Jamaican folk music
Encyclopedia
A notable year in the history of Jamaican music was 1907, when Walter Jekyll's Jamaican Song and Story was first published. The Contents of this book include four parts entitled Anancy Stories, Digging Sings, Ring Tunes, and Dancing Tunes. Each part has an introduction, songs, stories, and melodies.
Part 1: Anancy stories, includes 51 items, such as the story and melody "Leah and Tiger" (item 36, pages 108-9). The heading refers to a legendary figure, Anancy, or Anansi
, the Ashanti word for spider. Anancy stories and certain musical characteristics originated in West Africa.
Part 2: Digging sings, includes 37 items, such as " The one shirt I have" (item 58, page 164). The heading refers to the digging of holes for the planting of yams. "Nothing more joyous can be imagined," writes Jekyll, "than a good 'digging-sing' from twenty throats, with the pickers—so they call their pickaxes—falling in regular beat." Digging sings included songs sung during many kinds of labor. A feature of several digging sings is the bobbin. Jekyll explains, "One man starts or 'raises' the tune and the others come in with the 'bobbin,' the short refrain..." In the song Miss Nancy Ray, for example, the bobbin is "Oh hurrah boys!" Bobbins resemble and perhaps stemmed from a common manner of singing of work songs in Africa.
Part 3: Ring tunes, includes 28 items, such as "Ring a diamond" (item 92, page 194). These tunes were sung by boys and girls holding hands to form a ring.
Part 4: Dancing tunes, includes 80 items, such as "Fan me, soldierman" (item 125, page 223) and Carry me Ackee go Linstead market" (item 121, pp. 219-220).
During the 1970s, Oxford University Press
published six collections of Jamaican folks songs arranged and annotated by Dr. Olive Lewin
. Her book, Rock It Come Over: the Folk Music of Jamaica, describes Jekyll's 1907 book as "very well researched," but she gives examples of occasional errors. She concludes that "although Jekyll's interest extended beyond music to Jamaican folklore, it was by his considerable knowledge as a musician that he made the most valuable contribution to this all too neglected field of scholarship."
In her book Forty Folk Songs of Jamaica, Lewin classifies the songs into eleven groups: Bruckins, Jankunnu, Kumina, Maroon, Mento, Nagos, Rasta (Rastafarian), Revival, (Set-Up; Gerreh), Tambo, and Worksongs. Of these, mento is by far the most common. However, much of mento is of relatively recent origin and should be classified as popular music rather than folk. Linkages from folk music to mento are described in Daniel T. Neely's dissertation, Mento, Jamaica's Original Music: Development, Tourism and the Nationalist Frame (New York University, 2007).
Among the best known Jamaican folk songs are Day-O (Banana Boat Song), Jamaica Farewell
(Iron Bar), and Linstead Market
. The first two of these were popularized by Harry Belafonte
. The third has come a long way since its appearance among Jekyll's 108 Jamaican folk songs. Not only has Linstead Market been arranged for solo voice and piano and for performance by choirs, but also, it was arranged for congregational singing in 1975 and now appears in at least five hymnals.
Part 1: Anancy stories, includes 51 items, such as the story and melody "Leah and Tiger" (item 36, pages 108-9). The heading refers to a legendary figure, Anancy, or Anansi
Anansi
Anansi the trickster is a spider, and is one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore.He is also known as Ananse, Kwaku Ananse, and Anancy; and in the Southern United States he has evolved into Aunt Nancy. He is a spider, but often acts and appears as a man...
, the Ashanti word for spider. Anancy stories and certain musical characteristics originated in West Africa.
Part 2: Digging sings, includes 37 items, such as " The one shirt I have" (item 58, page 164). The heading refers to the digging of holes for the planting of yams. "Nothing more joyous can be imagined," writes Jekyll, "than a good 'digging-sing' from twenty throats, with the pickers—so they call their pickaxes—falling in regular beat." Digging sings included songs sung during many kinds of labor. A feature of several digging sings is the bobbin. Jekyll explains, "One man starts or 'raises' the tune and the others come in with the 'bobbin,' the short refrain..." In the song Miss Nancy Ray, for example, the bobbin is "Oh hurrah boys!" Bobbins resemble and perhaps stemmed from a common manner of singing of work songs in Africa.
Part 3: Ring tunes, includes 28 items, such as "Ring a diamond" (item 92, page 194). These tunes were sung by boys and girls holding hands to form a ring.
Part 4: Dancing tunes, includes 80 items, such as "Fan me, soldierman" (item 125, page 223) and Carry me Ackee go Linstead market" (item 121, pp. 219-220).
During the 1970s, Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
published six collections of Jamaican folks songs arranged and annotated by Dr. Olive Lewin
Olive Lewin
Dr. Olive Lewin is a Jamaican author, social anthropologist, musicologist, and teacher. Dr.Lewin is probably best known for her recorded anthologies of old Jamaica folk songs, researched and collected over her lifetime. Olive Lewin studied music and ethnomusicology in the United Kingdom...
. Her book, Rock It Come Over: the Folk Music of Jamaica, describes Jekyll's 1907 book as "very well researched," but she gives examples of occasional errors. She concludes that "although Jekyll's interest extended beyond music to Jamaican folklore, it was by his considerable knowledge as a musician that he made the most valuable contribution to this all too neglected field of scholarship."
In her book Forty Folk Songs of Jamaica, Lewin classifies the songs into eleven groups: Bruckins, Jankunnu, Kumina, Maroon, Mento, Nagos, Rasta (Rastafarian), Revival, (Set-Up; Gerreh), Tambo, and Worksongs. Of these, mento is by far the most common. However, much of mento is of relatively recent origin and should be classified as popular music rather than folk. Linkages from folk music to mento are described in Daniel T. Neely's dissertation, Mento, Jamaica's Original Music: Development, Tourism and the Nationalist Frame (New York University, 2007).
Among the best known Jamaican folk songs are Day-O (Banana Boat Song), Jamaica Farewell
Jamaica Farewell
"Jamaica Farewell" is a calypso about the beauties of the West Indian Islands.The lyrics for the song were written by Lord Burgess . Lord Burgess was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1926. His mother was from Barbados and his father was from Virginia. The song first appeared on Harry Belafonte's...
(Iron Bar), and Linstead Market
Linstead Market
Linstead Market is a Jamaican folk song. Possibly the earliest publication of the tune with words occurs in Walter Jekyll's 1907 book, Jamaican Song and Story, as , pages 219-220. In Jekyll, the lyrics are as follows:...
. The first two of these were popularized by Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
. The third has come a long way since its appearance among Jekyll's 108 Jamaican folk songs. Not only has Linstead Market been arranged for solo voice and piano and for performance by choirs, but also, it was arranged for congregational singing in 1975 and now appears in at least five hymnals.