspect to it’s with constant rhythmic beats.

Art and Clothing: Jamaican Art and Clothing are both very important in defining Jamaican culture. Jamaican art has steeped in the depicting Jamaican everyday life. This has manifested it self in sculptures, paintings, collage and craft works. This is a direct shift from the more abstract type of European art and even the African more morbid types of art that focus a lot on history. Jamaican art culture at most does not focus on history. Jamaican clothing does reflect culture. Though Jamaican clothing and fashion is not as popular as European and African clothing it is defined by the use of primary colors and the popular use of cotton because of the tropical climate.

Folk Lure: This is yet to be aptly recognized as a part of culture. Folk lure can often be cited as a part of Jamaican tradition however folk lure is stories and ballads passed down through the generations. However this is not really the case but folk lure and happenings are carried through in dance and drama which fall under ‘other arts’ another corner stone of culture.

Other Arts – Jamaican dance, drama and speech in culture. Primarily Jamaican culture is depicted in dance by folk music, dancing kumina, the quadrille and other Jamaican dances which tell stories of the history of Jamaican sending the message to the young through dance. This technique has kept even to this day with dancehall reggae and the many dances and dancers such as Gerald ‘Bogle’ Levy a popular Jamaican dancer of the new era that passed in 2006. Jamaican speech is defined as patois. Though this is actually incorrect as patois is really broken English and French, Jamaica really speaks broken English. The distinct accent of a Jamaican almost embodies the Jamaican culture. There is another great aspect to the arts and culture as the speech or language carries in both,music and art. Jamaica culture is unique not just to the Caribbean, but to the world and the Jamaican Diaspora has carried the Jamaican culture worldwide. It is reported that there is at least one Jamaican living in every country in the world, a most admirable feat and a huge benefit for Jamaican traditions.

2010-12-02T06:53:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Richest Jamaican Dancehall/Reggae Artistes (Alive)

So… has it ever crossed your mind, who are the richest Jamaican entertainers? Usually, we love information like these by Forbes, but too bad — this list doesn’t exist in their catalog. However, according to the Jamaica Observer, someone — whosoever sat down and did a quite interesting research and so, we are not sure if these are just speculations or actual facts.
Anyways, Shaggy reportedly tops list of richest Reggae acts. There are no doubts that if this list was for the all time richest reggae musician, the number one person would be Bob Marley, with an estimated worth of over US$130 million.
Shaggy topped the list due to selling over 20 million copies worldwide of his 2001 album Hot Shot, but equally due to securing a lucrative royalty deal for that album better than 90 per cent of the industry. We spotted the list as followed below.

1. Shaggy at US$22 million (JM$1.8 billion)
2. Jimmy Cliff at US$18 million (JM$1.5 billion)
3. Sean Paul at US$11 million JM($944 million)
4. Ziggy Marley at US$10 million (JM$858 million)
5. Sean Kingston at US$7 million (JM$601 million)
6. Damian Marley at US$6 million (JM$515 million)
7. Maxi Priest at US$4.6 million (JM$395 million)
8. Buju Banton at US$4 million (JM$343 million)
9. Beenie Man at US$3.7 million (JM$318 million)
10. Bounty Killer at US$3 million (JM$258 million)

Shaggy managed to sign a sweet deal with UMG, named MCA Records at the time, where he earned (greatly on) each album sold for Hot Shot. Majority of artistes are lucky to earn $1 off each album sold. The Marley’s on the other hand having their own company to work with, puts them at an advantage to earn more off album sales.
Regarding tour dates, again each artist’s earnings vary according to their popularity and demands. Therefore, when artistes like Sean Paul or Sean Kingston would earn an average US$40,000 per tour date, other artists like Bounty and Beenie would be brushing an average US$10,000.
Sean Paul is very conservative, and it is possible that Bounty Killer accumulated that amount because he is also a conservative spender and has other businesses. Regarding Jimmy Cliff, he has been around from in the early days of reggae and has been involved in music, songwriting and movies. He did songwriting for big artistes and also got his songs covered by the likes of Bruce Springsteen with Trapped.
According to the Jamaica Observer, the total combined worth at US$90 million is greater than the annual earnings from Jamaica’s major exports including bauxite at US$85 million in 2009 (separate from the US$368 million earned from alumina exports) and sugar at US$72 million according to Bank of Jamaica statistics.
It signifies the earning potential of the nation’s music which has come under threat in recent years from international gay and government lobby groups. Consequently, all the top 10 artistes made the bulk of their income prior to the mid 2000′s.

