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Reggae
Stylistic origins
Cultural origins
Late 1960s Jamaica, especially Kingston
Typical instruments
Mainstream popularity Early 1970s onward, worldwide
Derivative forms Dancehall - Drum and bass - Trip hop
Subgenres
Roots reggae - Dub - Dub poetry - Toasting - Lovers rock - Dancehall - Ragga
Fusion genres
Reggaeton - Seggae - 2 Tone
Regional scenes
African - Australia - Japan - Kanéka - New Zealand - Nigeria
Other topics
Music of Jamaica - List of reggae musicians

Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression The article is about the Jamaican musical style For the DC comics character see Mento (comics. Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean Music which originated in Trinidad and Tobago at about the start of the 20th century Ska ( pronounced /ska/ or in Jamaican Patois /skja/ is a Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and which was the precursor Rocksteady is a Music genre that was most popular in Jamaica, starting around 1966 and its Reggae successor was established around 1968 Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. Kingston is the Capital and largest city of Jamaica and is located on the southeastern coast of the island country The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles An electronic organ is an Electronic keyboard instrument originally designed to imitate the sound of a Pipe organ. A brass instrument is a Musical instrument whose tone is produced by vibration of the lips as the player blows into a tubular Resonator. The melodica is a Free-reed instrument similar to the Accordion and Harmonica. Dancehall is a type of Jamaican Popular music which developed in the late 1970s initially as a more sparse and less political and religious variant of Reggae Trip hop is a music Genre also known as the Bristol sound or Bristol acid rap. The term Reggae, in a proper sense only covers the period in Jamaican music from 1969 to 1979 (or 1985 depending on opinion Roots reggae is a subgenre of Reggae that concerns itself with the life of the ghetto sufferer and the rural poor Dub is a form of music which evolved from Reggae in the late 1960s Dub Poetry is a form of performance poetry consisting of spoken word over reggae rhythms that originated in Jamaica in the 1970s. Toasting, Chatting, or Deejaying is the act of talking or Chanting over a Rhythm or beat. For other uses see Lovers Rock (disambiguation. Lovers rock is a style of Reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content Dancehall is a type of Jamaican Popular music which developed in the late 1970s initially as a more sparse and less political and religious variant of Reggae Raggamuffin music, usually abbreviated as ragga, is a sub-genre of Dancehall music or Reggae, in which the instrumentation primarily consists Reggaeton (also spelled reggaetón, and known as reguetón and reggaetón in Spanish) is a form of urban music which became popular Seggae is a music genre invented in the mid 1980s by the Mauritian Rasta singer Joseph Reginald Topize who was sometimes known as Kaya, after 2 Tone (or Two Tone) is a Music genre created in England in the late 1970s by fusing elements of Ska, Punk rock, Rocksteady Reggae is a kind of Jamaican Popular music that has spread to much of the world especially including Africa. Reggae a Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s Japanese reggae or J-reggae is Reggae ( music made in Japan by Japanese artists with Lyrics in the Japanese language or Kanak (formerly also Canaque) are the indigenous Melanesian inhabitants of New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific. New Zealand reggae is the New Zealand ( Aotearoa) variation of the Musical genre Reggae. Reggae is a style of Jamaican music that evolved in the 1970s The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres such as Mento, Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, Dub music This is a list of reggae musicians. This includes artists who have either been very important to the genre or have had a considerable amount of exposure (such A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969

While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady. The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres such as Mento, Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, Dub music Ska ( pronounced /ska/ or in Jamaican Patois /skja/ is a Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and which was the precursor Rocksteady is a Music genre that was most popular in Jamaica, starting around 1966 and its Reggae successor was established around 1968 Reggae is based on a rhythm style characterized by regular chops on the off-beat, known as the skank. Rhythm (from Greek ῥυθμός - rhythmos, "any measured flow or movement symmetry" is the variation of the length and accentuation of The Off-beat is a musical term commonly applied to rhythms that emphasize the weak beats of a bar Damping is any effect either deliberately engendered or inherent to a system that tends to reduce the amplitude of Oscillations of an oscillatory system The tempo is generally slower than that found in ska. 2266-Tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl or TEMPO is the Chemical compound with the formula (CH23(CMe22NO Reggae usually has accents on the 3rd beat in each bar, there being four beats in a bar; many people think it's accentuated on the 2nd and 4th, because of the rhythm guitar. In Music, an accent is an emphasis placed on a particular note, either as a result of its context or specifically indicated by an accent mark. A beat is the basic Time Unit of a piece of Music; for example each tick sounded by a Metronome would correspond to a beat In Musical notation, a bar or measure is a segment of time defined as a given number of beats of a given duration

Reggae is often associated with the Rastafari movement, an influence on many prominent reggae musicians from its inception. The Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, Rastafarianism or simply Rasta) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, New Testament Reggae song lyrics deal with many subjects, including faith, love, sexuality, relationships, poverty, injustice and other broad social issues. Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and

Contents

Etymology

Toots Hibbert, lead singer of the Maytals.
Toots Hibbert, lead singer of the Maytals.

