The prominence of Rocksteady in Jamaican popular culture was ignited in an instant and extinguished just as quickly. It provided a smooth transition from the popularity of high energy Ska to the rise of the political and spiritual sound of Roots Reggae. In the late 60's, when the Rocksteady beat was at its height, events in Jamaica and throughout the world gave Jamaican musicians new influences and subjects to use as a basis for their music. The rise of Rastafarianism as Jamaica's main religion and the social protest music coming from the United States and Britain changed the way artists would approach their music. Using their music as an outlet for many frustrations that have been arising in the people would change the Jamaican music culture forever. Many of the bands at the time did not survive the shift in the popularity of musical style but one band that was able to thrive throughout the many shifts in the popularity of Jamaican popular music is Toots and the Maytals. Frederick "Toots" Hibbert, the lead vocalist for this legendary band, was able to touch people all over the world with his energetic and soulful voice. Singing about everything from the greatness of being in love to protesting a false arrest that led to his 12-month imprisonment, he has touched audiences worldwide throughout his 40 year musical career.
In the late 50's to early 60's, The Maytals, as they were called, recorded many hit singles which were mainly geared toward a religious theme. The band was highly influenced by gospel music and the three part harmony they used gave them an old-time religious feel set to high energy Ska rhythms. Classic tracks such as "6 & 7 Books of Moses", "Neither Silver or Gold", and "Broadway Jungle" were recorded during this period. Even this early in their career, the Maytals had already warranted one of the sincerest forms of flattery in the form of imitation. Artists such as Priest Herman Davis and the Pioneers were mimicking their sound and making hits. This was merely foreshadowing the influence they would eventually have on the entire genre.
As the Maytals were growing musically, Hopeton Lewis and Alton Ellis were creating a new, slower style of music. With Jamaica's new found independence, many American R&B records were being imported into the country. The slower and smoother sound of American R&B and Soul bands were influencing the way Jamaican musicians approached their music. Also, many of the people that frequented the Jamaican dancehalls were growing weary of the fast paced style of the Ska era, many of the clamoring for a break in the energy and craving a slower type of rhythm that did not require as much energy to dance to.
This is what created the birth of the Rocksteady beat. A medium toned music that focused on more relaxed dancing was starting to make waves. In 1966 Alton Ellis' single "Rocksteady" is the first time the term was used in a Jamaican single. This single was not the innovator of the sound; it was merely a song about the trend that was starting. The musical style was shifting and it was at this point that Toots would take an unplanned and unwanted leave from the musical scene.
In 1966, on their way to a show in Ochos Rios, Toots was pulled over by the police and arrested for possession of marijuana which he didn't have. Toots says in a 2004 interview with Relix Magazine, "They jailed me for something I didn't have. People that I know told me that they were forced to do it, just to keep me back a little in my career." The 12 months spent incarcerated gave him a chance to pen one of the most influential and recognizable songs in the history of Reggae music, "54-47 Was My Number".
"54-46 Was my Number" is the first protest song recorded by Toots and the Maytals. In this song he vehemently proclaims his innocents, I'm not a fool to hurt myself/So I was innocent of what they done to me/They was wrong/Listen to me, they were wrong. This was the first Jamaican song to be played outside of Jamaica and has been an influence to many bands after its release. This protest song was a big influence to Jamaican bands that felt that the authorities, at the time, were doing the average man wrong. They realized they can voice their opposition to social injustice and that their music is the medium for doing so.
A pattern of protest and spiritual music soon followed. A shift in musical theme was taking place and Toots and the Maytals was at the forefront. Musicians were slowing becoming more and more influenced by the protest songs, written about the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, that were becoming popular in the US and Britain. Also, outspoken criticism of the establishment was becoming more widely accepted by Jamaican youth. This feeling of concern was being voiced in the new music created in the ghettos and slums of Jamaica's inner city.
The next single released by Toots and the Maytals was the song that actually created the name for the entire genre and changed the perception of the music forever. "Do the Reggay", a song dedicated to a new type of dance that was sweeping Jamaican dance halls and slowing pushing Rocksteady out of the way. Not only was the dance style in Jamaica changing, the style of music was also slowing moving from the medium paced, laid back style of Rocksteady to a slower beat with the electric bass taking the forefront. A new regular two chord guitar pattern was used along with the new bass rhythms.
The increase of acceptance of Rastafarianism also provided a new theme for many artists. At one point, the mention of Jah Ras Tafari in a single was seen as a radical act. The Toots and the Maytals' single, "Sun, Moon and Star", was written after the Emperor Haile Selassie the First visited the island of Jamaica. This was a historic visit for all Rastafari. Toots, a devout Rastafarian, wrote this song in tribute to his visit and provided one of the very first mentions of Ras Tafari in a Jamaican single.
During the next several years, Toots and the Maytals continued to have a huge impact on Jamaican music. Internationally, they would soon get large recognition due to their contribution to the soundtrack of the Jimmy Cliff movie, "The Harder they Come". The two singles included in this soundtrack gave Toots and the Maytals international recognition and also boosted the awareness of Reggae music across the world. Soon here after, Bob Marley's arrival on the international scene would make Reggae music a household name but would also trump the international success of Toots and the Maytals.
With a world focused on Marley's heart wrenched vocals and lyrics focused on the social injustice his fellow Jamaicans and Rasta have endured, the international popularity of Toots and the Maytals was stunted and never fully bloomed. Even after several more highly successful albums, the band would eventually break up. Though Toots continued to make music as a solo artist, some of which is highly experimental and crosses the lines of many genres of music, his career had hit its musical crest and the wave was slowly rolling back.
It is not until recently, some 40 years after the beginning of the legendary Toots and the Maytals that their influence and legend is truly beginning to get recognized. Many bands such as The Clash, Sublime, and No Doubt pay tribute to Toots by covering many of the old Reggae hits. The popularity of Reggae continues to rise in the United States and can be heard in the new form of Punk influence Ska music being recorded today.
In 2004, Toots released an album by the name of "True Love". This album featured him performing with many of American Rock's most legendary musicians. Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson and Bonnie Raitt are just a few of the artists he collaborated with to remake many of the songs that made him a star. This album also features a remake of "Never Grow Old" in which it unites him with Ska legends the Skatalites.
Toots also continues to tour with a rehashed form of the Maytals. Igniting the stage with his fierce vocals and stage presence, he continues to show the world why he is among one of the greatest reggae performers of all time. With a new generation of Reggae fans attending his show, his influence on music will continue to be seen for many years.
Through all the major shifts in Jamaican popular music, Toots and the Maytals were able to maintain their status as one of the elite bands of every era. Through the shift from Ska music to Rocksteady to Roots, they always provided a high level of excellence that truly influenced the shifts in the genres. Even today, Toots' influence is still being heard throughout many different types of music.
For the past few decades, the popularity of reggae, soca, and Caribbean music, in general, has been increasing. However, there is undoubtedly a shortage of magazines that are representative of the CARIBBEAN AS A WHOLE. The time has come for a revolution. Tune In Magazine will focus on news, culture, and music of the entire Caribbean. From sound systems to the latest artists... from gossip to the latest news...from Jamaica, to Trinidad, to Barbados and EVERYWHERE in between, Tune In Magazine will represent and focus on EVERY aspect of Caribbean culture.
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