Reggae

At the origin of the reggae

It there initially the Mento, our traditional local music. The ska, the rocksteady and the reggae took with the mento the play with hitch of the rhythmic guitar, and also certain transformed songs. If one tries to establish relations between the musics, and to see which continuities exist one period with another, one can isolate the play with hitch from the guitar, which one can hear in the mento with the banjo, the ska, and who also corresponds to the hitch in the rythm & blues and in particular in the piano Boogie-woogie. It is the " beat" between times, it is the Chock-Cutin'-Cutin' - Cutin', it is the one AND two AND three AND… You find it in all our musics, the reggae, Calypso, the mento, the music of Martinique, of the Guadeloupe, you find it in the hi-life, mérengue. Moreover this attraction towards the " after-beat" finds itself in the churches, with the rates/rhythms of the tambourines, the slappings of the hands… A great part of the mento comes from the popular music. But we have also very strong traditions folk, which penetrate in the music with various stages of its development. For example you have the music Burru, the African traditional drum on which people make songs on the local events. These songs are those which they sing while digging in the fields, of the diggin' songs … | Linton Kwesi Johnson

The reggae appeared at the end of the years 1960. It is the fruit many meetings and interbreedings: evolution of the Ska and the Rocksteady, it finds its roots in the traditional musics caribéennes like the Mento and the Calypso, but also is very influenced by the Rythm&blues, the Jazz and the Soul music (the American music is then sails very about it in Jamaica). To these influences that of African musics is added, of the Mouvement rasta and of the songs Nyabinghi, who use Burrus African (drums) brought by the slaves to Jamaica. This interbreeding will not stop there: today many styles are all over the world inspired, integrate or take again the style reggae. Reggae is today music universal, as that wished it which was its principal ambassador, Bob Marley.

If the term appears about 1973 in the Western press, its origin is obscure. It could come from the word of English jamaïcain, " streggae ", which nominates a person badly or too little equipped, and from there, prostitutes; this word would have been modified by a radio jamaïcaine of the time. Other explanations exist, like that which makes the contraction of the expressions of it “ regular Guy ”, “ regular people ”, all in all a music made for “the man in the street” (quotation Bob Marely, interview). For the singer Bob Marley, the term would have Spanish roots and would designate the “queen of the musics” (“ musica LED rey ”). According to other sources, it would be the Contraction and the deterioration of the English term “ raggamuffin ” (literally “tramp”) or perhaps of rege-rege “quarrel”. Another assumption, “reggae” would indicate a tribe of language bantou originating in the Lac Tanganyika. Behind all these possible etymologies, take shape the characteristics of a musical genre made of heritages, mixings, appropriations and of confrontation to hard and rough reality. Lastly, the last explanation, simplest and surely most tempting, the term “reggae” would rise from the specificity of its rate/rhythm - “ has ragged rythm ” a “rate/rhythm déguenillé” or “irregular” - as supports it the guitarist of studio Hux Brown.

Quite as problematic is the question of the paternity of the reggae as a musical genre itself; paternity which, contrary to the rocksteady, is very discussed: some allot the first disc of reggae to the Maytals with Do the Reggay in August 1968. However, if Toots is certainly the first to use the word " reggae" in a song, other pieces with the tempo a little faster than the Rocksteady already preceded the style during the year 1968. Thus Pop-have-Signal of Lynford Anderson announced already, at the beginning of 1968, a new style of rate/rhythm, much faster. Other compositions dispute the title of first reggae, whose Bang have Row Stranger Cole and Lester Sterling (for Bunny Lee), the Nanny Goat of Larry Marshall and Alvin (under the direction of Jackie Mittoo, for Studio One), the first ignored version of the Soul Rebel of Bob Marley, and the No more heartache of the Beltones.

This first phase of evolution of the reggae, which one describes as period of the " early reggae ", is characterized by a faster tempo, and the acceleration of the play with hitch already present with the Ska and the Rocksteady. Then the Tempo will slow down, the low one will still be done heavier, but the reggae will keep this low rhythmic base/prevalent battery and this swaying movement which is clean for him.

