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| toasting (Jamaican music) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Toasting |
| Cultural origin | 1950s Jamaica |
| Instruments | Turntable, Mixer, Microphone |
| Derivatives | Dancehall, Hip hop, Jungle, Drum and bass |
| Notable personalities | Duke Reid, Coxsone Dodd, Prince Buster, King Stitt, U-Roy, Big Youth, Dennis Alcapone |
toasting (Jamaican music) Toasting is a Jamaican vocal style in which a performer speaks or chants over a rhythm or instrumental track, often with improvised lines, boasts, and rhythmic phrasing. Emerging in mid-20th century Kingston sound system culture, toasting bridged Mento, Calypso, American R&B, and Ska influences while shaping later genres such as Reggae, Dancehall, and global forms like Hip hop. Practitioners—known as deejays or MCs—developed unique cadences, cultural references, and stagecraft that propagated through record producers, live dances, and international tours.
Toasting originated amid postwar Jamaican urban life where entrepreneurs like Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid operated mobile sound systems for neighborhoods such as Trench Town and Waterhouse. Early performers drew from Mento storytellers, Calypso lyricism, and radio disc jockey practices exemplified by Tommy McCook-era bands and visiting American R&B records from labels like Atlantic Records and King Records. The rise of local studios—Studio One, Treasure Isle—and producers such as Prince Buster created instrumental versions or "versions" that encouraged on-the-spot vocalizations, while venues including Jarocho Hall and street dances fostered competitive expression.
Toasting employs rhythmic speech, syncopated phrasing, and vocal effects like echo from King Tubby-style mixing or Errol Brown's studio techniques. Toasts combine improvised patter, calls to crowd figures like Bobo Ashanti or references to locations such as Spanish Town and New Kingston, while using rhetorical devices from Marcus Garvey-inspired rhetoric and Rastafari imagery. Performers manipulate timing against instrumental riddims crafted by musicians from bands like The Skatalites and producers including Lee "Scratch" Perry, using studio tools pioneered by engineers at Channel One Studios and Black Ark Studios. Stagecraft often includes microphone control learned from radio personalities like Tommy Cowan and crowd-interaction methods similar to those of Mighty Sparrow in Caribbean calypso traditions.
Sound systems helmed by figures such as Duke Reid, Coxsone Dodd, and Tommy Cowan provided the platforms where toasting flourished, with deejays like King Stitt and U-Roy cultivating followings at weekly dances and on-site clashes. Systems such as DownBeat, Starlight, and later Stone Love acted as cultural hubs, promoting local records from labels like Studio One and Trojan Records to audiences including migrants in Southall and Brent. Toasting functioned as branding for sound systems, drove record sales for producers like Bunny Lee, and created competitive rituals comparable to Jamaican "sound clashes" involving Black Scorpio and Killamanjaro.
Toasting influenced the transition from Ska to Rocksteady and then to Reggae by foregrounding vocal improvisation over tightened rhythm sections played by session musicians from Studio One and Channel One. Pioneering toasters contributed to Reggae's de-emphasis on melody and rise of rhythm-centric tracks used by producers like Coxsone Dodd and Lee "Scratch" Perry. In the 1970s and 1980s, toasting evolved into Dancehall's rapid-fire delivery under producers such as Henry "Junjo" Lawes and labels like Techniques Records, while influencing dub innovations associated with King Tubby and Scientist that emphasized deconstruction of vocal and instrumental layers.
Important early exponents include King Stitt, U-Roy, Dennis Alcapone, Big Youth, I Roy, and Prince Jazzbo, who popularized recorded toasts and live performances on sound systems. Producers and engineers who shaped the art were Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid, Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby, Bunny Lee, and Augustus Pablo. Later influential figures who adapted toasting into contemporary forms include Shabba Ranks, Buju Banton, Sizzla, Eek-A-Mouse, and international adopters such as David Rodigan and Sonia Pottinger-associated artists.
Toasting's techniques directly informed the development of Hip hop in the Bronx via Jamaican immigrants like Clive Campbell (DJ Kool Herc), transatlantic exchanges with London sound systems, and recordings circulated by labels such as Trojan Records and Chris Blackwell's Island Records. Elements of toasting appear in British genres—Jungle, Drum and bass—and influenced artists from The Clash to Sublime and Snoop Dogg collaborations that cite Jamaican rhythmic speech. Festivals like Notting Hill Carnival and institutions including the British Library have archived toasting recordings, while scholars at universities such as University of the West Indies analyze its sociocultural impact.
Toasting has faced criticism over lyrics that some deem violent or homophobic, leading to public disputes involving artists like Bunny Wailer and regulatory responses from venues and broadcasters in places such as Jamaica and United Kingdom authorities. Debates have arisen over cultural appropriation when non-Jamaican acts adopt toasting techniques without attribution, prompting discourse involving figures like Clive Campbell and commentators in outlets tied to BBC coverage. Copyright and credit controversies have affected producers and toasters alike, with disputes involving labels such as Trojan Records and producer credits credited to individuals like Lee "Scratch" Perry.