Please help my preschooler have good taste in Jamaican music?
September 17, 2018 9:46 AM Subscribe
My kiddo, who is almost four, was in the car with me this weekend when a local station's Jamaican music show (which is pretty genre-mixed) came on. Kiddo usually likes music but in a pretty non-specific way, but she lost her mind with joy at every song and demanded we stay in the car for the rest of the show, grinning from ear to ear the entire time. She clearly needs some more of this kind of music in her life. Direct me, please!
Please help me find some good Jamaican/similar music to make this kid happy! Little kid friendly, fun beats to dance to (which for her usually involves spinning around until she falls over), at least some stuff by female and/or queer artists is preferred. Thank you!
Please help me find some good Jamaican/similar music to make this kid happy! Little kid friendly, fun beats to dance to (which for her usually involves spinning around until she falls over), at least some stuff by female and/or queer artists is preferred. Thank you!
The music selection is eclectic (not Jamaican), but I like the show Bridging the Gap with DJ Mr. Nick on Hawaii Public Radio. You can get song lists and stream episodes here. A lot of it is instrumental, but it depends on the episode. (The show originally aired in the two-hour "gap" between a Brazilian music program and a jazz music program on HPR, hence the name.)
posted by melissasaurus at 10:06 AM on September 17, 2018
posted by melissasaurus at 10:06 AM on September 17, 2018
I'm no expert on Jamaican music, but I do know that a lot of what I like is called Rocksteady so I just wanted to give you that search term if you don't know it yet.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 10:07 AM on September 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by rabbitrabbit at 10:07 AM on September 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
Etana and Koffee were the first two names that came to mind immediately when i thought Jamaican female artists. Etana has been around a while and is pretty established, Koffee is 17 and just breaking out on the scene.
If youre willing to look beyond Jamaica proper and want some options inspired by Jamaican music, Hirie is a Hawaiian act that are a lot of fun (some sex-positive and pro-weed numbers, so maybe selectively little kid friendly?).
Sara Lugo is a german reggae artist with a really lovely voice.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 10:09 AM on September 17, 2018
If youre willing to look beyond Jamaica proper and want some options inspired by Jamaican music, Hirie is a Hawaiian act that are a lot of fun (some sex-positive and pro-weed numbers, so maybe selectively little kid friendly?).
Sara Lugo is a german reggae artist with a really lovely voice.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 10:09 AM on September 17, 2018
I realized my comment about Hirie was somewhat unclear - they are a band but the frontwoman also goes by the stage name Hirie so it is sometimes confusing to reference - i didnt make clear in my initial comment that she/they are a female-fronted band.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 10:10 AM on September 17, 2018
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 10:10 AM on September 17, 2018
There are plenty of reggae albums for kids...because lots of reggae really isn't kid-friendly in terms of lyrics.
I can recommend Family Time by Ziggy Marley and this Reggae Playground compilation.
posted by gnutron at 10:12 AM on September 17, 2018 [6 favorites]
I can recommend Family Time by Ziggy Marley and this Reggae Playground compilation.
posted by gnutron at 10:12 AM on September 17, 2018 [6 favorites]
Toots and the Maytals are one of the original soul-inflected ska/reggae acts that are super fun and have SFW lyrics
posted by Jon_Evil at 10:32 AM on September 17, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by Jon_Evil at 10:32 AM on September 17, 2018 [7 favorites]
heptones, toots & the maytals
posted by poffin boffin at 10:40 AM on September 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 10:40 AM on September 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
for women artists: I'd recommend Kelissa whose hits include Best Kept Secret and Keep my Head Up
also Lady G who's got the 80s/90s classic sample beats/early dancehall sound, I don't know if they lyrics are appropriate because I can't fully undstand them, but it's likely that any sexual content is innuendo and metaphor rather than explicit
posted by Jon_Evil at 11:14 AM on September 17, 2018
also Lady G who's got the 80s/90s classic sample beats/early dancehall sound, I don't know if they lyrics are appropriate because I can't fully undstand them, but it's likely that any sexual content is innuendo and metaphor rather than explicit
posted by Jon_Evil at 11:14 AM on September 17, 2018
I loved Harry Belafonte at that age. Also, Lord Invader's Zombie Jamboree. Some of his other work is not kid appropriate, so check him out but screen ahead of time.