Lee “Scratch” Perry is also at the origin of one of the first successes reggae of 1968, Long Shot (interpreted by the Pioneers, with the young brothers Aston “Family Man” and Carlton Barrett with the low /battery), where it uses rhythmic particularly fast. Scratch works then for Joe Gibbs and will leave it not to be credited for its work on this piece. - It will take again this piece on its account while launching out in the production, with its own label " upsetter " (enervor). " People Funny Servant boy " will make a paperboard in England. - Scratch will use thereafter innovating practices which will transform the reggae, like the introduction of sound effects (the origin of the Sample). It will also found the legendary studio Black Ark where will be recorded, inter alia, Bob & The Wailers, The Congos, max Romeo, Junior Murvin.

Styles and characteristics

The reggae perhaps characterized by:

generally, the use of the low Guitar, the Electric guitar, the battery, and the scraper or its equivalent the Jawbone which comes at the end of the measurement, and which accompany by the heavy songs of emotion and which often, express the rejection for a " culture dominante".
its rate/rhythm happy , binary furnace, rather heavy, with the accent by the low and battery weak times, in particular the third time (known today under the name of one drop ),
what one often describes as Contretemps, because its agreements is found over the second and the fourth time - marked the rhythmic guitar or the keyboard (known under the name skank ).
clear Case over the 3rd time.
Of 1975 to 1980, the roots perdure in a new form: the rockers developed by Sly Dunbar. It is characterized by sharp and jerked blows of charleston. It occurs after the flying cymbal, style characterized by two blow of charleston on 2nd and the 4th time (rhythmic hitch) tssss-tssss.
From the years 1981-1982, a new style of battery which perduré until today reign as a Master: the early dancehall. It is about a binary beam gross case (the 1st time) clear case (the 3rd time). New the backing band of Chanel One, Roots Radics, is regarded as the absolute masters of instrumental Dancehall. It is at this same period that the Dub explodes, on instrumental the dancehall, and a new wave of mixor to the image of Scientist.

The Organ: The early reggae often have a structure of organ enpruntée to the old RNB, this one marking each eighth note of a note. This named technique " shuffle" places itself where was happy the guitar (or skank) of the ska and strongly accentuates rhythmic dynamics, giving the impression to accelerate the tempo. The mythical riddim of Happy Down Babylon de Lee Perry is a typical example. This technique was raréifiée thereafter, the organ then accompanying often the skank (on 2nd and the 4th time) and sometimes opening the riddim by a melody introduction. The most mythical ouveture of riddim is probably that of the " Take has Ride" aka " Truth and Right" of Al Campbell at One Studio.

The Guitar: it is always electric (very rare exceptions) and the effect used is absoulment crucial. Very rare cases where a distortion rock'n'roll is used (ex: the Heathen de Marley) showed failures on the level of the result. The sound must be round and soft, while keeping its groove. The skank is sometimes doubled by a fast movement of return ticket (" the pickin") or by the use of an analogical box with echo or delay (preferably a Roland Space Echo RE201…). Often, one deuième guitar is posed simultaneously with the rhythmic guitar and poses melody agreements, sometimes a discrete solo, on the riddim.

The low : in the beginning the double basses marked time on the rates/rhythms ska. Low the reggae is electric and has more melody freedom. They use the lowest frequencies and voluntarily bring an effect weighing down the riddim. The low guitar forms the core of the riddim with the battery, music basically rhythmic, of the words even of Lee Perry. The low lines most outstanding (by ex: milk & honey, rasta business, the Heathen, Children off the Ghetto…) simple but are played with an absolute precision in order to maintain rhythmic marked through the agreements. The agreements are quite distinct, with a rather great amplitude in the notes chosen, the very low frequencies being with difficulty distingables by the human ear.

The Coppers: dominating during the ska, almost absent from the rocksteady, they take again place with the reggae. They mark sometimes the skank (ex: They don' T Know Jah of Wailing Drunk persons) but rather replace the space occupied by the organ with the beginning of the year seventy: intro and refrain. The most famous rate/rhythm is undoubtedly that of the Satta Abyssinians.

Diffusion

The history of the reggae is indissociable of that of the Sound system S. Souvent related to phonographic industry local and comparable with a mobile sound system, the sound-system indicates at the same time the material used, the team which animates it and the evening itself.

Any music produced in Jamaica is diffused in sound-system and the Disc jockey S ( DJ ) animate the dances since the years 1950. For economic reasons these evenings, which diffuse preregistered music, replace the orchestras. The DJ practice there Toasting (Toaster = smooth talker) to introduce the pieces. One finds here the roots of the Rap. The sound-systems are thus of large festive gatherings, in the open air which attract a broad fringe of the population jamaïcaine, in particular that of the poor districts of Kingston, the capital.

