Reggae

Reggae

First of all, Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960's. While sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most  types of popular jamaican dance music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that evolved out of the earlier genres like Ska and Rocksteady.

Furthermore, Reggae is a stiyle of music that needs a strong backbone and a strong driving force. The drums have to be in perfect time and the bass has to move the people. reggae drums and bass style were so popular that they influenced styles such as Rap and Hip Hop.

Rastafarianism is a religion that is very common among Jamaicans of African descent. Many of the world's most famous reggae musicians practice this religion, and therefore many reggae lyrics reflect the beliefs and traditions of Rastafarianism.

Early reggae music had lyrics consistent in theme with its predecessor, Rocksteady, with songs often focusing on topics such as love. As the genre found its feet in the 70s though, it evolved in line with the Rastafarian movement that was sweeping Jamaica at the time, and lyrics of Reggae songs quickly developed a more socio-political or religious bent.

 Many of the words used in reggae songs are incomprehensible to US and UK English speakers, as they are taken from traditional Jamaican patois or refer to Rastafarian concepts – for example Jah, meaning God. There is heavy use of Jamaican slang, a common example being Ganja, meaning marijuana. Cannabis is smoked as sacrament in the Rastafarian faith, as Rastafarians believe that smoking marijuana allows them to experience a closeness to God. This message in the songs has been open to much misinterpretation, particularly by American youth who have used this as an excuse to “get high.”