Roots reggae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Roots reggae | |
| Stylistic origins | Ska, rocksteady, early reggae |
|---|---|
| Cultural origins | Jamaica |
| Typical instruments | Drums, Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Percussion |
| Mainstream popularity | Highest in late 1970s |
| Derivative forms | Dub |
| Other topics | |
| List of artists - Rastafari - Haile Selassie | |
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that concerns itself with the life of the ghetto sufferer, [1] and the rural poor. Lyrical themes include poverty, social issues, resistance to government oppression, repatriation, and Rastafari.
The heyday of roots reggae is usually considered the latter half of the 1970s – with singers such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Max Romeo, Horace Andy and Lincoln Thompson, and groups like Black Uhuru, Steel Pulse, and Culture – teaming up with producers such as Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Bunny Lee, Joseph Hoo Kim and Coxsone Dodd. The experimental pioneering of such producers within often-restricted technological parameters gave birth to dub, and is seen by some music historians as one of the earliest (albeit analogue) contributions to modern dance music production techniques.
Roots reggae, having its origins in the Jamaican landscape, also became very popular in Europe in the 1970s, specially among left-wing white youths in Western Europe. [2] When Jamaicans turned to dancehall, a lot of black, white and mixed roots reggae bands were formed in Europe. Later on roots reggae also made its way into the United States with the mass migration of Jamaicans to New York. This took place with the reforms made to American immigration laws in the early 1960's. Along with localized traditions and food, reggae music was inevitably brought as well, contributing to the New York City soundscape. [3]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
| Music of Jamaica | |
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Kumina - Niyabinghi - Mento - Ska - Rocksteady - Reggae - Sound systems - Lovers rock - Dub - Dancehall - Dub poetry - Toasting - Raggamuffin - Roots reggae |
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| Anglophone Caribbean music | |
| Anguilla - Antigua and Barbuda - Bahamas - Barbados - Bermuda - Caymans - Grenada - Jamaica - Montserrat - St. Kitts and Nevis - St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Trinidad and Tobago - Turks and Caicos - Virgin Islands | |
| Other Caribbean music | |
| Aruba and the Dutch Antilles - Cuba - Dominica - Dominican Republic - Haiti - Hawaii - Martinique and Guadeloupe - Puerto Rico - St. Lucia - United States - United Kingdom |
- Roots-Archives - Searchable database of Jamaican Roots Reggae albums from 1970 to 1985
- A paper on the wider influence of Jah Shaka and Roots Reggae on UK music
- Roots Reggae Club: Independent Roots Reggae website with definitions, reggae artists biographies, news, articles, updates..."
- Adrian Sherwood on a "very English Roots Reggae"
- Don Letts on the contribution of Roots Reggae to Punk Rock and English Society
- Drum and Bass and Junglist have their Origins in Roots Reggae
- The Clash DJ Scratchy Explains his Roots in Punk and Roots Reggae in London
- Interview with 1990s UK roots reggae band: The Disciples
- Examining the use of psalms in Rasta lyrics
- Strictly Vibes : Roots Vinyl Database
- One Drop Radio Weekly Reggae, dancehall, lover's rock, foundation Podcast
- Roots Reggae Artist Information
[edit] References
- ^ Barrow, Steve and Dalton, Peter: "Reggae: The Rough Guide", Rough Guides, 1997
- ^ Lloyd Bradley and Dennis Morris (2002) Interview with Bunny Wailer in the documentary Reggae: the Story of Jamaican Music. BBC2 2002.
- ^ Marshall, Wayne: Follow Me Now: The Zigzagging Zunguzung Meme. http://wayneandwax.com/?p=137
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