One can quote in particular among most famous sound-systems those of Sir Coxsone Dodd (Studio One) and Duke Reid “The Trojan” which clashed a long time before assembling each one their own studio, respectively Studio One and Treasure Isle.

Evolution of the reggae

As of its birth, in Jamaica, the reggae evolves/moves:

1968 - 1970: the early reggae : Tempo fast, due to the influences of the local Mento still very rate/rhythm, prevalence of the low
1970 - 1976: the one-drop : tempo medium, slower rate/rhythm, batery over the 3rd time
1977 - 1980: the rockers sometimes declined stepper with the 4 times struck with the battery, adding tonicity.
1981: the early dancehall or rub-a-dub : slow tempo, prevalence of low and the battery
1985: the digital early : rhythmic rapid, entirely composed on box at rate/rhythm

It is as from 1973, with the success of Bob Marley & The Wailers then other groups like the Gladiators and Black Uhuru that the reggae takes an international dimension. Consequently, it will be able to not only continue to evolve/move in Jamaica, but also to take again its interbreeding throughout the world.

Sound System

One sees appearing the first Sound system in 1940: a sound system embarked in a truck, making it tower of the Jamaica. A sound system consists of a to select : programmer who chooses the musics to make move, and of the toaster (term which will disappear in the electro mediums/techno to become DJ) which comments on and animates the session of selecting with the microphone. The first sound systems are very rudimentary: a turntable (disc turns), an amplifier and two enclosures. Tom Wong, alias Tom the Great Sebastian, jamaicain of Chinese origin will be first has to make move the streets of Kingston to the beginning of the year 1950. Another sound system very known is that of Clement Seymor Dodd, alias " Sir Coxsone Downbeat", that it goes up in full ghetto of Kingston. It engages " Count Matchuki" (precursor of the rap and the beatboxing ) like toaster . The medium of the sound system is very hard, and fierce competition often sends henchmen sacager the sound " adverse": one tears off the labels of the discs, destroyed the material, etc (it is for that for example that Coxsone will engage Prince Buster, boxer amateur, which will save besides Lee Scratch Perry). Towards the end of the year 1950, the current moves back in the USA and the to select have much evil has to be supplied in discs. They turn then to the local industry of the disc. It is at this time that Coxsone created its own label: the One Studio.

Encouraging crowd or commenting on the daily newspaper in the sounds, the toasters use one phrased original sometimes near to the chant, between speaking and melody song. Among the first with launching the kind: Count Matchuki, Sir Lord Comic, King Stitt, followed famous U Roy. This practice, the " talk over" is at the origin of the Rap.

The sound systems are more than present nowadays, and all the styles there are listened to: Dub, Dancehall, Roots, Naked roots, the U.K. style, Rub-a-Dub, etc Some sound systems known internationally: Aba Shanti I, King Earthquake, King Shiloh, Jah Tubbys, Jah Shaka… Some sound systems known at the national level: Heartical sound system, Irie Ites sound system, Zion Spoils Hi Fi, Soul Stereo, Lion Roots, Black Board Jungle,….

Of instrumental Reggae to the dub

The music Dub is derived from the reggae. With the beginning of the year 1970, the sound engineers King Tubby and Errol Thompson look further into the searchs for invention of Augustus Pablo in the field of the instrumental reggae. This consists in carrying out a work of the pieces present on the face has vinyls, and that one places opposite B. the face has being the original piece and the face B the version dub. The style is characterized then by its rhythmic, heavy and stripped stressing, low very present and a skeletal melody. One adds to it effects like echoes, reverberation which make it possible the toasters (disc jockey of the reggae) to develop their improvisations in the sound-systems .

This mobility jamaicaine is included in the years 1980 by of Sounds Systems English (Aba Shanti I for example) which add a good amount of electronic instruments there and by the prevalence of Steppah (low and large case over each time). This current develops then in Europe (France, Germany, Austria) then is detached from the movement reggae to become a style with whole share.

to also see the article Dub

Dub Poetry

The Dub poetry is the adaptation of the " kind; Spoken Word " with the music reggae/dub. The " poet dub" chant its texts while copying its phrased on the rhythmic one that the musicians interpret who accompany it (It does not sing but poses its poetry on rhythmic reggae/dub). Initialized by Prince Far I, Michael Smith, Sister Breeze, Oku Onuara… it is with Linton Kwesi Johnson that the movement finds its true representative.

