Standing Up For The Genre Of Music: Reggae

The music industry in Jamaica is one of the most influential in the world. Popular music genres such as reggae and dancehall was both originated in Jamaica. Likewise, rap and hip hop was stated by a Jamaican, called Kool Herc. Bob Marley is also a famous music artist from Jamaica. His music played an important role in many movements in Jamaica and all over the world. The most famous one is the fight against apartheid in South Africa. Dancing is also important in Jamaica. A famous proverb in Jamaica, is that “those who can’t dance, blame it on the music”. In all african countries, music and dancing is really normal and it’s like this in Jamaica too. It is normal to dance on the streets in public and have fun, while listening to music. By all means music and dancing is undoubtedly important for Jamaica and the culture is mostly based around

Through methodology of close readings of Marley’s musical lyrics and analysis of his life, this study will focus on the different ways Marley’s religious values, political stance, and musical style influenced unity among the two conflicting political parties in Jamaica at the time, the Jamaican Labor Party (JLP) and the People’s National Party (PNP). Also, specifically, the influence that his upbringing and his religion had on the formulation of his music and the influence that it had on the world. Robert “Bob” Marley was born in St. Ann, Jamaica on February 6, 1945. Marley was the product of a white father and a black mother. In the famous documentary Marley by Kevin Macdonald, Marley acclaims, “My father was white and my mother was black, they called me half-caste1 or whatever” (Marley 8:00).

Without music there would be no dancing. The most popular form of music in Jamaica is Reggae, not only is it popular in Jamaica but also many other countries around the world. Reggae music has produced many famous artists one of the most popular who has had a global impact is Bob Marley. Dancehall music is a variation of reggae and its growing at an alarming rate. Reggae music has taken over as the main label for “Jamaican music.” Jamaican folk music has come a from many different sources over the years.

It's sufficiently tragic we live in a preference nation and looked down at by other ethnic gatherings, we simply exacerbating it for ourselves by the music we do and the sort of impacts the music have on the

While, as a Jamaican descent my family has a more dependent deposition and most Jamaican families have patriarchal ties. Both culture side has a strong belief in Christianity; however, my Jamaican family is more liberated and not held down by the deep-rooted conditioning of Christianity instilled in by slave owners. With Jamaicans have an understanding from Rastafari education, many have a deeper connection to the

The paper discusses how Marley’s music changed society by mainstreaming the ideas of black resistance, social justice, racial equality, and anti-colonialism to the baby-boom generation and generations endlessly onward. The paper will outline the historical background of reggae as well as the social cause to which it became attached by the work of Marley. The paper submits that reggae, ultimately, became the chief means of expressing the angst and dislocation felt by many within the African Diaspora. Finally, the paper will offer a critical analysis of one of Marley’s works, “I Shot the Sheriff”, and will explain why this signature work is a classic instance of reggae speaking out against injustice and the prevailing power structure.

Music is an art form and source of power. Many forms of music reflect culture and society, as well as, containing political content and social message. Music as social change has been highlighted throughout the 20th century. In the 1960s the United States saw political and socially oriented folk music discussing the Vietnam War and other social issues. In Jamaica during the 1970s and 1980s reggae developed out of the Ghetto’s of Trench town and expressed the social unrest of the poor and the need to over-through the oppressors. The 1980’s brought the newest development in social and political music, the emergence of hip-hop and rap. This urban musical art form that was developed in New

To what extent can music provide a means of resistance for challenging the power relations of racism, class and gender?

The people of this religion were familiar with the legend of Moses, though they did not recognize him as "the chosen one" who led the Jews to the Promised Land, but rather they believed him to be "the great conjurer" and the "bringer of the law". Common to most African religions were various forms of drumming, dancing, clapping, and chanting. The Africans from whom the slaves had descended lived in a world of sound; a world in which the chanted, sung, or shouted word was not only a primary source of communication, but also of prayer. Additionally, the idea of spirits and conjuring was also fairly widespread among many African religions. It has been confirmed through archaeological research that the concepts of conjuring and the belief in good and evil spirits are just a few of the traditional ideals that the enslaved people of Africa managed to sustain. In Williamsburg, Virginia, historical archaeologist, Maria Franklin found a collection of drilled spoon handles while excavating Rich Neck, a tobacco plantation from the eighteenth century which used enslaved African labor. Franklin and her team unearthed a slave quarters that dates back to the middle 1700s. She believes that these spoon handles were worn as charms by the slaves to attract good spirits, a practice, which if discovered by the slave owners, would have earned the slaves a severe beating. The masters did not want the slaves to practice any form of religion, but

Rastafari is, before it is anything else, a way of life. It offers approaches and answers to real problems black people face in daily living; it promotes spiritual resilience in the face of oppressive poverty and underdevelopment. It produces art, music and cultural forms, which can be universally recognized and appreciated. More important, Rastafari provides a positive self-image, an alternative to people who need and cannot find or accept one elsewhere. Even with its black foundation and orientation, Rastafarianism is open to anyone, of any race, who chooses to discover and is able to accept it.

