From reggae to calypso, the rainbow of sounds that originate from the Caribbean are as rich and full of life as the culture of the islands themselves. Paradise is ready and waiting. Just kick back and get lost in the music that makes the Caribbean both so distinctive and well loved. Jamaica is an exotic escape for honeymooners and holidaymakers alike, but the musical impact of this small sunny island really packs a punch! Today many more styles have risen from the island, popular genres such as dancehall and ska get people from every corner of the world grooving. With both African and Western influences, the distinctive styles that can be heard on the island include calypso, rocksteady and ragga.

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But the song was born of the genius of Arrow, a calypso and soca star from the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat. Pioneering female Jamaican dancehall singer Sister Nancy recorded this slow-burn classic in Kingston, Jamaica rapper Sean Paul topped the international charts with the driving beat of this dancehall hit. I hear this song and immediately think of a conga line.
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When you think of Caribbean music, the image of Bob Marley holding his guitar or Peter Tosh sporting a beret may come to mind. Some you may know, others may be new to you. The many musical variations in the region are a perfect example of how rich and varied Caribbean culture remains today, and they each have a story to tell about their place of origin. Reggae, Jamaica. Reggae was developed in Jamaica in the late s, and has since gone worldwide—just like Jamaican food. Yes, Bob Marley remains the most popular reggae artist and he spread reggae around the globe, but Toots and the Maytals were other popular founders of the genre. It blends Latin rhythms as well as funk and soul for a livelier, dance-oriented beat than some may be familiar with when they listen to traditional calypso music. It traveled widely across the Caribbean to islands like Grenada, St.
Caribbean music genres are diverse. They are each syntheses of African , European , Indian and Indigenous influences, largely created by descendants of African slaves see Afro-Caribbean music , along with contributions from other communities such as Indo-Caribbean music. Some of the styles to gain wide popularity outside the Caribbean include, bachata , merenque , palo , mombo , denbo , baithak gana , bouyon , cadence-lypso , calypso , chutney , chutney-soca , compas , dancehall , jing ping , parang , pichakaree , punta , ragga , reggae , reggaeton , salsa , soca , and zouk. Caribbean is also related to Central American and South American music. The history of Caribbean music originates from the history of the Caribbean itself. That history is one of the native land invaded by outsiders; violence, slavery, and even genocide factor in. Following Christopher Columbus' landing, Spain claimed the entire region as its own. That didn't sit well with either the natives or Spain's European neighbors; within a few years, bloody battles raged across the islands of the Caribbean, fought by Spain, France, England, Denmark, and the Netherlands.