Recent reports in Jamaica’s Star and Gleaner have stated that according to sales tracker Nielsen-SoundScan reggae album sales have plummeted in the USA. Collectively reggae / dancehall music has sold a mere 502,171 units for the first 10 months of the year. In a great year for reggae album releases, with a lot of artists going back to a more rootsy sound, Buju Bantons excellent ‘Rasta Got Soul’ has so far only sold just over 8,000 copies, while Queen Ifrica’s summer release ‘Montego Bay’ has a woeful return of only 2,726.

However this may not be all gloom and doom for reggae artists. CD sales across all genres have been affected by the recession and these figures do not include download sales, which is now according to industry reports accountable for around 20% of worldwide music sales. Competition from unsigned artists on the internet and the ever-present issue of filesharing may also be a factor. Once all the figures are in the fuller picture may be revealed.