Reggae

For some people it could be a style of music that deals with social and racial issues, for some it could simply be a reawakened form of African music. Reggae music has a very interesting history; no other third world country has evolved in such a way as Jamaica, both as a country and from a musical stand point. The development of Reggae music is reflected upon the struggle against racial oppressions, which has origins in the deportation of many Africans as slaves to the British colony of Jamaica. These slaves were brought to Jamaica due to the need for them when sugarcane became the most important export for the island. These slaves arrived by means of the Atlantic slave trade at the same time slaves were being taken to North America, when they arrived there was a lot of racial tension, and Jamaica had one of the highest upraises of slavery of the Caribbean islands…

Introduction Reggae as a style of modern popular music expresses feelings and opinions about life, love and religion. It was originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s and rapidly arose as the country’s dominant music (Cooper, 2015). It is widely perceived as a forceful voice for the people under confrontation and struggle. As Reggae often bores the weight of politicized lyrics that addresses social and economic injustice, it helps to raise awareness about social and political issues. Among…

Dick Hebdige's article "Reggae, Rastas, and Rudies" discusses the formation of West Indian culture within Britian's community. His article focuses on the underground movement of reggae music and how it was used by young blacks to attain a sense of cultural independence. Hebdige briefly highlights the range of subcultures such as "hard mods", skinheads, and spiritual Rastafarians that originated in London in the late 1950's and well into the mid 1960's. He argues that the style of these different…

Reggae a Semente The warm sunlight hits you even before the reggae beat begins. In the music video for Reggae a Semente's "Can You Feel?" a red and white van with a "Coexist" sticker in the window rolls slowly down the highway on the edge of a city, a journey interrupted only by shots of the band smiling and jamming in a skate park. Whether they're driving, walking, or lingering under an overpass, they pose the same question: can you feel the spirit? As comfortable as the overarching mood is,…

Music has been my salvation; reggae music is my mainstay because the lyrics are like a sermon. Reggae is about life and the world around you. Listen to any Bob Marley record and you will hear what I speak of. In high school I listened to heavy metal which as a black teen is very rare but I was in the environment and so adapted. What is interesting is that, what I heard in heavy metal was nothing more that the blues that had been amplified and I called it amplified blues. My thought was…

social change worldwide. Take an example of reggae music, Reggae music is a musical genre that emerged in the 1960s. As time went on, it became a cultural norm not only to Jamaica but the whole world. Its rhythms, spiritual lyrics together with the appearance of its singers among others have influenced cultures, societies throughout the world. This has let to rise of new intercultural movements In Africa, USA and even here in Europe. Groups like U.Ks skinhead movement, Eric Clapton, are all…

As a powerful weapon, Reggae music can forcefully stop mental slavery with its symbolic musical strategies. Reggae musicians such as Bob Marley, Skip Marley, and Stephen Marley have effectively opened the minds of the African and Afro-Caribbean people from the immoral education of mental slavery. According to Ennis Edmonds, the reggae musicians are “telling Blacks the truth about their African roots and African identity” (pg. 29). For instance, in Skip Marley’s song “Lions”, he has powerful…

in American society, their cultures came into contact with one another. Consequently, reggae and American hip-hop, rap and R&B blended as well. The relationship between New York City and Puerto Rico (PR) extends to the island nation as well creating a bi-directional flow of information and influence. In this context, reggaeton acted and continues to act as a means of connecting the children of the Puerto Rican diaspora with their homeland. Looking at this cultural exchange, the music becomes…

Reggae music nowadays is a very iconic genre that is often relaxing island jams that also have uplifting messages. In the 21st century, reggae music can be found in a variety of different cultures and has evolved greatly. However, its roots came from the common people of Jamaica during a time of oppression. Due to its powerful messages, reggae music developed a religion, challenged the government, and had an overall global impact on the world. During the time of the great slave trade from…

How to forget the reggae, a musical genre in English language practiced in Jamaica, characterized by the use of an acoustic guitar and in which the singer usually tends to have braids in her hair. Due to their large acceptance by the black population, this genre expands throughout America. Arriving in Panama due to the construction of the Panama Canal, people take it as their own genre and ends up calling it the “reggae in Spanish” or better known as "Plena". But what is special about this…