Reggae: The Music of Protest Essay

Harmonically, the music is essentially the same as any modern popular genre with a tendency to make use of simple modal chord progressions. For example: I - bVII7 and I - ii - iii - ii are both common progressions in reggae and both examples of the kind of chord structures used in modal jazz.

This paper is an analysis of the political and social aspects of hip-hop and reggae, as well as, addressing the commonalities of the music itself as they have developed and changed over time. This analysis produces the holistic view reflecting the interconnectedness of these two genres of music.

This genre dates back hundreds of years ago, when African-Americans were enslaved, when rap and hip-hop were known as the same thing. This has always been a part of African American culture and they had always made it they’re own. They used this form of music to express the pain and abuse they went through; it was used as an escape from they’re daily struggle they called “life”. “Thousands of years ago in Africa “griots” where story tellers who played handmade instruments while they told stories about family and current events…Griots were captured against their will and forced into slavery” (Mize, 2014).

Music is an art form and source of power. Many forms of music reflect culture and society, as well as, containing political content and social message. Music as social change has been highlighted throughout the 20th century. In the 1960s the United States saw political and socially oriented folk music discussing the Vietnam War and other social issues. In Jamaica during the 1970s and 1980s reggae developed out of the Ghetto’s of Trench town and expressed the social unrest of the poor and the need to over-through the oppressors. The 1980’s brought the newest development in social and political music, the emergence of hip-hop and rap. This urban musical art form that was developed in New York City has now taken over the mainstream, but

Reggae was developed from ska and rocky steady. Ska consisted of elements of Caribbean and mento, calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. It is characterized

Reggae, “a generic name for all Jamaican popular music since 1960, is defined as a ‘West Indian style of music with a strongly accented subsidiary beat” (Chang). Reggae music is a great style of music that was popularized by one of the world’s most famous musicians, Bob Marley. Personally, I never listened to it until I made it to college, and it has quickly become one of my favorite genres. For that reason is why I chose to write this paper on Reggae music. This genre is a very calming and relaxing style of music, which helps me when I am trying to focus on doing important tasks such as homework, including this paper. In this proton of the paper I will be looking into the history of Reggae music and the development of this particular

Definition: Reggaeton is a Jamaican-based music-genre. It is mainly a mix of rap and singing.

all reggae is a Rasta rhythm. It was also supposed to be a cry to

Reggae is especially popular through the international fame of Bob Marley. Jamaican music's influence on music styles in other countries includes the practice of toasting, which was brought to New York City and evolved into rapping. British genres such as Lovers rock, jungle music and grime are also influenced by Jamaican

The most notable influence would be from Africa, this has been broke up into three categories dance, religious, and work/entertainment. Religious music has been influenced by Kumina, Pocomania, and Rastafari. This music is usually accompanied by drums and chanting, songs can also include singing and other instruments. Other forms of music that are becoming popular on the island are rocksteady, ska, soca, calypso, and jazz. In Kingston the fusions of the 90’s continue to influence the 21st century and has created a new sound led by producers Sly Robbie, Steven McGregor (son of Freddie McGregor), Daseca, Skatta Burrell, and Don Bennett. All these men have all forged a new mixture of hip-hop,

We learn from looking at the literature that modern-day Reggae had its wellsprings in the African-American soul music of the 1950s and 1960s. The insistent, off-beat rhythmic pattern of soul music became a feature of reggae in the late-1960s and early 1970s. However, the aforementioned pattern mostly appeared in the form of the trade-mark galloping backbeat of ska, which was a tip-beat and dance-oriented predecessor of reggae. Ska had a limited expressive range and its galloping speed needed to be slowed down if it was to enjoy a larger audience. Fortunately, it did slow down and, by the end of the 1960s, something known as “Rock Steady” was beginning to surface (Anderson, 206-208).

In Jamaica at the time Bob was viewed as a mystic and prophet, and was

The key features of Reggae music are the 4/4 time signatures, the emphasised beats 2 and 4 of each bar melody, the short repeated bass/guitar riffs, the syncopation, the pentatonic/ major/minor/blues scales used,

Reggae music was a big part of Jamaican culture. Many artists practiced the style of reggae and some of the artists like Bob Marley influenced and showed people internationally all about this music. It originated around the time that Jamaica was being attacked by European countries like Spain and native people being taken into slavery. Bob Marley was born after the time of slave trading but whites still effected the native people and this is how he got his inspiration for his music.