noun a rhythmic musical style that evolved into reggae. Coinage, in the late 1950s or very early 60s, is generally credited to Jamaican bassist Cluet Johnson when trying to explain the sound and rhythm of ya-ya music; Cluet Johnson is also recorded as using 'skavoovee' and 'love skavoovie' as a nonsensical but American-sounding greeting JAMAICA, 1993