2010-12-02T06:51:00.001-08:00

A Few Jamaican Jokes

An old couple in Jamaica was puzzled when the coffin of their dead relative arrived from foreign.
The corpse was so tightly squeezed inside the coffin that her face was practically touching the glass cover. When they opened the coffin, they found a letter pinned to her chest which read:
Dear Mama and Papa:
Mi a sen yu wha lef a Puncie fi di funeral dung deh inna Jamaica. Sarry seh mi couldn't mek di funeral cause dem seh di expenses dem too high. Yu wi find inside a di coffin, unda Puncie body:
12 can a Bully Beef
12 bottle a Posner Shampoo
12 bottle a Posner Conditioner
12 bottle a Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion
12 tube a Colgate toothpaste
Pon Puncie body is a brand new pair a Nike (size 8) fi Keefa.
Unda Puncie head is four pair a Nike fi Boysie son dem. Puncie a wear six Fubu t-shirt - one is fi Trevor and di rest fi im son dem.
Puncie a wear one dozen Wonder Bras (a fi mi favorite), jus devide dem mongst the likkle gal dem inna di district.
Di two dozen Victoria Secret panty dem dat Puncie have on is fi mi nieces and mi cousin dem.
Puncie also have on eight Levi pants, tek one fi yuhself and give di rest of dem to di likkle boy boy dem whey work pon Papa truck.
Di Swiss diman watch yu did ask mi fa de pan Puncie lef wris and di tings dem wha yu did sen come beg mi for Mama (di earrings, ring and chain), dem is where dem suppose fi wear pon Puncie body, please tek dem before anybody come fi view di body.
hope seh yu get everyting alright. Di damn palitishan dem mek yuhaffe tiefall kina way fi get tings eena di kuntri.
God bless yu and keep yu,
Your loving daughter,
Babsie
P.S. Mi a beg yu find a dress fi Puncie bury eenna.

One night a man was was relaxing watching TV when out of the kitchen
comes his wife with a pan --BOOF!-- "a who nayme Shiela?" asked the wife, "mi disya
payp eena yuh pocket wid di nayme Shiela pon it, who is she?". The man rubbing his
headback said "me and Richie did dung ah di racetrack tiddeh an dat is di nayme of di
horse weh we bet pan, a wah duh yuh?!!". So the wife apologized, kissed his
headback, and went back to her chores. 15 minutes later the wife storms out of the kitchen
again --BOOF!! BAM!!-- "A WHA DUH YUH?!!" shouted the husband, and the wife shouts
back "YUH HORSE DEH PON DI PHONE!!".

A RASTAMAN WENT TO VISIT AN OLD FAMILY FRIEND. RASTAMAN KNOCK PON DI
DOOR
AND SMADDY INSIDE SEH: " A WHO DAT"
RASTAMAN----- " I AND I, JAH RASTAFARI, KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORD:
CONQUERING LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, SON OF HAILE SELASSIE I"
THE PERSON INSIDE REPLIED: "A ME ONE DEY YAH, AN MI NAH OPEN DE DOOR
FI SO MUCH AH OONU".

Nursery Rhymes - Jamaican Style
Mary had a likkle lamb
Her father shot it dead.
Now it goes down quite a treat,
with rice and hard dough bread .
Simple Simon met a Pieman, going to de fair.
Said Simple Simon to de Pieman,
What have you got there?
Said de Pieman unto Simon,
Pies, you fool whappin, you a hidiot!!
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All de kings horses and all de kings men,
said " cha , 'im, only a egg."
Jack and Jill
Went up de hill
to have a likkle fun.
Idyat Jill forget she pill
and now them have a son.

a jamaican guy enters a resturant and while sitting at his table he notices a gorgeous woman sitting at another table alone. he calls the waiter over and asks for a bottle of the most expensive champagne to be sent over to her knowing that if she accepts it she will be his.
the waiter gets the bottle and quickly takes it over to the young lady, saying that its from the gentleman. she looks at the champagne and decides to send a note back to the jamaican, the note reads...
"for me to accept this bottle you need to have a mercedes in your garage, a million in the bank and 9 inches in your trousers."
After Reading this note the jamaican sends back a note of his own, it reads...
"jus su yuh know...me av a bran new benz an a bran new bimma park up inna mi yard, an mi av over 10 million inna de bank but nuhbaddy an mi mean NUHBADDY nah gon mek mi cut 3 inch off a wah mi av inna mi pants...suh yuh can jus sen back di

this mad dread locks man named kiddy liked my mother and when ever he sees her she would run and hide.
one day my mom was on the verandah with my sister and she spotted kiddy coming into the yard and ran into my gran aunts room to hide.
kiddy came upon the veradah calling my mom and saying he had seen her so she can come out.
now my gran aunt a big time coward took brave heart and went out to tell kiddy that my mom is not there and who he saw was two country girls who came to visit.
my aunt was fearful and wanted to get away so she lied and told kiddy that she's not feeling too well.
so kiddy said he would pray for her... he then put his hand on her head and started praying.
while he's praying all of a sudden kiddy shouted and said "RISE!!!!! my gran aunt with no hesitation jump up quick to his order. so mom asked her why she jump so quickly.... she said because she heard that he was praying for a woman the week before and he told her to rise and she did not and he gave the woman a lick in ar head.

An elderly Jamaican man lay dying in his bed. While suffering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite Jamaican pastry, 'Gizzada' wafting up the stairs. He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself from the bed.
Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort, gripping the railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs. With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen. Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table were literally dozens of 'Gizzadas'.
Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man? Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself towards the table, landing on his knees in a rumpled posture. His parched lips parted, the wondrous taste of the 'Gizzada' was already in his mouth, seemingly bringing him back to life.
The aged and withered hand trembled on its way to a 'Gizzada' at the edge of the table, when it was suddenly smacked with a 'dutch-pot' by his wife...... "Move yu back-side!" she said, "Dem ya a fe you funeral."

