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 1 Love | How Reggae Music Influenced the World

When Did Reggae Music Start

From the optimism and energy of ska which reflected the feel-good vibe that accompanied Jamaica's independence from Britain in 1962 to the subsequent short-lived but creative rock steady period emerged music that would influence the world. Reggae Music.
 
So it is told Reggae started in Jamaica in the late 1960s as a vehicle and voice of the oppressed. It expressed the daily sounds and tribulations of life in the ghetto.

During this same period, the Rastafarian movement also saw reggae as a means to express their downpression at the hands of the authorities and to broadcast their Rastafarian principles and beliefs. This included and encouraged the relocation of the African diaspora (the worldwide collection of communities descended from native sub-Saharan Africans) to Africa, also previously proposed by Marcus Garvey. Also the worship of the Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I (whose pre coronation name was Ras (prince) Tafari, and the use of marijuana. These beliefs along with their strong campaigning for equal rights and justice has had a lasting impact on reggae and the development of Roots Reggae culture.

Many of the new and established reggae artists were influenced by Rastafarian values and beliefs. Many like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Burning Spear were reflecting these beliefs in their songs. This reggae fusion of Rastafarian beliefs and reggae music gave reggae authenticity and authority to listeners worldwide who connected with the struggle for equal rights and justice.

By the 1970s reggae had become an international genre due to the emergence of reggae artists like  Desmond Dekker, Bob Marley, Toots & The Maytals, and Jimmy Cliff. The 1972 film 'The Harder they Come' was pivotal in the history of reggae as it spread the music and culture of reggae internationally.
Over the decades, reggae has developed many sub-genres like Lovers Rock, Dancehall and Dub. This influenced African-American audiences who subsequently developed Rap, Hip-Hop, and EDM that have developed into global genres. However, Roots Reggae, the embodiment and guardian of the original reggae message of equal rights and justice, is still relevant and needed over 50 years after its creation, as that struggle is still far from over. The new generation of Roots Reggae Revivalists that have emerged in Jamaica like Chronixx, has now taken on the baton.

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Is Reggae Music Important

Reggae had a good couple of years from 2018 to 2019 in terms of global recognition. In 2018 reggae music was added to the world heritage list by UNESCO for its:

"contribution to international discourse on issues of injustice, resistance, love and humanity underscores the dynamics of the element as being at once cerebral, socio-political, sensual and spiritual".

 

In 2019 however, research was carried out that showed that if you really want to change the world and create a world that is more open to new experiences then get your kids to listen to reggae.

Research by O2, the UK telecommunications service provider and the University of Westminster, has shown that the music children listen to as they grow up:
 

  • is linked to how open they become as adults to new activities and experiences
  • and this is most likely to occur when children grow up listening to reggae and classical music

 

This research, conducted by O2 in conjunction with Catherine Loveday, Neuropsychologist at Westminster University, showed that 27% of people whose parents listened to reggae would be open to trying new things, with 20% of those who listened to classical music at an early age also open to new experiences, such as sporting activities, different clothes and even hairstyles. Catherine Loveday said:

“Music is a very fundamental way for parents to connect with their children so it is not surprising that musical tastes get passed on, but it is interesting to think that listening habits might also nurture open-mindedness and flexibility, as well as a yearning for live music. We have known for a while that exposing children to lots of new foods will help them to develop a more adventurous palate and it looks like the same thing might be true of music”. 

(source: news.o2.co.uk)

For those who were surveyed and who listened to a diverse range of music when growing up, their top 5 genres today are:

 
  1. Hip Hop (82%)
  2. Drum and Bass (81%)
  3. Reggae (80%)
  4. Punk Rock (79%)
  5. Dance Music (77%)
But for those who were surveyed who had a limited range of music whilst growing up, their top 5 genres today are:
  1. Folk (27%)
  2. Classical Music (26%)
  3. Rock (25%)
  4. Pop Music (25%)
  5. Soul (23%)
The Chief Marketing Officer at O2, Nina Bibby said 

“Music connects us on an emotional level so it’s perhaps no surprise to see that the music we listen to growing up shapes our approach and attitude to other aspects of our life....”.

(source: news.o2.co.uk)

Reggae Music Is Life

reggae is life, reggae music, new experiences, Inner Circle released Music is Life
If you have been a fan of reggae for decades like me, it comes as no surprise that listening to reggae can lead to more openness. As stated above its very origins was an exercise in opening minds to the issues of equal rights and injustice

If you follow my blog you know I have written about roots reggae as a force and voice to connect people campaigning or supporting a world with less inequality and injustice. Roots Reggae culture is about raising consciousness and overstanding. So, it seems to make perfect sense that listeners of reggae music will have a propensity to embrace or seek change.
 
As mentioned earlier the fusion of roots reggae and Rastafarian principles were once seen as radical, in a negative sense, by some. However, with the recognition that medicinal benefits can be obtained from marijuana and a growing movement in vegetarian (Ital) and vegan diets. Some truths are being forced out into the open.

 

We are in a world where change is happening at an increasing rate in some areas but, not fast enough in others. As we have seen with Greta Thunberg and the environmental movement and the global Black Lives Matter movement, the young will inherit the earth so we need them to have an open mind. 

 

So music that originated on an island in the Caribbean has managed to spread globally and made an impact far beyond expectations. Therefore, it is incumbent on us reggae fans and listeners to keep spreading the word and ensure that reggae music will carry on changing attitudes and minds across the world.

 

"One good thing about music
When it hits you
You feel no pain"
 
"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds"
 
(credits: Bob Marley)

 

The great Robert Nesta Marley used his music to change the world. A man of vision and clarity, he already knew what science and neuropsychologists are now beginning to understand.

Bless

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