The Top Reggae Performers of All Time
1 – Bob Marley
The most recognizable name in reggae, Bob Marley spent his short adult life touring the world playing reggae music and spreading the message of Rastafari, peace, unity and calling for an end to racial opression.
2 – Peter Tosh
Much more militant in his beliefs and songs than Marley, Tosh was also a talented and versatile reggae performer. He played guitar and sang with Bob Marley’s band before beginning a solo career, and he contributed musically on the albums of a number of other reggae artists.
3 – Bunny Wailer
Bunny Wailer, also (more…)
The Top Reggae Songs of All Time
Reggae music traces its origins to the ska and rock steady styles coming out of Jamaica in the late 1960′s. Fans of the genre love the off tempo rhythm of the guitar or piano known as the skank. While most reggae comes from Jamaica, there is a growing movement in Africa, Asia and elsewhere in the Americas.
Although reggae hits have been rocking steady since the sixties, the more commercial and well known tunes started to appear in the 1970′s. An early entrant in the field (more…)
How UB40 Brought Reggae to the Mainstraem
Reggae music has long dominated the Jamaican islands and found traction exported to neighboring nations with cultural and ethnic similarities. Long a music preaching non-violence, faithfulness to family, community and faith, and resisting the tides of violence that have long beset the beautiful Caribbean island nations, reggae music has inspired generations of islanders throughout the region. Though reggae music gained some popularity in large Western hemisphere markets early on, it was not until much later that big stars emerged and promoted reggae as an acceptable musical pop genre. First (more…)
Reggae Music Made Famous by Rock-n-Roll Song Covers
Jamaican popular music known as Reggae became known and well appreciated at the end of the 1960′s. When thinking of Reggae music, Bob Marley and The Wailer’s always comes to mind. Some of the greatest rock stars has done covers of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sherriff, such as Eric Clapton. Not to mention the many other covers performed by many other rock stars because of its rhythms and the way the music flows. During reggae’s golden age of the 60′s and even today, rock stars found themselves (more…)
Reggae Music Featured in Rock Songs
Today many artists, from every genre of music, are borrowing tunes and sounds from other genres, to give their music a new and unique twist, which fans have never heard before. Two of the popular pairings have been regaee and rock music. Many rock artist have been using the instrumentation, the slow jams, and the sounds which is so popular in regaee, and have been adding it into their heavy metal, or their rock songs. It has actually been fairly accepted by fans, and although took (more…)
Our Favorite Reggae Movies
If you’ve recently scored some directv deals you’ve just gained access to some of the best reggae movies around. If you’re wondering which ones are worth a watch check out our list of our favorite three:
Shottas: This one’s a bit of a silly flick but it’s about two Jamaican criminals who make their way to the US and hijinks ensuesounds decent enough, right? There’s a (more…)
The Life and Times of Bob Marley
Bob Marley was one of the most iconic reggae music leaders the world has ever seen, to this day his messages of peace are still being promoted and listened to by all generations.
Bob Marley, or Nesta Robert Marley was born on February 6, 1945 in a small village called Nine miles situated in St. Ann of Jamaica. When Marley was 14 he quit school and began pursuing his interest in music which was very heavily influenced by the political problems affecting Jamaica at the time. He became a part of the band Bob Marley & the Wailers and toured the world. (more…)
Instruments Used to Perform Reggae Music
Reggae music originates in Jamaica and has been a major part of the music industry since the late 1960′s after Ska and Rocksteady were. The style of Reggae is slightly slower then its forerunners with emphasis on the 2nd and 4th beats and intricate base lines that distinguish it from other sounds.
Percussion instruments play a very prominent role in Reggae music. The typical drum set is used however rhythms are typically in 4/4 or swing time. The toms and high- hat are incorporated (more…)
The Lifestyle of Reggae Musical Performers
Reggae music started in Jamaica. It served as an outlet for the working classees and the young to rebel against harsh working conditions. This musical genre inspired another type of music called Ska, which switched the upbeats. Ska would letter mix with punk to create a new style called ska punk. Ska punk would take influences from reggae, ska, punk and the American genre of swing music. The lifestyle of a reggae musician varies widely between the musician’s lvel of success.
Like most musicians, few reggae artists are rich and famous. Indivuals like Bob Marley are (more…)
The Influence of Reggae on Modern Music
Reggae music has existed long before the advent of modern rock music, but it was definitely not at the forefront of any particular musical trends. For many years it existed as a local phenomenon that was not well known to the world outside of Jamaica and the surrounding regions. However, all of this changed in the ’70s when English musicians discovered, and coveted, the reggae sounds and political meanings.
Eric Clapton may be the first modern musician to exploit this technique (more…)