One day bigboy go a school an di teacher say
everybaddy fi draw sup n
So when di teacha luk pan everybaddy drawing
Di teacha seh good good
Den when it reach to bigboy him come up an di teacha dey dey a luuk pan di paypa an seh
but bigboy mi no see nutn me ongle see waan likkle dat.
So hair bigboy him now yes teacha es a plane but it dey far out u caaan seet. fuuunnny eh Thats mutombo frm santa Cruz

Once upon a time in the kingdom of Heaven, God was missing for six days. Eventually, Michael the archangel found him, resting on the seventh day. He inquired of God. "Where have you been?" God sighed a deep sigh of satisfaction and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, "Look, Michael. Look what I've made!"
Archangel Michael looked puzzled and said, "What is it?"
"It's a planet," replied God, "and I've put Life on it. I'm going to call Earth and it's going to be a great place of balance."
"Balance?" inquired Michael, still confused.
God explained, pointing to different parts of earth. "For example, northern Europe will be a place of great opportunity and wealth while southern Europe is going to be poor. Over there I've placed a continent of white people and over there is a continent of black people," God continued pointing to different countries. "This one will be extremely hot and while this one will be very cold and
covered in ice."
The Archangel, impressed by God's work, then pointed to a land mass in the Caribbean and said, "What's that one?"
"Ah," said God. "That's Jamaica the most glorious place on earth. There are beautiful beaches, blue mountains, streams, hills, and water falls
. The people from Jamaica are going to be very handsome, modest, intelligent and humorous and they are going to be found traveling the world holding good jobs. They will be extremely sociable, hardworking and high-achieving, and they will be known throughout the world as diplomats and carriers of peace, play football and go to the Winter Olympics."
Michael gasped in wonder and admiration but then proclaimed, "What about balance, God? You said there would be balance!!!"
God replied wisely, "Wait until you see the idiots that run their government."

Two years ago i visited Jamaica. I went to the hospital to visit a
friend. I overheard the nurses giggling about something one of the dying patients said.
Curious to hear the joke i asked them what it was: A nurse went up the the dying
councillor and asked him if he was feeling pain. The dying man turned to the nurse and
shouted paaaain,paaaaain tell me about PPPPPPPPP NNNNNNNNNNNNNN PPPPPPPPPPPPP
OF COURSE THIS MAN WAS A 36 YEARS VETERIAN IN THE PNP PARTY.

2010-12-02T06:50:00.001-08:00

History Of Gully And Gaza

When it comes to Dancehall now adays it seems that the biggest news is Gully verse Gaza. The word Gaza mi say and Gully mi say seem to be on every mixtape because of the Twins of Twins latest release named, you guessed it, Gully Vs Gaza. If you were to travel Jamaica you would see tags of Gully or Gaza. You hear reports of violence because of the feud. Where exactly did the feud start?
Well once upon a time Gully nor Gaza didn’t exist. Kartel was Killa’s right hand man and Mavado was just buzzing. The only war we knew of was Bounty Vs Beenie. The final round to me was on the Show Off Riddim. Hands down Bounty earned his title as the victor. All though Kartel and Beenie weren’t going at it Kartel was on Bounty’s side because he was part of the Alliance.
What happens next was much like what happened between The Game and 50 Cent. Now remember around this time D’Angel left Bounty for Mr. Moses and later on she became his wife. Kartel was chatting with Beenie, calling himself the 5 Star General, and all sorts of things Bounty would see as betrayal. This is basically what lead to Kartel being kicked out of the Alliance.
Kartel put out tracks, and records and showed the Dancehall community that him still have it and he nah need Killa fi mek money. At this point the rising star Mavado becomes Killa’s right hand man. Kartel has the Empire and he is doing him with the occasional shot to the Alliance and its members. The shots became more so at Mavado. This is when the whole Mafrado and Song Writer thing come out. There were reports of people from the camps doing drive by’s and fighting and the war was on. Both of them from different Mavado from Casava Piece and Vybz Kartel the Portmore representer. This fared into the Gully Gaza territories. The artists that supported either artist became a part of the camp.
Then Sting ‘08 come and people wanted a clash. The clash came and went with mixed feelings from fans and the artists. Kartel said he was ready to clash any day, any time, any mic. Mavado on the other say “anyway” and moves on stating that he doesn’t need to be like jack the ripper killing dead people aka Kartel.
I think Kartel won the clash because is supposed to showcase lyrical talent. Mavado barely said anything that wasn’t “level”. This is the same reason why Beenie lost to Killa on diss tracks. Mavado is more versatile as far as making songs and can create a hit, something that you can hear in the club and just dance to but Kartel is not to far behind. He has improved in that category. He has been on some conscious tracks and held his own and is also able to create witty lyrical tracks.

2010-12-02T04:27:00.000-08:00

Dancehall Artist Mad Cobra attacked and shot tonight in Breaton, Portmore. Details are still sketchy but it appears that the artist was attack and shots were fired at him as he tried to escape his attackers. It is unconfirmed but a total of nine shots were fired only two shots hitting the Dj. Currently he is in the Spanish Town Hospital bleeding from his mouth and chest .

Mad Cobra was only 26 years old when he became the first reggae artist to score a number one hit on the US Billboard pop charts. He was the first Dancehall artist to do so and only the second in all of Reggae to have that distinction.

