Bob Marley Research Paper
Reggae in the Cultural Life of Jamaica
What do we know about reggae music? We bob our heads, sing along to it, move and dance to it in a dégagé manner. When we think of the word “reggae” or hear reggae music, what is the first thing that comes to mind? The beautiful tourist island of Jamaica? Coconut trees? Sandy beaches along the still, or splashing, vibrant sky-blue Caribbean sea? Bob Marley, the reggae legend? If any of these ideas popped into your mind, you are not far from discovering the cultural history of the musical styles of reggae. This paper summarizes the emergence of reggae music—from understanding reggae as it relates to history and culture, to learning about Bob Marley, a songwriter, performer and political activist, whose …show more content…
However, reggae can also refer to the particular genre of music that possesses a distinctive beat popular in Jamaica from 1969- 1983. According to Chang et al, the idea of “reggae music” is used to describe all Jamaican popular music that came about in 1960, while the term “reggae” in particular, categorizes the genre of music from 1969-1983. There were roughly four eras of Jamaican popular music, which started in 1960: Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae and Dancehall. Each era had their own distinctive beat.
The ska era was from about 1960 to mid- 1966. Popular with British Mods, ska is a combination of American jazz, rhythm n’ blues, Calypso and Caribbean mento (mento: a dance rhythm in duple time). “It is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the upbeat” and the actual type of dance related to this music is called ‘skanking’ (Romer 2014; Ska Scene Website). Rocksteady dated from late 1966 to late 1968. It is derived from ska music (also possessing jazz, rhythm n’ blues and mento) but produces a slower, mellower rhythm, allowing dances and dancers to have a more ‘relaxed’ feel to the rhythm of the music. Rocksteady bands often performed without a horn section and with a more powerful electric bass line (Romer
What do we know about reggae music? We bob our heads, sing along to it, move and dance to it in a dégagé manner. When we think of the word “reggae” or hear reggae music, what is the first thing that comes to mind? The beautiful tourist island of Jamaica? Coconut trees? Sandy beaches along the still, or splashing, vibrant sky-blue Caribbean sea? Bob Marley, the reggae legend? If any of these ideas popped into your mind, you are not far from discovering the cultural history of the musical styles of reggae. This paper summarizes the emergence of reggae music—from understanding reggae as it relates to history and culture, to learning about Bob Marley, a songwriter, performer and political activist, whose …show more content…
However, reggae can also refer to the particular genre of music that possesses a distinctive beat popular in Jamaica from 1969- 1983. According to Chang et al, the idea of “reggae music” is used to describe all Jamaican popular music that came about in 1960, while the term “reggae” in particular, categorizes the genre of music from 1969-1983. There were roughly four eras of Jamaican popular music, which started in 1960: Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae and Dancehall. Each era had their own distinctive beat.
The ska era was from about 1960 to mid- 1966. Popular with British Mods, ska is a combination of American jazz, rhythm n’ blues, Calypso and Caribbean mento (mento: a dance rhythm in duple time). “It is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the upbeat” and the actual type of dance related to this music is called ‘skanking’ (Romer 2014; Ska Scene Website). Rocksteady dated from late 1966 to late 1968. It is derived from ska music (also possessing jazz, rhythm n’ blues and mento) but produces a slower, mellower rhythm, allowing dances and dancers to have a more ‘relaxed’ feel to the rhythm of the music. Rocksteady bands often performed without a horn section and with a more powerful electric bass line (Romer