Ragga

Ragga, short for ragamuffin, is the fully digital form of Jamaican dancehall that emerged in the mid-1980s. It replaced live bands with synthesizers, drum machines and computer-sequenced rhythms, beginning with the 'Sleng Teng' rhythm built on a #Casio# keyboard preset. Over these stark electronic backing tracks, deejays deliver fast, percussive vocals in a chant-and-toast style, addressing dancehall rivalry, sexuality, humour and ghetto life. Originating in Kingston's sound-system culture, ragga dominated Jamaican popular music from the late 1980s, produced a generation of star deejays, and reshaped dancehall, jungle and later global pop.