Reggae Rebel Music: The New Sound of Jamaica

Reggae Rebel Music: The New Sound of Jamaica is a site dedicated to the sounds and styles of Jamaican music.

Reggae’s Origins

Reggae rebel music has its origins in the ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica. The music is a mix of African rhythms and European influences. Reggae rebel music is a popular form of music in Jamaica and is also gaining popularity in other parts of the world.

Ska and Rocksteady

While mento music was the seed from which reggae eventually grew, two other genres were instrumental in its development: ska and rocksteady.

Ska is a fast, upbeat style of music that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s. It was Jamaican adaptation of American rhythm and blues, mento, and calypso. Ska’s signature sound is created by the “offbeat” guitar strum, which gives the music a distinctive “loping” feel. This “skank” guitar strum would become one of reggae’s signature musical elements.

Rocksteady is a slower, more relaxed style of music that emerged in Jamaica in the late 1960s. It was a direct reaction to the energetic ska scene. Rocksteady’s laid-back sound was created by slowing down the ska tempo and focusing more on the lyrics and bass line. This new style of music helped to fill dancehalls across Jamaica as people gradually lost interest in ska.

Reggae would eventually develop out of rocksteady, but both styles of music would leave their mark on the new genre.

Reggae’s Golden Age

The late 1960s and early 1970s saw the golden age of reggae, with a string of massive hits by Bob Marley and the Wailers, as well as other artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Eric Donaldson, and Toots and the Maytals. The golden age is often considered to have ended with Marley’s death in 1981, though many other reggae stars continued to enjoy success in the 1980s and beyond.

Reggae’s Influence

Reggae rebel music has been making waves in the music industry for its unique sound and message. The new sound of Jamaica is a blend of reggae, dub, and dancehall that is perfect for any party. Reggae rebel music is also known for its positive lyrics and message.

Reggae in the UK

In the late 1960s, Reggae music began to gain popularity in the UK. Reggae artists such as Desmond Dekker and The Melodians, as well as The Maytals, were regularly played on BBC Radio. When The Wailers released their album Catch a Fire in 1973, Reggae’s popularity exploded in the UK. The album topped the UK charts and Reggae became a permanent fixture on British radio.

In the late 1970s, British Punk Rock bands such as The Clash and The Slits began to incorporate elements of Reggae into their music. This new fusion of Punk and Reggae became known as “Reggae Punk” or “Punk Rock”. As Punk Rock gained popularity in the UK, so too did Reggae Punk.

Today, Reggae music is more popular than ever in the UK. Thanks to the continued success of artists like Damien Marley and Sean Paul, as well as the rise of new stars like J Hus and Stefflon Don, Reggae is now firmly entrenched in British popular culture.

Reggae in the US

In the United States, reggae reached its greatest prominence in the 1970s with the release of some very successful singles. The most popular of these was Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry,” which became a hit in 1975. Reggae also achieved a measure of popularity through the work of such bands as Steel Pulse and Aswad. In the 1990s, a new generation of American reggae bands, such as Sublime and No Doubt, helped to keep the music alive and introduced it to a new audience.

Reggae’s New Sound

Reggae Rebel Music is the new sound of Jamaica. The music is a mix of reggae, hip hop, and R&B. This new sound is a departure from the traditional sound of reggae.

Dancehall

In the early 1980s, a new style of reggae music called dancehall emerged. Dancehall was more electronic than roots reggae, with a faster beat and often sexually explicit lyrics. DJs would talk or chant over the instrumental tracks, sometimes using rude or offensive language. This style of music became very popular in Jamaica, and soon spread to other countries, especially in the Caribbean and the UK.

Reggae Fusion

Reggae fusion is a genre of music that combines elements of reggae with other genres, such as pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, or electronic dance music. Reggae fusion artists typically use elements of reggae—such as the riddim, dub, and toasting—with elements of other genres to create a new sound.

The genre began in the early 1990s with artists like Shabba Ranks and Apache Indian merging reggae with hip-hop. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Sean Paul and Beenie Man had mainstream success with their dancehall-infused tracks. Reggae fusion has since become more popular, with artists like Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Kendrick Lamar, and Wiz Khalifa incorporating reggae into their music.