SOME JAMAICAN MUSIC is a term that refers to the popular music genres of ska, rocksteady, and reggae. Ska is a genre of music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and is characterized by a walking bass line, offbeat rhythms, and a strong emphasis on the first and third beat of each bar. Rocksteady is a slower style of ska that developed in Jamaica in the mid-1960s and is characterized by a slower tempo and more relaxed feel. Reggae is a genre of music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s and is characterized by a heavy bass line, syncopated rhythms, and a focus on percussion instruments.