The islands of the Caribbean have a collection of nations and cultures around the Caribbean Sea with their own distinctive music. The genre of Caribbean Music encompasses a diverse variety of musical styles and traditions. The styles range anywhere from traditional folk genres such as the Puerto Rican Aguinaldo and Jamaican mento to more contemporary music such as salsa and reggae. The Caribbean people are uniquely inventive when it comes to music. There is almost a different rhythm for every island.
Caribbean music uses a wide range of instruments. They use percussions (bongos, steel drums, tambourine, claves, maracas, etc); they also use strings (guitar, banjo, cuatro, sitar, etc). All these instruments play melody as well as rhythm.
Caribbean music is sometimes about protest and social commentary it is almost always about dancing, religious celebrations or traditions. The rhythms are compulsive and incredibly lively. The drum rhythms and performance style which involves improvisation over repeated patters and long passages of call- and- response for the singers.
A person who has taking this genre into an international phenomenon was Bob Marley. He was and still is the most
The percussion creates a prominent bass line offbeat and syncopation. While the rattles, banjo, guitar combine which they create a harmonic accompaniment. Also there sometimes is a simple harmony based on repetition of two chord patters. Caribbean music uses mainly two devices, pentatony and call- and- response.
Jamaican music is used for celebration, to tell stories, entertainment and to join men and women together (dancing) and special occasions.
Many people love the music of the Caribbean because of their strong beats and funky rhythms. Jamaican music is deeply entrenched in the musical culture of the world, and will likely continue to that way for a long, long time.
A guide to music- Around the World by Peter Dunbar Hall
By Matthew Ha
7 White
