Reggae

Listen to Bob Marley

Reggae is considered the music of the

downtrodden in Jamaica that was

brought to world attention when it was

championed by British Punks

dedicated to racial equality.

Reggae served as an essential element

of the Jamaican Rastafarian religion,

which, considerably counter-

cultural in its beliefs, emerged in the

early 1930s in Jamaica.

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Bunny Livingston

Ijahman Levy

Bob Marley - Stir It Up

Peter Tosh

Marcia Griffiths

Bob Marley

Bunny Livingston

The Maytals

The Term


As a music genre Reggae first

developed in Jamaica in the late 

1960s. While sometimes used

broadly to refer to most types of

popular Jamaican dance music,

reggae as a term more properly

denotes a particular music style

that evolved from Ska and

Rock-steady, two earlier genres in

Jamaica. As a musical term, it first 

appeared in print with the 1968

Rocksteady hit "Do the Reggay" by

The Maytals, but there are many

different theories as to how 

the term originated. 

The Maytals - Do The Reggay

Clancy Eccles - Sweet Jamaica

On the other hand, top Reggae artist Bob Marley claimed the word reggae came from a

Spanish term for "the king's music". Another reggae heavyweight, Peter Tosh claimed:

Reggae, the word, means King’s music, and I play the King’s music. The King put

many princes on earth, and the music is given to those who praise Him. You have to be

spiritually inclined to deal with this kind of talent.’ 

Prince Buster

Reggae Root Songs

Desmond Dekker - Israelites

Origins


Although strongly influenced by traditional African music, as well as American jazz 

and Rhythm and Blues, Reggae directly originated from Ska and Rocksteady of 1960s

Jamaica. The Rastafarian religious cult/movement significantly influenced Reggae, with

Rasta drummers like Count Ossie contributing to seminal recordings.

Joe Higgs

Count Ossie

Rastifarianism

Prince Buster

Maxi Priest

Stylistically, Reggae incorporates some of the musical elements of Rhythm and 

Blues (R&B), also Jazz, Mento, Calypso, African, and Latin American music. Elements

of other genres exist as well. Reggae's tempo is usually slower then Ska and 

Rocksteady. Harmonically, however, the music is essentially the same as any other

modern popular genre with a tendency to make use of simple chord progressions. 

Johnny Nash - "Hold Me Tight"

The Pioneers - Reggae Fever

Bob Marley - I Shot The Sheriff

Themes


Reggae is noted for its tradition of social criticism in its lyrics, although many reggae

songs also deal with lighter, more personal subjects, such as love and socializing. Many

early reggae bands covered Motown or Atlantic soul and funksongs. Some Reggae 

lyrics which attempted to raise the political consciousness of the audience for example 

criticized materialism, capitalism and the once very controversial practice of Apartheid. 

Many Reggae songs also promote the use of cannabis (also known as ganja), 

considered quite 'holy' in the Rastafarian religion. Other artists have often used religious

themes in their music. Other common socio-political topics in Reggae songs include

black nationalism, anti-racism, anti-colonialism, anti-capitalism and criticism of many

unjust political systems.

Anarexol Dub - Eek A Mouse

Alborosie - Black Woman

John Holt - Ali Ba Ba

Some History


As it developed in Jamaica, reggae combined African and indigenous Jamaican rhythms

and replaced the westernized R & B –based rock steady. As such it soon became the

'music' of the newly emergent countercultural religion known as Rastafarianism. As

Zsatmary noted: ‘Reggae originated in the slums of the Jamaican capital. “When I came

to Kingston at about 16 years of age,” (Peter) Tosh remembered, “I soon realised that 

nine out of ten singers found themselves in poverty in Trenchtown , the ghetto. It was

me, Bob Marley, Bunny Livingstone, Joe Higgs, the Maytals – we’d sit around every

night and just sing. At that time , me and Joe higgs were the only ones who could play

the guitar. Finally Joe Higgs helped to get us into the studio with Sir Coxsone Dodd

producing, andf that was the start of recording for me and Bob and Bunny’. 

In the early 1960s, Tosh and others, sang

a mixture of Western and Carrabean

influences  about social issues in the

slums in Jamaica. This was known as Ska

music, they then later combined this with

soul influences from the US (rock steady).

‘In 1971, the Wailers benfited from the

success of the film ‘The Harder They

 Come’. The movie chronicled gang life in

Trenchtown and featured the music of

Jamaican star Jimmy Cliff. The film

quickly spread throught the US becoming

an international hit and creating a

worldwide market for reggae music. The

Wailers soon became huge, and having

abandoned ska and rocksteady embraced

a new music rooted in Rastafrianism

which became known as Reggae.. The

Wailers soon became huge globally.

