Reggae

=Reggae=

The reggae music genre originated in the 1960 in Jamaica. The genre is essentially the amalgamation of R&B, Jazz, Mento, Ska, Calypso, and Rocksteady. All stylistic waves that were sweeping the island in the previous years. toc

Reggae is a genre that evolved from other musical styles, such as traditional Jamaican (Afro-Caribbean) music, including ska and mento and American R&B. [|About Reggae]

"I don't like reggae, no, no, I love it!" -[|10 CC]

What is Reggae?
Reggae’s distinct style is based upon a rhythm characterized by regular chops on the backbeat, called //"skank"//, which is also the basis for its predecessors Ska and Rocksteady. However, the reggae beat is typicaly much slower. Reggae essentially inverted the rock’s typical role of leading bass and replaced it with the guitar. It’s rhythmic style is played on the //“One Drop”//, a style where a rhythm guitar and a bass drum strike on the third count of each measure. It’s laid back drum beat is alleged to be an appropriation of the African nyah-bingi drumming style that mimics the pattern of a heartbeat.

A great example of this rhythm pattern can be hear in Bob Marley's - //Roots, Rock, Reggae//

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The History of Reggae
The Jamaican music scene has always been a very active one, and very attentive to the music of other islands and the U.S. music scene. Before the birth of reggae, the most popular entertainment medium through the course of the 1950’s and early 1960’s was the radio, which at the time composed of a total of two radio stations, and the second favorite medium of traveling dance halls. The icons of both of these media were the disk jockeys which filled the island’s airwaves with American R&B, Mento, Jazz, Calypso, and Rock & Roll.

It was directly under this influence that Jamaican musicians began to combine and experiment with these influential genres and a new genre began to emerge. Soon the sounds of Ska and later Rocksteady would become very popular among the people of Jamaica. Some songs would even gain popularity offshore in the U.K., but failed to make much of an impression on the U.S. music scene. When finally combined with the pan-African underground movement from Kingston’s slums in the early 60's, the Jamaican music scene began to evolve into a genre that would put Jamaica firmly on the music map, and change the face of music along with it.

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact birth date of reggae, seeing that the transition from Rocksteady to Reggae was so short-lived, lasting only about two years. The genre was not even given the name Reggae until late 1968, however the beginnings of the genre have formed a few years earlier, and are attributed to Jackie Mittoo of the ska band “The Skatalites” in 1963, who along with the drummer Lloyd Knibbs, slowed down the traditional ska rhythm into what we now know as reggae. Not much later that same year a band called The Wailers, featuring a young Robert Nesta Marley incorporated this style into their hit song “Simmer Down”, and the genre began to take hold. There is some difference of opinion as to what the word “reggae” actually means, and where its origins come from, however for the most part it is believed to have been adapted from the hit song “Do The Reggay” by the ska band Toots and The Maytals in 1968.

This new genre was quickly rising in popularity, however the island’s two radio stations, RJR (a branch of British Rediffusion) and the Jamaican government's JBC, in the shadow of the BBC subsidiary, were reluctant to give reggae much air time. This lack in propagation was enthusiastically picked up Jamaica’s selectors, open-air deejays of “sound systems” and traveling dance halls. To reggae’s great advantage, the operators of these systems were constantly locked in a battle for the most innovative tracks and the best sound technology to draw crowds. These systems were therefore indispensable to distributing the new genre and along with the lack of air time helped infusing reggae with an underground reputation which only solidified its popularity as a “music of the people”.

Many of Jamaica’s artists have contributed to developing reggae further, however one person and one band seems to stand above the rest. Bob Marley and The Wailers are generally given the accolades to popularizing this genre and exporting it to other islands, and shortly the U.S. where it rapidly began to climb charts.

Although reggae music had orinally stemmed from acoustic sounds and vocals, it has now been offiliated with sexuality. Reggae and dancehall dance moves are very sensual which requires one to move their waste and hips slowly, feeling the vibes of the music. Reggae music is played throughout many night clubs and Jamaican Jam Fests and people who atend these affairs, especially women, dress to impress. The music itself is not just hot but it makes you HOTTT as well, litterally which is why "club attire" is worn to these jams and festivals.

Reggae Genres

 * Dancehall
 * Rastafarian (Roots)
 * Ragga[[image:http://www.bondamanjak.com/images/BOB.jpg width="330" height="483" align="right"]]

Reggae's Prominant Artists
> > > > > > > > > > >
 * Roots Reggae
 * [|Bob Marley and the Wailers]
 * Alpha Blondy
 * Althea and Donna
 * [|Black Uhuru]
 * [|Dennis Brown]
 * Burning Spear
 * Junior Byles
 * Jimmy Cliff
 * The Congos
 * Count Ossie
 * Mikey Dread
 * Eek-a-Mouse
 * [|The Gaylads]
 * The Heptones
 * Lee Scratch Perry
 * John Holt
 * Rita Marley
 * [|Damian "Jr Gong" Marley]
 * [|Ziggy Marley]
 * [|Kymani Marley]
 * Stephen Marley
 * Gregory Isaacs
 * Israel Vibration
 * [|John Brown's Body]
 * Freddie McGregor
 * [|Midnite]
 * Jacob Miller
 * Mighty Diamonds
 * Jackie Mittoo
 * Morgan Heritage
 * Pablo Moses
 * Garnett Silk
 * Steel Pulse
 * Third World
 * Toots and the Maytals
 * UB40
 * U-Roy
 * Wailing Souls
 * Dancehall Reggae
 * Beenie Man
 * Elephant Man
 * Sean Paul
 * Bounty Killer
 * Baby Cham
 * Cutty Ranks
 * Shabba Ranks
 * Wayne Wonder
 * Wayne Wonder

**Other Links:**
[|Prominant Artists] [|www.roots-archives.com] [|www.reggaeweb.com]


 * __Consulted Sources:__**

Niceup.com (2006) Reggae - History Retrieved November 8, 2006, from http://niceup.com/history.html

Niceup.com (2006) Reggae - History/bbc Retrieved November 8, 2006, from http://niceup.com/history/bbc/intro.html

Digitaldreamdoor.com (2006) Reggae's Best Artists Retrieved November 8, 2006, from http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_artists-reggae.html

Wikipedia.org (2006) Reggae Retrieved November 8, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggae

everythingjamaican.com (2006) Jamaica - Music history Retrieved November 9, 2006, from http://www.everytingjamaican.com/jamaica/musichistory.php

Images: Bob Marley Image from - http://www.bondamanjak.com/images/BOB.jpg