What is Jamaican Reggae?
A musical genre developed by Jamaicans of African ancestry in the late 1960's. The genre is known for its propulsive percussion, hypnotic bass lines, and steady, up-stroke rhythm guitar. Most reggae songs feature lyrics in Jamaican English, Jamaican Patois, or Iyaric dialects. As a signature form of Jamaican music, reggae is closely tied to the Rastafarian religion and social movement that traces its roots to 1930s Jamaica.
What Does Reggae Music Sound Like?
Reggae music combines the intensity of soul music, the light touch of ska, and the spiritual center of Jamaican mento. The music is famed for the rhythmic patterns heard in percussion, bass lines, and rhythm guitar parts. The three principle reggae rhythms are:- Steppers: Similar to the American "four on the floor" feel, this beat features a steady quarter-note pulse on the bass drum, often doubled by the bass guitar. "Red, Gold, and Green" by Burning Spear is a strong example of the steppers beat.
- Rockers: The rockers beat also emphasizes four quarter notes per bar, but it offers more space for syncopation. The rockers beat is closely associated with the rhythm section of Sly and Robbie, who helped develop the famous "rub-a-dub" sound. "Sponji Reggae" by Black Uhuru is another strong example of the rockers beat, thanks to its 4/4 pulse combined with offbeat syncopations.
- One drop: The one-drop beat features a steady sixteenth-note pulse (like American funk music) with a backbeat accent from the kick drum and snare drum. It takes its name from the song "One Drop" by Bob Marley & The Wailers.
A
The Rise of Bob Marley/Beginning of Reggae:
Bob Marley & The Wailers, formed in 1963 and was initially known for its ska and dancehall hits, inspired by contemporary bands like The Skatalites A. Bob Marley wrote the song Stir It Up in 1967 for his wife, Rita Marley. It describes a man requesting that his woman help him in lighting a flame of passion between them. This song contains all of the classic elements of reggae music – the funky guitar; the conga drums; the crisp keyboards; and the stately, steady-rocking beat B.
Through this song, Bob Marley gained popularity all throughout the world.
I Shot The Sheriff was Bob Marley's big break; this song had introduced many people to reggae in general B. After this song was released, reggae became popular all around the world.After this, other reggae stars of the 1970s include Jimmy Cliff and the American Johnny Nash A.
I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash
Into the 1980's and 90's, dancehall is now in the picture. Taking place in majority Jamaican nightclubs, reggae music slowly transitioned to dancehall music (a kind of reggae music) D. Murder She Wrote by Chaka Demus & Pliers is a very popular dancehall dong created in 1992. Rather than relying on instruments like they did during the 70s roots reggae era, they embraced technology to create electronic drums-based rhythm. Along with its sound, “Murder She Wrote” also introduced a new song structure. Similar to rap/R&B collaborations, the juxtaposition of Demus’ rugged “toasting” (lyrical chanting in the vein of rapping) and Pliers’ melodic vocals on the hook helped the song take flight. Their new, buzzing “Bam Bam” rhythm became one of the most popular dancehall rhythm. This sonic fusion, sparked a dancehall trend that paired with streetwise verses with sweet sing-song hooks E.
and It Wasn't Me by Shaggy and Rik Rok, 2000
Today, we have contemporary reggae fusion subgenres which include reggaeton, seggae, two-tone, samba reggae, and reggaestep. Some of these genres are even more popular in cities like New York, Miami, and London than they are in Kingston A.Koffee is current significant Reggae artist in Jamaica. One of her most popular songs is "Toast", which you may have heard on the pop-radio once or twice. This song is filled with "positive-vibes-ONLY", which is a main theme with reggae in general. In her song, "Toast", you can hear the mixture of the roots of reggae (positive and encouraging message) and the hype, "new", beat of dancehall.
Works Cited:
A- https://www.masterclass.com/articles/reggae-music-guide#a-brief-history-of-reggae-music
B- https://timscoverstory.wordpress.com/2016/04/18/stir-it-up-bob-marley-and-the-wailing-wailers-johnny-nash-the-grateful-dead/#:~:text=Bob%20Marley%20wrote%20the%20song,flame%20of%20passion%20between%20them.
C- https://www.britannica.com/art/reggae
D- https://www.britannica.com/art/dancehall-music
E- https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/chaka-demus-pliers-murder-she-wrote-feature/
