What Kind of Jamaican Music Inspired the Beat You Hear on Reggae Music

Reggae music has been inspired by many different genres of music from around the world. In this blog post, we explore the different types of Jamaican music that have influenced the reggae sound.

The Birth of Reggae Music

Reggae music is a style of music that was developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. Reggae is a combination of African, Caribbean, and American music. The originality of this music style is what made it so popular and influenced other genres of music.

The Ska Era

The Ska Era is considered to be the first phase of Reggae music, beginning in the late 1950s and continuing through the 1960s. Ska is a Jamaican music genre that was created by mixing elements of traditional mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. The result was a unique new sound that was enjoyed by both Jamaicans and offshore listeners.

During the Ska era, many of the now-classic Reggae songs were created, including “I Shot the Sheriff” by Bob Marley and “500 Miles” by Toots and the Maytals. This era also saw the rise of many important Reggae artists, including Lee “Scratch” Perry, who would go on to produce some of Reggae’s most iconic tracks.

The Rocksteady Era

The first half of the 1960s saw the ska craze sweep Jamaica and the emergence of Rastafarianism as a social force with political overtones. These paved the way for the slower, more soulful rocksteady sound, which in turn made way for reggae in the late 1960s.

Rocksteady was originally a kind of dance music that evolved out of ska and featured a slower beat (around 60-70 beats per minute) and sometimes off-beat bass guitar rhythms. The lyrics were often about love or religion, and the style was characterized by close harmonies between the lead singer and the backing vocalists.

The rocksteady era lasted from around 1966 to 1968, with some of the biggest stars being Alton Ellis, Desmond Dekker, The Paragons, and The Techniques. Some of the classic tracks from this era include “Tougher Than Tough” by Derrick Morgan, “A Thousand Miles Away” by The Paragons, and “People Funny Boy” by Lee “Scratch” Perry.

The Reggae Era

From the late 1960s through the 1970s, reggae music became widely known throughout the world. Thanks to artists like Bob Marley, the Wailers, and Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican music reached new heights of popularity. But what many people don’t know is that reggae didn’t start out as its own genre. In fact, it was born out of a blend of several other types of Jamaican music.

Before we get into the origins of reggae, let’s first take a look at some of the other popular genres of Jamaican music that existed during the early years of reggae’s development. These include ska, rocksteady, and dub.

Ska is a Jamaican music genre that developed in the late 1950s. It is a direct predecessor of reggae and is characterized by its offbeat rhythm and bounced guitar lines. Ska quickly gained popularity in Jamaica and by the early 1960s, it had spread to other parts of the world, including the UK where it would heavily influence the development of punk rock.

Rocksteady is another Jamaican music genre that emerged in 1966. It was a slower and more soulful version of ska with a focus on R&B-style vocals. Rocksteady would also go on to play an important role in the development of reggae.

Dub is a Jamaican music genre that emerged in the late 1960s/early 1970s. It is characterized by its heavy use of studio effects such as echo and reverb. Dub was initially created as a creative way to extend existing songs by adding new instrumental or vocal tracks over top. However, it soon developed into its own distinct genre with a strong following among Jamaican sound system culture enthusiasts.

The Different Types of Reggae Music

Reggae music has its origins in Jamaica, and it is a genre that is very popular all over the world. The beat of reggae music is very unique, and it is often said to be influenced by the music of the Jamaican Maroons.

Roots Reggae

Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It focused on the more spiritual and religious aspects of Rastafarianism, especially those concerning Africa. The roots sound is typified by slow to mid-tempo patterns with an emphasis on extended bass lines and heavy drums, often played in a “one drop” or “roots” style. Melodic minor chords are also common.

Dub Reggae

Dub reggae is a subgenre of reggae that developed in the 1970s. It is characterized by the use of echo and reverberation to create a “spacey” or “dubby” sound. The dub sound typically features heavily processed drums and bass, as well as stripped-down versions of other instruments. Some dub songs also include vocals, but they are usually secondary to the music.

Dancehall Reggae

Dancehall is a type of Reggae that developed in the late 1970s. It is characterized by a strong backbeat and often features Rap-like vocals delivered over a rhythmic “slack” guitar style.

Dancehall was initially popularized by Jamaican sound systems such as Tippertone and Jah Tubbys, who would play extended versions of Reggae hits with heavily syncopated basslines. These “versions” or “dubs” became extremely popular, and soon the Jamaican music industry began releasing official Dancehall records.

Dancehall quickly spread beyond Jamaica, and by the early 1980s it was the dominant form of popular music in much of the Caribbean. In the mid-1980s, Dancehall took over as the dominant form of Reggae in Jamaica as well, displacing older styles such as Rocksteady and Roots Reggae.

Today, Dancehall is one of the most popular forms of Reggae music, and its influence can be heard in other genres such as Hip Hop, R&B, and even Pop.

The Artists Who Have Inspired Reggae Music

When you listen to reggae music, you can hear the different elements that make up the signature sound of this genre. There is the offbeat drumming, the guitar chords, and the horns. But where did this sound come from? You can trace the origins of reggae music back to the artists who inspired it.

Bob Marley

Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley, OM (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer-songwriter who became an international musical and cultural icon, blending mostly Ethiopian and West African influences with Western rock and pop. Starting out in 1963 with the group the Wailers, he forged a distinctive songwriting and vocal style that would later resonate with audiences worldwide. The Wailers would go on to release some of the earliest reggae records with producer Lee “Scratch” Perry.

After the Wailers disbanded in 1974, Marley pursued a solo career which culminated in the release of the album Exodus in 1977 which established his worldwide reputation and elevated him to the status of global icon. Exodus stayed on the British album charts for 56 consecutive weeks. It included four UK hit singles: “Exodus”, “Waiting in Vain”, “Jamming”, and “One Love”. In 1978 he released Kaya, which included the hit singles “Is This Love” and “Satisfy My Soul”. A few months after releasing Survival, Marley became seriously ill with cancer, but continued to tour and record until his death in 1981 at age 36.

Marley is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of more than 75 million records worldwide; he has been credited as having helped spread both Jamaican music and Rastafarianism around the world, and as popularizing reggae outside Jamaica.

Burning Spear

Burning Spear is a roots reggae singer and musician. He was born in Saint Ann’s Bay, Saint Ann, Jamaica. His music is deeply influenced by the spiritual sounds of Rastafarianism. He is best known for his work in the 1970s with tracks like “Marcus Garvey” and “Slavery Days”. He has been nominated for Grammy Awards several times, and won in 1999 for Best Reggae Album.

Lee “Scratch” Perry

Lee “Scratch” Perry is a Jamaican record producer and singer-songwriter who has been credited with helping to shape the sound of reggae and dub music. He is also considered one of the most influential and innovative producers in any genre of music.

Perry began his career in the late 1950s as a assistant atStudio One, the leading Jamaican recording studio of the time. He soon began working as a producer, and in 1968 he founded his own label, Upsetter Records. It was around this time that Perry began experimenting with new production techniques, such as echo and delay, which would become signature elements of his sound.

In the 1970s, Perry’s productions came to be defined by their use of unusual sounds and effects, which he achieved by employing various unorthodox methods such as burning holes in tapes and running them through electronic filters. These techniques helped him to create some of reggae’s most distinctive and iconic sounds, which have since been imitated by many other producers.

Perry continued to produce music throughout the 1980s and 1990s, although he became less active in the 2000s. In recent years, he has made a comeback with several new albums and live performances.