Knowra Reggae Reggae Reggae is a Jamaican popular music genre that emerged in the late 1960s. Its characteristic sound pairs offbeat guitar or keyboard rhythms with prominent bass and syncopation.
Ska : A Jamaican music genre that emerged in the late 1950s, combining Caribbean rhythms with jazz and rhythm and blues. Reggae developed from ska as its tempo slowed and bass became more prominent.
Skank (music) : A short, sharply articulated chord played on offbeats in ska, rocksteady, and reggae. The skank supplies reggae’s clipped, regularly placed guitar or keyboard chords.
Kingston : The capital and largest city of Jamaica, situated on the island’s southeastern coast. Kingston’s music scene and recording studios were central to reggae’s emergence.
Bob Marley : A Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose recordings brought reggae to a worldwide audience. Marley became reggae’s most widely recognized international performer.
Rastafari : A religious and social movement that emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s, centered on African identity and liberation. Rastafari imagery and ideas appear prominently in many reggae songs and performances.
Rocksteady : A Jamaican popular music style of the mid-1960s, marked by slower tempos and prominent bass lines. Rocksteady bridged ska and reggae, establishing reggae’s slower pulse and bass emphasis.
Dub music : A Jamaican music style built by remixing recordings, foregrounding bass and drums, and using studio effects. Dub versions expose and reshape the bass-and-drum foundation central to reggae.
Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd : A Jamaican record producer and sound-system operator who founded Studio One. Dodd’s studio recorded influential musicians during reggae’s formative years.
Peter Tosh : A Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist who co-founded the Wailers and later recorded as a solo artist. Tosh’s solo work carried reggae’s political themes beyond the group’s early years.
The Harder They Come : A 1972 Jamaican crime film starring Jimmy Cliff, with a soundtrack that introduced reggae to new audiences. Its soundtrack connected reggae songs with an international story of Jamaican life and music.
Show all 25