The 1967 edition of the Dictionary of Jamaican English lists reggae as "a recently estab. Jamaican English or Jamaican Standard English is a Dialect of English spoken in Jamaica. sp. for rege", as in rege-rege, a word that can mean either "rags, ragged clothing" or "a quarrel, a row". [1]

The word reggae as a musical term first appeared in print with the 1968 rocksteady hit "Do the Reggay" by The Maytals, but it was already being used in Kingston, Jamaica as the name of a slower dance and style of rocksteady. Do the Reggay is a Reggae song by The Maytals. Written by Toots Hibbert, produced by Leslie Kong and released on Beverly's Records in Jamaica The Jamaican musical group Toots and the Maytals, originally called simply The Maytals, are one of the best known Ska and Reggae vocal groups [2] As Reggae artist Derrick Morgan stated:

We didn't like the name rock steady, so I tried a different version of "Fat Man". Derrick Morgan (born 27 March 1940, Mocho Clarendon Parish, Jamaica) is a musical artist popular in the 1960s and 1970s It changed the beat again, it used the organ to creep. Bunny Lee, the producer, liked that. Edward O'Sullivan Lee, better known as Bunny "Striker" Lee (born 29 August 1941) was a prominent prolific and successful Jamaican He created the sound with the organ and the rhythm guitar. It sounded like ‘reggae, reggae' and that name just took off. Bunny Lee started using the world [sic] and soon all the musicians were saying ‘reggae, reggae, reggae. [2]

Reggae historian Steve Barrow credits Clancy Eccles with altering the Jamaican patois word streggae ("loose woman") into reggae. Steve Barrow is a British Reggae historian writer and producer Clancy Eccles ( 9 December 1940, Dean Pen Jamaica – 30 June 2005, Spanish Town, Jamaica was a Jamaican [2] However, Toots Hibbert said:

There's a word we used to use in Jamaica called 'streggae'. Toots Hibbert (born Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert 10 December 1945, May Pen, Parish of Clarendon, Jamaica) is a Ska If a girl is walking and the guys look at her and say 'Man, she's streggae' it means she don't dress well, she look raggedy. The girls would say that about the men too. This one morning me and my two friends were playing and I said, 'OK man, let's do the reggay. ' It was just something that came out of my mouth. So we just start singing 'Do the reggay, do the reggay' and created a beat. People tell me later that we had given the sound it's [sic] name. Before that people had called it blue-beat and all kind of other things. Now it's in the Guinness World of Records. [3]

Bob Marley is said to have claimed that the word reggae came from a Spanish term for "the king's music". Robert "Bob" Nesta Marley OM (February 6 1945 – May 11 1981 was a Jamaican Musician, Singer-songwriter and Rastafarian [4] The liner notes of To the King, a compilation of Christian gospel reggae, suggest that the wordreggae was derived from the Latin regis meaning "to the king. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. "

Precursors

Music of Jamaica

Kumina - Niyabinghi - Mento - Ska - Rocksteady - Reggae - Sound systems - Lovers rock - Dub - Dancehall - Dub poetry - Toasting - Raggamuffin - Roots reggae
Anglophone Caribbean music
Anguilla - Antigua and Barbuda - Bahamas - Barbados - Bermuda - Caymans - Grenada - Jamaica - Montserrat - St. Kitts and Nevis - St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Trinidad and Tobago - Turks and Caicos - Virgin Islands
Sound samples
Other Caribbean music
Aruba and the Dutch Antilles - Cuba - Dominica - Dominican Republic - Haiti - Hawaii - Martinique and Guadeloupe - Puerto Rico - St. Lucia - United States - United Kingdom

Although strongly influenced by both traditional African and Caribbean music, as well as by American rhythm and blues, reggae owes its direct origins to the progressive development of ska and rocksteady in 1960s Jamaica. The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres such as Mento, Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, Dub music Kumina is a cultural form indigenous to Jamaica It is a religion music and dance practiced by in large part Jamaicans who reside in the eastern parish on St Niyabinghi chanting typically includes recitation of the Psalms, but may also include variations of well-known Christian hymns and adopted by Rastafarians The article is about the Jamaican musical style For the DC comics character see Mento (comics. Ska ( pronounced /ska/ or in Jamaican Patois /skja/ is a Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and which was the precursor Rocksteady is a Music genre that was most popular in Jamaica, starting around 1966 and its Reggae successor was established around 1968 In the context of Jamaican Popular culture, a sound system is a group of Disc jockeys engineers and MCs playing Ska, For other uses see Lovers Rock (disambiguation. Lovers rock is a style of Reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content Dub is a form of music which evolved from Reggae in the late 1960s Dancehall is a type of Jamaican Popular music which developed in the late 1970s initially as a more sparse and less political and religious variant of Reggae Dub Poetry is a form of performance poetry consisting of spoken word over reggae rhythms that originated in Jamaica in the 1970s. Toasting, Chatting, or Deejaying is the act of talking or Chanting over a Rhythm or beat. Raggamuffin music, usually abbreviated as ragga, is a sub-genre of Dancehall music or Reggae, in which the instrumentation primarily consists Roots reggae is a subgenre of Reggae that concerns itself with the life of the ghetto sufferer and the rural poor The music of Anguilla is part of the Lesser Antillean music area. Antigua and Barbuda is a Caribbean nation in the Lesser Antilles island chain The Music of The Bahamas is associated primarily with Junkanoo, a celebration which occurs on Boxing Day ( December 26) and again on The music of Barbados includes distinctive national styles of folk and Popular music, as well as elements of Western classical and Religious Bermuda is an Atlantic island and an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, often treated as part of the Caribbean music area. The Cayman Islands a Caribbean island chain is a Crown Colony of the United Kingdom. The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres such as Mento, Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, Dub music Montserrat is a dependency of the United Kingdom. The influence of Irish traditions is apparent in Montserrat's symbols and heritage especially the Set dance -like Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island nation in the Caribbean, known for a number of musical celebrations including Carnival ( December 17 to January 3 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a Caribbean island with thriving music scenes based on Big Drum, calypso, soca, Steelpan and also The Caribbean state of Trinidad and Tobago is best known as the homeland of Calypso music, including 1950s stars Lord Kitchener and Mighty Sparrow The Turks and Caicos Islands are an overseas dependency of the United Kingdom. The music of the Virgin Islands reflects long-standing cultural ties to the island nations to the south as well as to various European colonialists The music of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba is a mixture of native African and European elements and is closely connected with trends from neighboring countries like Venezuela The Caribbean island of Cuba has developed a wide range of creolized musical styles based on its cultural origins in Europe and Africa The music of Dominica plays an important role in the social and culture life of the Antillean island of Dominica. The Dominican Republic is known primarily for Merengue, though Bachata and other forms are also popular The Music of Haiti is influenced most greatly by European colonial ties and African migration (through Slavery) The music of Hawaii includes an array of traditional and popular styles ranging from native Hawaiian folk music to modern rock and hip hop. The former French Colony of Martinique is a small island in the Caribbean. The Music of Puerto Rico has been influenced by the African, Taíno Indians and the Spanish, and has become very popular across Saint Lucia, an island in the Caribbean, is home to many vibrant oral and folk traditions The vast majority of the inhabitants of the United States are immigrants or descendents of immigrants Music from Trinidad Large-scale Caribbean migration to England began in 1948 The music of Africa is as vast and varied as the continent's many regions, nations and Ethnic groups Although there is no distinctly pan-African The Music of the Caribbean is a diverse grouping of Musical genres They are each syntheses of African European Indian and The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Ska ( pronounced /ska/ or in Jamaican Patois /skja/ is a Music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and which was the precursor Rocksteady is a Music genre that was most popular in Jamaica, starting around 1966 and its Reggae successor was established around 1968

