London Carnival image courtesy of BBC
Carnival is an important festival held in the Caribbean.
It has been called 'the greatest party on Earth'
In 1964, the first Carnival was held in the Notting Hill area of London. Because it was such a success, it became a regular event.
Since that time it has grown and grown, until it has become the biggest carnival in Europe.
During carnival, great music is everywhere, performed on stages or moving floats. During carnival, sound systems are set up by professional crews.
Sound Systems
Sound systems' teams brought portable sound systems to different places. The team would set up the system, and play records. They drew crowds by playing music and by talking over the loudspeakers.
DJs and their sound systems became a very important part of Jamaican musical life. They influenced the way music developed in the Caribbean and in other parts of the world. The best DJs didn't just play records. They were also talented performers. They would comment on, or join in with the records. They would also entertain dancers by rhyming on all sorts of subjects .
During the 1950s most Jamaicans heard American Rhythm and Blues by artists like Fats Domino and Roy Brown at dances. Sound crews competed with each other to play the best and most up-to-date singles through trips to the USA.
Although R&B began to give way to Soul in the USA , there was a continued demand from Jamaican teenagers. Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd, Arthur 'Duke' Reid and others began to record local Jamaican bands.
Although first attempts closely copied New Orleans style R&B, recordings revealed a new and unmistakably Jamaican musical character.
The creative use of sound systems eventually combined with Radio DJ styles of presentation in subsequent developments of Rap and Hip-Hop.
- Research Rhythm and Blues in the USA
- Listen to New Orleans R&B numbers and create their own play lists.