“From the shantytowns of Kingston, Jamaica, to the cobblestones streets of Great Britain, reggae music was a powerful and liberating voice for the poor and oppressed. In the last thirty years, reggae stars Bob Marley, Burning Spear, and Alpha Blondy have sung “redemption” songs- messages of human rights and universal love in a “Babylonian” world of civil unrest, political instability, and economic collapse”(Bays, King, and Foster, 2002, p. XI). Bob Marley was the most famous reggae artist to bring popularity upon the music; selling over 20 million records worldwide. His songs such as “One Love” and “Redemption Song” were inspired by the effects of oppression upon blacks in Jamaica. Marley's persona for unity and peace among people throughout the world was an inspiration for Jamaicans. Most blacks in Jamaica during the 1960s suffered from economic hardships and racial discrimination. This in turn marked the beginning of a religious movement called Rastafarinism where reggae music was an element that distinguished Rastafarians from the rest of society. According to Chang and Chen, British colonial authorities and the local establishment viewed Rastafarians; forthright espousal of black unity and pride, and their unconventional appearance and customs, as threats to the existing social order. (Chang, Chen, 1998. p.26) Reggae music allowed blacks to have pride of their culture and not limited themselves to the demeaning social orders in

In Jamaica marijuana is otherwise known as Ganja, it is commonly used mainly by Rastafarians as a spiritual, religious ceremony and also as a medicine. According to Jamaicans Ganja is not just used for mind altering substance it is considered holy herb, because it was mention in the bible, it was also said to found on king Salomon grave and he was the wisest man in the bible. To Rastafarian the use of Ganja is supposed to lead you to a deeper faith which explains why Ganja is smoked at religious Rastafarian ceremonies. It’s often a misconception to the world that Jamaicans/ Rastafarian spend their whole day smoking blunts or have a pipes filled up with Ganja. Rastafarian do usually smoke more than non-Rastafarians however they still do

The discrimination shown in Rebel Music: the Bob Marley Story is a clear example of banalization. For example, Jamaica underwent political disenfranchisement and was colonized by Britain, in which many people of Jamaica do not have rights to select political representatives. This creates cultural alienation where whiteness was paramount; therefore, imperialism was imposed to culture onto another. Versioning is a constant occurrence in music. In Dick Hebdige’s book “Cut ‘n’ Mix: Culture, Identity and Caribbean Music” Hebdige mentions, "Versioning" is at the heart not only of reggae but of all Afro-American and Caribbean music: jazz, blues, rap, r&b, reggae, calypso, soca, salsa, Afro-Cuban and so on. With the advent of twelve-inch discs in the late 1970s, the same principle has been extended to [reggae music]” (Hebdige). Thus, there are different categories of music that all have participated in the progression of reggae music. In Rebel Music, the film highlights Marley give a counter narrative to the history of Jamaican people. He sings about the Rastafarian tradition, in which contains topics of Babylon, the road to Zion, and also the teachings of Marcus Garvey. Thus, Marley took the stigma of Jamaica being a white society and opened peoples eyes to the extreme poverty within the

The first communication concept relates to empathy and empathic communication, both Bob and Ziggy Marley display this throughout their music. Empathy defined by Julia T. Wood, “is the ability to feel with another person, to feel what she or he feels in a situation. Our feelings tend to be guided by our own emotional tendencies and experiences” (78). In the fullest sense, this implies putting yourself into the other person’s shoes, to experience their life, so that you really understand and feel; pain, anger, frustration, joy, spiritual uplift and happiness. Bob Marley is empathetic in nature, he is “someone who appears to speak for the people. It is his music, his life story, his worldview and the way he carries himself -- he seems like an extension of the people and their leader. He seems like a sort of Cultural Senator, a man who represents his people” (Toure 2017). Bob Marley expresses empathy throughout his song “Get Up Stand Up,” by giving us examples of what life was like in the 1960’s in Jamaica. Paying close attention to the words and the connotations associated with those words, we can get an idea to what was going on during that era. From the beginning, reggae was political, as the work of Bob clearly attests. When he chants, “Get up \ Stand up \ Stand up for your rights!” you can feel how important this issue is to him. By translating this one lyric, you can imagine the details of his experiences and the emotions associated with them. The lyrics of this song relates to the struggles and inequality of the society and the harsh realities of a post-independent Jamaica. Nearly the entire song has a political slant to it in some shape or form. The political unrest which was taking place at the time was extremely intense, this song urged people to raise and stand up and fight for their rights and to be proactive.

Like in the earlier years, it can be seen in this story that Christianity was the most dominant and highly accepted religion in Jamaica. Having contrasting beliefs and practices, individuals would be shunned and ostracized. The author illustrates this idea by showing how Darren’s passionate beliefs in Rastafarianism had resulted in him being kicked out of his house. He was told to “never to come back until he had given up that Rasta foolishness.” Today, the Caribbean has become religiously diverse with a tolerance for different