Ska music first arose in the studios of Jamaica over the years 1959 and 1961, itself a development of the earlier mento genre. The article is about the Jamaican musical style For the DC comics character see Mento (comics. [2] Ska is characterized by a walking bass line, accentuated guitar or piano rhythms on the offbeat, and sometimes jazz-like horn riffs. In Popular music, a walking bass is a style of bass accompaniment or line common in jazz which creates a feeling of regular quarter note movement akin to the regular Aside from its massive popularity amidst the Jamaican rude boy fashion, it had gained a large following among mods in Britain by 1964. Rude boy, rudeboy, rudie, rudi or rudy were common terms for juvenile delinquents and criminals in 1960s Jamaica, and have since been Mod (originally modernist, sometimes capitalised is a Subculture that originated in London in the late 1950s and peaked in the early to mid 1960s According to Barrow, rude boys began deliberately playing their ska records at half speed, preferring to dance slower as part of their tough image. [2]

By the mid-1960s, many musicians had begun playing the tempo of ska slower, while emphasizing the walking bass and offbeats. The slower sound was named rocksteady, after a single by Alton Ellis. Alton Ellis OD (born Alton Nehemiah Ellis) ( September 1, 1940 - October 10, 2008) was a Musician best known This phase of Jamaican music lasted only until 1968, when musicians began to slow the tempo of the music again, and added yet more effects. This led to the creation of reggae.

Origins and development

The shift from rocksteady to reggae was illustrated by the organ shuffle pioneered by Bunny Lee, and featured in the transitional singles "Say What You're Saying" (1967) by Clancy Eccles, and "People Funny Boy" (1968) by Lee "Scratch" Perry. Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry, on March 20, 1936, in Kendal Jamaica) is a reggae and dub artist who has been [5] The Pioneers' 1967 track "Long Shot Bus' Me Bet" has been identified as the earliest recorded example of the new rhythm sound that would soon become known as reggae. The Pioneers are a Jamaican Reggae vocal trio, whose main period of success was in the 1960s [6]

Early 1968 was when the first bona fide reggae records came into being: "Nanny Goat" by Larry Marshall and "No More Heartaches" by The Beltones. Music historian Piero Scaruffi credits American artist Johnny Nash's 1968 hit "Hold Me Tight" with first putting reggae on the American listener charts. Piero Scaruffi (born in Trivero, Italy, in 1955 but based in California since 1983 is an Italian-American cultural historian Johnny Nash (born John Lester Nash Jr 19 August 1940, Houston, Texas) is an African-American pop Singer-songwriter [7]

Bob Marley in 1980.
Bob Marley in 1980.

The Wailers, started by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer in 1963, are generally agreed to be the most easily recognised group worldwide that made the transition through all three stages — from ska hits like "Simmer Down", through slower rocksteady; and they are also among the significant pioneers who can be called the literal roots of reggae — along with Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker, Jackie Mittoo and several others. The Wailers are a Ska, Rocksteady, and Reggae group formed in Kingston, Jamaica in 1963, consisting of Junior Robert "Bob" Nesta Marley OM (February 6 1945 – May 11 1981 was a Jamaican Musician, Singer-songwriter and Rastafarian Peter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh ( October 19 1944 &ndash September 11 1987) was a a Reggae musician who was Bunny Wailer, also known as Bunny Livingston (born Neville O'Riley Livingston April 10, 1947 in Jamaica) is a Singer "Simmer Down" was the First single released by The Wailers, accompanied by the Ska supergroup The Skatalites, and produced by Clement "Coxsone" Cecil Bustamente Campbell OD (born May 28, 1938) better known as Prince Buster and less known by his muslim name Muhammed Yusef Ali is a musician from Desmond Dekker ( July 16 1941 — May 25 2006) was a Jamaican Ska and Reggae Singer and Songwriter Jackie Mittoo ( 3 March, 1948 — 16 December, 1990) was a Jamaican Keyboardist, Songwriter and Musical director Some of the many notable Jamaican producers who were highly influential in the development of ska into rocksteady and reggae in the 1960s include Coxsone Dodd, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Leslie Kong, Duke Reid, Joe Gibbs and King Tubby. Clement Seymour "Sir Coxsone" Dodd CD ( Kingston Jamaica, January 26, 1932 &ndash May 5, 2004) was a Jamaican Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry, on March 20, 1936, in Kendal Jamaica) is a reggae and dub artist who has been Leslie Kong (1933 – August 9 1971) was a Chinese Jamaican, Reggae Record producer. Arthur "Duke" Reid CD (c 1915–1975 was a Jamaican Record producer, DJ and label Joe Gibbs born Joel A Gibson (1943 Montego Bay — 21 February 2008) was a Jamaican Reggae producer. King Tubby (born Osbourne Ruddock, January 28, 1941 – February 6, 1989) was a Jamaican electronics and sound engineer

