Popular music stylesReggae

Reggae is a unique form of rock music which originated in Jamaica. It has its roots in a number of other musical styles.

You can hear the influence of traditional Jamaican music as well as American rhythm ‘n’ blues, which would have been easily picked up in Jamaica in the early days of radio.

Music has always had a big role in the lives of Jamaican people. The roots of traditional Jamaican music can be traced back to African music due to number of Jamaicans who are descendants of Africans brought to the West Indies to work as slaves on sugar plantations.

There were three main musical styles that influenced reggae.

Mento

This style of Jamaican folk music was popular in the 1950s. Like calypso it is strophic in form and has light-hearted lyrics accompanied by offbeat chords on guitar and banjo, as can be heard in the example below.

Ska

A fast dance style with offbeat chords that emerged in the late 1950s. The lyrics tended to be about serious social issues. Folk elements of mento were mixed with the electric guitars and horn sections of rhythm ‘n’ blues. Listen out for the use of brass in the clip below.

Rocksteady

A slower style from the mid 1960s which followed on from ska. It featured a loud, repeated melody on bass guitar called a riff. The offbeat chords were emphasised and the lyrics were often political in nature.

Reggae emerged in the late 1960s and can be identified by:

• time signature of 4/4, with heavy accent placed on the 2nd and 4th beats of the bar
• strophic form - a repeated verse and chorus
• typical rock line up – vocals, backing vocals, electric guitars, bass guitar and drum kit
• prominent riff played on bass guitar
• simple chord sequences
• reference to Rastafari, a religion which emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s

In this clip reggae legend Bob Marley sings ‘Stir It Up’ with his band The Wailers.