This " poetry dub" takes again the topics and claims of the rastas but is interested more closely in the act artistic, the political commitment and social against racism, the imperialism, the economic problems…
It knew to be established in the cultural and intellectual mediums and contributes to raise the level of the reggae and the culture jamaïcaine. Artists like Benjamin Zephaniah or The Last Poets take part in the evolution of the style by directing it towards the Hip Hop and the Electro.

To coil' S Rock'n'roll

Name, born in London in the middle of the years 1970, defines a soft reggae, at the rate/rhythm less marked, which speaks about love and of sentimental situations and is opposed in that to the reggae roots. It became synonymous with the reggae " romantique" whose most representative figures jamaïcaines are Gregory Isaacs, John Holt, Dennis Brown and Freddie McGregor. This style perduré in Jamaica in the Années 1980 with Sugar Minott, Cocoa Tea or Frankie Paul, then in the years 1990 with Beres Hammond Glen Washington and, during the first , Wayne Wonder, Richie Stephens, George Nooks, , Jack Radics, Sanchez, years its career Luciano. There also remained rather popular in England, where even " groups; reggae roots" as Aswad or Matumbi was devoted there. The artists lover' S rock'n'roll current British are Don Campbell, Peter Huningal, Nereus Joseph or Peter Spence. It caused many careers of female artists in particular such Carol Thompson, Louisa Marks and Janet Kay.

Skinhead reggae

The early reggae dissociates rocksteady by a faster tempo, a skank with the often doubled organ and a funk influence in the basic play whereas the battery marked the third time of a four times measurement, the made-to-order of the rocksteady (in the ska, it acted of the second and the fourth time). This style was also influenced by the traditional mento, influence which one can find in the duplicated skank and in certain base lines that one can bring closer to the play of a rumba box. This reggae, very highly-strung person and carried out by the play of the organist, was much success in England near the English skinheads, so much so that it took sometimes the name of skinhead reggae.

The skinhead reggae itself is born in the years 1969-70 in England, following the mixture of the Mods and the rudies jamaïcains fans of reggae, giving rise to skinheads to which they transmitted the taste of this music: groups were then put to play this specific style to answer their waitings. Principal artists resulting from the emigration the Caribbean (Jamaica, Barbades, Guyana British…) who referred to the skinheads were Laurel Aitken, Dandy, Derrick Morgan, Symarip/The Pyramids, The Rudies, Hot Rod Allstars (The Cimarons), The Pioneers… and the producers Joe Mansano, Lambert Briscoe, Webster, Shrowder and Desmond Bryan.

Kaneka

The kaneka is a musical form resulting from New Caledonia where the Kanak S mixed the rates/rhythms and sonorities with the traditional musics with the reggae influences.

Naked roots

(or " new roots" or " dancehall roots")

The year 1995 marks the beginning of " vagueness; new-roots" started the previous year by the death of the large singer Garnett Silk (December 9th, 1994) and conversion with rasta of the deejay of the moment Buju Banton and which perdure after a fashion until today. On the plan of the texts, the " new roots" also called " dancehall roots" indicate the return of the mode of the conscious texts and " culturels" (less present since second half of the years 1980 when the most proposed texts often treated in an ambiguous way of firearms or sex) in the reggae jamaïcain, under the revival of the rasta influence.

In the field of musical texture, the new-roots results in the return of the reggae to a digital sound even more and more " acoustique". Most of the time, the sound remains nevertheless semi-digital since the framework of the " riddims" (low-battery-skank) remains generally carried out using synthetizers/boxes at rates/rhythms while come to be grafted around the more traditional not-digital instruments (coppers, guitar, piano, Hammond organ).

The labels headlights of vagueness new roots of 1995 are X-terminator (Phillip " Fattis" Burrell), DIGITAL B (Bobby " Digital" Dixon), Penthouse (Donovan German), Startrail (Richard " Bello" Beautiful), then thereafter on a less level, X-rated (Barry O' Hare), Kariang (Jah Mike), Black Scorpio (Scorpio Jack), Kings Off Kings (Hake " Iley Dread" Levy) and Fateyes (Fatta Marshall & Bulby York).

