Meaning
The Jamaican music style that came between ska and reggae in the mid-1960s — slower and cooler than the fast, jumping ska, with a heavier, more prominent bass, smooth vocal harmonies, and a relaxed, rocking beat you could hold a partner close and 'rock steady' to. Its brief golden age produced many classic love songs and rude-boy anthems, and it laid the rhythmic groundwork out of which reggae grew.
Examples
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Rock steady slower dan ska.
Rocksteady is slower than ska.
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Dem dance close pon di rock steady beat.
They dance close to the rocksteady beat.
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Rock steady bridge ska an reggae.
Rocksteady bridges ska and reggae.
Origin
From 'rock steady' (to dance in a steady rocking way); the mid-1960s genre between ska and reggae. See [[ska]], [[reggae]].
How it’s used
The mid-1960s genre between ska and reggae; slower, bass-heavy. See [[ska]], [[reggae]].