Among these early producers was Chris Blackwell, who founded Island Records in Jamaica in 1959, then relocated to England in 1962, where he continued to promote Jamaican music. Chris Blackwell (born June 22, 1937) is the founder of Island Records. Island Records is a Record label that was founded by British record producers in Jamaica. He formed a partnership with Trojan Records, founded by Lee Gopthal in 1968, which lasted until 1972. Trojan Records is a British Record label specialising in Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae and Dub music. Trojan continued to produce reggae artists in the UK until 1974, when it was bought by Saga.

1970s and 1980s

The 1972 film The Harder They Come, starring Jimmy Cliff, generated considerable interest and popularity for reggae music in the United States, and Eric Clapton's 1974 cover of the Bob Marley song "I Shot the Sheriff" is thought to signify reggae's acceptance as a global phenomenon by the "white rock world"[2]. The Harder They Come is a 1972 Jamaican Crime film directed by Perry Henzell. Jimmy Cliff OM (born James Chambers, 1 April 1948, Somerton District St Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945 is an English Blues-rock Guitarist, singer Songwriter and Composer " I Shot the Sheriff " is a song written by Bob Marley. By the mid 1970s, reggae was getting radio play in the UK on John Peel's radio show, and Peel continued to play much reggae during his career. John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004 known professionally as John Peel, was an English Disc jockey, radio What is called the first "Golden Age of Reggae" corresponds roughly to the heyday of roots reggae.

In the second half of the 1970s, the UK punk rock scene was starting to take off, and some punk DJs played reggae records during their DJ sets. Some punk bands, such as The Clash, The Slits, and The Ruts, incorporated reggae influences into their music. For the debut album by The Clash see The Clash (album The Clash were The Slits are a UK Punk rock band The quartet was formed in 1976 by members of the bands The Flowers of Romance and The Castrators The Ruts were a Reggae -influenced British Punk rock band, notable for the 1979 Top 10 hit "Babylon's Burning" At the same time, reggae began to enjoy a revival in the UK that continued into the 1980s, exemplified by groups like Steel Pulse, Aswad, UB40, and Musical Youth. Steel Pulse is a well-known Roots reggae musical band They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School in Aswad ("Black" in Arabic) are a long lasting British Reggae group, that is noted for adding strong R&B and soul UB40 are a British Reggae band formed in 1978 in Birmingham. Featuring the same line-up of 8 musicians from 1978-2008 the band placed more than 50 Musical Youth is a Grammy Award -nominated British - Jamaican pop / Reggae group Other artists who enjoyed international appeal in the early 1980s include Third World, Black Uhuru and Sugar Minott. Third World is a Jamaican Reggae band formed in 1973 Their sound is influenced by soul, funk and disco. Black Uhuru, formed by Derrick "Duckie" Simpson is a Jamaican Reggae band probably best known for their hits "Shine Eye Gal" "Guess Sugar Minott (born Lincoln Barrington Minott May 25 1956, in Kingston) is a Jamaican Reggae Singer, producer

The Grammy Awards introduced the Best Reggae Album category in 1985, which was won that year by Black Uhuru's Anthem LP. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album has been awarded since 1985. Winners for subsequent years have included albums by Jimmy Cliff, Steel Pulse, Peter Tosh, Ziggy Marley (four times), Bunny Wailer (three times), Shabba Ranks (twice), Inner Circle, Shaggy, Sly and Robbie, Beenie Man, Damian Marley (twice), Lee "Scratch" Perry, Sean Paul, Stephen Marley, and Toots and the Maytals. Jimmy Cliff OM (born James Chambers, 1 April 1948, Somerton District St Peter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh ( October 19 1944 &ndash September 11 1987) was a a Reggae musician who was David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley (born October 17, 1968, Trenchtown, Jamaica) is a four time Grammy -winning Jamaican Bunny Wailer, also known as Bunny Livingston (born Neville O'Riley Livingston April 10, 1947 in Jamaica) is a Singer Shabba Ranks (born Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon, 17 January 1966, Sturgetown St For other uses of the term see Inner circle. Inner Circle is a Jamaican Reggae Orville Richard Burrell (born October 22 1968 Kingston, Jamaica) better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Jamaican American Reggae Sly and Robbie are one of Reggae 's most prolific and long lasting production teams Anthony Moses Davis (born August 22 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica) better known by his Stage name Beenie Man, is a popular Reggae Damian Robert Nesta "Junior Gong" Marley (born July 21, 1978) is a three time Grammy -winning Reggae artist and is the second Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry, on March 20, 1936, in Kendal Jamaica) is a reggae and dub artist who has been Sean Paul Henriques (born January 8 1973) in Upper Saint Andrew Parish, a few miles north of his birthplace Stephen Marley may refer to Stephen Marley (musician, Jamaican musician son of Bob Marley Stephen Marley (writer, British The Jamaican musical group Toots and the Maytals, originally called simply The Maytals, are one of the best known Ska and Reggae vocal groups

