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Showing posts with label Reggae Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reggae Music. Show all posts

Thursday, 24 March 2016

An Introduction To Reggae Music


Reggae music is known to have originated in the country of Jamaica from two identical styles known as Rocksteady and ska. This genre can be identified with its simple chord progressions and backbeat rhythm. The lyrics are generally sung in Jamaican patois. There are professional musicians in this field and even though it is a mixing of the two styles mentioned earlier, it is also influenced by the Jamaican Mento, American jazz and American Rhythm and Blues music. In the later part of the 1960s, the reggae was documented as the distinct genre by the people of the United States and Jamaica.

The characteristic feature that makes the top reggae songs stand out of the top songs in other genres is the Riddim or the rhythm. In these songs, the emphasis generally falls off beat and they are played in 4/4 time. Apart from this, the third beat of each calculation is again and again given importance with the help of a bass drum or guitar, thereby giving it an African feel. The percussion part is taken care by a set of drums. Other instruments like keyboard, bass guitar and piano are also used. Most of the artists practicing in this genre make use of saxophone, trombone or a trumpet for playing counter melodies or short riffs in contrast to the voice of the artist.

Most of the lyrics in this genre are sung in Jamaican patois and so it becomes difficult for most of the British and American listeners to understand them.

Nowadays, most of the artists practicing in this category of music have their own websites, wherein they have posted the top reggae songs and albums created by them in such a way that interested people can listen to their creations. People can just visit the website of these artists and become their followers as well.

This genre of music is known to be associated with rude, rebellion and youth boys. This denotes that these songs are sung only by those youngsters, who are jobless. But, the fact is that it is a relaxing genre that can be soul stirring for many music enthusiasts. When you can visit the website of the best creators by searching for them online, you too will understand the sole stirring effect in this genre.

If you are an individual with the objective of learning music under this genre, it is better to listen to the creations of some of the top professionals in such a way that you can improve yourself.

The Origins of Reggae Music


Caribbean music has entertained many music fans and has a great influence on the rest of the world. Music from the Caribbean islands such as Calypso, ska, rock steady and dancehall have evolved from each other and fused into what we know as reggae music. This music genre has also been influenced by elements of African rhythms and American blues. Strong bass lines and the bass drum beating characterize this music genre.

Reggae music originated from the island nation of Jamaica. This country is home to many homegrown musicians and record producers who have developed the distinctive style. Lee 'Scratch' Perry is the most famous Jamaican producer. He is responsible for launching the careers of many reggae musicians.

Artists such as Burning Spear and Horace Andy spread reggae music beyond the islands. However, none of them can match Bob Marley in terms of popularizing this music to the rest of world. No Woman, No Cry, Buffalo Soldier and Redemption Song are just some of Marley's hits. When he passed away, he enjoyed legendary status and was given a state funeral in Jamaica.

In addition to Bob Marley, Johnny Nash, Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, and other crossover singers also had success in the British pop charts. The Police, UB40, Selector, The Clash and The Specials fused reggae music with rock. In fact, one of the first multi racial groups in the UK was the British band UB40.

Social issues, such as poverty and political freedom are addressed in the lyrics of many reggae songs. These songs are the anthems of the poor who grow up in shanty towns and are still struggling to make ends meet. Some of the songs are about the beliefs of the Rastafarian religion, of which Marley was a practitioner. There are explorations of spirituality, invoking God, or Jah as he is called in some of the songs. However, some reggae songs are controversial because they defend the use of cannabis which Rastafarians advocate.

Reggae Music in all of its forms, have influenced and led on to other forms of music, namely drum and bass and hip hop. So far, nobody has taken over from Marley's mantle and rap and R & B dominate the charts at the moment. Music experts say that Reggae music needs another charismatic figure to spread the word.

This unique kind of music has achieved a lot considering that it came out of a small island with early recordings produced on basic equipment. People responded to the melodic simplicity of the music and the heartfelt lyrics. There was always a high standard of musicianship and a direct connection between the artists and the fans in reggae music. Since nobody can keep a good thing down, this Caribbean music will surely rise again.



The Sound Reggae Music Makes


Its distinctive beat gives it away. There is nothing in the world that sounds like reggae music. The expected chops and the back beat by the rhythm guitar and the distinctive sound of the bass drum marks reggae as a genre by its own right. Reggae music originated from several other Jamaican music types just as great as it is like ska, rocksteady, RandB, Jazz, Calypso, and Mento.

Jamaican music is as rich as its history. The soul of each and every Jamaican song traces its roots to the black people herded onto ships, clinging to their most priceless possessions--clothing, food, and for many, their drums. These drums that traveled as far as their owners have are what brought the world priceless gifts and that are the gifts of music. The slaves used their music to fill-up their lives and sang about everything. They have songs of praise, songs of love, songs of loneliness, and songs of inspiration. It is not surprising therefore, that reggae music has been used by the likes of Bob Marley and The Wailers to promote certain political issues like poverty and injustice.

From the characteristic drumbeats, Jamaican folk music has embraced innovation and has added a whole range of flavor to their indigenous music. Combining the drumbeats to a lot of different musical instruments, like the rhythm guitar, and the trumpet, produced ska, rocksteady and eventually reggae.

Reggae music swooped Jamaica just when it was about to proclaim its independence and the masses were clamoring for a beat, a sound that could articulate their emotions. Reggae rose up to the challenge and succeeded. A few years later, when the assurance of an improved quality of life and the promise of a bright tomorrow for a liberated nation came up empty reggae was still being played. But it started to serve a much higher purpose than entertainment. For the first time in its history, roots reggae took on its rebellious and defiant form. Reggae music told of stories of suffering in the shanties of Trenchtown, it told of stories of violence and corruption but most of all it told the people of Jamaica to get up and stand up for their rights.

As the country grew from bad to worse, the people started to look for a moral guidance that would give sense to the life of wretchedness they were living in. Rastafarianism answered the call of a people desperately seeking an alternative leader with convincing values of love and peace. The Rastafarian movement boomed, gained a huge following in Jamaica and reggae was the movement's music. Eventually, roots reggae would be identified with Rastafarianism and vice versa. Dreadlocks, khakis, and kaftans became the symbol of reggae attitude.

Just when it seems that the evolution of reggae has gone through so much, it began to take on another controversial form with the arrival of dancehall reggae. This new type of reggae music is so called because its raunchy lyrics only allowed it to be played in dancehalls. Dancehall reggae is a form of rebellion against roots reggae because many artists believe that reggae music has gone too mainstream that it catered more to the demands of the audience than to reggae's real spirit. Infused with a lot of techno beats and computer generated riffs, dancehall departed from old school reggae music's slow and lulling beat and enveloped a more upbeat and fast rhythm.

And then there was ragga. Ragga music could be gangsta rap's ancestor as it boldly came out with songs on violence, guns, and gangs. Many ragga songs were evidently masochistic with harsh lyrics demeaning women and praising male supremacy.

Over the course of history, ragga's forerunners saw reason and tamed down their music. A couple prominent ragga figures went back to embrace Rastafarianism and sought a live of uprightness and peace.