Caribbean has given the world more music genres per capita than any region. Here's a guide:
Reggae (Jamaica, 1960s)
- Born from ska and rocksteady
- Heavy bass, off-beat guitar/keys, social commentary
- Bob Marley — global icon, "Redemption Song", "One Love", "No Woman, No Cry"
- Jimmy Cliff — "Many Rivers to Cross", "The Harder They Come"
- Burning Spear — Rastafarian roots reggae
- Toots & The Maytals — first reggae record
- Modern: Damian Marley, Chronixx, Protoje, Koffee
- Visit: Tuff Gong Studios Kingston, Bob Marley Museum, Negril Sunday-night reggae beach parties
Dancehall (Jamaica, 1980s)
- Faster, more digital evolution of reggae
- Sean Paul — global crossover ("Get Busy", "Temperature")
- Shaggy — "It Wasn't Me", "Boombastic"
- Vybz Kartel — controversial king
- Sizzla, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer
- Drop the bass at: Passa Passa (Kingston street party)
Calypso (Trinidad and Tobago, 1830s+)
- African satirical songs, political commentary
- Lord Kitchener — calypso king
- Mighty Sparrow — global calypso ambassador
- Harry Belafonte — Calypso album sold 1M+
- Smaller traditional scene now, but key Carnival presence
Soca (Trinidad and Tobago, 1970s)
- Soul + Calypso = soca
- Heavier, faster, dance music
- Machel Montano — undisputed king (40+ years)
- Patrice Roberts, Kes the Band, Voice, Iwer George
- Annual Soca Monarch competition Carnival
- Visit: Trinidad Carnival February/March
Steelpan (Trinidad and Tobago, 1930s)
- World's only acoustic instrument invented in 20th century
- Made from oil barrels
- Panorama competition (1,000+ player orchestras)
- Listen: Renegades, All Stars, Phase II Pan Groove
Salsa (Cuba — origin, NYC — refined)
- Son cubano, mambo, cha-cha-cha → salsa in NYC 1960s
- Celia Cruz — Queen of Salsa
- Tito Puente — King of Mambo
- Buena Vista Social Club — Cuban traditional revival
- Cuban hubs: Havana, Santiago de Cuba, La Casa de la Música
- Puerto Rican stars: Marc Anthony, Gilberto Santa Rosa
- Lessons everywhere in Havana ($10-20/hour)
Son Cubano (Cuba, 1900s)
- Roots of salsa
- Tres guitar, claves, bongos
- Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer — Buena Vista Social Club
- Visit: La Habana Vieja peñas
Rumba (Cuba)
- Afro-Cuban percussion + dance
- Yambú (slow), Guaguancó (medium), Columbia (fast)
- Watch: Callejón de Hamel Sunday afternoons (Havana)
Bachata (Dominican Republic)
- Romantic guitar-driven music
- Romeo Santos, Aventura, Juan Luis Guerra, Prince Royce
- Dance lessons in Santo Domingo + Cabarete
- Annual Bachata Festival (March)
Merengue (Dominican Republic)
- Fast 2/4 dance music
- DR national music
- Hubs: Santo Domingo, Santiago de los Caballeros
Zouk (French Caribbean — Guadeloupe, Martinique, 1980s)
- Kassav' — created genre, "Zouk-La Sé Sèl Médikaman Nou Ni"
- Influence on world music (Lambada, Brazilian forró)
- Visit: Pointe-à-Pitre clubs
Compas (Haiti, 1950s)
- Haitian dance music
- Tabou Combo, Carimi, T-Vice
- Haitian Compas Festival, Miami May
Reggaetón (Puerto Rico, 1990s)
- Reggae + dancehall + hip-hop + Latin
- Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Tego Calderón, Bad Bunny
- Global dominance (Bad Bunny most-streamed 2020-2023)
- Visit: San Juan clubs, Reggaetón in Old San Juan
Tumba (Curaçao)
- Local Carnival music
- Annual Tumba Festival pre-Carnival
- Mixing Antillean folk + Latin + Afro-Caribbean
Goombay (Bahamas)
- Cowbells, whistles, goatskin drums
- Junkanoo parades (Boxing Day + New Year's Day)
Cadence-Lypso (Dominica)
- 1970s genre combining cadence-rampa + calypso
- Exile One — innovators
Spouge (Barbados, 1970s)
- Short-lived Bajan genre
- Jackie Opel — innovator
Where to experience LIVE Caribbean music:
Kingston, Jamaica:
- Tuff Gong Studios tours
- Sundays at Tom Castro Reggae Park
- Trench Town Culture Yard
Havana, Cuba:
- La Casa de la Música (Centro + Miramar)
- Fábrica de Arte Cubano
- Jazz Café in Vedado
Trinidad:
- Panorama (steelpan competition, Carnival)
- Calypso tents (Jan-Feb)
- Limbo dancing at Pier 1, Chaguaramas
Saint Lucia:
- Saint Lucia Jazz Festival (May) — world-class
- Friday night jump-up Gros Islet
- Anse La Raye fish fry Fridays
Barbados:
- Crop Over Festival (June-August)
- St. Lawrence Gap nightlife
- Oistins Friday fish fry
Cuba:
- Café Taberna Havana (Buena Vista Social Club tribute)
- Tropicana Cabaret
- Casa de la Música Galiano
- Free street rumba in Centro Habana
Puerto Rico:
- La Placita Santurce (salsa Friday nights)
- Old San Juan rooftop bars (live music)
- Reggaeton clubs in Condado
A ten-track starting point
One recording per genre described above, in the order they appear:
- Bob Marley & The Wailers — Redemption Song (roots reggae, Jamaica)
- Toots & The Maytals — Pressure Drop (early reggae, Jamaica)
- Sean Paul — Get Busy (dancehall, Jamaica)
- Mighty Sparrow — Jean and Dinah (calypso, Trinidad)
- Machel Montano — Like Ah Boss (soca, Trinidad)
- Renegades Steel Orchestra — Pan in A Minor (steelpan, Trinidad)
- Buena Vista Social Club — Chan Chan (son cubano, Cuba)
- Celia Cruz — La Vida Es un Carnaval (salsa, Cuba)
- Juan Luis Guerra — Burbujas de Amor (bachata, Dominican Republic)
- Kassav’ — Zouk-La Sé Sèl Médikaman Nou Ni (zouk, French Antilles)
For reggaeton, start with Daddy Yankee’s Gasolina — the record that took the genre out of Puerto Rico — and follow it with anything from Bad Bunny, who has been among the most-streamed artists in the world for several years running.