Classic Jamaican RockSteady Songs (sound files & information)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part series on Rocksteady music. Part I showcases sound files or videos of Jamaican artists & the songs that were influential in the creation & popularization of Rocksteady music. The featured songs in this post are "Girl I've Got a Date" by Alton Ellis, "Take It Easy" by Hopeton Lewis, "Tougher Than Tough" by Derrick Morgan and "Hold Them" by Roy Shirley.

Part II features six additional Rocksteady songs & one Rocksteady mix. Part II will be published ASAP.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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INFORMATION ABOUT ROCKSTEADY MUSIC
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocksteady
"Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966.[1] A successor to ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was performed by Jamaican vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, The Maytals, and The Paragons. The term rocksteady comes from a dance style that was mentioned in the Alton Ellis song "Rock Steady". Dances performed to rocksteady were less energetic than the earlier ska dances. The first international rocksteady hit was "Hold Me Tight" (1968) by the American soul singer Johnny Nash; it reached number one in Canada.[2]

...As a popular musical style, rocksteady was short-lived; its heyday only lasted about two years, from 1966 until spring 1968.[1] Around this time, young people from the Jamaican countryside were flooding into the urban ghettos of Kingston — in neighborhoods such as Riverton City, Greenwich Town and Trenchtown. Though much of the country was optimistic in the immediate post-independence climate, these poverty-stricken youths did not share this sentiment. Many of them became delinquents who exuded a certain coolness and style. These unruly youths became known as rude boys.

Alton Ellis is sometimes said to be the father of rocksteady for his hit "Girl I've Got a Date", but other candidates for the first rocksteady single include "Take It Easy" by Hopeton Lewis, "Tougher Than Tough" by Derrick Morgan and "Hold Them" by Roy Shirley. In a Jamaican radio interview, pianist Gladstone Anderson said that guitarist and bandleader Lynn Taitt was the man who slowed down the ska beat in 1964 during a "Take It Easy" recording session.[4] Taitt backed this up in a 2002 interview, stating "I told 'Gladdy to slow the tempo and that's how Take It Easy and rocksteady came about. Rocksteady is really slow ska."[5] The record producer Duke Reid released Alton Ellis' "Girl I've Got a Date" on his Treasure Isle label, as well as recordings by The Techniques, The Silvertones, The Jamaicans and The Paragons. Reid's work with these groups helped establish the vocal sound of rocksteady. Notable solo artists include Delroy Wilson, Ken Boothe and Phyllis Dillon (known as the "Queen of Rocksteady"). Other musicians who were crucial in creating rocksteady included keyboard player Jackie Mittoo, drummer Winston Grennan, bassist Jackie Jackson and saxophonist Tommy McCook.

Despite its short lifespan, rocksteady's influence is great. Many reggae artists began in rocksteady (and/or ska) - most commonly reggae singers grew out of rocksteady groups"...

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FEATURED EXAMPLES
(These sound files and videos are presented in chronological order based on the date of their YouTube posting, with the oldest dated example posted first.)

Example #1: Roy Shirley - Hold Them - Reggae Revival



Mikie Dread, Published on Apr 2, 2010

My late great uncle in his glory days. From a little record shop in Orange st, Kingston Jamaica, where he pushed tunes with the likes of Bob Marley, he knew the business inside out and spoke great things of the artists past and gone.. R.I.P. fada Roy
-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Shirley for more information about Roy Shirley(18 July 1944 – July 2008). Here's an excerpt from that page:
"Shirley recorded "Hold Them" in 1966, credited as one of the first rocksteady songs,[1][4] and inspired by the beat from a Salvation Army band.[3] Shirley attempted to perform "Hold Them" to a ska beat, but unable to make it work, slowed down the rhythm... The song became a massive hit in Jamaica."

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Example #2: Derrick Morgan - Tougher Than Tough (live at the 100 Club)

smoke2jointsblog•Uploaded on Jul 22, 2010
Derrick Morgan performing Tougher Than Tough, live at the 100 Club, in 2008.
-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derrick_Morgan for information about Derrick Morgan (born 27 March 1940, Mocho, Clarendon, Jamaica). In that page "Tougher Than Tough" is described as "the seminal rude boy classic".

Also, click http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3021121/posts for a recent Chicago Tribune article about Derrick Morgan who continues to perform in 2013.