He honed his talents on several local sound systems before entring the studio. His first single, 1989's "Respect Woman", was produced by his uncle, Tuff Gongengineer Delroy "Spiderman" Thompson. His next single, "Na Go Work", featured Tricia McKay, giving him his first hit, and bringing him to the attention of producers Captain Sinbad and Carl Nelson. Together they released a string of hit dancehall singles, including "Shoot to Kill", "Merciless Bad Boy", and "Ze Taurus", which featured tough, gangsta rap-style lyrics in keeping with the current trends of that time.

In 1994, Cobra returned with Venom, again recording with King Jammy. Jamaican hit singles from the 1994-1995 period included "Length and Bend", "Fat and Buff", and "Selassie I Rules", now adopting "conscious" lyrics. In 1996, Columbia Records released Milkman in the US market. The album peaked at #12 on Billboard's Top Reggae Albums chart and featured a minor hit, "Big Long John", which charted briefly on the US Dance and R&B Singles charts. In 1998, a track with Mr. Vegas entitled "Guns High" charted in some countries in Europe, and a number of re-releases of his Jamaican material were issued on VP. Further albums were issued in 2001 (Cobra) and 2004 (Words of Warning). Most recently, Cobra was heard on "Cobrastyle", a single from Teddybears' 2006 album, Soft Machine.

Mad Cobra was a recent judge on the popular The Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall.

2010-12-01T21:30:00.001-08:00

Mento, Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, Dancehall and all other Jamaican music forms have a very deep rooted history. Jamaicans can trace their musical roots to around the time of 1655 when the English had assumed control of Jamaica. After capturing the island from the Spanish, they continued to expand on the existing slave trade. Until the 19^th century the English imported several thousand of enslaved Africans to the Jamaica and with the Africans came new languages, new religions, new music, different cultures, beliefs and ways of life.

The British realized very early that African traditions especially singing, dancing and drumming were vital in retaining their spirit of freedom. They were also fearful that these African rituals could be used as calls to rebellions and uprisings. As a measure of control, legislation was passed in 1696 which forbade large gatherings, prayers, singing, drumming or other forms of celebration. However, despite the oppression, the Africans held close to their traditions and learned how to secretly pass these traditions down through the generations.

The interaction between Europeans and Africans created a new language which evolved into Jamaican Creole or Patois. This language was used in most Jamaican folk songs.

Jamaican folk music is probably the earliest form of Jamaican music and can be characterized into different groups. Ring games and nursery songs which carries a distinct European influence, and other forms like kumina and tambo, where the influence is clearly African. In between, are revival and mento and the performance style is always African. Before Jamaican independence, folk music was looked down upon in Jamaica and was not included in the education system. It was characterized as being lower class and was only performed by the working class. Post independence saw the acceptance of folk music and is today a common fixture at national events.

The early 1900's saw the rise of Mento in Jamaica. Mento is a Jamaican folk music form that features acoustic instruments such as an acoustic guitar, banjo, hand drums and a rhumba box. The 1950's was the golden age of mento, which greatly influenced and led to the development Ska.

Ska combines elements of Jamaican mento with American Jazz and rhythm and blues. After World War II, many Jamaicans obtained radios and frequently listened to American jazz and rhythm and blues that was brought to the island by American naval officers stationed there. In the 1950's however, Americans began listening to rock'n roll instead of jazz and R and B, and Jamaicans yearned to hear the jazz and R and B which they had come to love. In an effort to recreate the music, producers such as Clement ‘Coxone' Dodd, Prince Buster and Duke Reid which were at the time sound system operators, began producing recordings. One theory is that ska was created in a recording session by Prince Buster who instructed the guitarist to change the emphasis on various beats. The guitar began emphasizing the second and fourth beats in the bar, giving rise to the new sound. The drums were taken from traditional Jamaican drumming and marching styles. To create the ska beat, Prince Buster essentially flipped the R&B shuffle beat, stressing the offbeats with the help of the guitar.

At the time, Ska lyrics were largely influenced by the Jamaican rudeboy culture. Rudeboys was the name given to poor Jamaican youth who could not find employment, but would sometimes be hired by sound system operators and promoters to crash the parties of other promoters. They were also sometimes referred to as dancehall crashers.

When these rudeboys starting dancing a little slower to the music, the tempo of the music changed and became slower. This was the birth of rocksteady. Rocksteady is characterized as being slower than ska with a more prominent bassline. It is often said that, Alton Ellis was responsible for the music when he released the song ‘rocksteady'. The rudeboy culture was even more prominent during the rocksteady period and most of the lyrics revolved around love and the rudeboy lifestyle.

Rocksteady only lasted 2 years and led to the advent of reggae. Reggae emerged around 1968 and is commonly used to refer to all popular Jamaican music. When the tempo of the music began to slow down the music form known as reggae was created. The word reggae with regards to music comes from the song ‘Do the Reggae' by the Maytals. Other theories about the term reggae have caused a little confusion surrounding the origin of the word.

