Toasting (Jamaican music)
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Toasting (rap in other parts of the Anglo Caribbean) or deejaying is the act of talking, usually in a monotone melody, over a rhythm or beat by a deejay. It can either be improvised or pre-written. Toasting developed in Jamaica as part of the country's sound system culture before becoming widely known by that name. A similar sound is found in mento and now can be heard over musical styles including ska, reggae, dancehall, dub, grime, hip-hop, soca and bouyon music. The combination of singing and toasting is known as singjaying.
In the late 1950s, Count Matchuki, one of Jamaica's first selectors,[1] used a microphone to entertain audiences while playing records.[2] He drew inspiration from commercial advertisements and disc jockeys on American radio stations, incorporating comedy into his performances.[3] Early Jamaican deejays drew inspiration from the jive-talking style of southern American R&B radio disc jockeys, incorporating boasts, catchphrases, rhyming, and shouted interjections into their performances. Deejays such as Count Matchuki performed over records played on traveling sound systems, adding improvised vocals to entertain audiences.[4]
Osbourne Ruddock (a.k.a. King Tubby) was a Jamaican sound recording engineer who created vocal-less rhythm backing tracks that were used by DJs doing toasting by creating one-off vinyl discs (also known as dub plates) of songs without the vocals and adding echo and sound effects.[5]
In 1969, U-Roy, working with King Tubby's Hometown Hi-Fi sound system, toasted over instrumental dub plates made from existing rocksteady recordings. A customized version of The Techniques' "You Don't Care", combining a stripped-down rhythm with U-Roy's vocals, became Hometown Hi-Fi's signature tune. The popularity of such performances helped lead to the commercial recording of deejay music, and U-Roy's subsequent recordings became major Jamaican hits.[6]
During the early 1970s, sound systems remained an important outlet for new Jamaican recordings, particularly music that received limited radio exposure. Producer Gussie Clarke recalled that deejays increasingly reflected the language and experiences of sound-system audiences, while competition between sound systems encouraged producers to develop rhythms suited to this style of performance.[7] Other prominent toasting deejays of the period included Dennis Alcapone, I-Roy, Dillinger, Big Youth, and Prince Jazzbo. In the late 1970s, Trinity also rose to prominence.
In 1974, Bunny Lee organized a "Deejay Jamboree Night" at King Tubby's studio, inviting sound-system deejays who had not yet established recording careers to perform over rhythms, with those selected recording their performances. The session produced recordings by deejays including Ranking Joe, U Brown, and Tappa Zukie.[8]
The 1980s saw the first deejay toasting duo, Michigan & Smiley, and the development of toasting outside of Jamaica. In England, Pato Banton explored his Caribbean roots, humorous and political toasting[9] while Ranking Roger of the Second Wave or Two-Tone ska revival band The Beat from the 1980s did Jamaican toasting over music that blended ska, pop, and some punk influences.
Jamaican deejay toasting also influenced various types of dance music, such as jungle music and UK garage. Dancehall artists that have achieved pop hits with toasting-influenced vocals include Shabba Ranks, Shaggy, Lady Saw, Sean Paul, Terror Fabulous and Damian Marley.
See also
[edit source]References
[edit source]
- ↑ Machuki & Stitt interview [Part 1] [UNCUT]
- ↑ Lloyd Bradley. This is reggae music: the story of Jamaica's music . ISBN 978-0802138286
- ↑ Augustyn, Heather (2015). "Spinning Wheels: The Circular Evolution of Jive, Toasting, and Rap". Caribbean Quarterly. 61 (1): 60–74. doi:10.1080/00086495.2015.11672548. ISSN 0008-6495. JSTOR 43488956.
- ↑ Bradley, Lloyd (2001). Bass Culture: When Reggae Was King. Penguin Books. p. 292. ISBN 978-0140237634.
- ↑ Charles R. Acland. Residual media, p. 104, at Google Books
- ↑ Bradley, Lloyd (2001). Bass Culture: When Reggae Was King. Penguin Books. pp. 296–300. ISBN 978-0140237634.
- ↑ Bradley, Lloyd (2001). Bass Culture: When Reggae Was King. Penguin Books. p. 305. ISBN 978-0140237634.
- ↑ Bradley, Lloyd (2001). Bass Culture: When Reggae Was King. Penguin Books. p. 303. ISBN 978-0140237634.
- ↑ "Deejay Toasting". Rhapsody.com. Retrieved 2006-08-04.