Musical characteristics

Reggae is always played in 4/4 time or swing time, because the symmetrical rhythm pattern does not lend itself to other time signatures such as 3/4 time. The time signature (also known as " meter signature" is a notational convention used in Western Musical notation to specify how many beats Harmonically, the music is often very simple, and sometimes a whole song will have no more than one or two chords. This article describes musical chords in traditional Western styles The Bob Marley and the Wailers song "Exodus" is almost entirely comprised of A-minor chords. Robert "Bob" Nesta Marley OM (February 6 1945 – May 11 1981 was a Jamaican Musician, Singer-songwriter and Rastafarian These simple repetitious chord structures add to reggae's sometimes hypnotic effect. However, Marley also wrote more complex chord structures, and bands such as Steel Pulse have often used very complex chord structures. Steel Pulse is a well-known Roots reggae musical band They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School in

Drums and other percussion

A standard drum kit is generally used, but the snare drum is often tuned very high to give it a timbale-type sound. The snare drum is a Drum with strands of snares made of curled metal wire metal cable plastic cable or gut cords stretched across the a drumhead typically Timbales (or tymbales) are shallow single-headed Drums shallower in shape than single-headed tom-toms, and usually much higher tuned Some reggae drummers use a separate additional timbale or high-tuned snare to get this sound. Rim shots on the snare are commonly used, and tom-tom drums are often incorporated into the drumbeat itself. A tom-tom (not to be confused with a Tamtam) is a cylindrical Drum with no snare. From the mid-80s onward, electronic instruments such as synthesizers and samplers have been used for the same purpose, especially by reggae artists who write in the Stepper and Dancehall styles.

Reggae drumbeats fall into three main categories: One drop, Rockers and Steppers. One drop rhythm is a Drumset playing style of Reggae, popularized by Carlton Barrett (long-time drummer of Bob Marley and the Wailers, The With the One drop, the emphasis is entirely on the third beat of the bar (usually on the snare, or as a rim shot combined with bass drum). Beat one is completely empty, which is extremely unusual in popular music. There is some controversy about whether reggae should be counted so that this beat falls on the 3, or whether it should be counted half as fast so that it falls on the 2 and 4. This article follows the convention of placing the beat on the 3. Many credit Carlton Barrett of The Wailers as the creator of this style, although it may actually have been invented by Winston Grennan. Carlton "Carly" Barrett ( December 12, 1950 - April 17, 1987) was an influential reggae drummer and percussion player The Wailers are a Ska, Rocksteady, and Reggae group formed in Kingston, Jamaica in 1963, consisting of Junior Winston Grennan ( September 16, 1944 - October 27, 2000) was a Jamaican drummer famous session work from 1963 to 1973 in Jamaica An example played by Barrett can be heard in the Bob Marley and the Wailers song "One Drop". Bob Marley & The Wailers was a Reggae band created in 1974 by Bob Marley, after Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer and Ronald 9F Jauculan left Barrett often used an unusual triplet cross-rhythm on the hi-hat, which can be heard on many recordings by Bob Marley and the Wailers, such as "Running Away" on the Kaya album. In Music, the term irrational rhythm refers both to a particular extension of the traditional Western notation system for musical timeand to all the various rhythmic effects A hi-hat, or hihat, is a type of Cymbal and stand used as a typical part of a Drum kit by percussionists in R&B, hip-hop, Disco Kaya is a Roots reggae album released by Bob Marley and the Wailers in 1978

An emphasis on beat three is in all reggae drumbeats, but with the Rockers (pronounced like "raucous") beat, the emphasis is also on beat one (usually on bass drum). This beat was pioneered by the prolific innovative duo of Sly and Robbie — Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare — who later also helped create the "Rub-a-Dub" sound that greatly influenced Dancehall. Sly and Robbie are one of Reggae 's most prolific and long lasting production teams Lowell "Sly" Fillmore Dunbar was born on 10 May 1952, in Kingston, Jamaica. Sly and Robbie are one of Reggae 's most prolific and long lasting production teams An example of the Rockers beat is in "Night Nurse" by Gregory Isaacs. Gregory Isaacs (born Gregory Anthony Isaacs, 15 July, 1950, Fletchers Land Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican Reggae The Rockers beat is not always straightforward, and various syncopations are often included. In Music, syncopation includes a variety of Rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced An example of this is the Black Uhuru song "Sponji Reggae. Black Uhuru, formed by Derrick "Duckie" Simpson is a Jamaican Reggae band probably best known for their hits "Shine Eye Gal" "Guess "

In Steppers, the bass drum plays four solid beats to the bar, giving the beat an insistent drive. An example is "Exodus" by Bob Marley and the Wailers. Another common name for the Steppers beat is the "four on the floor".

The Steppers beat was also adopted (at a much higher tempo) by some of the 2 Tone ska revival bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s. 2 Tone (or Two Tone) is a Music genre created in England in the late 1970s by fusing elements of Ska, Punk rock, Rocksteady Examples include "Stand Down Margaret" by The Beat and "Too Much Too Young" by The Specials. The Beat (known in North America as The English Beat) are a 2 Tone Ska revival band founded in England in 1978 The Specials (sometimes called The Special AKA) are an English 2 Tone Ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry.

