Bob Marley Research Paper

Reggae in the Cultural Life of Jamaica
What do we know about reggae music? We bob our heads, sing along to it, move and dance to it in a dégagé manner. When we think of the word “reggae” or hear reggae music, what is the first thing that comes to mind? The beautiful tourist island of Jamaica? Coconut trees? Sandy beaches along the still, or splashing, vibrant sky-blue Caribbean sea? Bob Marley, the reggae legend? If any of these ideas popped into your mind, you are not far from discovering the cultural history of the musical styles of reggae. This paper summarizes the emergence of reggae music—from understanding reggae as it relates to history and culture, to learning about Bob Marley, a songwriter, performer and political activist, whose
influence helped catapult reggae around the world in the mid-1970’s (Bonds 74; Mills 2003).
Reggae music is the general term given for all Jamaican popular music since the 1960’s.
However, reggae can also refer to the particular genre of music that possesses a distinctive beat popular in Jamaica from 1969- 1983. According to Chang et al, the idea of “reggae music” is used to describe all Jamaican popular music that came about in 1960, while the term “reggae” in particular, categorizes the genre of music from 1969-1983. There were roughly four eras of Jamaican popular music, which started in 1960: Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae and Dancehall. Each era had their own distinctive beat.
The ska era was from about 1960 to mid- 1966. Popular with British Mods, ska is a combination of American jazz, rhythm n’ blues, Calypso and Caribbean mento (mento: a dance rhythm in duple time). “It is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the upbeat” and the actual type of dance related to this music is called ‘skanking’ (Romer 2014; Ska Scene Website). Rocksteady dated from late 1966 to late 1968. It is derived from ska music (also possessing jazz, rhythm n’ blues and mento) but produces a slower, mellower rhythm, allowing dances and dancers to have a more ‘relaxed’ feel to the rhythm of the music. Rocksteady bands often performed without a horn section and with a more powerful electric bass line (Romer
2014).
From 1969 to around 1983 arose a popular beat called reggae, which had two phases of its own: ‘early reggae’ (1969-1974), and ‘roots reggae’ (1975- 1983). From 1983 moving forward, the popular sound has been referred to as dancehall which is often called ‘ragga’ or ‘dub’ outside Jamaica. However, in Jamaica, ‘dub’ music “…refers to instrumentals created by mixing out other instruments and leaving the drum and bass only” (Chang, Witmer, McCarthy 61).
The word reggae is used to describe and distinguish a ‘raggedy’ type of Jamaican dance music. Like the island country of Jamaica, reggae has a unique fusion of western culture and African appreciation; This is evidenced by reggae’s root- ties to New Orleans’ rhythm n’ blues, spirituals and rock music. However, reggae soon developed a “…lament- like style of chanting and emphasized the syncopated beat” (A syncopated beat is one in which stress or emphasis is placed on the weaker beat) (Merriam- Webster Online Dictionary; Scaruffi 2003). The words put to reggae sound have originally highlighted political, social, and even religious themes. The main message and values however, have changed over time.
Early reggae from the 1960’s expressed music of the oppressed Jamaican people within their own communities. They sought solace in religion as a release from their struggles such as poverty and social conditions. Interestingly enough, folk music in the US during the same time period also reflected society’s grievances with social conditions and political policies (Mills 2003).
Out of the oppression of the Jamaicans came the birth of some well-known reggae songs, “I Shot the Sheriff,” which made it to airwaves and US pop charts. It also reeled in attention from popular musicians across Europe and Africa. The words of these songs bemoaned the negative social happenings in Jamaica and described the negative repercussions for those persons involved. Susan W. Mills, an assistant professor of music education at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland writes, “Sometimes the messages were very subtly stated so that the songwriters could record and perform their music without censorship or fear of arrest.” An example of this is expressed in the song, “By the Rivers of Babylon,” which on the surface is understood as the Biblical story of the Israelites yearning for Zion during that very early period of enslavement. However, the significance of the lyrics to the song actually told of the Jamaicans’ yearning for self-determination and sense of higher quality of life. This song became popular when it was added to the soundtracks of the movie, “The Harder They Come.” The movie’s plot portrays a poor Jamaican young man who can’t seem to get a lucky or fortunate break in life in the big city. Another popular reggae song, “One Love” by Bob Marley and the Wailers often played as the background music to Jamaica tourism commercials, presents a theme of global unity (Bonds 74; Mills 2003).
