The Origins of Reggae Music

Reggae music has its origins in the ska and rocksteady genres of Jamaican music. Reggae is characterized by a strong rhythm section, guitars, and horns.

The Birth of Reggae

Reggae is a genre of music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The word reggae is derived from the Jamaican Patois word “regga” which means “rags” or “ragged clothing.” Reggae was originally developed from ska and rocksteady. Reggae is characterized by a 4/4 time signature, offbeat rhythms, and a strong emphasis on the bass.

The Jamaican music scene in the 1960s

The Jamaican music scene in the 1960s was a melting pot of sounds and styles that had been bubbling away for years but came to the fore in that decade. The two main tracks that would come to typify early reggae were ‘Rivers of Babylon’ by the Melodians, and ‘Cat’s Eyes’ by Toots and the Maytals, both released in 1968.

The sound of these tracks was heavily influenced by American R&B and soul, which was being played on Jamaican radio stations at the time. The other key ingredient in the early reggae sound was the ska beat, which had originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s.

The first reggae record that gained international attention was ‘I Shot The Sheriff’ by Eric Clapton, which topped charts around the world in 1974. However, it was Bob Marley who really brought reggae to a global audience, with his hits ‘No Woman No Cry’ and ‘One Love’ becoming anthems for a generation.

The influence of Rastafarianism

Rastafarianism is a religion that developed in Jamaica in the 1930s, inspired by Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I. Selassie’s coronation in 1930 and visit to Jamaica in 1966 were important events in the rise of Rastafarianism. The religion’s key tenets are the worship of Selassie (known as Jah) and the belief that he will one day return to Africa to lead his people back to glory.

Reggae music is heavily influenced by Rastafarianism, and many reggae songs contain references to Jah, Marcus Garvey, and other Rastafarian concepts. The religion’s focus on African unity and redemption resonated with many black Jamaicans, who saw Rastafarianism as a way to express their pride in their African heritage.

The Rastafarian movement also had a significant impact on fashion, with many adherents wearing dreadlocks and brightly colored clothes. The style known as “dreadlock rasta” was popularized by reggae musicians like Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, and has since been adopted by people of all cultures around the world.

The Pioneers of Reggae

Reggae music has its origins in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The music was influenced by American rhythm and blues, as well as Jamaican ska and rocksteady. Reggae is characterised by a strong bassline, as well as a twangy guitar sound. The pioneers of reggae music were artists such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Burning Spear.

The Wailers

The Wailers were a Jamaican reggae band created by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. The band started out as a ska group called The Teenagers. They later changed their name to The Wailing Rudeboys, then to The Wailing Wailers, and finally to just The Wailers.

The original lineup of the band included Marley’s childhood friend Al Anderson on lead guitar, Cherry Smith on drums, Junior Braithwaite and Beverley Kelso on vocals, and backing vocals from Marley’s mother Cedella Booker. By 1966 Joe Higgs had replaced Smith on drums and backup singers Hughroy “Toppie” Lambert and Rita Anderson had joined the band.

The Wailers released their debut album The Wailing Wailers in 1965. This was followed by a string of successful singles including “Simmer Down” (1964), “One Love” (1965), “Don’t Rock My Boat” (1966), and “Stir It Up” (1967).

The Wailers’ international breakthrough came with the release of their fourth album Catch a Fire in 1972. Several of the album’s tracks, including “Stir It Up”, “I Shot the Sheriff”, and “Get Up, Stand Up”, became classics of reggae music. Catch a Fire was followed by the highly successful Burnin’ (1973), which included the hits “I Shot the Sheriff”, “Get Up, Stand Up”, and “Burnin’ and Lootin'”.

The 1974 album Natty Dread saw the beginning of a change in direction for The Wailers. Tosh and Livingston started to write more socially conscious lyrics, with songs like “Rebel Music (3 O’ Clock Road block)” and “War”. This shift in direction was further evident on the 1976 album Rastaman Vibration, which featured songs like “Roots, Rock, Reggae” and Marley’s anthemic tribute to Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, ” Ethiopia/.

