Caribbean music in Canada

Caribbean music in Canada has existed since the early 1920s, becoming increasingly prominent after the 1960s as Caribbean immigration to Canada increased. Anglo-Caribbean genres such as reggae, soca and calypso are especially prominent in English Canada, while French Caribbean genres such as cadence-lypso, zouk and konpa are more prominent in Quebec.

Caribbean music has also been incorporated as an influence by numerous Canadian pop, rock and hip hop artists.

Recent changes in Canada's immigration laws have seen several prominent musicians from the Commonwealth Caribbean, like David Rudder and Anslem Douglas, resettle in Canada and help to develop the Caribbean music industry based there.

The role of music in the Caribbean Canadian community is reinforced by cultural festivals such as Toronto's Caribana.

Although long present as an underground phenomenon, Caribbean music began to actively break through into the Canadian cultural mainstream in the 1980s — particularly after Parachute Club, a band who incorporated reggae and soca rhythms into a mainstream new wave dance-pop style, broke through to mass popularity with their 1983 hit single "Rise Up".

Their success in turn paved the way for reggae acts such as Leroy Sibbles, Lillian Allen, Messenjah and Sattalites to break through to larger audiences; the Juno Awards, Canada's primary music award, introduced an award for Reggae Recording of the Year in 1985.

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