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[Vieo]

Probably one of the least talked about genres of music... maybe only a notch higher than Opra and Country. :lol

My parents (as well as a lot of others in my family, extended family) come from Barbados or some other island. I've heard my fair share of Calypso, Reggae, Soca, etc. in the house growing up over the years.

Anyway, I just got the wondering; what's the difference between each of the types? To me, they all sound almost identical. =P

Also, who are some really famous artists from this genre of music? I know theres Bob Marley, but that's all everyone ever talks about. He didn't invent the stuff, did he?

And as a final question, who or what is "The Mighty Sparrow" ?

 

[Days like these...]

Don't know many artists I can tell you that soca and calypso are much more upbeat than reggae (not dancehall). Masters At Work released a joint couple years back called 'Work' it's a real nice socca track. Thats what got me into this music. You might also like Afro pop since your into these genres. Find some songs By the late great Fela Kuti and his son Femi Kuti

 

[DaCocoBrova]

My Dad's parents are from Barbados. They passed on well before I was born though...

 

[Jim Bowie]

Yay! I can rep 1st and 2nd wave ska!

Ska is an offshoot of reggae, which is an offshoot of calypso. Ska features odd, offbeat guitars, keyboard leads, and later on, brass instruments. Usually led by typical dancehall vocals (the wavery, unsure-of-itself warble).

Classic first wave would be stuff like King Buster, the Skatalites, and the Braces. First wave and reggae tend to get lumped together quite often, as they have sort of a similiar sound. First wave tends to have a little more... bounciness, I suppose will work.

Classic second wave is like The Specials, Selector, Madness, The Toasters, and Skarface. Second wave added sort of a punk rock feel to the ska beats, adding a more guitar-centric layout and heavier bass. The lyrics also changed to mirror 70s era punk rock (Sex Pistols, the Germs, X, some Ramones, Velvet Underground).

Third wave, as we mostly know via the 7th grade, is when punk rock fully intergrated with ska. Guitar invasion, keyboards left, and brass instruments took over. I just thought I'd end the wave, even if this is sort of off-topic. Classic third wave includes Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, Catch 22, Streetlight Manifesto, The Hippos, and Mu330.

 

[FnordChan]

Anyway, I just got the wondering; what's the difference between each of the types? To me, they all sound almost identical. =P

I'm hardly an expert, but I have enough vague knowledge to give you an outline. I'm cheating by referencing the Wikipedia entry for "reggae", which contains links to various other styles and whatnot. Briefly:

Calypso - Afro-Carribean music, started in the early 20th century, influenced by African rhythms and French popular music of the time. Often very political. Artists: Lord Invader, Lord Kitchner, Mighty Sparrow, Harry Belafonte.

Ska - A combination of Jamaican traditional music, calypso, and American R&B. Emerged during the late-50s/early-60s. Artists: Prince Buster, U-Roy, The Skatalites.

Rocksteady - Slowed down the tempo of ska, sort of a reggae precursor, starting in the late 60s. Artists: Anton Ellis, The Paragons, Darrick Morgan, Toots and the Maytals.

Reggae - To quote the Wiki entry: "Reggae is founded upon its rhythm style, which is characterized by regular chops on the backbeat, played by the rhythm guitarist." You'll know it when you hear it. Developed by Jackie Mittoo (who is freakin' awesome) and producer Coxsone Dodd at Studio One in the late 60s. Influenced by (though not strictly associated with) Rastafarianism. Artists: Bob Marley, natch. Also, Black Uhuru, Burning Spear.

Dub - Reggae songs are turned into instrumental remixes, emphasizing the drums and bass and adding in a lot of heavy production: echo, sound effects, etc. Developed by King Tubby and Lee "Scratch" Perry in the early 70s. See also Scientist, Mad Professor.

Dancehall - A reggae off-shoot that adds "toasting" (rapping) over dance-oriented reggae, generally without the Rastafarian influence. Late 70s/early-80s, with lots of recent crossover success (i.e. Shaggy). Sean Paul, Dawn Penn, Miss Thing are some names I know, but my knowledge here is more than a bit vague.

Soca - A mixture of calypso with Indian (particularly "chutney") dance rhythms, credited to Lord Shorty in the 60s. I really don't know enough about the artists to comment...however, I can attest to the raw power of Destra, particularly her recent songs such as "Bonnie and Clyde" and "Negative Vibes".

That's what I know. Thanks to the various Wiki entry authors and the fine folks at Soul Jazz Records for helping me cobble together those descriptions. I'd love to see someone who really knows what they're talking about (kudos to Jim Bowie for describing the various ska waves) expand and/or correct my descriptions, particularly regarding Dancehall and Soca.

FnordChan (version)

 

[Synthetic]

bangbangbeedeebangbangbengbenglengleyloyngbopdeebopnoilenglenglingloing

name that artist!

 

[Vieo]

bangbangbeedeebangbangbengbenglengleyloyngbopdeebopnoilenglenglingloing

WTF? Bah!


Anyway, that's pretty interesting info even if I don't understand 50% of it. :lol

I guess that answers who Mighty Sparrow is as well.

 

[Synthetic]

hint

 

[nitewulf]

i can distinguish between the genres, but i'm not familiar with the formal definitions.

reggae is easy to distinguish (roots, not dancehall), it has that guitar/keyboard chop every other beat. usually very laid back. i cant really distinguish between rocksteady and reggae...
example: charlie chaplin - entertainer

dub - what fnordchan wrote...pretty much. instrumental reggae, deep bass and beats.
example - augustas pablo

dancehall is just that, faster and harder beats with rapping. stuff that you dance in the clubs to. reggae modified for the modern club scene.
example: beanie man/cutty ranks etc

soca is faster than reggae, if you ever heard kevin lyttle's "turn me on", thats soca. soca beats are more "festive" if you will, whereas dub/reggae/rocksteady is more "laidback".

think about it, with old school reggae, you grab the girl and move with every other beat, with dancehall and soca you could do lots of other stuff