Reggae

Lore & Background

Reggae developed from earlier Jamaican genres including mento, ska, and rocksteady, and is rooted in traditional drumming styles such as Kumina, Pukkumina, Revival Zion, Nyabinghi, and burru. It incorporates elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, mento, and traditional African folk rhythms. The genre is distinguished by a slower tempo than ska or rocksteady, a strong emphasis on the downbeat in the drum and bass, and short, staccato guitar or piano chords on the offbeat. The bass guitar plays a central role, with a thick, heavy tone and the high frequencies reduced to accentuate the low end. Call-and-response patterns are common, and the rhythm section often uses the bass as a percussion instrument, a feature carried over from rocksteady.

Reggae is closely associated with Rastafari, an Afrocentric religion that emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s promoting pan-Africanism. From the 1970s onwards, its international success helped to spread Rastafarian beliefs, with musicians often seen as cultural messengers and agents of change. The etymology of the word reggae is disputed: the 1967 Dictionary of Jamaican English lists it as a spelling of "rege" meaning "rags" or "a quarrel"; reggae historian Steve Barrow credits Clancy Eccles with altering the patois word "streggae" (loose woman) into reggae; Toots Hibbert said the word came from "streggae" meaning poorly dressed; Bob Marley said it came from a Spanish term for "the king's music"; and some suggest derivation from the Latin "regi" meaning 'to the king'.

Reader's Guide

Reggae's significance lies in its emergence as a distinct Jamaican genre in the late 1960s, naming itself through the 1968 hit "Do the Reggay" by Toots and the Maytals. It developed from ska and rocksteady, incorporating elements of mento, American R&B, jazz, and traditional African rhythms. Its musical characteristics—slower tempo, emphasis on the downbeat, staccato offbeat chords, and prominent bass—created a sound that became globally influential. Reggae's close association with Rastafari helped spread that religion's pan-Africanist beliefs internationally, with musicians acting as cultural messengers. The genre reached audiences worldwide, fusing with local styles in Latin America (reggae en Español), the United Kingdom (where Caribbean music has been popular since the late 1960s), Europe, and Africa (boosted by Bob Marley's 1980 visit to Zimbabwe). The etymology of the word remains uncertain, with multiple competing origins recorded. Reggae's legacy includes spawning numerous subgenres and fusions, and it remains a central element of Jamaican cultural identity and global popular music.

Did You Know?

• The 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals titled "Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use the word reggae, effectively naming the genre.
• Reggae developed from earlier Jamaican genres including mento, ska, and rocksteady, and is rooted in traditional drumming styles such as Kumina, Pukkumina, Revival Zion, Nyabinghi, and burru.
• The etymology of the word reggae is disputed; sources include a patois word meaning 'rags' or 'quarrel', an alteration of 'streggae' (loose woman), a Spanish term for 'the king's music', and the Latin 'regi' meaning 'to
• Reggae is closely associated with Rastafari, an Afrocentric religion that emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s promoting pan-Africanism.