RE: who likes reggae>what's the history -
08-05-2004, 11:25 AM
Reggae started as Mento in the 50's and progressed into SKA in the 60's. This was the era of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Skalites to mention but a few. In the 70's new styles emerged such as rock steady and roots rock reggae. The dub era began toward the end of the 70's. Dub produced musicians such as Augusto Pablo, King Tubby, Hugh Mundell (also called Jah Levi), John Linton Kwesi, Mutabaruka and Oku Onuora. The Dub era is still a progressive epoch in Reggae History because this was a form of resistance poetry still seen in the likes of British Jamaicans dub-poet Benjamin Zephaniah today. Dub was incorporated with other forms of reggae such as Ska and dancehall to make up jam sessions called Sound-system. System basicallwy was an open lawn teeming with people from different towns and Parishes all over Jamaica. Reggae Deejays of this time include King Tubby and U-roy who were 'mashing up di area'.
In the 90's Yellowman started rapping, and dancehall and raggamuffin were officially launched. The resistance, the piety and the social movements gave into, scantily dressed women, raunchy dances and raw sexuality. The dancehall and raggamuffin movement has produced artists such as Sugar Minott, Cutty Ranks, Patra, Worl a Gal, Shabba Ranks, Tony Rebel, Mystic Revealers, Mad Cobra, Mr. Vegas, Supercat to mention but a few greats.
Reggae gets its inspiration from the nayabighi sessions of the relics of Afro-caribbeans religions such as Kumina, Burru and Pocomania. A strong form of Africanism lived on in Jamaica, through out slavery and colonialism. Famous slave leaders are Nanny and Captain Cudjoe who was a fearless Maroon Chief.
The fire of Reggae stems from the prophecy of Marcus Garvey in 1927 who said Diasporic Africans should look up to Continental Africa for a king. In 1930, Prince Tafari who would be last Solomonic King, was crowned and he changed his name to 'Haile Selassie' or the Might of the trinity. Haile Selassie's visit to Jamaica on April 21, 1966 marked a turning point for the spiritual vigor of Rastafarianism. Jamaicans saw Haile Selassie for themselves and new that the words of Marcus Garvey were true. Reggae like the storytelling in Africa has also been used to address the problems of poor Jamaicans living in the shanties. Reggae has been used as a political tool to oppose apartheid, instutionalized racism, classism and bad governance. Bob Marley's 'Zimbabwe' was chanted by the 'Chimurenga' of Zimbabwe during their struggle for independence. When Zimbabwe acquired independence in April 18, 1980, Bob Marley was the only Black entertainer invited for the independence celebrations.
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