Popular music of Jamaican origin having elements of calypso and rhythm and blues, characterized by a strongly accentuated offbeat.

Jamaican English, ultimately from rege-rege, ragged clothing, probably from rag1.

Since the 1970’s, when Bob Marley exploded on to the world stage, Reggae has exerted its influence over popular music, and even today plays a significant part in popular music.

 

Jamaica: The birth of the Music industry

With the American post-war cultural changes and consequent phenomenon of the teenager, American popular music began to develop into different genres. The effect of this new approach to music spread world-wide, in particular to the Carribean, due to its close proximity to mainland America. Jazz orchestra became redundant as music began to focus on youth; music became more vibrant and faster.

Alongside America, Jamaica itself began to shift from a rural economy to a more commercial economy. Kingston became a lively and more industrious capital, and at weekends Jamaicans would converge on ‘lawns' all over the city, where sound systems (essentially loud, primitive mobile discos) would throb with the latest sounds from the States. If you didn't have a radio - and in the poor economy, many didn't - this was how you heard the new records.

R&B was the diet of the sound systems. Fast, raw, and with a thick beat, it played well to a wide audience. Sound system owners would travel to the U.S. to buy new records, or have agents ship them over. It was a constant war to have the newest, freshest sounds.

At the mercy of American music trends, the sound systems had no choice but to play American records, because the island simply had no recording facilities. Even when the first label, Federal, opened for business in 1945 its emphasis was purely on licensed U.S. material.

As rock n roll became the dominant form in America during the latter half of the ‘50s, the number of R&B releases dwindled to a trickle - not enough to satisfy the insatiable appetites of the sound systems.

 

Jamaica: Musical Autonomy

In 1958 Edward Seaga founded WIRL - West Indian Records Limited - and began releasing records by local artists. They were blatant copies of American music, but that barely mattered; they were new and playable on the sound systems. By the time a pressing plant, Caribbean Records, had been established on the island (meaning the masters no longer had to be shipped to America for pressing), the Jamaican recording industry was well and truly born.

 

Reggae: The R & B Influence

Jamaican musicians would take American Rhythm & Blues music, and syncopate the beat. This has been described as turning the music inside out, or upside down. Then, they would make the Bass guitar a featured instrument in the song. Finally, they would add muted, scratchy sounding Electric guitars, pulsating keyboards, and percussion.

 

Reggae: The African Influence

African elements of Jamaican music such as the drum music traditions of Burru and Kumina were clung to fiercely. The popular music on the island at that time was Ska, and Rock Steady, both of which had roots in the native folk music known as Mento. These styles were unique because of their syncopated rhythms; the beat and accents were played opposite from where American musicians would play it. Rastafari’s sophisticated drum ensembles would later provide a living example of these ancient traditions, while the burgeoning music industry was never slow to absorb those influences.