Its Only Reggae Music: The Reggae Level
Contents
The Reggae Level is a blog about reggae music. Here you will find the latest news, interviews, reviews, and more.
The Different Types of Reggae
Reggae Music has been around since the late 1960s and has gone through many changes since then. The term “reggae” actually refers to a specific style of music that originated in Jamaica. Reggae is a unique genre that is a mix of many different styles of music including: ska, rocksteady, R&B, and mento.
Ska
Ska is a style of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. It is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the off beat. Ska developed in Jamaica in the 1960s when Prince Buster, Clement “Coxsone” Dodd, and Duke Reid began producing records for their respective sound systems. The style was named after Ernest Ranglin’s 1959 song “Shuffling Ska,” which was an early hit for Dodd’s Downbeat Sound System. By the early 1960s, ska had become a major force in Jamaican popular music. It also became popular among Jamaican immigrants to the United Kingdom and the United States while new British Isles ska bands like The Specials and The English Beat gained popularity providing a new wave of ska.
Rocksteady
Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in 1966. Riding the crest of the ska wave, rocksteady replaced the faster, more energetic style with a slower and stricter beat. The name “rocksteady” comes from a comment DSL’s record producer Duke Reid made about Alton Ellis’ singing (“… steadier than rock!”). Other examples of early rocksteady hits include Toots & The Maytals’ “Bam Bam”, Ken Boothe’s “The Train Is Coming”, and Delano Stewart’s “Hey There Lonely Girl”. By 1967, rocksteady had slowed even further and singers such as DJs such as U-Roy began to dominate. Reggae lyrics at this time were almost always sung by DJs. Rocksteady created a number of subgenres including the rub-a-dub style, which was heavily influenced by dub music.
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, “Do the Reggae”, was the first popular song to use the word “reggae”, effectively naming the genre and introducing it to a global audience. While sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of popular Jamaican dance music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.
Reggae is based on a rhythmic style characterized by regular beats on the off-beat, known as the skank. Reggae is usually slower than ska but faster than rocksteady. It is commonly associated with certain types of clothing, such as wide-brimmed hats, dreadlocks, and brightly colored shirts.
The different types of reggae include:
-Ska: Ska is a precursor to reggae that was popular in Jamaica in the 1960s. It is characterized by its own distinctive sound, which combines elements of mento, calypso, jazz, andAfro-Caribbean rhythms.
-Rocksteady: Rocksteady was another precursor to reggae that emerged in Jamaica in1966. It is similar to ska but with a slower tempo and more emphasis onthe vocals. Many songs from this era remain popular today, including”I Can’t Stand The Rain” by Toots and The Maytals and “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” by The Paragons.
-Reggae: Reggae is the type of reggae that most people are familiar withtoday. It emerged in 1968 with songs like “Do The Reggae” by Tootsand The Maytals and “Simmer Down” by Bob Marley & The Wailers. Since then it has become one of the most popular genres of music in the world
The Different Types of Reggae Music
There are different types of reggae music. Some of the most popular ones include ska, rocksteady, and dub. Each one has its own unique sound and style. Ska is the oldest form of reggae and is characterized by its upbeat sound and fast tempo. Rocksteady is a slower form of reggae that has a more laid-back sound. Dub is a style of reggae that is known for its heavy bass and drum sound.
Roots Reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deal with the everyday realities and struggles of life. Rooted in Rastafarian culture, roots reggae music usually has a slow to mid-tempo feel and addresses social and political issues. Prominent roots reggae artists include Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Jimmy Cliff, and Bunny Wailer.
Dancehall
Dancehall is a type of Jamaican popular music that developed in the late 1970s, initially as a more sparse version of reggae than the Roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. A few Dancehall tracks came close to becoming worldwide hits (“Yankee Girl” by Michael Rose and “Under Mi Sleng Teng” by Wayne Smith), but it was not until the late 1980s when a series of songs by artist such as Ini Kamoze, Chaka Demus & Pliers, external shocks such Sean Paul and others brought the genre into the mainstream.