Bob Marley

Bob Marley is considered one of the pioneers of reggae music. He was born in 1945 in Jamaica and rose to fame in the 1970s with his band, the Wailers. Marley’s biggest hits include “No Woman, No Cry,” “One Love,” and “I Shot the Sheriff.” His music has influenced many other artists, including UB40, Ziggy Marley, and Lauryn Hill. Marley died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 36.

Jimmy Cliff

Jimmy Cliff, OM (born as James Chambers; 1 April 1948) is a Jamaican musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a citizen in Jamaica. Cliff is credited for helping spread both ska and reggae music around the world. He is best known among a global audience for songs such as “Wonderful World, Beautiful People”, “Harder They Come”, “Sitting in Limbo”, and “Many Rivers to Cross” from the soundtrack to The Harder They Come, which helped popularize reggae across the world and made him an international star.

Cliff was born in Somerton District, St. James Parish, Jamaica. He began writing songs while still at school in Kingston. One of his first hits was “King of Kings”, which was recorded with produced by Leslie Kong for ethnic Chinese businessman Valeano Chang’s WIRL label in 1964. Kong sent the record to Brunws Dickenson at Island Records who immediately offered Cliff a recording contract with his label. Dickenson then took charge of production and Cliff’s first session occurred on 28 January 1964 with Buster Williams playing bass/guitar and Ernest Ranglin on guitar, both members of The Skatalites along with drummers Karl Bryan and Keith Stewart. The songwriting credit on the label read Johnson – Hinds – Chambers – Daley though Daley was not actually involved in writing it; he was merely one of several co-singers who were asked to record it by Hinds.

The following year he engaged Catch a Fire band guitarist Mikey Walsh to work with him on his second Lesley Kong-produced album entitled Hard Road to Travel. It included further hits such as “Sitting Here in Limbo” (later recorded by Harry Belafonte) and “Wild World”.

The Spread of Reggae

Reggae music originated in Jamaica in the 1960s. The genre is a blend of African, American, and Caribbean music. Reggae became popular in the 1970s, and it spread to other parts of the world in the 1980s. The music is now enjoyed by people all over the world.

The British Reggae scene

The British reggae scene was initially heavily influenced by skinheads, rude boys and Jamaican expatriates living in London. skinhead reggae, which mixes Jamaican and British punk rock, was spearheaded by bands like The Clash and The Slits. Rude boy culture also played a role in the spread of reggae in Britain, with ingredients like ska, rocksteady and early reggaeFigure migrating over from Jamaica. This can be seen in the popularity of 2 Tone bands like The Specials and Madness.

Reggae in the US

The earliest recorded use of the word “reggae,” was in a song called “Do the Reggay” by Toots and the Maytals. The song was released in 1968, but it wasn’t until the early 1970s that reggae began to make its mark on American popular culture.

In 1971, San Francisco’s KRON-TV ran a short news feature on the growing Jamaican music scene in the city. The segment included an interview with Bob Marley, who was living in San Francisco at the time. That same year, Marley and his band, The Wailers, released their album “Catch a Fire,” which received critical acclaim from both Rolling Stone and Time magazine.

By 1974, reggae had reached Los Angeles with the opening of Reggae Remains, the first store in America devoted to Jamaican music. In 1977, Point Blank Records released “Roots Radics Dub Syndicate Volume One,” which is considered by many to be one of the first dub albums ever made.

In 1979, Busy Bee Starski released “Live at Harlem World – 16Sixty Funky Good Times!,” which is widely considered to be one of the first hip-hop/reggae fusion albums. Hip-hop would go on to play a major role in spreading reggae to a wider audience. In 1980, Blondie included a cover of “The Tide Is High” on their album “Autoamerican,” giving reggae even more mainstream exposure.