Why is reggae music popular will be a good query to discuss about. Music makes our world exciting. It gives us the benefit to express ourselves, to relax, to know a bit of something, and to soothe our way to tranquility, among others.
In this regard, one genre that is worth taking a look into is the reggae music. An upbeat (sometimes slower but still pushing in a beat) yet soothing type of melody, which can make you sway and dance all night long.
In the late 1960s, Jamaica gave birth to a new style of pop music reggae. The word “reggae” was derived from a Jamaican phrase “rege-rege” which means rags or ragged clothing, denoting its ragged style of music.
Reggae “employs a heavy four-beat rhythm driven by drums, bass guitar, electric guitar, and the “scraper,” a corrugated stick that is rubbed by a plain stick. The drum and bass became the foundation of a new instrumental music, dub.”((Dictionary of Jamaican English, as cited in Britannica))
The sound of the rhythm guitar that comes at the end of measures acts as an “accompaniment to emotional songs often expressing rejection of established ‘white-man’ culture.”1
In 1970s, it became popular internationally, particularly in the United States, Africa, and Britain. In 1973, the genre was momentously introduced as the movie “The Harder They Come” had its soundtrack consisted of only reggae music.
Reggae music has been popularized internationally by Bob Marley. He is known and loved globally as he is the international ambassador of reggae music. But why did reggae music become popular?
Why is reggae music popular?
Reggae, according to Carolyn Cooper, was the “voice of the oppressed in society mainly because of the political rants it contains and the themes it explores.”((x x x Social Impact of Reggae Music x x x)) This is so because reggae has been used to address social, political and economic issues and utilized as a political way of protesting the tyrannical rule of colonialists. Jamaica has been colonized by the British Crown from 1707 until it gained its independence in 1962.
With this style of political activism in form of music, reggae emerged not only in Jamaica but also in the international sphere most specially during 1960s and 1970s when political issues across the globe were prominent. Reggae is popular not only a form of music, but a form of expression as well.
What is special about reggae?
With the combination of soul music, jazz, rhythm and blues, and Jamaican mento, accompanied with rhythmic patterns of percussion, rhythm guitar, and bass lines and its 4/4 beat, reggae music captured slot in international musical genres and its rhythmic patterns made it unique and special.
One more unique characteristic in reggae music that is making it special is in its vocals. Most reggae singers use tremolo instead of vibrato. Tremolo, according to Meriam-Webster is the “rapid reiteration of a musical tone or of alternating tones to produce a tremulous effect.”((Tremolo))
Tremulous is characterized by trembles or excessive shaking. Vibrato, on the other hand is defined by Meriam-Webster as “a slightly tremulous effect imparted to vocal or instrumental tone for added warmth and expressiveness by slight and rapid variations in pitch.”((Vibrato)) In other words, tremolo is a faster variant of vibrato.
However, as the author has stated earlier, most reggae music imparts message and voicing out the political sentiments as expressed in its lyrics. Reggae, being a platform of addressing political issues, most particularly regarding tyranny and oppression. This characterized reggae as a unique musical genre in international musical sphere.
Why people like reggae music?
Reggae is one of musical genres people listen to everyday. Because of its rhythmic pattern, listeners become euphoric. As the author mentioned earlier, listeners can relate to its lyrics’ underlying message owing to the fact that reggae is a form of expression, a source of protest against oppression. It continuously evolves, and it is still implying messages concerning the current situation of every single people.
Being recognized as one of the most popular musical genres internationally, reggae has spread to several countries incorporating their local music with fusion of reggae genre.
Thus, in 2018, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), included the reggae music of Jamaica to the UNESCO Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.((Reggae Music of Jamaica))
One of its purposes, among others, is “to raise awareness at the local, national and international levels of the importance of the intangible cultural heritage, and of ensuring mutual appreciation thereof.”((x x x Intangible Cultural Heritage))
In justifying the inclusion of reggae music of Jamaica to the said list, the UNESCO Committee Report stated that: “Its contribution to international discourse on issues of injustice, resistance, love and humanity underscores the dynamics of the element as being at once cerebral, socio- political, sensual and spiritual.
The basic social functions of the music – as a vehicle for social commentary, a cathartic practice, and a means of praising God – have not changed, and the music continues to act as a voice for all.”
Is Reggae a “chill” music?
There are reggae singers who sang with so much heartfelt passion to incorporate the message of the song. Some reggae music has slower tempo with a one drop beat to give the singer an opportunity to express the contents of its lyrics, and that include their expression to current social affairs.
Reggae music has incorporated off-beat rhythms which are “usually staccato beats played by a guitar or piano (sometimes both) on the off-beats (also known as upbeats) of a measure. This gives most reggae music a ‘jumpy’ feel. The ‘one drop rhythm’ is another pattern often noticed in reggae.”((5 core elements of Reggae))
Is reggae music relaxing?
The author considers reggae music a relaxant one, that is like a drug. As in physical appearance, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The beauty and essence of a music is in the ear of the listener.
Reggae music has either upbeat rhythm or a calm and slow beat. But what important is, its effect to the relaxing state of the listener. The term “relax” is related with a lesser tense or anxiety.
Thus, when one listened to reggae music, regardless of its beat, if he finds the music lessening his anxiety or tension, then he becomes relaxed and comfortable. Reggae is a fusion of Jazz, R&B and Soul. These musical genres are terribly relaxing and calming because of its slow and calm tempo.
What style of music is reggae?
Reggae is one genre of pop music. It is heavily influenced by the combinations of Soul Music, Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, and Jamaican Memento and it was originated from traditional music styles of Jamaica such as Ska and Rastafarianism. Reggae music usually tells political commentaries and expressions.
There are pre-reggae styles such as mento, which is a Jamaican folk music originated on traditions brought by West African slaves. There is also the pre-reggae style “ska,” which is a combination of Jazz and R&B. And in 1966, the ska evolved to “rocksteady” which has slower rhythms and beats.
Final thoughts
“Emancipate yourselves mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind.” This is part of lyrics of the “Redemption Song” a reggae music popularized by Bob Marley. Its message is so powerful as the spirit of the song speaks of freedom.
Another Bob Marley song which captured the author is “No woman, no cry.” It has been misunderstood to mean that as if there is no woman, there is no reason for us to cry. In Jamaica, the lyric was rendered as “No, woman, nuh cry.” Nuh means “don’t,” thus, “No, woman, don’t cry.”
The real spirit of the song is to uplift the strength of women, most specially in Jamaica. The lyrics of this song reflect Marley’s political and personal thoughts. It is about his stories in his hometown in Trench Town which mentioned that he hated the hypocrites and government.
But the lyrics also mentioned “everything’s gonna be alright” depicting that after all these oppression and hypocrisy, everything will turn up and become alright.
Reggae, like other musical genres, has its deep messages in its lyrics. However, in the early reggae music, the underlying messages were the singer’s sentiments to the political issue in Jamaica.
Take note that reggae music emerged in Jamaica, simultaneous with its independence from being a colony of the British Empire. Hence, reggae music became powerful because its music is the reflection of the sentiments of the Jamaican people over the oppression and tyrannical attitude of their colonizers.
Now, reggae became internationally popular because of its unique rhythm and style of singing. Even the western powers adopted and embraced this genre as equal as the other musical genres dominant in their countries.