Dancehall is characterized by a strong backbeat played by drums usually corresponding to double time Marching band-style figures on the ride cymbal, with characteristic off-beat “skank” guitar chords doubling on9 and 11 and sometimes 19. The snare drum often plays a rim shot on 3 e 4. Dancehall rhythms typically feature an ostinato figure played on the bass guitar. This figure is often percussion instruments such as cowbells, shakers or hi-hat.
Dancehall songs are generally structured around R&B style chord progressions with interjections of patois phrases over the instrumentation. The lyrics are often stories about poverty, violence, other hardships or romantic interests, sometimes delivered in a boastful style.
Dub
Dub is a subgenre of reggae that developed in the 1970s. It typically features stripped-down versions of songs with heavy bass and percussion, and heavily echoed and reverbed vocals. Dub is often credited with helping to shape the sound of modern electronic dance music, and it remains popular today among both reggae fans and dance music DJs.
The Different Types of Reggae Artists
Reggae music has been around for many years and has evolved into a much loved genre by many people. It is a type of music that is often misinterpreted. Most people think that reggae is just one type of music, when in reality there are many different types of reggae artists.
Bob Marley
Arguably the most famous reggae artist of all time, Bob Marley is synonymous with the genre. His distinctive style of singing and songwriting, along with his commitment to Rastafarianism and social justice, made him an international star. His most famous songs include “No Woman, No Cry,” “One Love,” and ” Redemption Song.”
Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh was a Jamaican reggae artist who was a member of The Wailers, along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer. He is considered one of the pioneers of reggae music and was posthumously inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Bunny Wailer
Born Neville O’Riley Livingston on April 10, 1947, in Kingston, Jamaica, Bunny Wailer was a singer-songwriter, percussionist, and dancer who was an original member of the reggae group The Wailers along with singer Robert Nesta Marley—better known as Bob Marley—and bassist Aston Barrett. The Wailers released their debut album, The Wailing Wailers, in 1965. The LP featured the hit single “Simmer Down.” After the band dissolved in 1974, Wailer embarked on a successful solo career with a series of recordings that explored Rastafarian themes and showcased his deep, smooth vocals. He also continued to work with Marley’s sons Ziggy and Stephen as well as Bunny’s son Ian “Bumpy” Livingston.
The Different Types of Reggae Songs
There are many different types of reggae songs. The most popular type is called roots reggae. This type of reggae is about love, peace, and social justice. It often has a slower tempo and a heavier bass line. Another popular type of reggae is called dub. Dub is a re-mix of a song that has been created by adding echo and other effects to the original track.
“No Woman, No Cry”
One of the most classic and well-known reggae songs of all time, “No Woman, No Cry” was written by Bob Marley and released in 1974. The song is about Marley’s memories of growing up in the slums of Trenchtown, Jamaica, and is a tribute to his mother, who died when he was young. The lyrics are full of hope and resilience, with the iconic line “No woman, no cry / We’ll be alright” reassuring us that even in the darkest of times, things will eventually get better.
“Get Up, Stand Up”
“Get Up, Stand Up” is a reggae song written by Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. The song originally appeared on The Wailers’ 1973 album Burnin’. It was recorded in March 1973 and released as a single in May of that year.
The song is regarded as an anthem of resistance and is one of the most popular songs in the Marley catalog. In 2004, it was ranked number 37 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The lyrics are partly a call to action and partly a statement of Rastafarian beliefs. The opening line, “Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight”, is repeated throughout the song and serves as its chorus. This call to action is complemented by the afterwards line, “We’re sick an’ tired of your ism-schism game”, which criticizes division among groups.
“One Love”
Reggae music is often known for its feel-good vibes and message of peace and love. One of the most popular reggae songs that embodies this message is “One Love” by Bob Marley. The lyrics of the song promote unity and togetherness, urging people to come together as one. It’s a classic reggae song that is beloved by many fans of the genre.
