The Reggae Genre 15

Reggae is undoubtedly the most influential musical genre of the twentieth century. Its reach spans the entire globe, inspiring people of all cultures.

Reggae music began to emerge around spring of 1968. Though it has its roots in Afro-Caribbean and American Jazz and R and B, It is a genre that primarily evolved from Ska and Rocksteady. The tempo of the music is faster than Rocksteady and its arrangements are tighter and more complex than Ska. Reggae has deeper bass lines and more pronounced African style drumming.

As a product of post 1962 independent Jamaica , the birth of Reggae announced to the world, Jamaica’s declaration of musical independence. Reggae emerged at a time when the Jamaican people were exerting greater confidence in expressing their popular culture and therefore the lyrics was done primarily in the traditional Jamaican dialect and not in English.

Typical instrument: drums ,organs, guitar, bass guitar, bass drums

Traditional Reggae musicians: The Abyssinians, Bob Marley and The Wailers, Beres Hammond, Burning Spear, Bunny Wailer, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, Israel Vibration, Jacob Miller, Jimmy Cliff, Johnny Clarke, Joseph Culture Hill,Marcia Griffiths, Peter Tosh, Steel Pulse and Third World