Althea and Donna Gone to Negril (1977)
When tech, and Silicon Valley specifically, began to dominate corporate culture, office attire began to mean something more like denim and turtlenecks and less suit and tie. The formal became relegated to very specific sectors, and as time went on and we lived through people dressing the top halves of their bodies only while the bottom halves remained in pajamas, what used to be office attire is officially not universally mandatory anymore.
While what we wear has become less formal in general, this change might be allowing people to tell us more about who they are. Our sartorial choices can communicate our gender expression or religion; or we simply express that we like being comfortable; or screw comfort, we love couture!
People seem to want to offer clues about themselves through their clothes; someone wearing their culture’s traditional dress, for example, might be making a statement of cultural pride. And while there are always those with a unique style at any age, how many people born before 1980 wear skinny jeans?
The town of Negril, a beachside paradise on the west coast of Jamaica, is colloquially known as the Capital of Casual, a moniker earned for its laid back lifestyle and being put on the map by the “flower children” and backpackers of the 1970s. Althea and Donna take us on a ride there, and it's a wonderful time swaying to their sweet chants and youthful virtuoso. The vocal duo were just 17 and 18 when their debut single “Uptown Top Ranking” topped the UK singles charts. “Gone to Negril”, which is today’s song, came out just after.
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