"We didn't like the name rock steady, so I tried a different version of "Fat Man". It changed the beat again, it used the organ to creep. Bunny Lee, the producer, liked that. He created the sound with the organ and the rhythm guitar. It sounded like ‘reggae, reggae' and that name just took off. Bunny Lee started using the world and soon all the musicians were saying ‘reggae, reggae, reggae.'"- Derrick Morgan

"There's a word we used to use in Jamaica called 'streggae'. If a girl is walking and the guys look at her and say 'Man, she's streggae' it means she don't dress well, she look raggedy. The girls would say that about the men too. This one morning me and my two friends were playing and I said, 'OK man, let's do the reggay.' It was just something that came out of my mouth. So we just start singing 'Do the reggay, do the reggay' and created a beat. People tell me later that we had given the sound it's name. Before that people had called it blue-beat and all kind of other things. Now it's in the Guinness World of Records."- Toots Hibbert

During the seventies and eighties, reggae achieved international acclaim with the success of groups like "The Wailers" and movies like Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come". In 1985 ‘The Best Reggae Album' category was added to the Grammy Awards. During this period reggae began to take a new form that came to be known as dancehall.

The term dancehall comes from the spaces in which popular Jamaican recordings were played by local sound systems. The music is characterized by a deejay singing and toasting (or rapping) over raw and danceable music riddims. The rhythm in dancehall is much faster than in reggae, sometimes with drum machines replacing acoustic sets.

sting hall of fame

2010-12-01T18:13:00.000-08:00

2010-12-01T17:56:00.001-08:00

Adijah Palmer (born January 7, 1976, better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist and lyricist.

Kartel has had several collaborations with international hip hop and pop stars. He has released two albums for the UK/US based labelGreensleeves Records. He was also featured twice on the Def Jamaica project,^{[citation needed]} and nominated for the Source^{[citation needed]},VIBE and UK MOBO awards, although his 2004 UK MOBO award nomination was withdrawn amidst controversy over allegedly homophobic content of his lyrics.Biography

Towards the end of 2006, due to disagreements and internal rivalries, Vybz Kartel left The Alliance, a group of dancehall artists founded byBounty Killer. Tensions arose following Kartel's continued association with Bounty Killer's longtime enemy, Beenie Man, including Kartel attending Beenie Man's wedding to Bounty Killer's ex-girlfriend, D'Angel.

Following Vybz Kartel's departure from The Alliance, a very public feud arose between him and his former collaborator Mavado. Numerousdiss tracks were released, in which each artist verbally attacked the other one and his associates over popular dancehall riddims.

The feud threatened to escalate beyond lyrics in the following months, with shootouts at the popular hangouts of the artists, and on-stage scuffles between members of each camp. This intensification prompted a police-overseen press conference in which both Mavado and Vybz Kartel publicly announced an end to hostilities and apologized to fans.

Education

Adijah Palmer attended Calabar High School in Kingston but was expelled. He completed his studies at Tutorial College, a private school in Kingston, Jamaica and graduated with English, History, Geography, and Literature at CXC levels.

Awards

2003
- Stone Love's 30th Anniversary
  - DJ of the Year

2008
- CUMA (Caribbean Urban Music Awards)

2009
- EME Awards
  - Male DJ of the Year
  - Lyricist/Songwriter of the Year
  - Song of the Year (Romping Shop ft. Spice)

2010
- EME Awards
  - Male DJ of the Year
  - Lyricist/Songwriter of the Year
  - Recording Artist of the Year

References

^ Mobo drops 'homophobic' artists BBC News, 8 September 2004
^ Unprecedented Press Conference ends feud between Vybz Kartel and Mavado Kartel made many more songs including Clarks and straight jeans n fitted . YardFlex.com Archives. Accessed December 28, 2008.
^ Adijah Palmer
^ "2009 EME Awards". EME Awards.
^ "2010 EME Awards". EME Awards.

External links

2010-12-01T17:41:00.001-08:00

Social and political changes in late-1970s Jamaica were reflected in the shift away from the more internationally oriented roots reggaetowards a style geared more towards local consumption, and in tune with the music that Jamaicans had experienced when sound systems performed live. Michael Manley's socialist People's National Party (PNP) government had been replaced with Edward Seaga's right wing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). Themes of social injustice, repatriation and the Rastafari movement were overtaken by lyrics about dancing, violence, and sexuality.

Musically, older rhythms from the late 1960s were recycled, with Sugar Minott credited as the originator of this trend when he voiced new lyrics over old Studio One rhythms between sessions at the studio, where he was working as a session musician. Around the same time, producer Don Mais was reworking old rhythms at Channel One Studios, using the Roots Radics band. The Roots Radics would go on to work with Henry "Junjo" Lawes on some of the key early dancehall recordings, including those that established Barrington Levy, Frankie Paul, and Junior Reid as major reggae stars. Other singers to emerge in the early dancehall era as major stars included Don Carlos, Al Campbell, and Triston Palmer, while more established names such as Gregory Isaacs and Bunny Wailer successfully adapted.

Music of Jamaica
Kumina - Niyabinghi - Mento - Ska -Rocksteady - Reggae - Sound systems - Lovers rock - Dub - Dancehall - Dub poetry - Toasting -Raggamuffin - Roots reggae - Reggae fusion
Anglophone Caribbean music
Anguilla - Antigua and Barbuda - Bahamas -Barbados - Bermuda - Caymans - Grenada -Jamaica - Montserrat - St. Kitts and Nevis - St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Trinidad and Tobago - Turks and Caicos - Virgin Islands
Other Caribbean music
Aruba and the Dutch Antilles - Cuba -Dominica - Dominican Republic - Haiti -Hawaii - Martinique and Guadeloupe - Puerto Rico - St. Lucia - United States - United Kingdom

Sound systems such as Killimanjaro, Black Scorpio, Gemini Disco, Virgo Hi-Fi, Volcano Hi-Power and Aces International soon capitalized on the new sound and introduced a new wave of deejays. The older toasters were overtaken by new stars such as Captain Sinbad, Ranking Joe, Clint Eastwood, Lone Ranger, Josey Wales, Charlie Chaplin, General Echo and Yellowman — a change reflected by the 1981 Junjo Lawes-produced album A Whole New Generation of DJs, although many went back to U-Roy for inspiration. Deejay records became, for the first time, more important than records featuring singers. Another trend was sound clash albums, featuring rival deejays /or sound systems competing head-to-head for the appreciation of a live audience, with underground sound clash cassettes often documenting the violence that came with such rivalries.

