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Placing the Music: Kingston, Reggae Music, and the Rise of a Popular Culture

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Sounds and the City

Part of the book series: Leisure Studies in a Global Era ((LSGE))

Abstract

In this chapter, we illustrate how place becomes embedded in the production of popular Jamaican music, and how music can serve as a fulcrum for reimagining and transforming urban landscapes. We examine the evolution of popular Jamaican music from its early rural-based origins during slavery to the urban music forms that emerged in the post-colonial era. We trace the birth and rise of reggae as a subset of popular Jamaican music linked to a specific period in time (post-independence/post-colonial), technological evolution (the rise of private music studios and sound systems) and population shifts from rural to urban areas and the subsequent growth of Kingston’s inner-city communities. The chapter also examines the urban roots of reggae music including the social and economic conditions leading to its birth and popularity. Here we provide a brief history of Kingston to better understand how and why reggae emerged in specific parts of the city.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS.

  2. 2.

    http://statinja.gov.jm/Census/PopCensus/PopulationUsuallyResidentin​JamaicabyParish.aspx.

  3. 3.

    Comprises a ruling class, political order, or government composed of (or dominated by) plantation owners (similar to ‘slavocracy’).

  4. 4.

    Though the practice of integrating popular songs in local election campaigns in Jamaica dates back to the 1920s, it is commonly agreed that the 1970s was the most prolific period of political songs (see Higgins 2014: ‘Politics songs’ and Michael Manley’s message, Jamaica Observer).

  5. 5.

    Part of Manley’s political paraphernalia was a rod he claimed was given to him by Haile Selassie. Manley would normally wave his ‘rod of correction’ at political meetings mimicking biblical figures such as Moses, Aaron, and Abraham. Manley also nicknamed himself Joshua, the Old Testament figure who led the Jews into Canaan after they had spent 40 years wandering in the Sinai desert.

  6. 6.

    Confrontation like these heightened between inner-city residents and security forces shortly after the Noise Abatement Act was enacted in 1996. The Act prevents public entertainment events from going beyond 2:00 a.m. The Act itself has come under heavy criticism for its alleged bias against Dancehall events.

  7. 7.

    It is not uncommon for artists to refer to particular places in their songs and albums, example Trench Town (Bob Marley), August Town (Duane Stephenson) and Spanish Town (Chronixx).

  8. 8.

    Palmer was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder in 2014.

  9. 9.

    http://www.damianmarleymusic.com/tour.

  10. 10.

    He ranks 11th: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/the-beach-boys-20110420.

  11. 11.

    The Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall is an annual talent competition that showcases young dancehall artists in front of a live audience and three judges. The competition is aired live on local television and the reigning King and Queen not only win cash prizes but also gain an opportunity to get their hit songs recorded.

  12. 12.

    This also relates to recent tensions around well-known pop stars in North America incorporating ‘light Patois’ and co-opting elements of dancehall in their songs. See, for example: https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/65z7jz/jamaica-dancehall-reggae-pop-appropriation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA

    Kevon Rhiney

  2. Université des Antilles, Martinique, France

    Romain Cruse

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  1. Kevon Rhiney
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  2. Romain Cruse
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Correspondence to Kevon Rhiney .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK

    Brett Lashua , Stephen Wagg , Karl Spracklen  & M. Selim Yavuz , ,  & 

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Rhiney, K., Cruse, R. (2019). Placing the Music: Kingston, Reggae Music, and the Rise of a Popular Culture. In: Lashua, B., Wagg, S., Spracklen, K., Yavuz, M.S. (eds) Sounds and the City. Leisure Studies in a Global Era. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94081-6_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94081-6_4

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

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