ABSTRACT
There are many aspects that contribute to the overall image of the Caribbean, as attested by the earlier chapters of this book. One strong set of images undoubtedly relates to the pervasive influence of agriculture in association with colonial plantations and slavery. As stressed in Chapter 3, this aspect of the history of the Caribbean gives rise to the strong rural standing of the region. However, the contemporary Caribbean is also strongly associated in the minds of millions of people with steel bands, reggae, ska, soca and dancehell. Although the imperatives for such music have as often been rural as urban, nonetheless, a strong link with urban ghettos and ‘downtown’ recording studios exists for many people, linked, for example, to Kingston, Jamaica, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
