Reggae music brings much happiness and pleasure around the globe. With its captivating sounds and rhythm, reggae provides soothing relief.
Tradition meets modernity as this music explores themes ranging from religion to social criticism, while also featuring drum and bass and R&B influences.
1. Switch Up by Protoge
Reggae was developed in Jamaica during the late 1960s and initially inspired by Motown and Atlantic soul and funk music. Reggae is known for its social criticism and religious themes in lyrics; many artists also promote cannabis use (also referred to as herb, ganja or sinsemilla), an integral component of Rastafari.
In the UK during the 1970s and 1980s, reggae became heavily influenced by punk rock. Reggae bands like Steel Pulse, Aswad, UB40 combined Jamaican ghetto themes with UK inner city issues in their music, singing these new songs in Jamaican patois as well as Cockney slang with female singers such as Carroll Thompson and Smiley Culture as female lead vocalists; Arthur Lutta had an impactful impact on UK punk bands as he had an influence over them all three bands.
Reggae music features slower tempos than its counterparts ska and rocksteady, often placing more emphasis on the third beat. Its distinctive sounds include snare drum, bass guitar and use of tremolo vocal style which uses volume variations rather than pitch variations to produce rhythmic singing.
Reggae music has found widespread support across the United States and Africa. Rebelution, Slightly Stoopid and Stick Figure are well-known American bands; while in Africa it’s popularly performed by Papa Cidy of Uganda, Tiken Jah Fakoly of Mali and Alpha Blondy from Ivory Coast; it even makes its mark in Sudan and Ethiopia!
2. Pressure by Koffee
Koffee, 19-year-old Jamaican star Koffee has had a stellar year sweeping both Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album and performing live at Glastonbury Festival, respectively. Now back with new single ‘Pressure’ that explores roots music with gusto. Packed full of sound elements sure to ignite soundsystems, Koffee showcases her roots-y reggae roots with great style on this heavy groove-filled track that demonstrates her roots with impeccable flair.
This track begins with an apparent Funky Soul intro featuring sweeping chords and whining guitars, but soon becomes evident that this groove is anything but ordinary. The song’s complex arrangement demonstrates brilliant musical anthropomorphism: its various instrumentations mimics how thoughts flow around your mind when feeling under pressure.
Reggae music has long been used to comment on social issues; more recently it has also explored more intimate subjects, like love and socializing. The beats in reggae tend to feature an offbeat emphasis that gives the genre its signature sound that marries Jamaican musical styles with rock and soul music elements – making its appeal universal across countries worldwide.
Tiken Jah Fakoly and Alpha Blondy use reggae rhythms to combine traditional music with contemporary sounds, making a lasting impressionful impression on young people in Africa as well as uniting communities of various ethnic origin.
Reggae music has had an enormous influence on hip-hop as well, inspiring artists such as KRS-One, Poor Righteous Teachers and Boot Camp Clik to incorporate its stylistic elements into their recordings. Dancehall originated in the late 1980s and resembles reggae in terms of its loping beats and amplified bass guitar riffs.
3. Blessed by Buju Banton
Buju Banton was often considered the Jamaican answer to Bob Marley in terms of music and political activism, though his 1992 single Boom Boom Bye caused major controversy early in his career. So toxic was its reception that upon Buju’s release from prison it had to be removed from streaming platforms altogether; adult Eric Clapton continues spewing racist drivel all over social media while Buju was given special treatment that is deplorable.
Buju Banton’s first single from his new album Upside Down 2020, entitled Blessed, centers around black excellence while sending an important Black Lives Matter message. The music video includes graphics from protests and local political rallies while featuring dialogue between Buju and an elder who expresses how disheartening today’s world may seem and how young people must remain aware of what’s going on around them.
The track’s riddim (rhythm) combines elements from both ska and rocksteady styles, whereby each beat emphasizes one or the other. Reggae features slower-paced rhythms than both styles with characteristics such as guitar/piano offbeats, call and response elements and call-and-response sequences that set it apart as its own genre.
Dancehall, an infectious form of Roots Reggae music, has grown increasingly popular over time with artists like Drake and Rihanna tapping into its infectious riddims to get people dancing unconsciously. Dancehall also has an established history of social criticism and religion-themed lyrics while simultaneously covering lighter subjects such as love.
4. Slowdown by Skip Marley & H.E.R
Skip Marley Minto, grandson of Bob Marley and rising reggae star, recently collaborated with R&B singer H.E.R on their duet Slowdown. It features their soothing and flirtatious energy between each artist – making this song produced by Rykeyz sure to become an instant classic! Marley released several singles this year such as Enemy (which featured his cousin), That’s Not True (also featuring his cousin) and even an appearance with Major Lazer (Slow Down).
Reggae music is distinguished by an emphasis on bass guitar and drums, played to an infectious riddim rhythm. Reggae also features an offbeat skank guitar rhythm called an “evil three,” distinguishing itself from four-beat shuffle music genres such as rocksteady or ska. Reggae also tends to move at a slower tempo than these other musical forms and often features syncopated bass lines.
Reggae songs often address social issues and criticize materialism; some songs even advocate the use of cannabis (commonly referred to as herb, ganja or sinsemilla) which is considered sacred by Rastafaris. Reggae also is notable for its tradition of religious themes with many artists including Rastafari concepts into their lyrics.
Reggae music incorporates vocals in Jamaican Patois and English as well as Iyaric dialects used by Abyssinians, with vocal harmony parts often featuring either as lead melodies or counterpoint to the main vocal line – as with Steel Pulse bands like Steel Pulse. Reggae has spread worldwide and often incorporates local instruments and genres, such as reggae in Jamaica being heavily influenced by African and American styles like ska, blues, and jazz influences such as African styles while African styles such as ska blues and jazz influence Jamaica’s reggae genre.
5. Love Is Love by Bob Marley
Bob Marley inspires listeners with this timeless love song written by himself and Tosh that remains at the core of reggae culture today. A bass line and trumpet section combine in the background as his message becomes universal and timeless – inspiring all humanity to open their hearts up to love! Co-written by Marley and Tosh, its message transcends time itself – being an evergreen cornerstone.
Marley made his first direct religious statement with this song, echoing Fifties ballad “Crying in the Chapel,” yet with lyrics honoring Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie who made an impressive visit to Jamaica during this era. Backed by his bandmates on guitars, drummer Carlton Barrett’s drumming, melodica player Andrew “Stevie” Barrett, warm melodica notes and stunning harmonies from Marley himself, this tune encouraged its listeners to turn their problems over to Selassie while remembering that love was indeed unconditional.
This heartwarming adaptation of one of Bob Marley’s best-loved songs is an adorable tribute to sisterhood. Devised by Cedella Marley – Bob’s eldest daughter – and vividly illustrated by Alea Marley, it serves as an excellent way for children to introduce the music of Bob Marley while at the same time stirring memories for older readers.
Bob Marley’s landmark 1976 release that broke racial barriers and propelled him to global fame is often considered the finest reggae album of the 20th Century. Though that claim might be debated, no one can dispute that it laid the groundwork for a new musical identity in Caribbean nations and established reggae as an accepted world music genre. With songs written and arranged by Lee “Scratch” Perry that have since become iconic among his career repertoire; plus its first appearance of one Love slogans (now universal).