Reggae Music and It’s Ties to Africa

To begin, the Atlantic slave trade was an oceanic trade where African men, women, and children were taken from their home, and unwillingly shipped across the ocean to foreign places to be enslaved and work for free. The trade was initiated by the Portuguese and Spanish after the settlement of sugar plantations in the Americas. With that being said, if these people were forced out of their homes, the only possible thing that could have followed without prevention of those in power, would be their traits of musical culture. Settling allover the Americas, African musical traits would spread like an infectious disease and one specific country I feel utilizes many aspects of the music is Jamaica. Approximately six-hundred thousand in total slaves were brought to Jamaica, and ran by the british until late 1900’s which may explain the African heritage that dominates the island of Jamaica. They speak broken English, which may explain their strange dialect while making their popular genre of reggae. Reggae music shares very similar traits of African heritage, and this is shown through the heavy use of guitars, drums and percussion instruments to create the beats of both types of music. Reggae music also utilizes the call and response notion within the music, much like African music. During this call and response, the timbre of the vocals is very passionate and soft, as the vocals in African music is very passionate and with a purpose. Reggae and African music are mostly repetitive and cyclical in their structure, and all these shared traits are from the forced migration that happened hundreds of years ago and passed through ancestors. Without this, the sounds of Reggae music and the instruments inserted would be different or even nonexistent.

One specific musical trait that I believe closely ties Reggae music to African music is the choice of instruments and the purpose of these instruments within the context. All sorts of drums such as snare and bongos are used within the beats of reggae music, often using cross rhythmic patterns that originate from Africa. Other percussion instruments such as cow bells and sorts of shakers, some made instruments, are used throughout Jamaica while making beats. (Olsen) The bass guitar often plays the dominant role in reggae music. The sound is thick and heavy and the bass guitar and other types of guitars in reggae usually plays on the off beat part of the rhythm.(Gresehover) It is common for reggae to be sung in all kinds of dialects of English or other broken languages. Reggae is noted for its tradition of social criticism and religion in the song lyrics as well as being passionate and standing up for what they believe is right is a common occurrence within the vocals of reggae music. Organs or types of pianos, and also horns are used in Reggae, not saying that African music uses an organ in their music, but they do have a finger piano that contains similar functions within the music. African music relies of call and response to get messages or ideas to the listeners. Call and response are a form of music where a vocalist or instrumentalist will sing or play a motive, and another will answer with a phrase creating a exchange. African music was and is still often used to transmit messages and ideas, much like reggae considering the origins of reggae were built on fighting oppression and not conforming to the wants of the government. African music also uses percussion, gongs and other instruments that closely relate to the instruments used in Reggae.

Another musical trait that is very similar between the two types of music is the functions of the two types of music, and its purpose. The function, or functions, of reggae music has a close connection with the functions of African music. The reason I say this goes beyond dancing and things of other sorts. Though let’s begin with talking about dancing, there is a whole sub-genre of reggae called dancehall that is basically dedicated to the spiritual movements of the body or known as dancing. African music utilizes dancing to connect spiritually, and music played at weddings or other celebrations is played in order to have people dance. (Armstrong) Another important trait about the functions of this music dates back several centuries when the Atlantic slave trade took place and the music sung were used as a means of communication and to express the oppression that each of them dealt with. (Dunn) Meanwhile, in reggae music it’s early emergence was based on those who live in poverty openly expressing the everyday things that they feel is corrupt, or how they were oppressed within the country of Jamaica. (Dunn) Both were affected and communicated to a more mass audience about the conflict and problems within their lives. The last commonality between the two types of music is the function of the rhythm throughout the song. This is claimed to be true due to the use of the guitars on the offbeat, and the use of the same patterns of timing. Lastly when the function has served it purpose, both reggae and African music serve as a way to entertain people, and this is done simply by performance in front of any number audience. Musically, reggae music is spiritually expressed by the continuations of West African drumming and singing traditions. Jamaica’s specific musical traits such as the syncopated snare drum, the pulse, the guitar and bass, and the polyrhythmic use within types of reggae such as dancehall reggae. (Olsen) All these distinct rhythmic hallmarks of Jamaicans popular forms of reggae are related to nyabingi drumming. This type of drumming is of Rastafri origin, and it also is used by the Ashanti tribe which is West-African. (Savishinsky)The functions of the two different types of music are similar, and with Jamaican music being the heart of the country, all reggae music can be danced to, and specifically dancehall reggae the purpose is to dance along and spiritually connects with Jah and other people.

Lastly, the different uses of reggae music vary and share many similarities that African music includes. These things include cries and hollers, a consistent pulse and repetition of phrases, and finally off-beat melodic phrasing. In my project two song, when Bob Marley says the line “EEEEE little darling, don’t shed no tears” which is a type of cry/holler. This may not be consistent with all types and songs of reggae, but within this song it is present. And within this song, and according to the research done, the pulse is the same throughout the songs. Reggae songs are very cyclical, meaning that the repeat the same melodic phrases and combine to create the melody. Off- beat melodic phrasing consists of the lead instrument in mostly all of reggae music, the bass guitar. (Dunn)

In conclusion, Reggae music shares similar traits of African music, and this is shown through the heavy use of guitars, drums and percussion instruments to create the beats of both types of music. The reason that this is present in Jamaica and able to be used is solely a product of the forced migration done centuries ago, and will forever be used within many different countries other then Africa. The ancestral history of Jamaicans, bringing traits of musical culture from Africa support this information and aid in Reggae being the number one genre of music within this Caribbean country. Not only did I use theories of music and culture within this project, It would be ignorant to not mention lyrics of the music. Many of Bob Marley’s songs, who was my project two songs artist, talks about the forced migration and/or his intent to return to his origin which is Africa. He pays homage to where he is truly from, and will never forget which is why I believe he incorporates these traits of musical culture within to his own music.

Citations:

Armstrong, R :African Musical Retentions Handout in class

Dunn, H. S., & Johnson-Brown, S. (2011). Reggae and Resistance (Jamaica).

Gresehover, E. (2010). Reggae. In S. R. Steinberg, M. Kehler, & L. Cornish (Eds.), Boy Culture: An Encyclopedia (Vol. 2, pp. 372–375)

Olsen, D. A., & Sheehy, D. E. (1998). Jamaica. In Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Volume 2 — South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (pp. 916–933). Routledge

Savishinsky, N. (1994). Rastafari in the Promised Land: The Spread of a Jamaican Socioreligious Movement among the Youth of West Africa. African Studies Review, 37(3), 19–50.