Reggae music, famed for its captivating rhythms and profound lyrics, has spread beyond Jamaica to be enjoyed around the globe. Its message of social change and spiritual enlightenment resonate with listeners, encouraging them to stand against oppression.
Reggae musicians frequently speak about love, including an emotional attachment to God or Jah. Additionally, they advocate for nonviolent solutions to social injustice.
Patois
When most people hear “reggae,” their first thought usually includes images of dreadlocked warblers singing over syncopated beats, palm trees and relaxed vibes. Though its roots lie in Jamaica, reggae music has gained global appeal due to its powerful messages of unity and love that resonate with its Rastafarian association reflected in lyrics; such songs often discuss faith, higher powers or freedom issues while being symbols of defiance against oppressive regimes.
Patois is the Jamaican Creole language commonly found in reggae music. Though often criticised and judged, patois is slowly being recognized for the important part it plays in Jamaican culture and reggae music alike. Patois brings with it many advantages; reggae musicians use its use in their tunes to add flavor and depth.
Patois should be pronounced “pay-tuhs,” as it is a rhythmic language with many repetitions and rhymes that use repetitive sounds like repeated or rhymed letters, making for an unfamiliar accent which may be difficult for some people to understand. Furthermore, written patois often varies significantly from standard English in its spelling compared to standard English, for instance “there” might be written de> or dere> instead.
Reggae music features its own distinct style when it comes to musical accompaniment: the skank. This rhythm features regular chops on the backbeat and is slower than both ska and rocksteady styles that came before it. Furthermore, this beat has an emphasis on beat three (usually played as a rim shot or on a snare drum).
Reggae music features the bass guitar as an essential instrument, often being cut in and out to create an echoing or dubbing effect. Furthermore, it plays an integral part in reggae’s unique improvisational style of live playing which gives the music more organic qualities while making audience connection easier.
Rastafarian
Rastafari religion has had a tremendous influence on reggae music. A blend of Protestant Christianity, mysticism and pan-Africanism, it first surfaced among impoverished Afro-Jamaican communities during the 1930s as a response to Marcus Garvey’s back-to-Africa movement and Ethiopianism promoted by leaders like Haile Selassie I (whose coronation in 1930 was seen by many followers as fulfilling biblical prophecies; their teachings later seemed like prophetic signs foree the second coming of Christ).
Some reggae songs incorporate religious themes while others simply advocate the use of cannabis (also referred to as herb or ganja). Many members of this faith view marijuana as a spiritual practice that helps with meditation and introspection as well as connecting with the divine; Bob Marley and the Wailers were big believers in this movement and often included references in their music to its adherents’ beliefs in this regard.
Rastafarians are an inclusive community that adheres to multiple beliefs. Their focus lies primarily on repatriating African culture and leading a more natural lifestyle; but they also practice a form of Christianity emphasizing returning to Eden and creating a worldwide kingship, in anticipation of a coming Messiah who will bring order and peace back into the world.
Reggae remains something of a puzzle. The term first appeared in Toots Hibbert’s 1968 song, “Do the Reggay.” Some believe its origin lies with Jamaican English rege-rege which refers to both an argument or protest as well as to clothing worn raggedly. No matter its source, Nyabinghi quickly became associated with Jamaican music and quickly gained international popularity – particularly in Britain and America. Reggae music’s global appeal can be traced to its spiritual and political themes, which resonate across cultures worldwide. Reggae serves as an outlet for oppressed voices while at the same time becoming synonymous with love, freedom and unity.
One Love
One Love has become an iconic slogan of reggae music and an international rallying call for peace and unity, inspired by Marcus Garvey’s call for solidarity among Black people to combat white oppression, and often used during anti-racism movements.
Bob Marley and the Wailers originally recorded “One Love/People Get Ready” as a ska track in 1965, but its fame increased significantly when they rerecorded it for Exodus album in 1977 with Curtis Mayfield receiving credit as co-writer.
Reggae music has long been used to deliver political messages; however, the genre also features songs about love and socialization. Reggae artists may use its lyrics to critique materialism or oppression while other songs discuss Rastafari rituals around marijuana use (ganja or herb as it’s sometimes known), including ritual ganja smoking practices or discussing its ritual use by Rastafarians in Rastafari movement tenets like Rastafari. Many artists also advocate for Black people and other oppressed groups around the world through these songs.
Reggae songs generally foster a sense of community and support among its listeners, particularly through songs that focus on One Love as the core message. Bob Marley’s iconic One Love track serves as an emblematic representation of this message; its powerful message calls for global unity and respect while acknowledging each individual as having intrinsic worth.
Reggae music fans may recognize this phrase from its use in various movies and TV shows; most prominently in a 2005 Gap commercial with Jason Mraz singing his favorite Marley tune from him favorite Marley song and film producer Ziggy Marley as well. Additionally, Kingsley Ben-Adir stars as Bob Marley while Ziggy produces this film about him with this name as its name.
Reggae music and its message have long been defined by this timeless phrase, with its powerful yet spiritual quality inspiring musicians worldwide to incorporate it into their own styles of musical expression. Additionally, its influence can be found at numerous cultural events like Earth Day which promote ecological sustainability.
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is a term that denotes supreme power or authority, as well as any person, place, or idea which has this status. There are various definitions of this word; most commonly being someone acting as leader of their state or country. Sovereignty may also refer to political systems governed by an absolute monarch or dictatorship.
Reggae music originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. Derived from ska and rocksteady styles of music, reggae became an international success as an expression of oppression – an idea still widely shared today.
Reggae music stands out by blending Jamaican vernacular with African nyah-bingi rhythms. Reggae beats are driven by bass guitar, drums and electric guitar. Drumming tends to be fast and powerful while bass lines play an especially key role as they help distinguish one riddim from another.
Reggae music features bass that has been altered with distortion for an aggressive and funky tone, often played with either pick or fingers. Snare drum beats feature an intermittent, choppy sound; there may even be empty space on beats one and three.
Reggae has its roots deep within Jamaican culture. First used by The Tennors in their song “Reggae Girl” from 1968, which helped establish it. They were famous for ska and rocksteady music but were pivotal in developing reggae as it existed today – including through frontman Frederick “Toots” Hibbert who died just over four decades later in 2020.
Reggae music has spread globally, from Uganda and Mali where artists such as Papa Cidy and Arthur Lutta are popularly associated with its sound to several other nations where its influence can be felt such as Indonesia where Askia Modibo and Tiken Jah Fakoly fuse their songs with traditional Malian tunes – not forgetting its influence across Africa! While African influences on reggae is significant, other nations around the globe also utilise this form of musical expression.