Innovations and Evolutions

Jamaican Reggae Music

Reggae music has always stood out to me because of its messaging. This type of music often touches on themes related to social problems such as inequality and poverty, and, overall, it gives way for communities, especially those in Jamaica, to fight for their rights. Reggae music was birthed out of Jamaica fairly recently in the 1960s. This genre of music draws from traditional African and Caribbean music, jazz, r&b, rock, and most prominently, older Jamaican styles like ska. 
    Ska originated in the 1950s, taking elements from both Afro-Caribbean music and r&b. Ska music consists of lots of different signature elements like off-beat rhythms, heavy guitar slaps, piano, and quick beat drums. The photo seen below is of a famous and influential Ska artist, Ernest Ranglin. During the 1950s and 60s, Ranglin's performances in Kingston, Jamaica, played a large role in the city's famed Studio One sound being known globally and even brought into the pop charts on an international level. 
(Ernest Ranglin Qwest TV)
    
    Ska music lead into the discovery of a new subgenre called rocksteady. Rocksteady is known for being generally instrumental and very similar to ska. However, the music is slower than ska and relies more heavily on the bass guitar and drums. Rocksteady, along with ska music, paved the way for the emergence of reggae music. 
    Reggae contains more musical complexity than ska and rocksteady while also being relatively set at a slower pace. "Reggae paid tribute to the music that came before it while still establishing itself as a distinct, brand-new sound of its own"(Victrola, The origin and history of reggae music). Some of the more well-known Reggae musicians are Jimmy Cliff, Lee "Scratch" Perry, and Bob Marley & The Wailers.

(Bob Marley by Michael Putland, 1972)
 Bob Marley & The Wailers are arguably the most well-known and influential reggae artists in the world. Two of their most prominent songs known across the globe are One Love and Three Little Birds. Both songs are about love, unification, and letting go of worries. "Like all popular music, reggae lyrics were not above addressing romantic subjects. Still, the early progenitors of the genre held special space for building conversations around poverty, social justice, and human rights"(Victrola, The origin and history of reggae music). Bob Marley was definitely a reggae artist who never shied away from singing about social justice issues. He and his band have numerous songs speaking about these types of issues. 
    Real Situation, in particular, which came out on their album titled Uprising in June of 1980, only a year before his death, is a song about the ongoing violence and how it feels never-ending. The song was released from Jamaica and composed by the band themselves. Real Situation has never resonated with me more than it does in today's world. Bob Marley discusses his hopelessness through the lyrics. He sings "It seems like, total destruction the only solution and there ain't no use, no one can stop them now." Not only do the lyrics stand out in this song,  but also the accents heard within the rhythm. While the song has a typical reggae beat to it, what makes this song stand out is the accents added in, such as the frequent whistling along with the small moments of the guitar. 


    While artists and bands such as Bob Marley and The Wailers brought reggae music to the world, the genre has had decades to evolve into new sounds and vibes. One prominent Jamaican reggae artist in today's world is Original Koffee. Original Koffee, also known as Mikayla Simpson, averages 2.5 million listeners per month just on Spotify and has hits such as Toast and W. "Koffee's music is a vibrant blend of reggae, dancehall, and afrobeat"(Bayfest). Although a lot of current reggae music, like Koffee's, uses more electronic instruments and sounds, you can still feel the Jamaican reggae rhythm popping through. It's still very high vibe music with a consistent beat that has fun accents embedded throughout the rhythm. Along with the similarities to original Jamaican reggae music, "Koffee remains grounded in her Jamaican roots, using her platform to spread messages of hope, unity, and resilience" (Bayfest) just as traditional reggae music has done since the 1960s.

    Toast by Koffee came out in November 2018 from her home country, Jamaica. The entire song was composed and written by Mikayla Simpson herself. One music element easily heard in Toast is the repetition, which stems from original reggae music like Bob Marley's. Toast never really changes up too much and holds the same repetition throughout most of the song. However, an element of this song that differs greatly from traditional Jamaican reggae is the tempo. Toast, along with a lot of Koffee's music, keeps a fast-paced tempo compared to Bob Marley's song Real Situation. In this way, along with the addition of electronic elements, Jamaican reggae music has evolved to fit the more current vibes of music. 
    Reggae music has really come full circle, as it was developed from a blend of other music, such as African beats, and now a lot of reggae artists are dipping their toes back into African beats as well as adding in new sounds that are inspired by newer genres such as dancehall music. In this sense, the modern reggae artists are taking after traditional reggae artists by blending new styles with reggae while still carrying messages of love and positivity. 
    Overall, I think both forms of reggae music are enjoyable, but I definitely prefer traditional over modern. I enjoy the slower tempo and the deeper messages of peace that live within traditional reggae music. Bob Marley's music specifically always brings me peace and makes me feel like I'm sitting on a beach with a fruity drink and no worries, even when I'm in my stuffy apartment within the frozen tundra that we call Alaska. 


Putland, Michael. “▷ Bob Marley by Michael Putland, 1972: Analogue Photography: Artsper.” ▷ Artsper, 1972, https://www.artsper.com/us/contemporary-artworks/photography/2260455/bob-marley

“The Evolution of Reggae Culture: Historical Roots and Future Perspectives.” Morgan Heritage, https://www.morganheritagemusic.com/the-evolution-of-reggae-culture-historical-roots-and-future-perspectives/

“Uprising (Bob Marley and the Wailers Album).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Jan. 2026, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uprising_(Bob_Marley_and_the_Wailers_album).

“25 Best Reggae Artists Worth Listening to in 2024.” Bayfest, 30 Aug. 2024, www.bayfestsd.com/25-best-reggae-artists/.

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