Reggae is an expansive musical genre with distinct characteristics that define it. A song must feature many of these characteristics to qualify as reggae.
Music first emerged in Jamaica during the 1960s amid independence and an emerging sense of nationalism. The music quickly developed from an eclectic mixture of Jamaican mento, ska, rocksteady as well as American jazz and rhythm and blues influences.
Mento
Mento is one of the earliest Jamaican music styles that laid down a foundation for future genres, merging European and African traits like verse repetition and satirical accounts of everyday life into one cohesive genre. Additionally, its roots lie within enslaved work songs performed using traditional instruments of Jamaica such as gourd shakers and bamboo flutes; though its popularity waned due to increasing Western influences during its peak decades (1950’s). Today its unique sound remains prevalent within modern Jamaican music.
Mento’s rhythmic structure was instrumental in giving birth to ska and rocksteady music – ultimately leading to reggae – which in turn evolved into reggae. These early Jamaican genres combined traditional Jamaican folk songs with R&B influences from American radio stations that were popular at the time, employing syncopated snare drum and hi-hat beats with swaying tempos and Nyahbinghi drumming traditions to produce an appealing smooth sound that resonated with mass audiences.
Reggae music was known for carrying powerful social messages despite its smooth sound, with lyrics addressing colonialism, racism and exploitation – issues not just relevant in Jamaica but for Africans in diaspora as well. Reggae gave birth to a sense of community among diaspora Africans that united them during difficult times.
Reggae music began gaining a following during the 1970s due to artists such as Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff, which eventually led to new styles like modern Jamaican dub. Dub featured remixes of previously recorded music with greater emphasis on bass; its development was spearheaded by Lee “Scratch” Perry and King Tubby who had superior knowledge of recording equipment than most musicians.
Reggae music has grown into an international sensation over time. Influencing other musical genres like hip-hop and rap music as well as creating its own unique Jamaican identity that resonates globally, Reggae remains as relevant today as when first invented! Its political, social, and spiritual messages remain as poignant now as when first produced.
Ska
Ska is the precursor to reggae music in Jamaican music’s evolution. Characterised by an upbeat tempo, offbeat guitar or piano rhythms and brass instrumentation that distinguish it from other Caribbean styles, but borrowing elements of British dance music and American rhythm and blues as well as its own unique sound that has since inspired various types of reggae genres.
Ska stands apart from other Caribbean rhythms by emphasizing the third beat of each bar and employing syncopation for added musical interest in its bass line, while drums usually use cross-stick technique instead of fills ending in cymbal crashes. Ska has slightly faster tempo than rocksteady yet slower than mento and features more rhythmical bass lines compared to mere harmonic basslines in its composition.
Jamaican ska musicians frequently used social and political commentary as themes for their songs, often calling out racism, discrimination, and oppression in Jamaica’s culture and society. Furthermore, songs often promoted black nationalism or anti-colonialism while many artists also discussed social justice topics such as education for children or eliminating poverty.
In the 1960s, ska became increasingly popular across Britain and America. It opened the way for Two-Tone music influenced by both Jamaican ska and punk rock; Two-Tone artists incorporated both rhythms from ska with punk rock’s aggressive lyrics and guitar chords into Two-Tone tracks; however, bands failed to properly credit Jamaican artists creating Two-Tone tracks; this act of artistic colonialism.
Jamaica’s recording industry flourished during the ska era with talent that would later go on to dominate rocksteady and reggae genres. Artists like Millie Small, Cornell Campbell, Owen Gray, Hortense Ellis, Delroy Wilson and Laurel Aitken helped make ska music famous.
In the early 1970s, ska music evolved into rocksteady music – a slower style of ska that featured more romantic lyrics and less emphasis on its third beat of each bar. Unfortunately, its peak period only lasted a short while; eventually reggae music overtook rocksteady in 1968.
Rocksteady
Rocksteady made its debut in Jamaican music during the mid-1960s, heralding a revolutionary period for Jamaican musical history. Descended from ska, this genre gradually subdued its pace while adding smoother vocal harmonies and lyrics dealing with love, heartbreak and social consciousness; artists like Alton Ellis, The Paragons and The Techniques contributed significantly to shaping Rocksteady.
The transformation from Rocksteady to reggae was due to several factors, including the migration of key musical arrangers such as Jackie Mittoo and Lynn Taitt from Jamaica to Canada and advances in studio technology in Jamaica. These changes had an enormous effect on its development – bass patterns became more intricate while electric organs gradually replaced pianos to signal a transition towards more contemporary sounds.
Rocksteady had only a brief but profound impact on Jamaica’s musical landscape, yet left an indelible mark nonetheless. Its soothing beats and soulful melodies appealed to Jamaicans while its lyrics addressed issues affecting lower-class Jamaicans such as housing shortages and food insecurity; some rocksteady artists celebrated or condemned these subcultures through rocksteady.
Rocksteady had gradually evolved into reggae by the late 1960s. This genre diverged from ska by slowing its tempo, adding smoother vocal harmonies, and exploring social consciousness and change within Jamaican landscape. Reggae also included elements from Caribbean musical heritage as well as Rastafari culture and religion – such as using instruments such as Nyabinghi drums which were part of ceremonies practiced by Rastafaris.
One of the defining elements of reggae music is its iconic one-drop rhythm, played on two-and-a-half time by both bass drum and snare drum simultaneously, with the latter providing its unique one drop click or “one drop.” This distinctive sound distinguishes reggae through an emphasis placed on both second and fourth beats of each bar.
Roots
Roots reggae music conveys an important message beyond its genre; its music calls for justice, equality and peace for all people. Roots reggae has gained worldwide popularity due to its message. It has inspired musicians, communities and musical styles such as rock, jazz, R&B and hip hop as well as being recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Reggae’s rapid global rise is largely attributable to Bob Marley, its most iconic figure. Through his music and religious faith as an Rastafarian Rastafari singer-dedicant Rastafari Rastafarian Rastafarian singer/devotee Rastafari Rastafarian devout Rastafarian Rastafarian singer/devout Rastafarian devoutly Rastafarian spiritual activist-singer/political activist-Marley sang of peace and spirituality while his songs often focused on social justice issues – his song “Africa Unite” served as an effective call-to-action during liberation struggles of southern Africa. Reggae music’s political message has made it immensely popular both domestically as well as internationally.
Reggae music’s roots lie deep within Jamaican history and culture, its beats and melodies evoking community life and lyrics highlighting social injustice. Instruments used during Rastafarian ceremonies like Nyabinghi drums add another connection with Africa while creating music on an emotional level for listeners.
Reggae music has gained worldwide popularity, while remaining true to its origins in Jamaica’s culture. Reggae embodies both history and the people’s hopes for freedom through song.
Roots-style reggae music was birthed from a desire to represent more authentic African perspectives within popular music, and is also an attempt at combatting oppressive conditions that continue to affect black people around the globe. This can be seen particularly clearly through themes that praise or remember Jamaican history like songs that praise Emperor Jah and remembering Jamaica’s struggles as themes found within roots-style reggae songs.
Roots-style reggae can be described by its syncopated snare drum and hi-hat rhythm of ska and rocksteady as well as its swaying bass guitar interplay, commonly referred to as rocksteady. Over time this style has developed further to include “one drop” music (meaning dropping out the first beat of every measure), rockers, steppers and steppers; moreover artists have started including drum machines into their sound in order to produce more versatile and accessible sounds.