Once upon a time it must have started somewhere... Reggae? Naturally, it first emerged in Jamaica. First came ska. Then reggae. A bit more laid-back, yet with lyrics that were just a touch sharper. In the 1960s, it becomes the music of the people of Kingston. It was music that offered hope, although often the yearning love resonated just as passionately. Countless hits, mostly American, were recorded by Jamaican artists in reggae style. Each one bigger than the last. Artists also began stirring things up with their own original material. And then, the spark caught fire. It didn't take long for the rest of the world to catch wind of the sounds coming out of Jamaica. The date was May 24, 1969, when the Netherlands was officially introduced to reggae. The song “Israelites” by Desmond Dekker is the very first reggae song hitting the top spot on the Dutch charts. The Netherlands fell in love with reggae, and Rotterdam especially so: to this day, that very first single still blasts from the sound system speakers.