Cadence Country Reggae

Cadence, Country, Reggae (2.XXII.i).

Symbolically western, European and American music are mingled with more traditional music of Jamaica with a particular cadence. Cadence (Bib:OED): '1b. The measure or beat of music, dancing, or any rhythmical movement… c. Local or national modulation, 'accent'. … 4. Music. The conclusion or 'close' of a musical movement or phrase'. 'Country' refers to country-and-western, 'a type of music originating in the southern and western United States, consisting mainly of rural or cowboy songs accompanied by a stringed instrument such as the guitar or fiddle' (Bib:OED). Reggae is a 'kind of popular music, of Jamaican origin, characterized by a strongly accentuated off-beat and often a prominent bass; a dance or song set to this music' (Bib:OED).

Cadence (or cadence-lypso) is a French Antillean dance music highly popular in St Lucia in the 1970s. Unlike the English language calypso, it is a French Creole-based form originating in Dominica and Guadeloupe and a development of Haitian Creole compas (or konpas direk). It was one of the forms that later were blended into the zouk (‘party’) form popular in the 1980s. The early lyrics of cadence often dealt with social issues and as such it was more of a political form than zouk, which developed largely as entertainment music. In St Lucia the political aspect was less strong, possibly because of difficulty in understanding other Creole dialects, and the music was more of an excuse for Jump Up (street party). The cadence style is claimed to be developed in Guadeloupe by the group Exile One led by Dominican musician Julie Mourillon and for a while became the main dance music of Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, St Lucia and other French Creole islands.

Amanda Hopkins : 28 Jun 2007 15:35 |  Tags: Cadence Country Raggae Colonialism Context Glossary St Lucia |  Comments (0) |  Trackbacks (1) |  Report a problem