Reggae

Reggae music is musical genre which is a result of the evolution and development of several other musical genres and styles.It is strongly influenced by Afro-Caribbean music and American R&B, originated from the progressive developments of rocksteady and ska back in the 1960s in Jamaica.

Characteristic of reggae music would be a heavy and back-beated rhythm.This means that the emphasis of the beat would be on the second and fourth beat in a 4/4 time.Another characteristic of reggae music would be an emphasis on the third beat in 4/4 time done through a kick on the bass drum.

Jimmy Cliff

Is a Jamaican musician singer and actor. Is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honor that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences. Cliff was born in Somerton District, St. James, Jamaica. In 1962 his father took him to Kingston to go to Kingston Technical School. He sought out many producers while still going to school trying to get his songs recorded without success.

Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley

Was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers. Marley remains the most widely known and revered performer of reggae music, and is credited with helping spread both Jamaican music and the Rastafari movement to a worldwide audience. Marley's music was heavily influenced by the social issues of his homeland, and he is considered to have given voice to the specific political and cultural nexus of Jamaica. Bob Marley was born in the village of Nine Mile in Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica as Nesta Robert Marley.

Reggae music has several subgenres

1.Skinhead reggae: Originated in the late 1960s when several reggae artists started targeting their lyrics and music to skinheads,some skinhead reggae artists would include Toots & the Maytals, John Holt, and The Pioneers and Symarip.

2.Roots reggae: Roots reggae is a spiritual subgenre of reggae, with lyrics that are mainly about praising Jah or the God of Rastafarianism.Most of the songs of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh are under this subgenre.

3.Dub: This subgenre of reggae involves an extensive remixing of recorded material. It is also distinguished by the emphasis on the drum and the bass line. Two of the early proponents of dub music would be Mikey Dread and Augustus Pablo.

4.Lovers Rock: With lyrics that are often about love, lovers rock is a subgenre of reggae that originated back in the mid-1970s in South London. In many ways, it is similar to rhythm and blues.

5.Dancehall:This genre was developed back 1980 and has a style which is characterized by a DJ singing and rapping over raw and fast rhythms.

6.Reggaeton: Reggaeton is a combination of reggae and dancehall music, which gained popularity among young Latinos during the early 1990s.Today, reggae music continues to be one of the more popular musical genres appreciated by a wide range of listeners throughout the world.

Themes of the song lyrics of reggae music

Various subjects including relationships, love, religion, peace, sexuality, injustice and poverty.Other subject can be political awareness of the audience through criticizing materialism, or through informing listeners about controversial topics  in reggae songs would be Black Nationalism, anti-colonialism, anti-racism and anti-capitalism. Most reggae lyrics also reflect the traditions and beliefs of Rastafarianism, which is a religion practiced by the most famous reggae musicians of the world.

History of reggae

 

Reggae developed from ska, mento and R&B music in the 1960s. The change from rocksteady to reggae was illustrated by the organ shuffle, which was pioneered by Jamaican musicians like Jackie Mittoo and Winston Wright.

Early 1968 was when the first genuine reggae records were released: "Nanny Goat" by Larry Marshall and "No More Heartaches" by The Beltones.

The Wailers, a band started by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in 1963

Notable Jamaican producers who were influential in the development of ska into rocksteady and reggae include: Coxsone Dodd, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Leslie Kong, Duke Reid, Joe Gibbs and King Tubby.

The 1972 film The Harder They Come, starring Jimmy Cliff, generated considerable interest and popularity for reggae in the United States.

In the second half of the 1970s, the UK punk rock scene was starting to form, and reggae was a notable influence.

100 Greatest Reggae Artists

1. Bob Marley
2. Peter Tosh
3. Toots and the Maytals
4. Jimmy Cliff
5. Burning Spear
6. Bunny Wailer
7. Black Uhuru
8. Sly and Robbie
9. Third World
10. Lee "Scratch" Perry
11. I-Roy
12. King Tubby
13. U-Roy
14. Laurel Aitken
15. Mutabaruka
16. Culture
17. Big Youth
18. Wailing Souls
19. Desmond Dekker
20. Steel Pulse
21. Prince Buster
22. Scientist
23. Alton Ellis
24. Gregory Isaacs
25. Dennis Brown
26. The Skatalites
27. Harry Belafonte
28. John Holt
29. Linton Kwesi Johnson
30. Jacob Miller
31. Mad Professor
32. Aswad
33. Judge Dread
34. The Heptones
35. The Ethiopians
36. Ras Michael
37. Johnny Clarke
38. Pablo Moses
39. The Mighty Diamonds
40. Beres Hammond
41. The Itals
42. Sugar Minott
43. Prince Far I
44. Freddie McGregor
45. Yellowman
46. Max Romeo
47. Linval Thompson
48. Bryon Lee
49. Delroy Wilson
50. Dennis Alcapone
Found the other 50 artists in this page :
http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_artists-reggae.html