Photo By: El Confidencial
As the bongo drums and synth horns merge together to form the melody of One Love by Bob Marley, one’s mind immediately goes to the white sand beaches of Jamaica, the waves crashing onto the shore, and the beautiful natural landscapes that define this beautiful Caribbean island. Nevertheless, Reggae is a genre of music that was born out of struggles against European imperialism, the fight for independence, and the growth of Jamaican national identity. This lively beat is recognized by UNESCO as a cultural institution, that not only provides a window into the Jamaican soul, but also into its history. The roots of Reggae follow Jamaica into the time of Spanish colonization and the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. As enslaved Africans were transported to the Americas, more specifically the Spanish colonized Caribbean islands, they brought part of their culture with them despite the constant oppression that they were forced to endure, and part of it ended up assimilating with native traditions. Even the instruments used to generate this type of music are a testament to this union of cultures. The European guitars and the Jamaican bongos united and generated a lasting legacy. The music created as a result of this syncretism is normally called Mento which reached its peak in the 1940s and 50s. However, the constant shift of popular culture led to the decadence of Mento and the growth of Ska. Ska then mixed with rock and R&B led to the eventual creation of Reggae as an independent genre.
It was in the beginnings of the 20th century that Reggae started merging with Rastafari—a spiritual movement which encourages Africans in the Americas to move back to what they consider their homeland. The Rastafari was not only a resistance movement, but it was a method to highlight the historic oppression that black people in the Americas had to endure. Although at this point Reggae was still just music, its integration with Rastafari set it up for its upcoming political significance. The moment that credited the assent of Reggae into the world stage was the imminent decolonization movement in Jamaica in the 1960s. It was at this moment of political and social unrest that Reggae transcended its entertainment and cultural purposes and metamorphosed into a source of advocacy and expression. It was through Reggae lyrics that popular artists like Bob Marley and the Wailers became much more than celebrities, they became the embodiment of Jamaican needs and yearnings. These Reggae pioneers also considered themselves to be Rastafarian, thus strengthening the political message behind this unique sound. With the Rastafarian movement to bring to light the oppression suffered by African Americans, and Reggae as a popular medium, Reggae transmitted the teachings that Rastafari preached.
The United Nation defines Reggae as a “sociopolitical avenue used to transmit ideas, affirm values and express expectations.” Reggae aims to represent the slums of Jamaica, the poverty, the discrimination, and the struggle suffered by those who were targets of European colonialism and imperialism. It aims to represent Afro-Caribbeans, and pride over roots and ancestry. Although Reggae began as a protest and as a form of self-expression, it eventually began migrating and assimilating into cultures far beyond Jamaica. Britain, for example, adopted the genre and this syncretism led to the rise of white Reggae artists such as Ian Dury, Lee Kosmin, and Brinsley Schwartz. Reggae especially gained traction in Britain in the 1970s, and bands like the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin began including background Reggae tunes into their songs. Songs like ‘Oh-Bla-di, Oh-Bla-Da’ by The Beatles, were also inspired by reggae tunes Interestingly, although Reggae did inspire certain hits in the United States such as Stevie Wonder’s “Your Kiss Is Sweet,” the movement was relatively contained when compared to the impact the music had in other regions of the world. People in the United States seem to connect more with Blues, Soul, and R&B as their form of expression.
It is impossible to understand Reggae without understanding the man that propelled the genre onto the world stage: Bob Marley. Marley was an avid Rastafarian who engaged in the ritual use of marijuana and believed that western materialism was the main source of suffering. He used his beliefs regarding suffering and oppression in order to spread messages through his songs—often political— to advocate for equality amongst all and basic love between all humans. Marley was a mixed race man, whose father was a mysterious white man and his mother a native Jamaican. He was often bullied because of his lighter complexion and had to consistently endure the hardships of poverty. His mother’s native town was rural and isolated, lacking electricity and running water. Because of the limited access to basic resources, he and his mother moved to Kingstown, the Jamaican capital. This was the place in which he eventually fell in love with music, and saw its potential as a source for advocacy and self-expression. He was initially a part of a group called the Wailers who focused on ska rhythms. The growing popularity of the group put Marley on a pedestal, and he became a symbol that outweighed music. He was Jamaica's embodiment of peace and unity. People began following him not just because of his music, but because of the messages he spread and his advocacy that for world peace. In this way, Reggae music surpassed simple tunes and rhythms. It became a lifestyle and even an ideal for many. Reggae represents struggle, determination, advocacy, and above all, love for the surrounding world. The ideas behind Reggae were never left clearer than in Marley’s “One Love,” “One love, one heart/Let's get together and feel all right.”
Written By: Carolina Mejia Rodriguez
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