Reggae genres
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There are several subgenres of reggae music including various predecessors to the form.
Pre-reggae styles
Mento
Reggae grew out of earlier musical styles such as
Ska
Ska began in the 1950s, coinciding with Jamaica's independence from Great Britain.
Rocksteady
In 1966, many ska musicians began to favour slower rhythms and beats, and the form began to evolve into
Early reggae
The "early reggae" era can be traced as starting in roughly 1968. The influence of funk music from American record labels such as Stax began to permeate the music style of studio musicians and the slowing in tempo that occurred with the development of rocksteady had allowed musicians more space to experiment with different rhythmic patterns. One of the developments which separated early reggae from rocksteady was the "bubble" organ pattern, a percussive style of playing that showcased the eighth-note subdivision within the groove.
The guitar "skanks" on the second and fourth beat of the bar began to be replaced by a strumming pattern similar to mento and the so-called double chop that can be heard so audibly in the introduction of Bob Marley's "Stir It Up" was developed during this time. More emphasis was put on the groove of the music, and there was a growing trend of recording a "version" on the B-side of a single. The mass popularity of instrumental music in the ska and rocksteady eras continued in reggae, producing some of the most memorable recordings of the early reggae era. Cover versions of Motown, Stax and Atlantic Records soul songs remained popular in early reggae, often helping Jamaican artists gain a foothold in foreign markets such as the UK.
As a testament to its far reaching impact in other markets, this era and sound of reggae is sometimes referred to in retrospect as "
Roots reggae
Roots reggae usually refers to the most recognizable kind of reggae, popularized internationally by artists like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, which dominated Jamaican recordings from around 1972 into the early 1980s. While there are distinct musical characteristics to this era of reggae music, the term "roots" often implies more the message of the music than specifically its musical style and is still often used today to refer either to a musical style/subgenre or to give context to an artists music that may, in fact, cover several subgenres of reggae. Roots reggae, in this descriptive sense, can be typified by lyrics grounded in the Rastafarian movement's "Back to Africa" message, equation of colonialism and slavery with the Biblical captivity in Babylon, and, of course, the belief in one living God, Jah, manifested as Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie. Recurrent lyrical themes include poverty and resistance to economic and racial oppression as well as more poetic meditations on spiritual or topical themes.
Musically, the "roots" sound and era have a number of distinct features. Drummers developed more complex kick drum patterns based around the "one drop" of rocksteady and incorporated influences from Funk and R&B. The guitar, piano and keyboard patterns in the music were refined from the creative explorations of the early reggae era into the patterns most recognizable as reggae throughout the world. Simple chord progressions were often used to create a meditative feeling to complement the lyrical content of the songs. This refining of rhythmic patterns and simplification of chord progressions brought the bass guitar entirely to the forefront, helping to make bass one of the most definitive features of reggae as a genre. Producer/engineers like
Rockers
The term "rockers" refers to a particular sound of roots reggae, pioneered in the mid-1970s by
Lovers rock
The lovers rock subgenre originated in
Dub
Dub is a genre of reggae that was pioneered in the early days by studio producers Lee 'Scratch' Perry and King Tubby. It involves extensive remixing of recorded material, and particular emphasis is placed on the drum and bass line. The techniques used resulted in an even more visceral feel described by King Tubby as sounding "jus’ like a volcano in yuh head."[8] Augustus Pablo and Mikey Dread were two of the early notable proponents of this music style, which continues today.
Rub-a-Dub
"Rub-a-Dub" is the term for the style of reggae in a more specific era from the late 70's to the mid 80's, and ruled but not limited to one band, the Roots Radics. It's signature sound is a slow tempo and heavy bass line. Back then, it was considered "Dancehall" music.
Steppa
Steppers/Steppa in reggae is the typical 4-4 discobeat in essence. The UK styled steppers is the digital bassline style often with effects in the mix.
Newer styles and spin-offs
Hip hop and rap
Toasting is a style of talking over music, making heavy use of rhythmic phrasing and rhyme patterns, that was developed in the 1950s by Jamaican
Dancehall
The dancehall genre was developed in the late 1970s by pioneers such as
Raggamuffin
Raggamuffin, usually abbreviated as ragga, is a subgenre of reggae that is closely related to
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of
Reggae fusion
Reggae fusion is a mixture of reggae or dancehall with elements of other genres, such as hip hop, R&B, jazz, rock, drum and bass, punk or polka.[12] Although artists have been mixing reggae with other genres from as early as the early 1970s, it was not until the late 1990s when the term was coined.
References
- Jamaica Gleaner, 11 August 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2013
- Jamaica Gleaner, 6 July 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014
- ^ "Frémeaux & Associés éditeur, La Librairie Sonore". Fremeaux.com. 1932-06-19. Retrieved 2012-07-24.
- ^ a b c d "History of Ska". The Reggaskas. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ^ "Origins of Ska". Jamaicans Music.ocm. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ^ "Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae". BBC. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
- ISBN 9780415058759. Retrieved 2 October 2023 – via Google Books.
- ISBN 978-0-8195-6572-3.
- Jamaica Gleaner, February 7, 2009, retrieved 2010-01-31
- ^ Richards, Peter (2009) "JAMAICA: Women Cheer Ban on Sexually Degrading Song Lyrics" Archived 2012-04-02 at the Wayback Machine, Inter Press Service, February 11, 2009, retrieved 2010-01-31
- ^ "AskMen.com - Vico C". 27 September 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- ^ Big D (2008-05-08). "Reggae Fusion". Reggae-Reviews. Archived from the original on 2012-06-28. Retrieved 2008-06-07.