But this very influential wave in Jamaica until 1998 then yielded the place to a return of the dancehall hardcore, the dancehall bogle (that one calls dancehall more and more very short) until 2004, time to which one starts again with speaking about new roots to indicate a new return to a more traditional reggae in the rhythmic one. This new cycle of the music jamaïcaine also takes the name of " one drop" , term which indicated in the beginning the rate/rhythm roots reggae more " traditionnel" (the others being the flying cymbal , the rockers and the rub-a-dub ) but which becomes increasingly synonymous with rhythmic a roots reggae, whatever it is.

Recently, the reggae one drop with old took again its rights in Jamaica. at the expense of a dancehall which reigned as a Master these ten last years. Influenced more and more by the American Hip-hop, this musical genre pained to be renewed. It was not necessary any more so that some kneaded young people of talent, that one calls “news keeps”, engulf themselves in the breach. An open breach in 2002 by Warrior King and its tube Virtuous Woman , its first real success. This song allured the public jamaïcain not only for its quality and its with dimensions innovator, but also for the autobiographical beautiful story which she told. Indeed, this song was intended for his/her ex-small friend who, by hearing it with the radio, decided to turn over with him, charmed by this proof of love. The yardies , fond of delicacies of fairy tales, literally hung. Followed well named album Breath Of Fresh Air , a success of regard as much as commercial.

Then, in 2003 - 2004, it is a a whole generation which emerged from the iceberg reggae, renamed once again new roots for the occasion. It was initially Richie Spice, the junior by the Banner family, with which one owes already the singers Pliers and Spanner Banner, which will scora three consecutive individual numbers one hit. In the order: Earth has Rune Red , Marijuana and Folly Living . It, since, became the icon of the revival of the reggae and its album Spice In Your Life figure already with the Pantheon of the modern music jamaïcaine. At its sides, the label Fifth Element, production line team/management also in load of other artists to the mode like Chuck Fender and Anthony Cruz.

Then there were Chezidek and its Leave The Trees , Natty King with its No Guns To Town and Mr. Greedy , Fantan Mojah with Hail The King and Hungry Days , Mr. Perfect with Handcart Boy . Moreover, this last has a history similar to that of Warrior King. Its song tells the beautiful story drawn from its own life, namely that of poor a rasta pusher of cart in love with a beautiful girl with good family, and which manages despite everything to allure it. Lastly, Gyptian was a very great success with its song Serious Times on a rate/rhythm Nyabinghi - FM.

But the leader of this new movement reggae, Jah Cleans, lived less a beautiful story: he accomplished a stay in prison, for a disputed business of rape, 1999 to 2007. He has just been released on word on July 28th, and continuous to protest his innocence and forever recognized the facts. Three days after its release, it leaves its fourth album entitled True Reflections… has New Beginning ( major thoughts… A new beginning), which it could record in its cell.

Since, that gave ideas to some and even the artists dancehall put themselves at the one drop , including the savage Elephant Man who suddenly puts himself to sing Rastafari.

With miles of the dancehall and its frequent glorification of the guns and big cars, the reggae one drop evolves/moves constantly in a positive and constructive climate. The songs very often have like topic the call to the Amour, the judgment of the Violence, the praise of the weed (grass) or the denunciation of almost traditional corruption.

Even if they rise from identical causes, there exist differences between naked vagueness roots of 2004 and that of 1995: - That of 1995 rested on rather old and very powerful labels, which trained true artistic families with their artists (X-terminator, Startrail) and imposed each one a his private individual (the famous sounds Penthouse or DIGITAL B). Contrary, that of 2004-2005 is based on a generation of new artists. The labels " dominants" (it, did not really put of it there aside Downsound) are more modest, much less powerful and less charismatic on the level of the productions (one does not recognize really these labels with their sound, separately can be those of Gift Corleon, whose riddims naked roots easily accessible all are based on about the same rhythmic one). - The family aspect proposed in 2004 disappeared (departures of Chuck Fender and Anthony Cruz of Fifth Element, of Junior Kelly de Downsound, Luciano from X-Terminator). - The sound is increasingly acoustic in 2004, whereas there remained rather digital in 1995. In addition, it is also lighter (low sometimes put in withdrawal during the mixing) and more " lover' s" (the riddim " Cry Baby" of Christopher Birch) that the heavy sound of 1995. - The naked-roots reggae is not exclusively jamaicain. That it is groundation for the United States, Gentleman and seeed for Germany or the RASCAL Riddim Reggae for France the nakedone (and the reggae in general) is now a music played and listened on all planet.

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