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Example #3: Girl I've Got A Date - Alton Ellis - Reggae - Rocksteady



Docgreen61, Uploaded on Nov 17, 2011

"Girl I've Got A Date" sung by the late great "Alton Ellis" recorded at "Treasure Isle" a great "Rocksteady" tune
-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alton_Ellis for more information about Alton Ellis (1 September 1938 – 10 October 2008).

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Example #4: Take It Easy - Hopeton Lewis - Reggae - Rocksteady



Docgreen61, Uploaded on Nov 21, 2011

Taken from the LP "Rusty Dusties" on the "Wildflower" label,This track by "Hopeton Lewis" called "Take It Easy"
-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hopeton_Lewis for an article about Hopeton Lewis (born 30 October 1947, Kingston, Jamaica).

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RELATED LINKS
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/examples-of-comments-about-aretha.html and http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/05/rock-steady-childrens-cheer-examples.html for a two part pancocojams series on two R&B songs and children's cheerleader cheers that have the title "Rock Steady".

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the featured vocalists for their musical legacies. Thanks also to the YouTube publishers of these sound files and videos.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

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SMS - 50 Years Of Independence (Jamaican video, information, & comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post features the Reggae song "50 Years Of Independence" by SMS (Sherando Ferril, Michael Abrahams, Sakina Deer).

This video celebrates 50 years of Jamaican independence by reminding people that there is still work to do to ensure that Jamaica lives up to the ideals of its founders.

This post includes brief information about the Caribbean nation of Jamaica. Selected comments from the viewer comment thread of this video are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for historical, motivational, entertainment and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owner.

INFORMATION ABOUT JAMAICA
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica

Once a Spanish possession known as Santiago, in 1655 [Jamaica] came under the rule of England (later Great Britain), and was called Jamaica. It achieved full independence from the United Kingdom on August 6, 1962.

Motto: "Out of Many, One People"

FEATURED VIDEO
SMS (Sherando Ferril, Michael Abrahams, Sakina Deer)-50 Years Of Independence



mikeygami, Published on Jul 27, 2012

SELECTED COMMENTS
from the video's viewer comment thread http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI0VH9Bu67M&NR=1&feature=endscreen.

I've also some translations to Standard American English/African American English of the comments that were given in Jamaican Patois (Patwa). And I've also added some comments about some of these comments.

chris-ann henry:
"miss babsi yo flabsi flabsi yo need to go work pon yo absi lol"
-snip-
This sentence in Standard American English: "Miss Babs, you are flabby. You need to work on your abs. Laughing out loud."
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Bangarang
-snip-
"Bangarang" is Jamaican slang for "hubbub, uproar, disorder, or disturbance", but it also can be used as an exclamation for approval or excitement.
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Michelleh:
"Funny and true. Nicely done! Big up to the director!"
-snip-
"Big up" means the same as "Congratulations". This phrase is also used in African American English (Hip Hop) and may have come from that culture. I believe that the source of "Big up" is the "Let's give a big hand to ___", with "give big hand to" means "to give applause (handclap) to.
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ricplay7890:
"Gal a weh yuh kno bou' MEEHHHH"

#PAP UP
-snip-
The first sentence in Standard American English: "Girl, what do you know about me?"
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Mark Thomas:
"DWL...Mi luv it bad!... We are still able to laugh at ourselves."
**
First sentence: In standard American English "Mi luv it bad" = "I love it a lot." and "I really love it."

From http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dwl posted by rahman3000, July 30, 2009
"In the purely Jamaican dialect, the term, DWL, stands for "Dead Wid Laugh" roughly translated as "Dying with Laughter" or more approriately "Dying as a result of excessive laughing".
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opaltina
"Well done, a very creative video and song!"
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sixtopian
"Then the bus arrived at the airport and they all moved to Canada like Miss Lou did... And then this song became CanCon and there was much rejoicing in Toronto..."
-snip-
This comment refers to the large number of Jamaicans who have moved to Canada, including Miss Lou who was a much beloved proponent of Jamaican Patois and other aspects of Jamaican folk culture.
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Charmaine Hyman-Bennett
"love it! true words...we should be as one people living in peace, not just in Jamaica...but all over the world!"
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dondeman99
Big up the tune  mad
**
"Tune" (also often given as "chune") means "song". An equivalent African American English term is "jam".

A lot of commenters used the word "mad". In the context of those comments, "mad" means the same thing as the African American English slang "it's bad" (It's very good.)
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ZOMOFG
"It's very funny, but it also has a message.

