Questions by xspencer - Page 11
Jamaica's music industry has its roots in outdoor parties held on lawns in the city of Kingston in the 1950s. Most Jamaicans at this time were not able to afford record players of their own; thus, they relied on the mobile DJ units at outdoor parties as their source of new music. At first, these mobile DJ units, called sound systems, played only American records. As the 1960s began, however, Jamaicans wanted to hear more music that celebrated their culture. For this reason, sound system operators began recording local Jamaican artists and playing the new songs on their sound systems. In time, more well-off Jamaicans began wanting to buy copies of the new Jamaican music, so the records were made available to the public. Studio One, Jamaica's first black-owned recording studio, eventually produced some of Jamaica's most famous recording artists, such as Bob Marley and the Wailers