Reggae - The Jamaican Connection

Reggae is the passion of the people of Jamaica. Jamaica was where reggae was born. Reggae has captured the imagination of the people everywhere. ‘The music the world swings to’ would be an apt comment on the effect of reggae.

Reggae has been the binding force of the people of Jamaica. It has now spread its branches all over the world. Jamaican people have made the music very popular and credit must be given to them for doing this.

Origin of reggae:

The word "Reggae" was first used by the Ska group Toots and the Maytals, who used this word in the title of their hit Do the Reggay in the post war era. ‘Roots’ is the name given to a new type of music which is the Rastafarian reggae music. It is a spiritual in nature and is mainly sung in praise of Jah or God

Roots reggae was, and even now is, an important part of Jamaican culture, and while all the other types of reggae have decreased in popularity, roots reggae has found a small, but growing, place globally.

Reggae is a mix of various cultures and their music. It is a mix of African, American and Caribbean music and also their culture. It cannot be attributed to a single place, though the origin was from Jamaica.

Reggae: Music of the soul

Reggae songs deal with various emotions like love, peace, sexuality, relationship and a variety of other social and political issues. The lyrics are accompanied by music that is very rhythmic. The music is the one that touches the hearts of the people hearing it.

The music is all about the human experience in various aspects. It touches the soul deeply and musicians are deeply involved in reggae. This makes the listeners also be a part of the music and lyrics. It touches a chord deep inside the human experience and makes the one who hears it become one with the music.

Bob Marley : The king of reggae

The credit for popularizing this music goes to a great musician Bob Marley. He made reggae reach every nook and corner of the world.

Bob Marley and reggae are like twins. They exist together. He was the face of reggae to the world. People were attracted more to reggae through Marley than ever before. He rejuvenated reggae to a great extent. There were also other great reggae singers who have popularized the music.

The unique experience:

From reggae, there have been many new genres of music. These are only partly reggae. These are hip hop rap, reggaeton. The latest in these list of offshoots from reggae is the reggae fusion. As the name indicates, it is a fusion of reggae, jazz,hip hop music and others.

Whatever the changes in reggae, it will remain one of the unique experiences of people who are part of the reggae tradition. It is a human experience that cannot be told, or explained. It is something that has to be felt. And those who feel the reggae in their souls will never be able to part with it.

Such is the effect of reggae on the human mind. It binds the music and lyrics that become inseparable from a person.