Above all, Reggae was a political music

that embraced equality for all. The

Wailers, along with other reggae groups

such as Toots and the Maytals, Burning

Spear, Black Uhuru, and Steel Pulse,

lambasted the racism and capitalism that

Britian had imposed on Jamaica. They

pursued togetherness, non violence, anti-

pollution.  Some bands such as Bob

Marley and the Wailers became very

active politically. Soon Bob Marley led

the way for Reggae internationally.  

Jimmy Cliff - The Harder They Come

The Wailers - Stir It Up

The Wailers, a band started by Bob Marley,

Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in 1963, is

perhaps the most recognized band that made

the transition through all three stages of early

Jamaican popular music: ska, rocksteady and

reggae. Other significant reggae pioneers

include Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker and

Ken Boothe.

Peter Tosh - Walk & Don't Look Back

Bob Marley - Buffalo Soldier

The Beltones - No More Heartaches

In early 1968 the first bona fide reggae

records were released: "Nanny Goat" by

Larry Marshall and "No More  Heartaches"

by The Beltones. Also in 1968, the newest

Jamaican sound began spawning big-name

imitators in other countries. US artist Johnny

Nash's 1968 hit "Hold Me Tight" is credited

with first putting Reggae in the American

listener charts. Meanwhile, reggae influences

were surfacing in rock andpop music, for 

example: The Beatles: "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-

Da".

The Beatles - Obladi Oblada

Discontented British Bands, attracted to Marley’s rebel image, also began to champion

the activist  reggae bands. ‘I was heavily into reggae’, Johnny Rotten recalled. As were

the Clash, and others. Many British youths supported reggae bands such as Steel Pulse,

Aswad and Matumbi, which regularly played with British Punks at Rock Against

Rascism concerts. ‘Everybdy loved reggae music,’ commented Chrissie Hynde about

the English punks. Some British youths took Ska – the light , happy, Jamaican music

that predated reggae- and fused it with the radical message and energy of punk – 

further promoting reggae in the process. (Zsatmary -Sources)       

In late 1972, the influence 

of reggae impacted at the

the top of the U.S. 

Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Three Dog Night had a #1

hit with a cover of the 

Maytones' version of 

"Black and White". Then

Then Johnny Nash had a

huge hit with "I Can See

Clearly Now". In 1973, the

film The Harder They

Come starring Jimmy

Cliff was released 

introducing Jamaican 

music to movie audiences

outside of Jamaica. While

it achieved cult status its

limited appeal saw it have 

a smaller impact than Eric

Clapton's 1974 cover of

"I Shot the Sheriff" which

made it onto the playlists

of mainstream rock and

pop radio stations globally.

Clapton's "I Shot The

Sheriff" was thus

important in bringing the

music of Bob Marley to 

wider rock audiences. 

Eric Clapton

Johnny Nash - I Can See Clearly Now

Developing from Ska and 

Rocksteady in the 1960s, the

musical shift was illustrated

by the organ shuffle  

pioneered by Jamaican

musicians like Jackie Mittoo 

and Winston Wright and 

featured in many transitional

singles. The Pioneers' 1968

track "Long Shot (Bus' Me

Bet)" is considered the 

earliest recorded example of

the new rhythm sound that 

became known as reggae.

The Pioneers - Long Shot

In the late 1970s, the 

British punk rock scene

was forming with reggae

a notable influence. The 

DJ Don Letts and others 

would play reggae and

punk tracks at many clubs.

Punk bands such as The

Clash. The Ruts. The

Members and The Slits

often played many reggae-

influenced songs. 

The Clash

During this time, reggae 

took a new path in the

UK; created by the 

multiracial makeup of 

England's inner cities best

portayed by groups such

as Steel Pulse, Aswad and

UB40 among others. As

such, the Jamaican ghetto

themes in the lyrics were

replaced by UK inner city

themes, and Jamaican 

slang was intermingled 

with Cockney slang. 

Steel Pulse

Wrap Up


Over the last few decades, Reggae has spread to many countries across the world, often

incorporating local instruments and fusing with other genres. The UK was and is a

primary destination for Caribbean people looking to emigrate. This began as early as 

the 1950s. As a result, Caribbean music in the United Kingdom, including Reggae, has

been popular since the late 1960s, and has evolved into several sub-genres and fusions. 

This fusion of Caribbean music into English culture proved seminal in the formation of 

other musical forms like 'drum and bass' and 'Dubstep'. Soon the United Kingdom

became the base for many Jamaican artists who sought to tour Europe. Due to the large

number of Jamaican musicians who migrated there, the UK became the root of the 

larger European Reggae scene that exists today. Many of the world's most famous 

Reggae artists began their careers in the UK .

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