IslandMix - Soca, Reggae, Zouk and Caribbean Entertainment

My question is what exactly took Reggae/Dancehall music over the top of Soca/Calypso music in terms of better success...being that they both got strong starts from popular islands...What was more appealing about R/DH?

Bob Marley

Simple Reggae sings more about reality while most soca/calypso songs are more of a party nature.

"THE HARDER THEY COME" did it for the ENTIRE Caribbean...that MOVIE and SOUNDTRACK was the CATALYST.

Bob Marley + Non Lacadasical nature of Jamaicans + Jamaicans being perceived as Cool by Americans + the danceability of Reggae ( it's slow enough to dance to ) + songs about Weed ( it's cool to talk about ) + Hard Work + Jamaicans with ties to the industry = Reggaes success

( Everything above ) + Lots of spanish people = Reggaetons success

Check that again..there are calyso about social commentary..it not all jam and whine

here I was thinking it was Bob Marley.....


Bob Marley was a major infuence, but the music was able to break cultural barrieres/cross over into other genre's of music..I've yet to see Soca cross over into other genre's successfully ...

So would anyone say that it was the artist in the reggae/dh genre vision to see the need to appeal worldwide before the soca/calypso artist which cause their success first?

Roti king....made a valid point it is a combination as well as the fact that it is considered cool

in the Uk I found alot of the Asians singing Sizzla hard....do they understnd most of the words...NO
do they even get the messages....sometimes.....
but for them reggae and weed go together....and right now that is cool.....and I figure the same goes with the young whites too.

and I love me some reggae but like all other genres they does got some sh*t in the mix that still becomes popular.

On the other hand soca is seen as summer music.......

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We going from Sun til Sun.......

not me cuz it much the intentions of the artists of both genre's to see their music go worldwide.
it is one thing to be the man in your specific genre but it takes a lot to cross over.

Look at Sean Paul for instance. not the best artiste- but he has a clear voice - and that counts for a lot.
Bob for instance was Rastafarian- I dont think the world had ever seen a black Rastafarian jumping on stage saying the things he was saying.

Harry Belafonte & Jimmy Cliff gave Bob marley the blueprint and he Marley executed the plan flawlessly....


Plus the drive in them...you have youths as young as 5 in the ghetto ready to step up and toast.

Mannn, JIMMY CLIFF was MASHING up de PLACE before MARLEY.

Jimmy was good, but we all know he wasnt no Bob Marley.....

Pineman : what about Belafonte? day a light and yu waan go home?

JIMMY CLIFF was GOOD? GOOD?

Mannn, U CRAZEE or WAH??

Jimmy CLIFF is a LEGEND....great ARTIST.

Well if you don't know ( Belafonte ) I am not going to tell you...

Yes, Jimmy is no Bob, but Jimmy came way before Marley...it was Jimmy along with other that Bob seek out when he wanted to elevate his skills.