Happy Independence everyone!"
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Jherane Patmore
"Feel The Heart and Soul of a Nation on Mission"

I love it! Good Job!
**
Lutonloy
Really entertaining, and I love the fact that we are so proud of our Jamaican culture, heritage and association.. Out of many - we are one! One love (DJ Lady Loy)
**
Baybijhem01
"I love it. Satire @ its best."

RELATED LINKS
Here are two videos in which a Caribbean host, a commentator from Haiti, and a commentator from Jamaica discuss skin color and class systems in Jamaica, in Haiti, and in South Florida which is experiencing a rise in immigration from those two nations:

PULSE: Class System in the Caribbean - Part 1/2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4dKHhnnhe4
Uploaded on Oct 29, 2009

Ingrained in Caribbean culture is an unfortunate system of bias based on someone's race, ethnicity, income, and pedigree. We discuss the origins of this class system and the way it influences both island life and large Caribbean-American communities abroad, such as South Florida.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6sVZeHSKdQ PULSE: Class System in the Caribbean - Part 2/2

Hat tip to http://afroeurope.blogspot.com/2012/12/video-black-in-caribbean-race-and-class.html?showComment=1355325762113#c7430254009830983581 Afro-Europe blog "Video: Black in the Caribbean - Race and class in Haiti and Jamaica" for posting those videos & including an ongoing discussion of those videos.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to SMS and all those involved with producing & performing in this video. Thanks also to the uploader of this video.

Thank you fof visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.

Read More

Jamaican Nine Nights Performances

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III of a three part series on Jamaican Night Nights music and dance. Part III provides videos of staged Nine Nights music & dance performances.

Part I of this series provides information about Night Nights and videos or sound files of actual Nine Nights wakes. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/08/jamaican-nine-nights-wakes-music-dance.html for Part I of this series.

Part II of this series provides information and videos of dinki mini dancing. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/08/jamaican-dinki-mini-dancing.html for Part II of this series.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, folkloric, and aesthetic purposes. This series is not meant to be a comprehensive portrayal of Jamaican Nine Nights (Set Up) music & dances.

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FEATURED VIDEOS

Example #1: UWI Singers 'Nine Night' (Part 1)



Uploaded by podimusicus on Jun 4, 2008

Watch this parodied dramatization of the Jamaican 'Nine Night' where relatives, friends, neighbours and even strangers come together to comfort each other after the death of a loved one. It is now the culminating ninth night and even the blesséd mournful must eat and ,especially, drink.

-snip-
Here's an excerpt from a longer quote about Nine Nights which provides information about this type of singing:
"Although the concept is African derived, the proceedings at a [Nine Nights] wake have a strong European Christian influence. Special hymns (sankeys) are sung emphasising the soul's journey to heaven. The singing is done in a style known as 'tracking', where someone will call out one line of the sankey at a time, and then the rest of the gathering will sing the line together."
Source: http://www.real-jamaica-vacations.com/jamaican-traditions.html

-snip-
In the United States, "tracking" is also called "lining" a song.

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Example #2: UWI Singers 'Nine Night' (Part 2)



Uploaded by podimusicus on Jun 4, 2008
-snip-
Here are several comments from this video's viewer comment thread:

wat does the guy say at 3:37 there about that cause they audience to laugh?
-ddankis, 2009

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captains bakery junk a bread.
-lorin80, 2010

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Is not 'chunk' dem seh...is 'junk'. And I do remember my mother rebuking us boys (and me especially) about "junking' de bread when wi cut off one big rahtid 'slice' an it lean no hell.
-LoveMusicBadin, 2009

**
Captain's Bakery .....something something...(Captian's Bakery is a favourite for Jamaicans..if you are not Jamaican)
-LoveMusicBad, 2011
-snip-
There are other portions of that performance in which the audience laughs, but unfortunately, no explanations are given in the comments about what prompted that laughter.

As an aside, the processional style at the end of this performance reminds me of the processional style that is shown in this video of West African Dozo Hunters: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NoKr3p8v7g "Sekouba Traore". That video is included in this pancocojams' post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/07/shared-aesthetics-west-african-dozo.html

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Example #3: Gerrehbenta Part 1 of 2



Uploaded by jstuttgart on May 16, 2010

Gerrehbenta takes its name from two of the major traditional rites practised in Jamaica. "Gerreh" in Hanover and "Dinki-Mini" which uses the musical instrument, the 'Benta', from St. Mary

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Example #4: Gerrehbenta Part 2 of 2



Uploaded by jstuttgart on May 16, 2010

Gerrehbenta takes its name from two of the major traditional rites practised in Jamaica. "Gerreh" in Hanover and "Dinki-Mini" which uses the musical instrument, the 'Benta', from St. Mary.