The Spearhead album All Rebel Rockers is raggae infused and mostly if not entirely kid friendly.
Classic ska - check out the Skatelites and Prince Buster. That might also be a gateway to two-tone like the Specials, Madness, the Selected, etc. And UB40, if you want to keep going with English spins on Jamaican music.
Raggae - seconding Toots and the Maytals. Also the Melodians, Eric Donaldson, and the Paragon, some Peter Tosh, and some Culture. For wackiness, U Roy's version of Wear You To The Ball.
Some Lovers Rock (subgenera) will be good, some will be too explicit. As a general rule, you'll want to stay away from Dancehall. Some Raggaeton will be good for showing the fusion of raggae with Latin music.
Female singers - Etana's Roots, Queen Ifrica's Lioness On The Rise, maybe some of Lady Saw's music, Kelissa's Keep My Head Up, Sevana's Love The Way (subtle mention of pot).
Lady G, mentioned above, does get racy ("mi hear sey yuh a freak, and how yuh licky lick") so definitely screen it for whether your kid will pick out the lyrics.
Raggae music has a long and problematic history with lgbt rights, so there's not a wealth of Jamaican music the deals with it in a positive way. Mista Mahaj P has some pro gay songs.
posted by Candleman at 11:42 AM on September 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
The Spearhead album All Rebel Rockers is raggae infused and mostly if not entirely kid friendly.
Classic ska - check out the Skatelites and Prince Buster. That might also be a gateway to two-tone like the Specials, Madness, the Selected, etc. And UB40, if you want to keep going with English spins on Jamaican music.
Raggae - seconding Toots and the Maytals. Also the Melodians, Eric Donaldson, and the Paragon, some Peter Tosh, and some Culture. For wackiness, U Roy's version of Wear You To The Ball.
Some Lovers Rock (subgenera) will be good, some will be too explicit. As a general rule, you'll want to stay away from Dancehall. Some Raggaeton will be good for showing the fusion of raggae with Latin music.
Female singers - Etana's Roots, Queen Ifrica's Lioness On The Rise, maybe some of Lady Saw's music, Kelissa's Keep My Head Up, Sevana's Love The Way (subtle mention of pot).
Lady G, mentioned above, does get racy ("mi hear sey yuh a freak, and how yuh licky lick") so definitely screen it for whether your kid will pick out the lyrics.
Raggae music has a long and problematic history with lgbt rights, so there's not a wealth of Jamaican music the deals with it in a positive way. Mista Mahaj P has some pro gay songs.
posted by Candleman at 11:42 AM on September 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
You can stream Ska's the Limit radio show from terrestrial community radio station KDHX.
It used to be on Fridays, and was *the* way to get my weekend started right!
posted by notsnot at 12:01 PM on September 17, 2018
It used to be on Fridays, and was *the* way to get my weekend started right!
posted by notsnot at 12:01 PM on September 17, 2018
Contemporary Jamaican dancehall etc for adults tends to be pretty adult so seconding the suggestion for kid specific albums or older artists like Desmond Dekker or Toots and the Maytals etc. She might also like Madness, who are not Jamacian but are pretty kid friendly and whom I adored at that age.
posted by fshgrl at 1:08 PM on September 17, 2018
posted by fshgrl at 1:08 PM on September 17, 2018
Try the soundtrack to the movie The Harder They Come. All great songs. I don't think there's anything that's inappropriate for a small child.
posted by demiurge at 1:35 PM on September 17, 2018
posted by demiurge at 1:35 PM on September 17, 2018
Three terrific compilation CDs containing a variety of classic period ska, from which reggae evolved. The second of my picks ("Scandal Ska") was the soundtrack to a film ("Scandal") with adult themes but the movie themes are not reflected in the musical selections.
posted by Nerd of the North at 2:57 PM on September 17, 2018
posted by Nerd of the North at 2:57 PM on September 17, 2018
The classic One Wheel Wheelie, by Early B, is about riding bicycles.
This will be controversial, but: I loved Boney M's versions of "Rivers of Babylon" and "Brown Girl in the Ring" when I was a kid (and still do).
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:59 PM on September 17, 2018
This will be controversial, but: I loved Boney M's versions of "Rivers of Babylon" and "Brown Girl in the Ring" when I was a kid (and still do).
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:59 PM on September 17, 2018
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posted by pipeski at 9:56 AM on September 17, 2018