How does Jamaican music and styling style affect today's fashion?

When it comes to Jamaica, we always think of the sea and the sun in the Caribbean countries and the tropical music that flies on the island. The long musical process of blending and changing here not only symbolizes the extraordinary openness of the place, but also makes the island country far away in the Western Indian Ocean. Culture is gradually spreading all over the world.

Jamaican music flourished after being spread to the UK due to the tide of Caribbean immigrants during World War II... Caribbean blacks came to London and gathered in Notting Hill in the West End, which also became the birthplace of British Dub music, held every year in Notting Hill Carnival (Notting Hill Carnival) is what they do because they miss their hometown and is now one of London's most famous outdoor music festivals. The music types Punk, Post Punk, Jungle, Drum & Bass, Dubstep, Grime, etc. are all influenced by Jamaican music.

In terms of styling, Jamaica's Rude Boy is a dress style that evolves with music. Kingston's young people listen to Ska and live on the edge of the law, and the word "Rude Boy" in the song is also used to refer to these idle youth. . As the tide of immigration and music and dress style spread to the bottom of the British society, the early Skinhead absorbed the cultural characteristics of the Rude boy, they care about the head, wearing the MA-1 and Martin boots, the British Ska Punk band is also from Jamaica Formed by extracting elements from the Ska music passed over.

Until now, we can still see designs based on Jamaican culture from various brands.

The Levi's? Vintage Clothing 2018 Fallbook collection is based on the Jamaican film classic "Rockers" and offers a classic silhouette of the 20th century Reggae culture. We can see worn and faded denim and bright colors, and the Rockers Chambray shirt in the collection almost completely replicates the protagonist Horsemouth's wearing in the movie.

Wacko Maria of Japanese style Rude Style is often seen in the design of Jamaican cultural symbols, such as the joint series launched by Dub's old master Lee “Scratch” Perry, and the series of collaboration with the Los Angeles cultural magazine “HIGH TIMES”. Mary Jane, etc.... The manager, Morihiko, loves music, from the opening of the Rock Steady bar, the slogan of "GUILTY PARTIES", the activity of his own music unit Killer Tunes Broadcast (Tianjin Tokyo Killing Music Broadcasting Bureau) to PARADISE The collections and Sound System in the TOKYO store have an unobstructed view of his taste.

Martine Rose grew up in South London from a Jamaican family. She often draws inspiration from her own background and subculture. In the June issue of INTERVIEW, Martine Rose invited Lee “Scratch” Perry to perform in the era of Jamaica's Dancehall. Festive and smoky, Lee Perry still has a style forever.

British designer Nicholas Daley is rooted in Reggae culture and has Jamaican and Scottish descent. He uses costume design to reflect the past and present of British music scenes and the importance of multiculturalism in British identity, from Reggae/Punk musicians. Don Letts is inspired by the St. Martin graduation series "Culture Clash", to the 19 spring and summer series "Reggae Klub" displayed at London Fashion Week, and the autumn and winter series "BLACK ARK". Nicholas Daley turned fashion into a communication tool for him. The designer's responsibility is to explore social dynamics, which is the display of social and cultural evolution.

There is also KAPITAL, which focuses on the spirit and tradition. In the spring and summer of 2019, the design inspired by Reggae culture and its spiritual leader Bob Marley can be seen, except for the use of Jamaica's classic red, yellow and green in color matching, Bob Marley's The album "Talkin' Blues" also appeared on the patch of the Tannin jacket.

The tribute to Jamaican culture and Reggae musicians from street brands is not uncommon:

As a symbol of culture, the Jamaican culture that is constantly emerging in the fashion world, what is its origin?

Sound from the hot West Indian Ocean Islands

The culture of Jamaica is a combination of Mary Jane, hearing (music), and thinking (spiritual belief). The first aspect is not in the environment we are in; the second aspect of music is also well understood. Reggae is generally familiar, but not only that, Jamaican music is intertwined and diverse. The spiritual meaning behind the third aspect is the absolute core of this culture.

To put it simply, in the 1950s, American R&B was introduced to Jamaica through radio stations in New Orleans and Memphis, and some local musicians merged it with the local folk music Mento to form Ska; In the local area, people can't dance in the fast rhythm with high temperature outdoors. The musicians slow down the music and form Rock Steady. On this basis, they are influenced by the rhythm to melody of Jazz, R&B and other music types in the southern United States. Reggae; from Roots Reggae, then to Ragga, Dub, Dancehall, etc... In the late 1980s, Dancehall began to merge with Hip Hop. With the change of ballroom music, this trend continued, and even became popular after 00 years.

The biggest feature of Reggae is the rhythm of “Off-beats”. The accent is on the 24th and 4th beats. The combination of drum and Bass and various sound effects, slow repeating rhythm and heavy bass enable people to follow the rhythm. The lyrics have strong political significance and are closely related to the Rastafarianism (Rastafarian), which advocates black liberation, return to African ancestors and resistance to "Babylon".

Rastafarian is a black Christian religious movement that has risen from Jamaica since 1930. "Jah" is the abbreviation of Yahweh (God); "Rastafari" represents the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie (Haier Selassie I), this group of oppressed Jamaican black people believes in him as God and shouts "Jah Rastafari", They questioned the world: "Why must God be white? Why are people unequal in life? Why should they plunder and oppress each other?" Reggae expresses the political thoughts of Rastafarian in the form of music, using music as a weapon against society. Political reality satire and criticism, but also promote love and peace, happiness and freedom.

Afterwards, many people don’t understand and should have heard of it. I remember seeing a friend saying: “The Chinese bar decor has four kings: Castro, Route 66, Audrey Hepburn and Bob Marley. The relationship between Reggae music and the public seems to be similar to that of Bob Marley, but it is not clear." I feel funny but very in place... It can be seen that the general spread is pervasive.

