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Reggae History
From Time Before - Music has always been an important factor in the lives of Jamaicans and other West Indians. Jamaican music comes from an African foundation, influenced early on by the music of Europe, especially England & France, and later by American popular music.
The great-great grandparent of Reggae is mento, a loose-sounding folk music, sometimes confused with calypso, a Trinidad-born music. Mento's lyrical food is topical issues. It draws on the fife and drum music of Jonkanoo, Pocomania church music, the quadrille, and work songs learned on plantations, and passed through generations.
By the 1950s Jamaican youth were more interested in listening to American music, popularized by radio stations in the US south, and sound stystems - protable dance machines that were to change the face of Jamaican music. Soon dance halls would rock to the beat of Duke Reid's Trojan sound, Sir Coxsone's Downbeat, Prince Buster's Voice Of The People, V-Rocket, and many others. To protect the identity of their music many sound system operators defaced or removed the lables from their records.
In short order local musicians were called on to record music that emulated the sound of the imported American music. "Jamaican Blues" or "Blue Beat" was a shuffling Jamaican interpretation of R&B. As time wore on the prominence of the off-beat rhythm supplied by the horn section grew, as did that of the guitar or piano. By 1958 this style was fast transforming into a blazing fire - Ska! It is said that the sound of the off-beat horn riff inspired the term Ska.
Cuban music also had its influence. Brought to Jamaica by immigrants like Rolando Alphonso it would play a key role in the development of Jamaican music. Trinidad, Barbados and other West Indian islands also exported singers and musicians to Jamaica (like Lynn Taitt and Jackie Opel). They too brought their musical influences to the birth and development of Ska, Rock Steady and Reggae.
The Blazing Fire - Ska combines the catchy backbeat of New Orleans - style R&B, and mento. Many early Ska songs were covers of popular American songs. Typically Ska drums stress beats 2 & 4 over a "walking" quarter-note bass, with the guitar or piano striking the offbeats in a syncopated mento style. Ska's tempo was especially appealing to the restless Jamaican youth, and was always the music of the poor.
Some reggae historians identify the R & B song that fathered the Ska beat as "No More Doggin" (1952) by Roscoe Gordon, a Memphis piano player. The "one and two and three and four" beat had been around since the 1940s, and was used by Rhythm & Blues artists like Louis Jordan & Big Joe Turner. Theophilus Beckford is considered by many to have recorded the first Ska tune, "Easy Snapping", in 1959. The recording was produced by Lloyd "Matador" Daley, and arranged by Ernest Ranglin.
Cluet Johnson AKA "Clue J" was improtant to the development of the Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's desire in the lat 1950s to establish a distinctive Jamaican musical sound. Clue J's distinctive stage greeting - skavoovie, lead some to define this as the root of the term Ska.
The first Ska song to hit outside of Jamaica was Millie Small's "My boy Lollipop" (1964 Island). Sir Lord Comic's "The Great Wuga Wuga" (1967 WIRL(JA)), a musical advertisement for his sound system, was one of the last great Ska tunes.
The Skatalites, who truly defined the variouse Ska-era styles, were ubiquitous in the mid-60s, but only held together for about 14 months (1964-65). The original Skatalites were jazzman in the 1940s & 1950s, bringing the influence of big-band, bebop & the Blue Note sound to the new Jamaican dance sound. Reforming in the 1980s they continue to excite audiences worldwide even though some of the original members have recently passed on.
Since the 1960s Ska has been adapted and revived in many forms, and continues to be popular around the world.
Steady Rocking - When ska began its change into the more sophisticated-sounding Rock Steady during the mid-1960s singers came into their own. While the tempo remained about the same Rock Steady carried a relaxed rhythmic density.
In Rock Steady the guitar only strums on beats 2 & 4, and the bass guitar emphasizes beats 1 & 3.
Drums are less prominent in Rock Steady as their rhythmic role was being taken over by the bass guitar. Drums provided accents, or were inaudible. Less predominant horns and less-rigid beat offered more vocal possibilities. Rock Steady was perfect for romantic group vocals.
