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Introduction
The word reggae represents a style of popular music that originated in Ja-
maica in the late 1960s and quickly emerged as the country's dominant music.
By the 1970s it had become an international style that was particularly pop-
ular in Britain, the United States, and Africa. It was widely perceived as a
voice of the oppressed.
Background
Reggae's roots are embedded in the historical conditions of Jamaican slavery
and colonialism. Since the majority of Jamaicans are the descendants of
enslaved Africans it's unsurprising that a number of reggae lyrics deal with
the historical and social upheaval of slavery.
Origins
According to an early denition in The Dictionary of Jamaican English
(1980), reggae is based on ska, an earlier form of Jamaican popular mu-
sic, and employs a heavy four-beat rhythm driven by drums, bass guitar,
electric guitar, and the scraper, a corrugated stick that is rubbed by a plain
stick. Reggae evolved from these roots and bore the weight of increasingly
politicized lyrics that addressed social and economic injustice.
Artists
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey was a man that lived a life with a mission. Although
his journey may have seemed impossible, his never-ending strength and ded-
ication caused many peoples dreams and wishes to become realities. Garvey
is considered a prophet by his followers, because of the inspiration he brought
to the black race. Even after his death, his message is still alive in reggae
music and his actions have greatly impacted the black race.
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Bob Marley
One of the few major faces of minority religious sects, Robert Nesta Marley,
has become the face of reggae and of Rastafari. His own brand of African
rock and reggae music reached out to people all over the world and had great
impact on...