Reggae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Reggae | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins: | R&B, Jazz, Mento, Calypso, Ska, Rocksteady |
| Cultural origins: | Late 1960s, Jamaica, especially Kingston |
| Typical instruments: | Bass - Drums - Guitar - Organ - Brass - Melodica |
| Mainstream popularity: | Early 1970s onwards, worldwide |
| Derivative forms: | Trip hop - Drum and bass - Dancehall |
| Subgenres | |
| Roots reggae - Dub - Dub poetry - Toasting - Lovers rock - Dancehall - Ragga | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Reggaeton - Seggae - 2 Tone | |
| Regional scenes | |
| African - Kanéka - New Zealand | |
| Other topics | |
| Jamaica - Rastafari movement - Haile Selassie - Marcus Garvey | |
Reggae is a music genre developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s.The term is sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, including ska, rocksteady and dub. The term is more specifically used to indicate a particular style that originated after the development of rocksteady. In this sense, reggae includes two subgenres: roots reggae (the original reggae) and dancehall reggae, which originated in the late 1970s.
Reggae is founded upon a rhythm style characterized by regular chops on the back beat, known as the skank. The beat is generally slower than that found in reggae's precursors, ska and rocksteady.
Reggae is often associated with the Rastafari movement, which influenced many prominent reggae musicians in the 1970s and 1980s. Reggae song lyrics deal with many subjects, including faith, love, sexuality and broad social issues.
| Music of Jamaica | |
|---|---|
|
Kumina - Nyabinghi- Mento - Ska - Rocksteady - Reggae - Sound systems - Lovers rock - Dub - Dancehall - Dub poetry - Toasting - Raggamuffin - Roots reggae |
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| Anglophone Caribbean music | |
| Anguilla - Antigua and Barbuda - Bahamas - Barbados - Bermuda - Caymans - Grenada - Jamaica - Montserrat - St. Kitts and Nevis - St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Trinidad and Tobago - Turks and Caicos - Virgin Islands | |
| Sound samples | |
| Other Caribbean music | |
| Aruba and the Dutch Antilles - Cuba - Dominica - Dominican Republic - Haiti - Hawaii - Martinique and Guadeloupe - Puerto Rico - St. Lucia - United States - United Kingdom |
- See also Music of Jamaica
Reggae's origins are in traditional African and Caribbean music; American rhythm and blues; and Jamaican ska and rocksteady. In 1963, Coxsone Dodd of Studio One asked Jackie Mittoo (pianist of The Skatalites) to run recording sessions and compose original music. Mittoo, with the help of drummer Lloyd Knibbs, turned the traditional ska beat into reggae by slowing down the tempo. Bob Marley, who played an important role in popularizing reggae worldwide, recorded ska, rocksteady, and nyabinghi-drumming records early in his career. By the late 1960s, reggae was getting radio play in the United Kingdom on John Peel's radio show.
The word reggae may have been first used by the ska band Toots and the Maytals, in the title of their 1968 hit Do the Reggay. Other theories are the term came from the word streggae, a Jamaican slang term for prostitute, or that it originated from the term Regga, which was a Bantu-speaking tribe from Lake Tanganyika.
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[edit] Musical characteristics
Reggae is always played in 4/4 time or swing time because the symmetrical rhythm pattern does not lend itself to 3/4 time. Harmonically, the music is often very simple, and sometimes a whole song will have no more than one or two chords. The Bob Marley and the Wailers song "Exodus" is almost entirely comprised of A-minor chords. These simple repetitious chord structures add to the hypnotic effect that reggae sometimes has. However, Marley also wrote more complex chord structures, and the band Steel Pulse have often used very complex chord structures.
[edit] Drums and other percussion
A standard drum kit is generally used but the snare drum is often tuned very high to give it a timbale-type sound. Some reggae drummers use a separate additional timbale or high-tuned snare to get this sound. Rim shots on the snare are commonly used and tom-tom drums are often incorporated into the drumbeat itself.