Two of the biggest deejay stars of the early dancehall era, Yellowman and Eek-a-Mouse, chose humour rather than violence. Yellowman became the first Jamaican deejay to be signed to a major American record label, and for a time enjoyed a level of popularity in Jamaica to rival Bob Marley's peak. The early 1980s also saw the emergence of female deejays in dancehall music, including: Sister Charmaine,Lady G, Lady Junie, Junie Ranks, Lady Saw, Sister Nancy and Shelly Thunder.

Dancehall brought a new generation of producers; Junjo Lawes, Linval Thompson, Gussie Clarke and Jah Thomas took over from the producers who had dominated in the 1970s.

King Jammy's 1985 hit, "(Under Me) Sleng Teng" by Wayne Smith, with an entirely-digital rhythm hook took the dancehall reggae world by storm. Many credit this song as being the first digital rhythm in reggae, featuring a rhythm from a Casio MT-40 keyboard. However, this is not entirely correct since there are earlier examples of digital productions, such as Horace Ferguson's single "Sensi Addict" (Ujama) produced byPrince Jazzbo in 1984. The "Sleng Teng" rhythm was used in over 200 subsequent recordings. This deejay-led, largely synthesized chanting with musical accompaniment departed from traditional conceptions of Jamaican popular musical entertainment.

Dub poet Mutabaruka said, "if 1970s reggae was red, green and gold, then in the next decade it was gold chains". It was far removed from reggae's gentle roots and culture, and there was much debate among purists as to whether it should be considered an extension of reggae.

This shift in style again saw the emergence of a new generation of artists, such as Buccaneer, Capleton and Shabba Ranks, who became the biggest ragga star in the world. A new set of producers also came to prominence: Philip "Fatis" Burrell, Dave "Rude Boy" Kelly, George Phang, Hugh "Redman" James, Donovan Germain, Bobby Digital, Wycliffe "Steely" Johnson and Cleveland "Clevie" Brown (aka Steely & Clevie) rose to challenge Sly & Robbie's position as Jamaica's leading rhythm section. The deejays became more focused on violence, withBounty Killer, Mad Cobra, Ninjaman and Buju Banton becoming major figures in the genre.

To compliment the harsher deejay sound, a "sweet sing" vocal style evolved out of roots reggae and R&B, marked by its falsetto and almost feminine intonation, with proponents likePinchers, Cocoa Tea, Sanchez, Admiral Tibet, Frankie Paul, Half Pint, Conroy Smith, Courtney Melody, Carl Meeks and Barrington Levy.

In the early 1990s songs like Dawn Penn's "No, No, No", Shabba Ranks's "Mr. Loverman", Patra's "Worker Man" and Chaka Demus and Pliers' "Murder She Wrote" became some of the first dancehall megahits in the US and abroad. Other varieties of dancehall achieved crossover success outside of Jamaica during the mid-to-late 1990s. Tanya Stephens gave a unique female voice to the genre during the 1990s.

The early 2000s saw the success of newer charting acts such as Elephant Man and Sean Paul, who has achieved mainstream success in the US and has produced several top 10 Billboard hits, including "Gimme the Light", "We Be Burnin'", "Give It Up To Me", and "Break It Off" (a duet with Rihanna). He has also had several #1 singles, "Get Busy", "Temperature" and "Baby Boy" (a duet with Beyoncé).

VP Records dominates the dancehall music market with Sean Paul, Elephant Man, and Buju Banton. VP often has partnered with major record labels like Atlantic and Island in an attempt to further expand their distribution potential particularly in the US market.

Conscious reggae

In 1992, the international backlash to Banton's violently anti-homosexual "Boom Bye-Bye", and the reality of Kingston's violence that saw the deaths of deejays Pan Head and Dirtsmansaw another shift, this time back towards Rastafari and cultural themes, with several of the hardcore slack ragga artists finding religion, and the "conscious ragga" scene becoming an increasingly popular movement A new generation of singers and deejays emerged that harked back to the roots reggae era, notably Garnett Silk, Rocker T, Tony Rebel, Sanchez,Luciano, Anthony B and Sizzla. Some popular deejays, most prominently Buju Banton and Capleton, began to cite Rastafari and turn their lyrics and music in a more conscious, rootsy direction. Many modern dancehall Rasta artists identify with Bobo Ashanti.

Reggae fusion

Reggae fusion is a mixture of reggae or dancehall with elements of other genres, such as hip-hop, R&B, jazz, rock and roll, Indian music, Latin music, drum and bass, punk rock or polka. It is closely related to ragga music. The term is also used to describe artists who frequently switch between the dancehall and reggae genres and other genres, mainly rap and r&b. It originated in Jamaica, North America and Europe, and first became popular in the late 1990s.

