An island that is the size of Connecticut has had a lasting impact on music history, producing great artists like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff etc. This island is Jamaica.

During the summer, I listen to reggae, one of the most popular, yet still underrated, musical genres in the world.

After World War Two, American soldiers were stationed in the country, leading to many Jamaicans hearing R&B for the first time. In the late 1950s, Jamaicans started to produce their versions of R&B, which led to Ska, which then led to Reggae. 

Reggae had a seismic cultural impact in the music industry, making inroads into punk, hip pop, and rock. One of the most popular musical genres at present is reggaeton, a combination of traditional reggae and electronic music.

The genre is defined by its offbeat rhythms, with staccato chords played by a guitar or piano. Heavy accents are placed on the 2nd and 4th beats of the bar. Bass in reggae is warm and deep, with a thuddy sound and heavy syncopation. The tempo is slow compared to its Jamaican predecessors, Ska and Rocksteady. 

Reggae also produced one of the best performers of all time, Bob Marley, who spent most of the early part of his life in poverty and all of it without a father present. In high school, Marley began to play with Neville Livingston, later known as Bunny Wailer. Marley catapulted to international stardom in the early 1970s with the band The Wailers and later his own solo act.

Marley’s lyrics spread love to those in poverty and people suffering from political and racial violence, and he became a huge player in Jamaican culture and the worldwide peace movement.    

For me, no musical style is as relaxing as reggae. It is like listening to lo-fi where it’s all vibes, not a care in the world. The genre is full of positivity.