Reggae drumbeats fall into three main categories: One Drop, Rockers and Steppers. With the One Drop, the emphasis is entirely on the second and fourth beat of the bar (usually on the snare or as a rim shot combined with bass drum). Beats one and three are completely empty, which is extremely unusual in popular music. Carlton Barrett of The Wailers is credited with inventing this style and an example can be heard in the Bob Marley and the Wailers song, "One Drop." Barrett often used an unusual triplet cross-rhythm on the hi-hat, which can be heard on many recordings by Bob Marley and the Wailers, such as "Running Away" on the Kaya album.
An emphasis on beats two and four is in all reggae drumbeats, but with the Rockers beat, the emphasis is also on beats one and three (usually on bass drum). One example is in "Night Nurse" by Gregory Isaacs. The Rockers beat is not always straight forward, and various syncopations are often included. An example of this is the Black Uhuru song "Sponji Reggae."
In Steppers, the bass drum plays eight solid beats to the bar, giving the beat an insistent drive. An example is "Exodus" by Bob Marley and the Wailers. The Steppers beat was often used (at a much higher tempo) by some of the 2 Tone ska revival bands of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Examples include "Stand Down Margaret" by The Beat and "Too Much Too Young" by The Specials.
An unusual characteristic of reggae drumming is that the drum fills often do not end with a climactic cymbal.
A wide range of other percussion instrumentation is used in reggae. Bongos are often used to play free, improvised patterns; with heavy use of African-style cross-rhythms. Cowbells, claves and shakers tend to have more defined roles and a set pattern. Reggae drumbeats fall into three main categories: One Drop, Rockers and Steppers.
[edit] Bass
The bass guitar often plays a very dominant role in reggae, and the drum and bass is often called the riddim. Several reggae singers have released different songs recorded over the same riddim. The central role of the bass can particularly be heard in dub music, which gives an even bigger role to the drum and bass line; reducing the vocals and other instruments to peripheral roles. The bass sound in reggae is thick and heavy, and equalized so the upper frequencies are removed and the lower frequencies emphasised. The bass line is often a two-bar riff that is centred around its thickest and heaviest note - the other notes often serve simply to lead you towards the bassiest note. An example is "Sun is Shining" by Bob Marley and the Wailers.
[edit] Guitars
The rhythm guitar in reggae usually plays the chords on the off-beat (the eighth notes between beats 1, 2, 3 and 4 in a 4/4 rhythm), a musical figure known as skank. It has a very dampened, short and scratchy chop sound, almost like a percussion instrument. Sometimes a double chop is used when the guitar still plays the off beats, but also plays the following 16th beats on the up-stroke. An example is the intro to "Stir it Up" by The Wailers.
The lead guitar will often add a rock or blues-style melodic solo to a song, but most of the time it plays the same part as the bass line; an octave higher, with a very dampened and picked sound. This adds definition to the bass line (which is usually devoid of upper frequencies) and emphasizes the bass melody. Sometimes the guitar will play a counter-melody to the bass line.
[edit] Keyboards
The keyboard in reggae usually doubles the rhythm guitar's skank, playing chords on the offbeats in a staccato style to add body. Sometimes a keyboardist plays occasional extra beats, runs and riffs. Most larger bands will use two keyboard players; one for the rhythm part and another to cover horn and melody lines.
The reggae-organ shuffle is unique to reggae. Typically, a Hammond organ-style sound is used to play chords with a choppy feel. This is known as the bubble. There are specific drawbar settings used on a Hammond console to get the correct sound. This may be the most difficult reggae keyboard rhythm. The 16th beats are played with a space-left-right-left-space-left-right-left pattern. The right-hand part coincides with the rhythm guitar and piano. It makes the music sound faster than it really is. The organ often also plays melodic runs and extra beats. The organ part is typically quite low in the mix, and is often more felt than heard. Examples include the songs "Natural Mystic" and "Is This Love" by Bob Marley.
In many recent reggae recordings and concert tours, synthesizers are used to imitate brass horn parts. For many reggae artists, it is too expensive to bring in a full horn section from Jamaica.