An unusual characteristic of reggae drumming is that the drum fills often do not end with a climactic cymbal. A wide range of other percussion instrumentation is used in reggae. Bongos are often used to play free, improvised patterns, with heavy use of African-style cross-rhythms. Cowbells, claves and shakers tend to have more defined roles and a set pattern. Claves are a Percussion instrument ( Idiophone) consisting of a pair of short (about 20-30 cm thick dowels

Bass

The bass guitar often plays a very dominant role in reggae, and the drum and bass is often called the riddim. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the A riddim is an Instrumental version of a song which applies to Jamaican music (mostly dancehall and reggae or other forms of Caribbean music. Several reggae singers have released different songs recorded over the same riddim. The central role of the bass can particularly be heard in dub music — which gives an even bigger role to the drum and bass line, reducing the vocals and other instruments to peripheral roles. Dub is a form of music which evolved from Reggae in the late 1960s The bass sound in reggae is thick and heavy, and equalized so the upper frequencies are removed and the lower frequencies emphasised. Equalization (or equalisation, EQ) is the process of changing the frequency envelope of a sound in Audio processing. The bass line is often a simple two-bar riff that is centred around its thickest and heaviest note (which in musical terms is often the harmonic root note) - the other notes in the bassline often serve simply to lead you towards the bassist note. In Music, a riff is an Ostinato figure a repeated Chord progression, pattern refrain or melodic figure, often played by the Rhythm An example of this can be heard on "Sun Is Shining" by Bob Marley and the Wailers. " Sun is Shining " is a song by Bob Marley first appearing on the Lee Perry -produced album Soul Revolution in 1971

Guitars

The rhythm guitar in reggae usually plays the chords on beats two and four, a musical figure known as skank or the 'bang'. Rhythm guitar is the use of a Guitar to provide Rhythmic chordal Accompaniment for a singer or other instruments in a Musical ensemble Damping is any effect either deliberately engendered or inherent to a system that tends to reduce the amplitude of Oscillations of an oscillatory system It has a very dampened, short and scratchy chop sound, almost like a percussion instrument. Sometimes a double chop is used when the guitar still plays the off beats, but also plays the following 8th beats on the up-stroke. An example is the intro to "Stir It Up" by The Wailers. "Stir It Up" is a song composed by Bob Marley in 1967 and first made popular by Johnny Nash, peaking on the UK chart in June 1972

The lead guitar will often add a rock or blues-style melodic solo to a song, but much of the time it plays the same part as the bass line an octave higher, with a very muted and picked sound. Lead guitar refers to the use of a Guitar to perform Melody lines instrumental fill passages, and Guitar solos within a song structure Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression This adds definition to the bass line (which is usually devoid of upper frequencies), and emphasizes the bass melody. Sometimes the guitar will play a counter-melody to the bass line instead. In Music, counter-melody (often one word countermelody) is a sequence of Notes perceived as a melody written to be played simultaneously with a more prominent

Keyboards

From the late 1960s through to the early 1980s, a piano was generally used in reggae to double the rhythm guitar's skank, playing the chords in a staccato style to add body, and playing occasional extra beats, runs and riffs. Damping is any effect either deliberately engendered or inherent to a system that tends to reduce the amplitude of Oscillations of an oscillatory system This article describes musical chords in traditional Western styles In Musical notation, the Italian word staccato (literally detached, plural staccatos or staccati) indicates that notes The piano part was widely taken over by synthesizers during the 1980s, although synthesizers have been used in a peripheral role since the 1970s to play incidental melodies and countermelodies. Larger bands may include either an additional keyboardist, to cover or replace horn and melody lines, or the main keyboardist filling these roles on two or more keyboards. A brass instrument is a Musical instrument whose tone is produced by vibration of the lips as the player blows into a tubular Resonator. In Music, a melody (from Greek μελῳδία - melōidía, "singing chanting" also tune, voice, or A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a Musical keyboard. The latter has become increasingly popular as keyboard technology improves.

The reggae-organ shuffle is unique to reggae. The organ (from Greek όργανον – organon "organ instrument tool" is a Keyboard instrument of one or more divisions each Typically, a Hammond organ-style sound is used to play chords with a choppy feel. The Hammond organ is an electric organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company This is known as the bubble. There are specific drawbar settings used on a Hammond console to get the correct sound. This may be the most difficult reggae keyboard rhythm. The 8th beats are played with a space-left-right-left-space-left-right-left pattern. The right-hand part coincides with the rhythm guitar and piano. It makes the music sound faster than it really is. The organ often also plays melodic runs and extra beats. The organ part is typically quite low in the mix, and is often more felt than heard. Examples include the songs "Natural Mystic", "Is This Love" and "Midnight Ravers" by Bob Marley. " Is This Love " is a Song by Bob Marley, released on his 1978 album ''Kaya''.

Horns

Horn sections are frequently used in reggae, often playing introductions and counter-melodies. Instruments included in a typical reggae horn section include saxophone, trumpet and/or trombone. The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s In more recent times, real horns are sometimes replaced in reggae by synthesizers or recorded samples. The horn section is often arranged around the first horn, playing a simple melody or counter melody. The first horn is usually accompanied by the second horn playing the same melodic phrase in unision, one octave higher. The third horn usually plays the melody an octave and a fifth higher than the first horn. The horns are generally played fairly softly, usually resulting in a soothing sound. However, sometimes punchier, louder phrases are played for a more up-tempo and aggressive sound.

Vocals

The vocals in reggae are less of a defining characteristic of the genre than the instrumentation and rhythm. Almost any song can be performed in a reggae style. Vocal harmony parts are often used, either throughout the melody (as with bands such as the Mighty Diamonds), or as a counterpoint to the main vocal line (as with the backing group I-Threes). The Mighty Diamonds are a Jamaican harmony trio recording Roots reggae with a strong Rastafarian influence The I Threes were a Jamaican Reggae backing band made up of 3 women that was formed in 1974 to support Bob Marley and the Wailers after Peter The British reggae band Steel Pulse used particularly complex backing vocals. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Steel Pulse is a well-known Roots reggae musical band They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School in An unusual aspect of reggae singing is that many singers use tremolo (volume oscillation) rather than vibrato (pitch oscillation). Tremolo, or tremolando, is a Musical term with several meanings A regular and repetitive variation in Amplitude for the duration Vibrato is a musical effect produced in singing and on musical instruments by a regular pulsating change of pitch, and is used to add expression and vocal-like qualities to Notable exponents of this technique include Dennis Brown and Horace Andy. To see the former football player see Dennis Brown (football player Dennis Emmanuel Brown ( February 1, 1957 – July 1, Horace Andy (born Horace Hinds, 19 February 1951, Allman Town, Kingston, Jamaica) is a Roots reggae The toasting vocal style is unique to reggae, originating when DJs improvised along to dub tracks, and it is generally considered to be a precursor to rap. Toasting, Chatting, or Deejaying is the act of talking or Chanting over a Rhythm or beat. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with It differs from rap mainly in that it is generally melodic, while rap is generally more a spoken form without melodic content.