The culture of dancehall

Kingsley Stewart outlines ten of the major cultural imperatives or principles that constitute the dancehall worldview. They are:Donna P. Hope defines dancehall culture as a "space for the cultural creation and dissemination of symbols and ideologies that reflect the lived realities of its adherents, particularly those from the inner cities of Jamaica." Dancehall culture actively creates a space for its "affectors" (creators of dancehall culture) and its "affectees" (consumers of dancehall culture) to take control of their own representation, contest conventional relationships of power, and exercise some level of cultural, social and even political autonomy.

It involves the dynamic interweaving of God and Haile Selassie
It acts as a form of stress release or psycho-physiological relief
It acts as a medium for economic advancement
The quickest way to an object is the preferred way (i.e., the speed imperative)
The end is more important than the means
It strives to make the unseen visible
Objects and events that are external to the body are more important than internal processes; what is seen is more important than what is thought (i.e., the pre-eminence of the external)
The importance of the external self; the self is consciously publicly constructed and validated
The ideal self is shifting, fluid, adaptive, and malleable, and
It involves the socioexistential imperative to transcend the normal (i.e., there is an emphasis on not being normal).

Such a drastic change in the popular music of the region generated an equally radical transformation in fashion trends, specifically those of its female faction. In lieu of traditional, modest "rootsy" styles, as dictated by Rastafari-inspired gender roles; women began donning flashy, revealing – sometimes X-rated outfits. This transformation is said to coincide with the influx of slack lyrics within dancehall, which objectified women as apparatuses of pleasure. These women would team up with others to form "modeling posses", or "dancehall model" groups, and informally compete with their rivals.

This newfound materialism and conspicuity was not, however, exclusive to women or manner of dress. Appearance at dance halls was exceedingly important to acceptance by peers and encompassed everything from clothing and jewelry, to the types of vehicles driven, to the sizes of each respective gang or "crew", and was equally important to both sexes.

One major theme behind dancehall is that of space. Sonjah Stanley-Niaah, in her article "Mapping Black Atlantic Performance Geographies", says

Dancehall occupies multiple spatial dimensions (urban, street, police, marginal, gendered, performance, liminal, memorializing, communal), which are revealed through the nature and type of events and venues, and their use and function. Most notable is the way in which dancehall occupies a liminal space between what is celebrated and at the same time denigrated in Jamaica and how it moves from private community to public and commercial enterprise.

In Kingston's Dancehall: A Story of Space and Celebration, she writes:

Dancehall is ultimately a celebration of the disenfranchised selves in postcolonial Jamaica that occupy and creatively sustain that space. Structured by the urban, a space that is limited, limiting, and marginal yet central to communal, even national, identity, dancehall's identity is as contradictory and competitive as it is sacred. Some of Jamaica's significant memories of itself are inscribed in the dancehall space, and therefore dancehall can be seen as a site of collective memory that functions as ritualized memorializing, a memory bank of the old, new, and dynamic bodily movements, spaces, performers, and performance aesthetics of the New World and Jamaica in particular.

These same notions of dancehall as a cultural space are echoed in Norman Stolzoff's Wake the Town and Tell the People. He notes that dancehall is not merely a sphere of passive consumerism, but rather is an alternative sphere of active cultural production that acts as a means through which black lower-class youth articulate and project a distinct identity in local, national, and global contexts. Through dancehall, ghetto youths attempt to deal with the endemic problems of poverty, racism, and violence, and in this sense the dancehall acts as a communication center, a relay station, a site where black lower-class culture attains its deepest expression. Thus, dancehall in Jamaica is yet another example of the way that the music and dance cultures of the African diaspora have challenged the passive consumerism of mass cultural forms, such as recorded music, by creating a sphere of active cultural production that potentially may transform the prevailing hegemony of society.

Contradictions in dancehall culture

Despite dancehall culture's ability to challenge social inequality, it is a hybridization of American aesthetics and the hardships of Kingston, Jamaica. Kingsley Stewart writes that the "Jamaican cultural model or worldview" has been very influenced by that which it was arguably created to oppose, namely Babylon or the Western influence. This is seen, in the more obvious sense, in the use of gun talk by artists like Buju Banton and Capleton, or the sporting of bling-bling by "Gangsta Ras" artists like Mavado and Munga. The term Gangsta Ras, which seeks to reconcile thuggish imagery with Rastafari is an example of how in dancehall, "the misuse of Rastafari culture has diluted and marginalised the central tenets and creed of the Rastafari philosophy and way of life".

What Kingsley regards as the "socioexistential imperative to transcend the normal" is exemplified by artists like Elephant Man and Bounty Killer doing things to stand out, such as putting on a synthetic cartoonish voice or donning pink highlights while constantly re-asserting one's hypermasculine attributes. The need for one to be different and to be a superstar, as opposed to merely being talented, is a relatively new phenomenon which can be said to have started with western celebrities and rock stars. Donna P. Hope argues that this trend is related to the rise of market capitalism as a dominant feature of life in Jamaica, coupled with the role of new media and a liberalized media landscape, where images become of increasing importance in the lives of ordinary Jamaicans who strive for celebrity and superstar status on the stages of dancehall and Jamaican popular culture.