Based on African- Jamaican musical culture studies, it has been found most of the musicians who helped grow and establish reggae, grew up mainly in rural Jamaica circa the late 1920’s and 1960’s; this was “… a period in time when traditional Jamaican music as regularly experienced in daily life at community events such as Jonkonnu celebrations, religious and secular rituals, festivals, picnics, dances and parties, and everyday activities such as ring play and folk games, storytelling dramatic play, work songs and digging songs”. Jonkonno, also known as John Canoe is a type of masquerade that goes back to seventeenth century and made its establishment in African fertility festivals. Usually performed at Christmas, it is a celebratory display of costume, music and dance (Chang, Witmer, McCarthy 61, 63).
This unique genre of music—Reggae, also has close ties with Rastafarianism—a religion that fused Western and African religious beliefs and regarded their leader, Haile Selassie I (Ethiopia’s Emperor from the 1930’s to mid- 1970’s), to be god- incarnate. The Rastafarian religion places emphasis on black liberation, artistic expression and culture (Bond 74).
Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley (1945- 1981), born in St. Ann, Jamaica, is considered the “King of Reggae.” He had strong influences on the Rastafarian movement and helped reshape reggae music to even make it part of world history (Bob Marley Official Website). The official Bob Marley website describes how his Rastafarian beliefs helped influence his own lifestyle and spilled over into his music: “The Pan- African consciousness, progressive political ideologies, and deep spiritual convictions heard in Bob Marley’s music were derived from his firmly rooted commitment to Rastafarian beliefs and its attendant lifestyle.” Bob Marley advocated for social change through his life and music.
Bob Marley and his group, the Wailers, set the foundation for reggae’s distinct musical style— possessing a rhythm of “easy, long, bounding strides” and lyrics fitting to the current events (Bond 74). Marley passed away in 1981 from skin cancer. In his life and death, Marley received a number of accolades. To name a few, he received the United Nations Peace Medal of the Third World award in 1978 for his efforts to appeal for peace and justice in Jamaica during an era of political and social unrest; in 1981 he received the Jamaican Order of Merit award for outstanding contribution to Jamaican culture; in 1994 he was inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame posthumously, which was accepted by his late wife, Rita Marley on his behalf. In 2001, he was honored with the Grammy lifetime Achievement Award- an award given to “performers who during their lifetimes have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording” (Bob Marley Official Website).
Jamaica’s influence on world popular music is indisputably impressive. Reggae artists are not just from Jamaica anymore and reggae fans are now spread across the globe. Although this genre of music was birthed out of oppressive circumstances of slavery and colonialism, the culture significance of reggae music has become a vehicle to educate the world on understanding the culture and lifestyle of the Jamaican people. Chang et al describes it as, “…the first example of a Third World nation exporting its culture around the globe”. Along with Bob Marley’s founding contribution, reggae has a deep history and continues to play a role in the rich culture of Jamaica. Reggae music- an avenue for social change.

Works Cited
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Bonds, Mark Evan., Jocelyn R. Neal, Joseph S. Kaminski, and N. Scott. Robinson. Listen to This. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2009. Print.
Chang, Kevin Obrien, Witmer, Robert, McCarthy, Len. “Caribbean: Jamaica”.Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World. 61-63. Web 22 April. 2014.
Mills, Susan W. "Focuses on Reggae for Standards-based Music Learning. Relationship of Reggae Music History and Culture; Resources for Reggae Music Education; Strategy of Teaching Reggae in Classroom." Diss. Frostburg State U, 2003. Abstract. (n.d.): n. pag. Print.
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Romer, Megan. "Rocksteady Music 101 - What Is Rocksteady Music - Jamaican Rocksteady." About.com World Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.