Reggae music is musical genre which is a result of the evolution and development of several other musical genres and styles. Although it is strongly influenced by Afro-Caribbean music and American R&B, reggae music primarily originated from the progressive developments of rocksteady and ska back in the 1960s in Jamaica. Bob Marley, a popular reggae musician, said that the term reggae came from the Spanish term for “the king’s music”. Today, reggae music continues to be a significant influence on many other genres such as black music, soul music and chillout music.
The distinguishing 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. This backbeat is actually a general characteristic of most African-based musical compositions and cannot be found in traditional Asian or European music. 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. As for its harmony, reggae music often has a simple one; sometimes an entire song would have just one or two chords. Because of the simple and repetitive chord structures of reggae music, it has been sometimes described to have a hypnotic effect to the listener.
The lyrics of reggae music could somewhat be difficult to understand, as they are typically English-based but have a distinct Jamaican dialect. The common themes of the song lyrics of reggae music are usually associated with various subjects including relationships, love, religion, peace, sexuality, injustice and poverty. There are also some reggae songs with lyrics that attempt to elevate the political awareness of the audience through criticizing materialism, or through informing listeners about controversial topics like Apartheid. Some common socio-political topics which are also used 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.
Reggae music has several subgenres. Here are some of them.
1. Skinhead reggae
Skinhead reggae originated in the late 1960s, when several reggae artists started targeting their lyrics and music to skinheads. Its difference from rocksteady would be that it has a slightly faster beat which is done by the drummer making use of the hi-hat, lower mixing of the bass, heavy organ lines and the electronic double rhythm guitar stroke. 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. Some of the other lyrical themes of roots reggae would include poverty as well as resistance to government oppression. 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.
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