Another point of dissension of dancehall from reggae, and from its non-western roots in Jamaica, is on the focus on materialism. Prominent males in the dancehall scene are expected to dress in very expensive casual wear, indicative of European urban styling and high fashion that suggest wealth and status. Since the late 1990s, males in the dancehall culture have rivalled their female counterparts to look fashioned and styled. The female dancehall divas are all scantily clad, or dressed in spandex outfits that accentuate more than cover one's nakedness. In the documentary It's All About Dancing, prominent dancehall artist Beenie Man argues that one could be the best DJ or the smoothest dancer, but if one wears clothing that reflects the economic realities of the majority of the partygoers, one will be ignored.

Anti-gay lyrics

Further information: Stop Murder Music

Since the popularizing of Buju Banton's dancehall song "Boom Bye Bye" in the early 1990s, dancehall music has come under criticism from international organizations and individuals over anti-gay lyrics in a few songs. In some cases, dancehall artists whose music features anti-gay lyrics have had their concerts canceled.Various singers have been investigated by international law enforcement agencies such as Scotland Yard, on the grounds that the lyrics incite the audience to assault homosexuals. In 2003, the British LGBTrights group OutRage! called for the arrest of Elephant Man for allegedly inciting the killing of gay men in his song lyrics. He was not arrested. Buju Banton's 1993 hit "Boom Bye Bye" allegedly advocates the murder of homosexuals by shooting and/or burning ("like an old tire wheel"). Many of the affected singers believe that legal or commercial sanctions are essentially an attack against freedom of speech. Some artists eventually agreed not to use anti-gay lyrics during their concerts in Europe and the United States, although some artists, such as Capleton, continue to have their concerts canceled due to the Stop Murder Music campaign.

Donna P. Hope argues that dancehall culture's anti-homosexual lyrics form part of a masculinist discussion that advances the interest of the heterosexual male in Jamaica, which is a fundamentalist Christian and deeply patriarchal society. Even while contemporary dancehall culture in Jamiaca sports images of men in pseudo-gay poses and costumes, the cultural, religious, social and gendered imperatives of the society advances and promotes the ideal man as macho and heterosexual and men who are homosexual are identified as inadequate and impure portraits of true masculinity. Dancehall music has played into and with this divide in an extreme and lyrically graphic fashion that has been rendered politically incorrect in many places globally but remains culturally relevant in Jamaica.

Dancehall dances

The popularity of dancehall has spawned dance moves that help to make parties and stage performances more energetic. Many dance moves seen in hip-hop videos are actually variations of dancehall dances. Examples of such dances are: "Like Glue", "Pon de Replay", "Tek Weh Yuhself", "Whine Up" (a mix of various genres), "Boosie Bounce", "Drive By", "Shovel It", "To Di World", "Dutty Wine", "Sweep", and "Daggering" amongst many others.

References

^ Wake the town & tell the people: dancehall culture in Jamaica By Norman C. Stolzoff
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn.", Rough Guides, ISBN 1-84353-329-4
^ Wake the town & tell the people: dancehall culture in Jamaica By Norman C. Stolzoff
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Thompson, Dave (2002) "Reggae & Caribbean Music", Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6
^ Donna P. Hope. Inna di Dancehall: Popular Culture and the Politics of Identity in Jamaica. UWI Press, 2006.
^ Vibe Sep 1993
^ Big D (2008-05-08). "Reggae Fusion". Reggae-Reviews. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
^ Reggae MC (2008-12-18). "Reggae Music: Reggae Fusion". All things Reggae. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
^ Donna P. Hope Inna di Dancehall: Popular Culture and the Politics of Identity in Jamaica. UWI Press, 2006
^ Kingsley Stewart "So Wha, Mi Nuh Fi Live To?: Interpreting Violence in Jamaica Through Dancehall Culture", Ideaz Vol. 1, No. 1, 2002: pp. 17-28
^ Mapping Black Performance Geographies By Stanley-Niaah
^ A Story of Space and Celebration, by Sonjah Stanley-Niaah.
^ Sonjah Stanley-Niaah Kingston's Dancehall: A Story of Space and Celebration, Space and Culture, Vol. 7, No. 1 2004: pp. 102 -118
^ Norman Stolzoff, Wake the Town and Tell the People: Dancehall Culture in Jamaica Durham: Duke UP, 2000. pp. 1 & 7.
^ Norman Stolzoff, Wake the Town and Tell the People: Dancehall Culture in Jamaica Durham: Duke UP, 2000. pp. 14-15
^ Kingsley Stewart "So Wha, Mi Nuh Fi Live To?: Interpreting Violence in Jamaica Through Dancehall Culture", Ideaz Vol. 1, No. 1, 2002: pp. 17-28
^ Donna P. Hope "I Came to Take My Place: Contemporary Discourses of Rastafari in Jamaican Dancehall” in Revista Brasileira Do Caribe, Volume 9, No. 18, January-June 2009, pp. 401-423
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^ Donna P. Hope. Man Vibes: Masculinities in the Jamaican Dancehall. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers, 2010
^ Donna P. Hope "The British Link Up Crew – Consumption Masquerading as Masculinity in the Dancehall" in Interventions: International Journal of Postcolonial Studies Special Issue on Jamaican Popular Culture, 6.1: April, 2004, pp. 101-117.