Originally Posted by ZachS

At first, it was all just straight R&B, but musicians and singers innovated by incorporating rhythms and sounds from the local calypso and mento music (as well as bringing Rastafari drummers and their flat-out African beats into the studios). By 1958 or 1959, it was ska. Most of the music that we listen to from 1950's and early 60's Jamaica is ska, but there was still tons of straight R&B being produced - if you can track down the Wailers album "One Love at Studio One (1964-1966)" (i forget whether i found it on torrentspy or thepiratebay, should still be active though), you'll get a kick out of hearing Bob Marley singing stuff like 'teenager in love.'