Reggae is a combination of traditional African rhythms, American rhythm and blues, and indigenous Jamaican folk music. It is a music that is unique to Jamaica but it has its roots in New Orleans R&B. The direct predecessor to reggae is ska, a variation of the New Orleans R&B, which was broadcasted from the U.S. that the Jamaicans were able to pick up on their transistor radios in the 1960’s. Ska relied on syncopated rhythms and skittering guitar played at a very rapid pace. Legend has it that during the summer of 1966 it was too hot to either play ska or dance to ska, the beat was slowed down and reggae wa

Bob Marley was an aspiring musician from a small town in Jamaica called Garden Hall. He had recorded a few local Jamaican reggae hits in the late 1960’s, but his career really took off when he met up with Peter Macintosh and Bunny Wailer, and they began to record music together. With hits like Buffalo Soldier, No Woman No Cry, and Exodus Bob Marley and the Wailers made reggae a household word in Europe and the United States. Other popular and influential Jamaican artists include Burning Spear, Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, and Yabby You. With the acceptance of reggae came the acceptance of Rastafarianism and many young people used it as an excuse to rebel against their parents and smoke pot.

Rastafarians are not allowed to use soap, instead using a fruit called ackee to wash themselves. They are also forbidden to "make baldhead upon their hair, neither shall they shave their beards". The combination of the lack of soap and the tradition of letting ones hair grow produces dreadlocks, the traditional hairstyle of the Rastafarians. The dreadlocks are also supposed to pay tribute to the Lion of Judah who is another religious icon in the tradition and is a symbol of Haille Sellassie. The dreads are also meant as a contrast to the blonde, straight hair of the white man, and a symbol of the Rastafarian roots (they look like roots). The colors of Rastafarianism are red, black and green and are often seen on the hats Rasta's wear to cover their dreadlocks. These colors are taken from the Garvey movement. The red symbolizes the church triumphant, black is for black people, and green stands for the beautiful forests of the Holy Land of Ethiopia.

Although reggae and Rastafarianism saw a surge of growth in the 1970’s, the movement on the whole was, and still is ignored by radio stations. Because of this there have been many pirate radio stations, which specialize in reggae, and many of these are in Britain and the U.S. The composit

Some topics in this essay:
Orleans R&B, Haile Selassie--a, Shaggy UB40, Bob Marley, Haille Sellassie, Marcus Garvey, Tosh Yabby, Spanish British, Land Ethiopia, Rastafarian Rastafari, bob marley, reggae music, black people, bob marley wailers, musical style, orleans r&b, acceptance rastafarianism, rasta eats, marley wailers, music music, haile selassie,