Reggae Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reggae - Essay Example Reggae is a musical style which traces its roots to the small island nation of Jamaica. It is synonymous with the former British colonial territory, the recreational use of â€Å"ganja†, the rise of Rastafarianism around the world and a man commonly known as â€Å"the first Third World superstar† (Pawka). When Reggae first emerged from the Caribbean in the early 1960’s, the United States and United Kingdom’s musical scenes were enthralled with the latest craze of rock n’ roll and R&B. But during this era of musical explosion in the slums of Kingston, â€Å"pan-Africanism merged with American R&B and Caribbean music in (the) back alleys to forever change global music† (John). And as the Jamaican record and radio industries began to gain more independence, more music began to flood out from the region. First, new musical genres emerged from the Jamaican R&B flooding the island, which shaped the sound of reggae music. â€Å"†¦around 1960, Jamaican drummers began hitting the second and fourth beats in unison with the piano and guitar, while the bass played walking quarter-notes.