Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

THE SOUND SYSTEM: the foundation of Jamaican music economy. The writer of this paper seeks to identify why sound systems are viewed as the foundation of the Jamaican music economy. The information is a hundred per cent authentic as it was extracted from both primary data sources(interviews etc.) and secondary data sources(literature, reports etc.) Sound systems are essentially large, mobile discotheques playing at dances, house parties and nightclubs; were born out of economic necessity. Jamaicans had a passion for music, however, resulting from the poor economic conditions which existed, few among the poorer classes could afford any stereo system. Sound systems provided music for eager Jamaicans who were unable to afford personal music and access it at their desire. Temporary migration from Jamaica to southern U.S. in the late 1940s stemmed the demand for sound systems as returning migrants introduced R&B to Jamaica. Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dod, often said to have invented the sound system concept saw the demand and bought his equipment(Coxsone Downbeat) on his first trip, others quickly followed suite. Sound systems unintentionally created a Jamaican music industry. American music began changing from R&B