-snip-
Here are two comments from this video's viewer comment thread which were written in 2012:
"This is much too sanitized. Compare with real exponents of Dinky Mini. Best thing is the music, very authentic but not the dancing. In this clip, the two shirtless males probably come closest to the real thing and it is a pity that they weren't given a chance to develop their performances. There is also too much unnecessary separation of the male and female dancers. Dinky Mini is a highly sexually charged thing and this hardly comes across.
TheLegin01; 2012

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@thelegin1 they are academics so a stylized version would be expected. That said I think its a decent attempt of replicating the original. The true folk performers I fear may all be dead. So we have to accept this. It is afterall admirable to immortalize these folk performances
-jstuttgart, 2012

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RELATED LINK
For more video examples of Caribbean folk dances, click this page of my cocojams website: http://cocojams.com/content/caribbean-folk-dances. A link on that page leads to a cocojams page on Caribbean folk songs.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
My thanks to the musicians, singers, and dancers who are featured in this post. My thanks also to the producers & uploaders of these featured videos.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.

Read More

Jamaican Dinki Mini Dancing

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a three part series on Jamaican Night Nights music and dance. Part II provides information and videos of dinki mini dancing.

Part I of this series provides information about Night Nights and videos or sound files of actual Nine Nights wakes. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/08/jamaican-nine-nights-wakes-music-dance.html for Part I of this series.

Part III of this series provides videos of staged Nine Nights music & dance performances. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/08/jamaican-nine-nights-performances.html for Part III of this series.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, folkloric, and aesthetic purposes. This series is not meant to be a comprehensive portrayal of Dinki Mini or Jamaican Nine Nights (Set Up) traditions.

INFORMATION ABOUT DINKI MINI
From http://www.chat-bout.net/content/view/2758/1/:

What is Dinki Mini and Gerreh?

Both dances are of African origin of the wake tradition usually performed after the death of a person, and up until the ninth night after the death. These sessions are usually held to cheer the bereaved.

Dinki Mini originates from the Congolese word ‘ndingi’ which means lamentation or funeral song. Dinkies are celebratory occasions. Although associated with death, the music is lively, joyous, and exciting, intending to cheer the family and friends of the dear person. Dinki Mini was practised openly throughout slavery but is now done mainly during our annual Festival celebration.

However, it is still performed in the parishes of St. Mary, St Ann, St Andrew and Portland, while Gerreh is found in the parishes of Hanover, Westmoreland and St. James. Its popularity came about from the death of Tacky, a hero of the Maroons, as it was performed during his funeral celebrations.

Popular at set-ups or nine-nights, the first few nights consist of singing and dancing to Mento music. The sixth to the eighth night is dominated by ring games, role playing, riddles and Anancy stories. On the ninth night, a ritual to send off the ‘mature’ spirit to begin its journey ‘home’ is performed. The family of the deceased will ‘turn out’ the spirit by turning over mattresses and rearranging rooms.

The aim of the ritual is to properly send the spirit on its journey. Hymns such as “Rock of Ages” are sung.

Included in the activities, is the feeding of the dancers and singers who will not hesitate to remind the householders of this duty. This is done in song.

While refreshment is provided at the set-up, a mini feast is prepared for the Ninth Night. This consists of fried fish, coffee, or chocolate tea, crackers and bread. In some parishes curried goat and rice with mannish water (i.e. goat had soup) is served.

Instruments associated with Dinki Mini are shakas, katta sticks, condensed milk tins, grater, the tamboo (cylindrical shaped drum) and the benta. The benta is an accident stringed instrument – a fret board made of bamboo and a gourd resonator.

The Dinki Mini dance focuses in the pelvic region, as it is performed in defiance of the death that has occurred. The dancers, male and female together, make suggestive rotations with the pelvis in an attempt to prove that they are stronger than death, as they have the means to reproduce.

The lyrics of the songs associated with Gerreh are also suggestive. Gerreh however had another dimension – the bamboo dance – that is dancing on elevated bamboo poles and between four bamboo poles brought together and pulled back by four crouching players.