[edit] Horns
Horn sections are frequently used in reggae, often playing introductions and counter-melodies. A typical reggae horn section includes a saxophone, a trumpet and a trombone.
[edit] Vocals
The vocals in reggae are less of a defining characteristic of the genre than the instrumentation and rhythm. Almost any song can be performed in a reggae style. Vocal harmony parts are often used either throughout the melody (as with bands such as the Mighty Diamonds) or as a counterpoint to the main vocal line (as with the backing group I-Threes). The British reggae band Steel Pulse used particularly complex backing vocals.
The toasting vocal style is unique to reggae, originating when DJs improvised along to dub tracks and it is generally considered to be a precursor to rap. It differs from rap mainly in that it is generally melodic while rap is generally a more a spoken form without melodic content.
[edit] Roots reggae
Roots reggae is the name given to explicitly Rastafarian reggae: a spiritual type of music whose lyrics are predominantly in praise of Jah (God). Recurrent lyrical themes include poverty and resistance to government oppression. The creative pinnacle of roots reggae may have been in the late 1970s, with singers such as Burning Spear, Gregory Isaacs, Freddie McGregor, Johnny Clarke, Horace Andy, Barrington Levy and Linval Thompson teaming up with studio producers including Lee 'Scratch' Perry, King Tubby, and Coxsone Dodd. The experimental pioneering of producers within often-restrictive technological parameters gave birth to dub music, which has been considered one of the earliest contributions to the developments of Techno music.
[edit] Newer styles and spin-offs
Newer styles of reggae include dancehall and ragga (also known as raggamuffin). The toasting style first used by artists such as U-Roy and Dillinger had a worldwide impact when Jamaican DJ Kool Herc used it to pioneer a new genre that became known as hip hop or rap. In Jamaica, the term Dee Jay or DJ is equivalent to the rapper or MC in American hip hop culture while it is the 'selector' who actually mans the turntables. Mixing techniques employed in dub music (an instrumental subgenre of reggae) have influenced hip hop and drum and bass. Matisyahu is known for blending traditional Jewish themes with reggae and rock sounds. Most recently, he was named "Top Reggae Artist" of 2006 by Billboard.[1]
[edit] Lyrical themes
Reggae is noted for its tradition of social criticism, although many reggae songs discuss lighter, more personal subjects such as love, sex and socializing.
Some of the music attempts to raise the political consciousness of the audience, criticizing materialism and unconsciousness. Some reggae artists have spoken up against what they perceived as the oppression of orthodox religious dogma. Many reggae songs discuss liberation, including that linked with the prohibition of (cannabis) or ganja, which is considered a sacrament by Rastafarians. The promotion of cannabis use (through lyrics, images and lifestyle) has been a staple of reggae since almost its inception. Bob Marley's Catch a Fire album cover, showing him smoking a spliff, was controversial at the time the album was first issued. Peter Tosh often performed with a spliff in hand, and lobbied for the decriminalization of marijuana. His most famous song is titled "Legalize It". Other topics of social activism include: black nationalism, anti-racism, misogyny, anti-colonialism, anti-capitalism, criticism of political systems, and criticism of the colonial education system.
Some of these themes, such as cannabis use, have been prevalent in reggae music throughout much of the history of the music, but others, such as homophobia, are a more recent phenomenon. Dancehall music has also included themes of violence and sexism.
[edit] Homophobia in dancehall music
Dancehall music has come under increased criticism from Jamaican and international organizations for homophobic lyrics. Such lyrics have been described by J-FLAG, a Jamaican gay rights organization, as one aspect of "widespread Jamaican cultural bias against homosexuals and bisexuals" (see also Human Rights Watch report on homophobia in Jamaica: [1]). Homosexual activity is still illegal in Jamaica, as it is in most former British colonies in the Caribbean (see also LGBT rights in Jamaica).