Growing up in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, full of drugs, gang violence, slums and corruption, Bob Marley, the spiritual leader of the Third World, took his band The Wailers to spread the voice of Rastafarian to the world with Reggae music. .

In the 1970s, the global wave of radicalism has gradually subsided, and Bob Marley continues to fight with music. His “One Love Peace Concert” even caused the leaders of the two opposing political parties in Jamaica to shake hands on the stage. Political situation in the field. By the end of 18, Reggae Music has been included in the list of human intangible cultural heritage...

Jamaica experienced foreign aggression and political turmoil (until August 6, 1962 officially declared independence and joined the Commonwealth), coupled with the year-round hot sunshine and abundant natural resources on the island, brewing Jamaican people's optimistic character and freedom. In pursuit, they are keen to move the sound system outdoors and loudly put music, and the Sound System culture went to the Bronx in New York to help Kool Herc to give birth to Hip Hop. The history of Jamaica and the living environment on the island have created a precious musical heritage that has had a profound impact on other types of music and culture over the past 20 years.

Jamaican cultural figurative representation of STYLE LEGACY

From Jamaica's lifestyle and music to Rastafarian, to cultural styles, it can be condensed into a 1978 Jamaican classic "ROCKERS" with actors including Jacob Miller, Burning Spear, Robbie. Shakespear, Richard'Dirty Harry'Hall, Gregory Isaacs, etc., are all well-known Reggae musicians. This low-budget movie centered on several Jamaican musicians has affected almost a generation. The second year of the film was shown in Cannes with Coppola's Modern Revelation, and thousands of people rushed to the theater. I have to incur the police... Since then, it has always represented the spirit of the times, and it is appropriate to use it to study music and styling styles to perceive the details.

Going to the Reggae record company Channel One (which can be called Motown, Jamaica), the Ska group The Skatalites performing in the car, and the people carrying the Sound System outdoors to hold the party and other lenses are very precious records. In addition, the protagonist of the film, Horsemouth, a drummer living in the Jewish Quarter of Kingston, Jamaica, fully explained the values ​​of Rastafarian in a monologue in the film.

STYLE, first of all, the most well-known symbol of Rastafarian is color, red symbolizes the victory of the church and the history of tears in Rastafari; yellow symbolizes the richness of heaven on earth; green symbolizes the Ethiopian Beauty and plants; black symbolizes Africa, the ancestral source of Jamaica. So the red, yellow and green colors have become the simplest impression of Jamaican style. And the accumulation of "Dreadlocks" symbolizes its roots, which is also a direct external manifestation.

The film presents their relaxed and bright mix, from Chambray Shirts with high-waist pants, to yellow Tracksuit, worn denim overalls, vintage red Kickers, striped shirts to iconic beaver leather Hats, knit hats, berets, all kinds of Cap... There are also Clarks suede Desert Boot and Wallabee, all of which are highly recognizable.

Among them, Clarks had to be mentioned in Kingston. The Desert Boot first appeared in the Khanel-Khalili market in Cairo in the 1940s. Although this hunting boots was not popular in the birthplace of Clarks, it was launched in 1967 with Wallabee. However, Kingston became the standard after the "cultural transplant", in the words of Jamaican musician Bunny "Striker" Lee, "not only now, back in the 1950s, Clarks is Jamaica's number one hot shoe, it Experienced the test of time."

The police even rely on shoes in outdoor parties to distinguish between Rude Boys and "law-abiding citizens." Because the price of British goods for Jamaican youth consumption, it takes a lot of effort to have a pair of Clarks, which also stimulates a series of robberies. The police began to think that as long as they wear Clarks, they are thugs, but this has no effect. Rude Boys loves Clarks. As Jamaican Ska and Dancehall musicians begin to tour abroad, they will always ensure that Clarks, filled with suitcases, are brought back to Jamaican friends and fans...

When Dancehall reached its peak in the 1980s, ROCKERS's Style has gradually weakened, and people began to pursue the elements of the future, metallic, but ROCKERS still represents the most original style of Jamaican culture.

The introduction of the new magazine "Sliver", which was also edited by the former GRIND magazine, is "Style is Message, Live the way you are". In the first issue, I interviewed Don Letts around this subject, as the 1970s. Bridging the true heritage of Reggae and Punk, the true heritage of the mainstream culture, tells the story of music and style.

Don Letts was the first generation of blacks born in England. When he felt out of place with the surrounding, he found his identity through Rastafarian and Reggae music, and then began to build up his viscera to shape his identity. He is still an outsider in London, and music teaches where his roots come from. Later, when The Beatles and Rolling Stones became popular in the 1960s and 1970s, he began to be interested in white rock in addition to Bob Marley or Dennis Brown. When he communicated with musicians who also like Reggae, he made friends and music. Eliminate all barriers. When Roxy was a DJ at the Punk Bar, he had a pure Dub and Reggae. Perhaps because of the same resistance, the Punks also liked it.

“In the UK, music and style are never divided. For the working class, there are only two ways to express one's identity, namely fashion or music. But fashion is perishable, style and attitude will last forever. If you have style, Then you don't have to think about it at all, it's natural; if you try to get it, then it has become 'fashion'. The important thing is to let the culture inspire yourself, the day I decided to be Don Letts. By abandoning the limitations of any definition of Rasta or Punk Rock, the combination of different cultures always creates something new."

Just like the experience of Don Letts, music is a bridge between different groups and it doesn't need to be used to distinguish groups. Jamaica's music is the embodiment of the world, from Ska to Reggae to Dancehall sound, different forms. Balance each other and finally fission to maintain vitality. Music and style are rooted in culture and complement each other.

Culture is everything.