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Description of Reggae

 
At its heart a slower version of early Ska, Reggae has come to represent a wide range of music over the past thirty years. Reggae has many variations -- Rock Steady, Lovers Rock, Ragga, Dancehall and more -- but it is united by languid island rhythms and an accentuation of the offbeat. Early Reggae records were played throughout Jamaica on "sound systems" or DJ setups. Later, Reggae vocalists like Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh and of course, Bob Marley, as well as Reggae producers like Lee "Scratch" Perry brought the style to international prominence.
 

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Reggae Key Artists

 
Alpha Blondy

The Ivory Coast's premier
Rasta, Alpha Blondy uses
Jamaican riddims and
myriad languages to convey
his political messages.

Augustus Pablo

One of Jamaica's greatest
and most ground-breaking
producers, Augustus Pablo
put his stamp on countless
reggae releases. Pablo wa...

Barrington Levy

The original dancehall
vocalist, Levy broke open
the gates with "Collie Weed"
and went on to define the
genre. Levy released his f...

Beres Hammond

A versatile reggae musician
who's recorded Lovers
Rock and Roots Reggae,
Hammond's singing was
influenced by American S...

Big Youth

A founding father of the
raggamuffin style, Big Youth
is a dedicated Rastafari
who's been rocking since
the '70s. Big Youth is perh...

Black Uhuru

Sly and Robbie provided the
rhythmic foundation for a
second wave reggae band
who've found decades of
international success. Wh...

Bob Marley

Jamaica's best known artist,
Marley is Roots Reggae and
Rastafari's musical
ambassador around the
world. Released in 1984,...

Buju Banton

Dancehall DJ Banton found
early fame with sexually
explicit and sometimes
violent lyrics. He's
mellowed since then. Buj...

Burning Spear

A powerfully political and
socially conscious reggae
artist, Burning Spear has
been recording since 1969.
Burning Spear appropriat...

Culture

Joseph Hill, Albert Walker,
and Roy Dayes make up the
joyfully conscious
harmonies of the prolific
Roots Reggae band Cultur...

Dennis Brown

Brown was dubbed the
Crown Prince of Reggae
early on, releasing more
sides than almost anyone in
reggae. Brown was rever...

Desmond Dekker

Best known for his
international hit "Israelites,"
Dekker's Ska oozed style
and grace and influenced
generations to come. Dek...

Gregory Isaacs

Isaacs' music is responsible
for more rockin' and rollin'
than Elvis Presley. A true
bad boy with a dangerous
reputation and a surprisin...

Inner Circle

Inner Circle went from
treading water to impacting
reggae when Roots star and
child prodigy Jacob Miller
joined up. Lead singer Ja...

Jimmy Cliff

Soul-influenced reggae
crooner Jimmy Cliff had hits
with songs including "Many
Rivers To Cross" and "The
Harder They Come." Cliff'...

Ken Boothe

Possibly the sweetest voice
in Rock Steady, Boothe
translated American Soul
music into Jamaican terms.

King Tubby

Dub music had to come from
somewhere, and the
consensus is that it came
from the mind of Osbourne
Ruddock, aka King Tubby...

Lee "Scratch" Perry

The madman of Black Ark
studios put his singular
stamp on scores of albums,
and had a serious hand in
the creation of Dub. Perr...

Maxi Priest

One of a handful of
breakout reggae artists, this
chart-topping Brit helps
bring Jamaican pop to the
world.

Peter Tosh

An early Wailer who went
on to an extremely
successful solo Roots
career, Tosh was a master
wordsmith and herb advo...

Richie Spice

Richie Spice is a dancehall
hitmaker from Kingston,
Jamaica. Spice's first
Jamaican single, "Killing a
Sound," was produced by...

Sean Paul

Sean Paul gained attention
with his dancehall/rap
crossover track, "Top
Shotter" (with DMX) on the
"Belly" soundtrack. Sean...

Shabba Ranks

Jamaica's randy,
gravelly-voiced Dancehall
star has dominated the
genre and gained
international prestige. Ra...

Shaggy

Arguably the most popular
crossover reggae artist,
Shaggy's many hit singles
include "Boombastic" and "It
Wasn't Me." Shaggy calls h...

Sizzla

Talented but controversial,
Sizzla has appealed to
Jamaican youth with his
political lyrics and incensed
many others. Sizzla's "Bla...

Sly and Robbie

Sly Dunbar and Robbie
Shakespeare began
working together in 1975
and quickly became
Jamaica's most wanted rh...

Steel Pulse

British reggae band has
navigated territory
between political and
Pop-Reggae for several
decades. Steel Pulse wer...

Stephen Marley

Stephen Marley is a reggae
producer and singer best
known as the son of the
legendary Bob Marley.
Stephen used to sing bac...

The Skatalites

The Skatalites were one of
the first and best Ska bands
to come out of Jamaica in
the early '60s. Legendary
players like Don Drummun...

Toots and the Maytals

One of the most influential
reggae acts out of Jamaica,
Toots and the Maytals have
enjoyed decades of
success. Critic Lester Ban...

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