Lyrical themes

Reggae is noted for its tradition of social criticism, although many reggae songs discuss lighter, more personal subjects, such as love, sex and socializing. Many early reggae bands also covered Motown or Atlantic soul and funk numbers. "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. Atlantic Records ( Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American Record label best known for its many recordings of Rhythm & blues, Rock Funk is an American musical style that originated in the mid- to late-1960s when African American musicians blended Soul music, Soul Some reggae lyrics attempt to raise the political consciousness of the audience, such as by criticizing materialism, or by informing the listener about controversial subjects such as Apartheid. The Philosophy of materialism holds that the only thing that can be truly proven to exist is Matter, and is considered a form of Physicalism. Many reggae songs promote the use of cannabis (also known as herb or ganja), considered a sacrament in the Rastafari movement. Cannabis, also known as marijuana or marihuana, or ganja (from Hindi / Sanskrit: गांजा gānjā hemp) is a The Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, Rastafarianism or simply Rasta) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, New Testament There are many artists who utilize religious themes in their music — whether it be discussing a religious topic, or simply giving praise to the Rastafari God Jah. Jah (ˈdʒɑː is the shortened name for God YHWH, most commonly used in the Rastafari movement. Other common socio-political topics in reggae songs include black nationalism, anti-racism, anti-colonialism, anti-capitalism, criticism of political systems and "Babylon", and promotion of caring for needs of the younger generation. Black nationalism (BN advocates a racial definition (or redefinition of black national identity as opposed to Multiculturalism. Anti-racism includes beliefs actions movements and policies adopted or developed to oppose Racism. See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism Anti-capitalism describes a wide variety of movements ideas and attitudes which oppose Capitalism. Rastafarian vocabulary, or Iyaric, is part of a created dialect of English

Subgenres

Main article: Reggae genres

Reggae includes several subgenres, such as roots reggae, dub, lovers rock, and dancehall. The term Reggae, in a proper sense only covers the period in Jamaican music from 1969 to 1979 (or 1985 depending on opinion Roots reggae is a subgenre of Reggae that concerns itself with the life of the ghetto sufferer and the rural poor Dub is a form of music which evolved from Reggae in the late 1960s For other uses see Lovers Rock (disambiguation. Lovers rock is a style of Reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content Dancehall is a type of Jamaican Popular music which developed in the late 1970s initially as a more sparse and less political and religious variant of Reggae

Peter Tosh performing with his band in 1978.
Peter Tosh performing with his band in 1978.

Roots reggae

Main article: Roots reggae

Roots reggae is the name given to a spiritual type of music whose lyrics are predominantly in praise of Jah (God). Roots reggae is a subgenre of Reggae that concerns itself with the life of the ghetto sufferer and the rural poor Jah (ˈdʒɑː is the shortened name for God YHWH, most commonly used in the Rastafari movement. Recurrent lyrical themes include poverty and resistance to government oppression. Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and Many of Bob Marley's and Peter Tosh's songs can be called roots reggae. The creative pinnacle of roots reggae was in the late 1970s, with singers such as Burning Spear, Gregory Isaacs, Freddie McGregor, Johnny Clarke, Horace Andy, Ijahman Levi, Barrington Levy, Big Youth, and Linval Thompson, and bands like Culture, Israel Vibration, the Meditations, and Misty in Roots, teaming up with various studio producers including Lee 'Scratch' Perry and Coxsone Dodd. Winston Rodney OD (born March 1, 1948) also known as Burning Spear, is a Grammy Award winning Jamaican roots Gregory Isaacs (born Gregory Anthony Isaacs, 15 July, 1950, Fletchers Land Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican Reggae Freddie McGregor (born 27 June 1956, Clarendon, Jamaica Career In 1963 he joined with Ernest Wilson and Peter Austin Johnny Clarke (born January 12, 1955, Whitfield Town Kingston, Jamaica) is a Reggae musician Horace Andy (born Horace Hinds, 19 February 1951, Allman Town, Kingston, Jamaica) is a Roots reggae Ijahman Levi (born Trevor Sutherland in Christian Manchester Jamaica) in 1946 and is a Reggae musician Barrington Levy (born 30 April 1964, in Clarendon, Jamaica) is a Reggae and Dancehall Recording artist. Manley Augustus Buchanan (born 19 April 1949, Trenchtown, Kingston, Jamaica) better known as Big Youth (sometimes called Linval Thompson (born 2 October 1954[http //incolorinebraskacom/cvanpelt/linvalgleaner Culture was a Jamaican Roots reggae group founded in 1976 Originally they were known as the African Disciples. Israel Vibration is a Reggae harmony trio originating from Kingston Jamaica. The Meditations are a Reggae vocal harmony group from Jamaica formed in late 1974 Misty in Roots began life as a Southall based British roots Reggae band in the early 1970s Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry, on March 20, 1936, in Kendal Jamaica) is a reggae and dub artist who has been Clement Seymour "Sir Coxsone" Dodd CD ( Kingston Jamaica, January 26, 1932 &ndash May 5, 2004) was a Jamaican

