Introduction
Even if music can be viewed as a universal language, music still differs from society to society largely due to the culture in which that specific music is associated in. In other words, every separate human society has their more or less unique variant of music, which contributes to the characteristic of their culture in general. For example, Latin Americans are commonly associated with Latino music, the hip-hop genre and the blues was commonly credited to the black culture, among others.
One particular popular music of interest is the one that came from the Caribbean Islands, particularly the island of Jamaica. In the music industry, this country is where the genres of reggae and ska originated from. The country itself has a diverse culture, which can be examined by studying the roots of its music and its influences. Basically, it can be said that the music of Jamaica can provide a great insight on the social and cultural aspects of said country. The same thing can be said for music in general—analyzing the factors and origins of the music of a certain culture can say a lot about the intricacies of the culture itself.
Reggae: A Brief Overview
Reggae is a genre of music that has its roots on the Caribbean island of Jamaica, and it is also a term used to describe the popular music in that country. The genre has derived its roots from African music, most notably the blues from the New Orleans. As a genre, it incorporates elements from other genres, such as blues, jazz, mento, African music, and a variety of other genres. What is notable about reggae is its heavy use of bass; in this genre, the bass sound is distinctive and distorted in a manner that the lower frequencies are given more attention than the upper ones. The first beat of a bar in reggae is empty and the third beat is emphasized instead; this is known as the one-drop bar which is a characteristic of the genre. Themes in reggae often center about social commentary, non-conformity, and rebellion, although lighter and softer topics like love and socialization are not uncommon (Scaruffi).
The most influential musician under the genre is Bob Marley. Although he was not the first musician that falls under the genre nor the first one to achieve success in it, he is most notably the one who popularized reggae from outside its home country Jamaica. Reggae in itself has given rise to other related genres such as dancehall, roots reggae, and reggaeton, among others.
Reggae and Jamaican History
Reggae is not only popular in Jamaica as a kind of genre unique to the Caribbean; it has also served as a tool for the Jamaicans to improve and develop as a society.
In order to understand the impact of reggae to the Jamaicans, it is important to know about the history of Jamaica in general. The Jamaican people descended from African slaves brought by the English, and the plantations in which these slaves worked on made the country a perfect target for colonialization. In other words, the country itself has had a fair share of history resulting from colonies from other countries ruling under it. This can be reflected in their music—Jamaican folk music is largely of African music. This is also notable in reggae—the genre itself has transformed over the years, but it has always been used as an instrument by the Jamaicans to voice their issues about the society such as the oppression they constantly have to face and the issue of colonialism. Therefore, it can be said that reggae is instrumental for the voices of the Jamaican people to be heard, and it has developed along with the improvement of the Jamaican culture itself (Aimers).
Another aspect of Jamaican culture that has influenced reggae music was the religion of Rastafarianism. Rastafari influence on reggae was notable in the style used by the performers and musicians, including their narrative persona, their lives, and the lyrics in which they produce. These two aspects of Jamaican culture—reggae and Rastafarianism—are crucial for the society to create their own identity independent of the government they are under in. Reggae songs, which are usually created in the style of the Jamaican patois, allowed their society to unite and rediscover their relationship with their African heritage, and thus subsequently became a method of self-presentation (Aimers).
Reggae and Worldwide Culture
Reggae has not only impacted Jamaican culture; it has also to an extent has its influence on the improvement of the worldwide society in general. Reggae music can be cited as an influence in societies such as in Europe, USA, and Africa.
In the 1950s and 1960s, there was an emerging counterculture movement in London called the skinheads. Being a counterculture movement, they were against conformity and loved to pick fights with others. When the rest of British society kept away from immigrants during that time, the skinheads, on the other hand, loved to hang out with them because they shared a common love for music such as blues, reggae, and dancehall. Therefore, reggae is a major factor in propagating the counterculture movement such as punks, which still exists to this day. It is also influential for developing other kinds of European music such as dub, drum and bass, and trip-hop (Dagnini).
As for the American culture, reggae is a major factor in the rise of rap music. During the 1960s, the United States was open to immigrants, Jamaicans included. The migrant Jamaicans primarily settled on the South Bronx, were they introduced the DJ reggae culture, which eventually gave rise to the rap and hip-hop scene. The reggae and hip-hop community have their own common roots as well: both rose up due to an answer to perceived social injustices, and both mirror the lives of urban ghettoes in general (Dagnini).
Lastly, reggae music also has an influence on the African community as well, in no small part due to Jamaicans having African roots themselves. Like in Jamaica, reggae has been instrumental in African communities to voice out their commentaries in a society in which the people are enslaved by white people (Dagnini).
AUDIENCES
There is a wide fan base for reggae music. However, there are some who dislike the genre or prefer other genres. There are many factors that play when one listens to reggae and the preference that one may have regarding music. For instance, age influences one’s disposition towards music. Older people are said to be more enthusiast of classical music while younger ones are more enthusiast of music that fall under reggae, pop or RNB (White 4). This could be because younger people are more enthusiastic of music that allows them to feel active while older ones prefer those that could calm them and soothe their worries.
The cultural background likewise plays a huge role in music preference and perception of reggae music. Since reggae was originally made to allow people to voice out their concerns, it had become more relevant to societies that had experienced a form of oppression or colonialization. People who also fall under a class that may be considered lacking of educational opportunities and economic function are also fond of reggae than their counterparts (White 5). The differences in the perception of reggae music could be because of a sense of understanding. If a particular music has lyrical or melodic vibe that one relates to, one may generally like it more. However, those who are not able to relate with the messages that reggae music may deliver or the vibe that it may give off may generally prefer other forms of music.
Conclusion
Music, in anthropology, is a factor in which people can communicate with one another. Music is also society’s tool in voicing out its message and in helping its members find commonality with each other, as demonstrated in Jamaican reggae. Reggae has not only helped Jamaicans find a sense of national identity and unite as a nation against the colonies that invaded them, but also is instrumental in developing other cultures with a similar goal to point out the injustices in the government such as European countercultures, American ghettos, and the African apartheid. Therefore, it can be said that reggae has been used by society as a way to express not only their creativity but also their social commentary as well, proving that music as a whole has a profound effect in the development of humanity and general.
Works Cited
Aimers, Jim. “The Cultural Significance of Reggae”. ATH 175: Peoples of the World. Miami University, n.d. Web. 7 August 2016.
Dagnini, Jeremie. “The Importance of Reggae Music in the Worldwide Cultural Universe”. Etudes Caribéennes. OpenEdition, 2010. Web. 7 Aug 2016.
Scaruffi, Piero. “A Brief History of Jamaican Music.” Piero Scaruffi. N.p., 2003. Web. 7 Aug 2016.
White, Christine. “The Effects of Class, Age, Gender and Race on Musical Preferences: An Examination of the Omnivore/Univore Framework.” Virginia Polytechnic and State University. N.p., 2001. Web. 12 Aug 2016.
