Reggae is a large part of Jamaican culture and has expanded to be popular globally. It was made popular throughout the 1960s mainly by a group from Jamaica called the wailers. They spread the genre to numerous parts of the world and touring widely and eventually gaining a following. They had also covered American songs in their genre which helped made it get into the mainstream. One member of this group Bob Marley is known as a very important man in this genre and considered to have brought it into the mainstream entertainment.
Reggae was the end genre from many earlier Jamaican dance music’s. These fused together to make reggae in the end. Some of the earlier genres were Ska and rocksteady it also took a heavy influence from American genres of jazz and rhythm blues. The main features from these that made a song reggae are the skank on the offbeat played in the chord and by a guitar usually. Another feature is typically a bass melody or it can also be played by on organ. Vocals are another common item in reggae music, Bob Marley was the primary vocalist of his group. Reggae is typically a slower tempo at around 75, also it is almost always written in 4/4. Reggae has taken influence from different cultures as its popularity spread around the world for example in Spain the local reggae style would be slightly different to the regular reggae style from Jamaica.
The style of reggae has held itself through time, from when earlier version originated in Jamaica in the 1950s
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.
The country that I chose to conduct a culture analysis on is Jamaica. Jamaica is a third world country located in North America and the 3rd largest island in the Caribbean Sea. There is a 2.5 million population, which equally divided between urban and rural areas. The country runs approximately 146 miles long and varies between 21- 52 miles wide. The climate is tropical and its main tourist attraction is their beautiful beaches. The capital of Jamaica is Kingston, which has a population of more than 645,000. Kingston is the chief port of Jamaica and is along the southeastern coast of the island. It is covered by the “Blue Mountains”, which is thickly covered which tree ferns. The Blue Mountains experiences an average of 200 inches of rain annually, resulting in topsoil erosion and an abundance of streams. Peasants nurture coffee, usually grown on large plantations, in the valleys of the mountains. It is amongst the most expensive coffees in the world and is exported mainly to Japan.
consciousness. Fourth was the rock genre. Rock music is a form of popular music that kindled from rock and roll and pop music during the mid and late 1960s. The fifth genre was Reggae.
Bob Marley is a name most people know but his accomplishments and dedication to music is often overlooked. Bob was more than just a reggae artist, he was an inspiration to the country of Jamaica. He was a role model to the poverty stricken island and gave hope to many people. Bob was born on February 6, 1945 in his grandfather's house. He was the son of a poor farm girl and a British naval Captain. Soon after his birth Bob's father, Norval Marley, left his mother. He remained responsible and provided financial support and occasionally came back to see them. In the 50's a depression hit Jamaica and Bob followed his mother to West Kingston also known as Trenchtown. It was in Trenchtown were Bob's love for music began.
Reggae music had a direct impact on the development of hip-hop music. Both styles of music emerged from the dancehall, with lyrics containing social and political message. “Reggae started as ‘sufferah’s’ music in poor Jamaican villages. Inside gritty dancehalls, selectors spun scratchy sides, called ‘specials,’ and MC’s boasted, talked nonsense and criticized political, cultural and economic oppression” (Havlock). Reggae emerged out of the island culture of Jamaica and the “poor man’s party,” while hip-hop music emerged in New York City, specifically the Bronx, in the early 1970s.
The music industry in Jamaica is one of the most influential in the world. Popular music genres such as reggae and dancehall was both originated in Jamaica. Likewise, rap and hip hop was stated by a Jamaican, called Kool Herc. Bob Marley is also a famous music artist from Jamaica. His music played an important role in many movements in Jamaica and all over the world. The most famous one is the fight against apartheid in South Africa. Dancing is also important in Jamaica. A famous proverb in Jamaica, is that “those who can’t dance, blame it on the music”. In all african countries, music and dancing is really normal and it’s like this in Jamaica too. It is normal to dance on the streets in public and have fun, while listening to music. By all means music and dancing is undoubtedly important for Jamaica and the culture is mostly based around
Without music there would be no dancing. The most popular form of music in Jamaica is Reggae, not only is it popular in Jamaica but also many other countries around the world. Reggae music has produced many famous artists one of the most popular who has had a global impact is Bob Marley. Dancehall music is a variation of reggae and its growing at an alarming rate. Reggae music has taken over as the main label for “Jamaican music.” Jamaican folk music has come a from many different sources over the years.
The off-beat sequences of the electric guitar create a reggae feel for the song endorsing it to be mellow. Throughout the song, the electric guitar does not have any solos but variations of its sequence are repeated throughout the structure of the song. Doing so gives the lead singers’ message more priority. The domination of the classic drum kit creates a ‘head-bobbing’ motion for some when listening to this song, helping it become more popular and an easily enjoyable song.
Bob Marley and his reggae style music have not only reined supreme throughout Jamaica but also throughout the entire world. Marley’s music, style, philosophy and Rasta pride have, overtime, become a culture itself. Through his Reggae style music he advocated love, peace, hope, and unity and sought to promote equality among people in Jamaica and around the world. Primarily, his music was based off of life and love and eventually the messages in his music began to shift to correspond with the political violence occurring in Jamaica at the time. From the beginning of his career to the end, his music was heavily influenced by the Rastafarian religion.
Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley is considered to be one of the most influential musicians of all time. He was able to implement his political and religious ideas through his music creating a voice for those who could not be heard. Bob Marley’s religious belief Rastafari movement, was influential in creating the music we know as Reggae. Reggae had originated around the 1960s in Jamaica, it has been noted that Mento and Calypso heavily influenced reggae, however Reggae is derived from ska and rocksteady. The music is often filled with poetic , political and social content of the songwriter or musician.
Reggae music has its own special, unique sound, many people who enjoy this type of music, like to wear unique clothing options inspired by the sound and spirit of this music. Amazon has a variety of reggae clothing styles so you can build up your wardrobe with these fun, and colorful styles. Take advantage of our large selection and low prices to get the pieces you want for your closet.
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 this course we have learned about all of the different cultures and their musical traditions. My favorite so far has had to be the west African music culture. They have a variety of different music, instruments, and dances to contribute to the reasons I liked this music culture so much. So, I have taken it upon myself to further my research on this particular musical group. I will compare and contrast a variety of different videos from the west African music culture and I will analyze how they connect to this culture.
The Evolution of Reggae Music Reggae has sustained the test of time and remains one of the world's last genuine folk music. The evolution of Reggae music can be traced back to the early 1900's with 'Mento', which is a simple music art form of Jamaican folk music with strong African roots. Reggae music is protest songs against racism, corruption and injustice. It has close links with a religion based around the Bible that is re-interpreted from a black's perspective, 'Rastafarianism'.