Dub

Main article: Dub music

Dub is a genre of reggae that was pioneered in the early days by studio producers Lee 'Scratch' Perry and King Tubby. Dub is a form of music which evolved from Reggae in the late 1960s Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry, on March 20, 1936, in Kendal Jamaica) is a reggae and dub artist who has been King Tubby (born Osbourne Ruddock, January 28, 1941 – February 6, 1989) was a Jamaican electronics and sound engineer It involves extensive remixing of recorded material, and particular emphasis is placed on the drum and bass line. The techniques used resulted in an even more visceral feel described by King Tubby as sounding "jus’ like a volcano in yuh head. " Augustus Pablo and Mikey Dread were two of the early notable proponents of this music style, which continues today. Horace Swaby ( June 21, 1953 &ndash May 18, 1999) better known as Augustus Pablo, was a Jamaican Roots reggae Michael George Campbell (born June 4 1954 in Port Antonio, Jamaica - died March 15, 2008 in Connecticut,

Rockers

The rockers style was created during the mid-1970s by Sly & Robbie. Sly and Robbie are one of Reggae 's most prolific and long lasting production teams Rockers is described as a militant, mechanical, and aggressive style of playing reggae music. [8]

Lovers rock

Main article: Lovers rock

Lovers rock originated in South London in the mid-1970s, and is produced for a smoother, more commercial sound, with more apolitical lyrics. For other uses see Lovers Rock (disambiguation. Lovers rock is a style of Reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content

Newer styles and spin-offs

Hip hop and rap

Further information: Toasting, Hip hop music and Rapping

Toasting is a style of chanting or talking over the record that was first used by 1960s Jamaican deejays such as U-Roy and Dennis Alcapone. Toasting, Chatting, or Deejaying is the act of talking or Chanting over a Rhythm or beat. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and Not to be confused with Disc jockey A deejay (alternatively spelled DJ) is a Reggae or Dancehall musician who sings U-Roy (born Ewart Beckford OD, 21 September 1942, Jones Town Jamaica) is a Jamaican Musician, also known as Dennis Alcapone (born Dennis Smith 6 August 1947, Clarendon, Jamaica) is a Reggae DJ and producer. This style greatly influenced Jamaican DJ Kool Herc, who used the style in New York City in the late 1970s to pioneer a new genre that became known as hip hop or rap. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience Clive Campbell (born April 16 1955 AKA Kool Herc, DJ Kool Herc and Kool DJ Herc, is a Jamaican-born DJ who is credited as originating Hip hop The City of New York Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and Mixing techniques employed in dub music have also influenced hip hop. Dub is a form of music which evolved from Reggae in the late 1960s

Dancehall

Main article: Dancehall

The dancehall genre was developed around 1980, with exponents such as Yellowman, Super Cat and Shabba Ranks. Dancehall is a type of Jamaican Popular music which developed in the late 1970s initially as a more sparse and less political and religious variant of Reggae Yellowman (born Winston Foster in Negril, Jamaica in 1959 is a Jamaican Reggae (rub-a-dub and Dancehall Deejay, widely Super Cat (born William Maragh in Kingston Jamaica, 1963 is one of the originators of the late 80's and early 90's Dancehall movement Shabba Ranks (born Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon, 17 January 1966, Sturgetown St The style is characterized by a deejay singing and rapping or toasting over raw and fast rhythms. Ragga (also known as raggamuffin), is a subgenre of dancehall where the instrumentation primarily consists of electronic music and sampling. Raggamuffin music, usually abbreviated as ragga, is a sub-genre of Dancehall music or Reggae, in which the instrumentation primarily consists Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production In Music, sampling is the act of taking a portion or sample, of one Sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or element of a new recording Notable ragga artists include Shinehead and Buju Banton. Shinehead (born Carl Aiken) is a Jamaican Reggae Singer / Rapper. Buju Banton (born Mark Anthony Myrie) is a Jamaican Dancehall, Ragga, and Reggae musician

Reggaeton

Main article: Reggaeton

Reggaeton is a form of dance music that first became popular with Latino youths in the early 1990s. Reggaeton (also spelled reggaetón, and known as reguetón and reggaetón in Spanish) is a form of urban music which became popular This article is about music for dancing in general You may also be looking for Electronic dance music. It blends reggae and dancehall with Latin American genres such as bomba and plena, as well as hip hop. For the ecuadorian afro-rhythm see Bomba (Ecuador Bomba is one of Puerto Rico's most famous Musical styles Although there is some controversy Plena is a folkloric genre native of Puerto Rico. Its creation was influenced by African and Spanish music

Footnotes

  1. ^ 1967 Dictionary of Jamaican English
  2. ^ a b c d e f History of Jamaican Music 1953–1973
  3. ^ interview in The Independent Jun 4, 2004; cf. many similar statements by Hibbert in recent years. In earlier interviews, Hibbert used to claim the derivation was from English 'regular', in reference to the beat.
  4. ^ Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley, Timothy White, p. 16
  5. ^ "Toots and the Maytals:Never Grow Old", Peter S. Scholtes, City Pages
  6. ^ "Shocks Of Mighty: An Upsetting Biography"
  7. ^ "A brief summary of Jamaican music" - excerpted from A History of Popular Music by Piero Scaruffi (2002)
  8. ^ Dick Hebdige, Cut 'n' Mix: Culture, Identity and Caribbean Music p.67

Bibliography

See also

External links

This is a list of notable Reggae festivals by country Belgium Reggae Geel, Geel This is a list of reggae musicians. This includes artists who have either been very important to the genre or have had a considerable amount of exposure (such The Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album has been awarded since 1985.

Dictionary

reggae

-noun

  1. (Rastafarian, music) A form of music originating in Jamaica and associated with Rastafarianism, featuring a heavy base line, percussive rhythm guitar on the offbeat, often with close vocal harmonies.
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