Artists whose music features homophobic lyrics have had concerts cancelled. Various artists have had international travel restrictions placed on them and have been investigated by international agencies including Scotland Yard on the accusation that the lyrics incite the audience to assault homosexuals. Many of the affected artists hold the opinion that such legal or commercial sanctions are essentially an attack against the artist's freedom of speech.[2]
[edit] Reggae music festivals
- Reggae Sunsplash, Ocho Rios, Jamaica,
- Reggae Sumfest, Montego Bay, Jamaica
- Soča Reggae Riversplash, Tolmin, Slovenia,
- Notting Hill Carnival, London, UK
- Uppsala Reggae Festival, Sweden
- Reggae On The River, California, USA
- Summerjam, Cologne, Germany
- Couleur Café, Brussels, Belgium,
- Chiemsee Reggae Summer, Chiemsee, Germany
- Reggae Geel, Geel, Belgium,
[edit] Music samples
Buffalo Soldier - Bob Marley
Listen to Reggae Music
[edit] References
- Manuel, Peter, with Kenneth Bilby and Michael Largey. Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae (2nd edition). Temple University Press, 2006. ISBN 1-59213-463-7.
- O'Brien, Kevin & Chen, Wayne (1998). Reggae Routes: The Story of Jamaican Music. Ian Randle Publishers. ISBN 976-8100-67-2.
- Larkin, Colin (ed.) (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae. Virgin. ISBN 0-7535-0242-9.
- Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004 for the 3rd edition). The Rough Guide to R.62036 publisher=Rough Guides. ISBN 1-84353-329-4.
- Morrow, Chris (1999). Stir It Up: Reggae Cover Art. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-28154-8.
- Jahn, Brian & Weber, Tom (1998). Reggae Island: Jamaican Music in the Digital Age. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80853-6.
- Hurford, Ray (ed.) (1987). More Axe. Erikoispaino Oy. ISBN 951-99841-4-3.
- Potash, Chris (ed.) (1997). Reggae, Rasta, Revolution: Jamaican Music from Ska to Dub. Schirmer Books. ISBN 0-8256-7212-0.
- Baek, Henrik & Hedegard, Hans (1999). Dancehall Explosion, Reggae Music Into the Next Millennium. Samler Borsen Publishing, Denmark. ISBN 87-981684-3-6.
- Katz, David (2000). People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee Scratch Perry. Payback Press, UK. ISBN 0-86241-854-2.
- Lesser, Beth (2002). King Jammy's. ECW Press. ISBN 1-55022-525-1.
- Stolzoff, Norman C. (2000). Wake The Town And Tell The People. Duke University Press, USA. ISBN 0-8223-2514-4.
- Davis, Stephen & Simon, Peter (1979). Reggae Bloodlines: In Search of the Music and Culture of Jamaica. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80496-4.
- Katz, David (2003). Solid Foundation - An Oral history of Reggae. Bloomsburry, UK. ISBN 1-58234-143-5.
- de Koningh, Michael & Cane-Honeysett, Laurence (2003). Young Gifted and Black - The Story of Trojan Records. Sanctuary Publishing, UK. ISBN 1-86074-464-8.
- de Koeningh, Michael & Griffiths, Marc (2003). Tighten Up - The History of Reggae in the UK. Sanctuary Publishing, UK. ISBN 1-86074-559-8.
- Bradley, Lloyd (2001). When Reggae Was King. Penguin Books Ltd, UK. ISBN 0-14-023763-1.
[edit] See also
- Riddim
- Rastafari movement
- Jamaica
- Ska
- Dancehall
- Bob Marley
- Toots and the Maytals
- Raggamuffin
- Dub music
| Reggae |
|---|
| Reggae - Mento - Ska - Blue Beat - Rocksteady - Dub music - Dub poetry - Toasting - Lovers Rock - Dancehall - Ragga - Reggae rock - Reggaetón - Roots reggae - 2 Tone |
| Reggae genres - Caribbean music in the United Kingdom |
| Related topics |
| Jamaica - Haile Selassie - Marcus Garvey - Rastafari - Rude boy - Skinhead - Dancehall (venue) - Dubplate - Jamaican sound system - Sound system (DJ) - Riddim - Jamaican English - Studio One - Trojan Records - Island Records - Coxsone Dodd - Chris Blackwell - Reggae musiciams - Dub artists - Jamaican record producers |
