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My Unfortunate Slant, Gamma
Gamma, I chose that headline simply because the decision to change the name from a name that included the word “reggae” to the more region-friendly “Best Caribbean Performance” did not seem to imply anything about Soul Train’s death (pardon the choice of metaphor here). What the move suggested to me was a need for Soul Train to maximize something (maybe audience), and so the organizers probably no longer saw reggae as being powerful enough to do so.
You have to realize, though, that reggae was NEVER popular in the USA to begin with. Also, to date, we have had less than ten Jamaican number one hits on Billboard’s Top Twenty charts from the 1960s until now. I once posted a complete list of Jamaican artists who had number one hits on Billboard’s chart.
My statement that reggae has never been very popular with African Americans is grounded in fact. Trust me, I know about the history of the music of my country! Caucasians in North America accepted reggae more than blacks did! Dancehall (with touches of hip-hop), in fact, has been MORE popular among African Americans than reggae has ever been! This is a fact, my friend.
Originally posted by Gamma
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You have to realize, though, that reggae was NEVER popular in the USA to begin with. Also, to date, we have had less than ten Jamaican number one hits on Billboard’s Top Twenty charts from the 1960s until now. I once posted a complete list of Jamaican artists who had number one hits on Billboard’s chart.
My statement that reggae has never been very popular with African Americans is grounded in fact. Trust me, I know about the history of the music of my country! Caucasians in North America accepted reggae more than blacks did! Dancehall (with touches of hip-hop), in fact, has been MORE popular among African Americans than reggae has ever been! This is a fact, my friend.
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