-snip-
From
http://mountalvernia.tripod.com/id15.html Jamaican Folklore: What is dinky-mini?

Dinky-mini is a group dance and song ritual held to cheer the family of a dead person. Dinky-minis, African-derived traditions, were an integral part of the mourning process in rural communities. Nowadays, however, dinky-minis are performed mainly at cultural stage shows.

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FEATURED VIDEOS

Example #1: Dinky Mini Dancing



Uploaded by Derrick Hunter on Jan 4, 2011

Islington Dinky Group

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Example #2: Dinki group 2.AVI



Uploaded by Kaerykaye on Jun 4, 2011

Islington Dinki Mini Group In Trelawny

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Example #3: Jamaican FOLK DANCES explained



Uploaded by VIBESJAMAICAJTB on Oct 21, 2009

Jamaican Early Religious and Folk dances such as ring games, maroon songs, quadrille,
-snip-
A brief clip of dinki-min is shown at 1:10-1:31

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Example #4: Cascade Primary Dancers - "The Dinky Mini"



Published on Jun 29, 2012 by dgoode75

As a means of thanking the mission team from Mc Dill AFB and Going To Serve for holding an after school Bible Club for four days, the students of Cascade Primary School honored us with a concert to display their skills in Jamaican cultural dance and verse...

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An example of dinki mini dancing and gerreh dancing is also shown in the video re-posted as Example #3 of Part I of this series. That link is given above.

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RELATED LINK
For more video examples of Caribbean folk dances, click this page of my cocojams website: http://cocojams.com/content/caribbean-folk-dances. A link on that page leads to a cocojams page on Caribbean folk songs.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
My thanks to the musicians, singers, and dancers who are featured in this post. My thanks also to those who provided information about dinki mini which is quoted here and thanks to the producers & uploaders of these featured videos.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.

Read More

Jamaican Nine Nights Wakes (Music & Dance Traditions)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a three part series on Jamaican Night Nights music and dance. Part I provides information about Night Nights and videos or sound files of actual Nine Nights wakes.

Part II of this series provides information and videos of dinki mini dancing. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/08/jamaican-dinki-mini-dancing.html for Part II of this series.

Part III of this series provides videos of staged Nine Nights music & dance performances. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/08/jamaican-nine-nights-performances.html for Part III of this series.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, folkloric, and aesthetic purposes. This series is not meant to be a comprehensive portrayal of Jamaican Nine Nights (Set Up) traditions.

INFORMATION ABOUT NINE NIGHTS (SETUPS; DEAD YARDS)
From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf_BG5eK-M4 uploader summary given as Video Example #1 in this post:

Nine-Nights also know as "Dead Yard" is a funerary tradition practiced in the Caribbean (primarily Jamaica, Guyana, and the Dominican Republic). It is an extended wake that lasts for several days, with roots in African tradition. During this time, friends and family come together to the home of the deceased. They share their condolences and memories while singing hymns and eating food together. In the old days, the nights were calm and reserved for the most part - but that tradition has changed with the times. Today, these gatherings resemble parties much more than they resemble wakes (though this is not true for all "nine-nights").

Nine-Nights are no longer a time to mourn but a time to celebrate since the loved one is no longer suffering in life. When friends come they do not come with just condolences they come with food, drink and music; this is after all a celebration. True to its name this celebration lasts nine nights and days with the ninth and final night being the night before the church service (Though some modern Islanders only celebrate for seven days and seven nights). On the ninth night the family prepares the food for all who come. As tradition has is on the ninth night it is believed that the spirit of the deceased passes through the party gathering food and saying goodbye before continuing on to its resting place. Out of all the nights this night is the most revered since it is the end of the celebration. Stories about the deceased and the fondest memories are shared, along with prayers. Games, such as Dominos, are played as well as singing hymns, which is also done on the other nights as well.

On the ninth night a table is set up under a tent with food for the loved one, though no one is allowed to eat from it before midnight because it is believed that this is the time that the spirit passes through. Along with the food are drinks, most often Jamaican rum with no less than 100 proof. The types of food on the table can vary from one celebration to the next, but typically fried fish and bammy are the main foods on the table. This time is very important to the family because it gives them time to celebrate the life of their loved one and to be able to say their goodbyes.

Traditionally on the ninth night of the deceased's death their bed and mattress are turned up against the wall, in order to encourage the spirit (Jamaican patois "duppy") to leave the house and enter the grave.