Rock Steady lived a far longer life then the three years usually attributed to it (1966-1968), and it still forms the foundation of new riddims.
Say What You're Saying - By 1969 the new, enduring sound of Regae (often spelled Reggay in the early years) had established itself. Reggae is closer to the chanting, meditative Nyabinghi sound, and lends itself to musical meditiation. The Rock Steady years brought the bass to prominence. The strength of the booming bass line continues in Reggae. Jamaicnas have always been fond of the bass sound, as seen in mento music. Reggae takes it to higher heights. It is the "riddim" that makes the song, and results in the versions.
Reggae Recipe - Like most popular music of the western world, Reggae is played in 4/4 time - 4 beats to a bar of 4. The strongly felt beats, or downbeats, are beats 2 & 4, opposite to most pop music. Some claim that this has made Reggae's acceptance difficult in North America!
Credits is given to Winston Grennan, "Master Drummer Of Jamaica", the true originator of the "one-drop" reggae rhythm. Teh One Drop style is defined by the drumming pattern. With the expectation of the bass drum hitting on beats 1 & 3, the "one" is "drop" ped. There's much more to it though. The snare may emphasize the 3rd beat. The bass may emphasize beat 1 with a strong note, but also often misses the first beat too. The high hat may emphasize the 1st beat. By this definition, Ska must be considered the original "one drop" rhythm.
Rockers is a style of Reggae beat that originated in the mid-1970s. Unlike the earlier "one drop" style which has the bass drum play on the 3rd beat of every measure, in a rockers beat the bass drum plays influenced the sound of diso music.
One drop bass drum pattern:
Rockers bass drum pattern:
The term Rockers cam eto be a gnereic term for 1970s reggae, partly due to the emphatic nature of the term.
By 1970 the early, jumpy Reggae was replaced by slower rhythms that better suited the lyrics that were surfacing - lyrics of oppression and sufferation.
Liveth and Reigneth - Rastafari has always been strongly linked to Reggae, makeing the music important socio-politically as well as culturally. Rastafari have sighted Jah since the late 1930s, but came to the world's notice in the 1970s through Bob Marley's righteous music. Rastas share the belief that Africa is their homeland, and that, through repatriation, they will escape the Western Babylon. Rasta is not a chruch. It is more a core of spiritual and cultural beliefs open to a variety of interpretations.
Inna De Dance - Dancehall, Ragga and Jungle music are the latest trends in the everchanging Jamaican sound experience. The introduction of digital musical equipment in the mid 1980s drove some of these developments.
Movement of Jah People - The emigration of Jamaicans and other West Indians to Europe and North America has both spread the vibe and blended other musical ideas to Reggae. London, England; New York, USA and Toronto, Canada have been popular destinations for Jamaican emigrees since World War II. In these, and many other places over the years, Reggae has developed from a "memory of Yard" to a musical form interpreted by singers and players from many roots.
A K I
Aki is no stranger to reggae music. The foundation put it like this. I am from the old school when U Roy and I Roy use the chant in dance halls. They are now known as DJs, like the younger artist Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, who are taking the besiness by storm. Growing up in Jamaica, as a positive youth in my early age 15-16 and up I was the owner of ARD KOORE Promotions of reggae music. Ard koore promotions is over 15 years in the reggae business and was registered in Jamaica under DBA: ARD KOORE Promotions with sound stystems with men like Anthony B, and Duckman, in line-up for dance hall jam sessions. One person I must mention which Maybe not many people know about is a brother who has worked very hard in reggae music. Jamaica's most popular Radio Disk Jockey Barry G was one of my greatest roll-models. While growing up in Jamaica, that brother inspired me a whole lot. I give Thanks for that brother, Barrington Gordon. He use to Work at radio stations in Jamaica JB.C and R.JR. He is loved by all Jamaicans. Reggae is a colorful, spiritual message that enhances the means life, positive vibes.
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