-snip-
From http://www.real-jamaica-vacations.com/jamaican-traditions.html*:

One of the strongest Jamaican traditions concerning death, is that of a wake, also called Nine Night or Set Up. It was believed by African slaves that a person's spirit took nine days to travel home to Africa, and this is probably wherethe tradition started.

Family and friends gather at the dead person's home to comfort the bereaved, and to give the spirita good send off from this world. This may be done on one or many nights, with the ninth night or the night immediately preceding the funeral being of the most importance. It was an African belief that the person's duppy would live on and become a nuisance to the survivors if not treated with respect before burial.

Although the concept is African derived, the proceedings at a wake have a strong European Christian influence. Special hymns (sankeys) are sung emphasising the soul's journey to heaven. The singing is done in a style known as 'tracking', where someone will call out one line of the sankey at a time, and then the rest of the gathering will sing the line together.

The activities at a wake will vary according to place, class, and religious beliefs. Food and drink, including white rum,are a must at all wakes. The refreshments are usually provided by the family, often with the financial assistance of friends and well wishers. Nowadays in rural areas, it is not unusual for a sound system to be hired for the occasion. Food vendors may set up stalls on the roadside if it is expected that the Set Up is going to be a large one.

*Re-posted with formatting corrections.
-snip-
Additional quotes about Nine Nights are included in Part II of this series.

Video examples of "tracking" (also known as "lining" a song) are included in Part III of this series.

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FEATURED VIDEOS
(These videos are posted in no particular order)

Example #1: Trevor's 9-night (MOV078.MOD)



Uploaded by Errol Hamilton on Sep 21, 2010
-snip-
Song – “Not One Of Them”

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Example 2: Traditional Jamaican WAKE



Aston Cooke, Uploaded on Oct 1, 2009

Traditional Jamaican Wake for Trevor Rhone at Ranny WIlliams Entertainment Centre, Kingston on September 30, 2009
-snip-
This brief video includes examples of gerreh [dancing on poles] and dinki mini dancing. Click http://www.chat-bout.net/content/view/2758/1/ for information about dinki mini and gerreh. Also click Part II of this pancocojams series for videos of dinki mini.

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Example #3: Traditional Jamaican WAKE



Aston Cooke, Uploaded on Nov 16, 2011

One of the strongest Jamaican traditions concerning death, is that of a wake, also called Nine Night or Set Up. Nine-Nights are no longer a time to mourn but a time to celebrate since the loved one is no longer suffering in life. When friends come they do not come with just condolences they come with food, drink and music; this is after all a celebration

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Example #4: Jamaican Setup/Nine-Night



Uploaded by tantillnuh on Mar 14, 2009

Night of celebration and reflection for the Life of Mrs Kathleen Burrell of Thompson Town/Blackwoods, Clarendon Jamaica
-snip-
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mXrmGFDYVI for this video's comment thread. Here are several comments from that thread which were posted in 2009:
"Do people still sing a dead yard?
-hotnumber 24
**
"Its even bigger than it was in the olden days........... they got drums, sound systems and singers dedicated just to setups.
-tantillnuh
**
That's what I'm saying. The sound system is not traditional. The drum I can understand, but the sound system is for the dance hall really.
-hotnumber24

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Example #5: Jamaican Mento at Gerreh



Uploaded by gwellesley on Aug 7, 2010

Tourists rarely, see this side of Jamaica.

This is a sneek peek of the good ole Jamaican Mento.
This one incorporates elements of Gerreh. It typically happens at wakes, nine nights, funerals, etc.

This was happening in my home community.

Example #6: Jamaica Nine Night / Liquid Edition 7.2

Jamaica Nine Night / Liquid Edition 7.2



fredmaxcaine, Uploaded on May 20, 2011

Uploaded by fredmaxcaine on May 20, 2011

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Example #7: Jamaica Nine night 2



Uploaded by denneverthom on Apr 1, 2009

-snip-
A comment from the viewer comment thread identified this Nine Night band as "Taws Pen in Spanish Town".

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For more video examples of Caribbean folk dances, click this page of my cocojams website: http://cocojams.com/content/caribbean-folk-dances. A link on that page leads to a cocojams page on Caribbean folk songs.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Much respect to those whose Nine Night wakes were shown in this post. Thanks also to the musicians, singers, and dancers who are featured in this post. My thanks also to those who provided information about Nine Nights which is quoted here and thanks to the producers & uploaders of these featured videos.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.

Read More