Originating in Jamaica in the late 1960s, Reggae blends African rhythms, Caribbean folk traditions, and Western influences into a distinctive sound characterized by off-beat rhythms, socially conscious lyrics, and spiritual themes.
Reggae developed in Kingston, Jamaica, during the late 1960s, evolving from earlier styles such as ska and rocksteady.
The term reggae first appeared in Jamaican slang. According to Dictionary of Jamaican English, it referred to a "ragged" style of music, probably derived from streggae, a reference to a loose or unkept person.
In the 1960s, Reggae crystallized as Jamaica's dominant sound, influenced by Jamaican folk music (mento), African drumming, and American R&B. The genre gained international recognition in the 1970s, largely through Bob Marley and the Wailers, who infused Reggae with Rastafarian spirituality and political messages. During the 1980s and 1990s, subgenres like dancehall and dub emerged, modernizing Reggae with electronic production and DJ culture. From the 2000s to the present, Reggae has continued to evolve, influencing genres such as hip-hop, reggaeton, and electronic dance music, while remaining a cultural symbol of resistance and unity.
Reggae became popular in Britain, the United States, and Africa during the 1970s, carried by Jamaican migration, Marley's global tours, and his television appearances and radio play. Reggae resonated strongly in countries with histories of colonialism and social struggle, becoming a struggle for liberation movements.
Reggae rhythm emphasizes the off-beat (skank), typically played on a guitar or keyboard. Its tempo is slower and more relaxed than ska or rocksteady, often around 80-110 BPM. A deep, melodic bass is central, often carrying the song's groove. Lyrics typically feature themes of social justice, spirituality, love, and resistance, heavily influenced by the Rastafari movement. Common instruments include drums, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboards, and sometimes horns.
Well-known Reggae artists include Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Burning Spear, Gregory Isaacs, Toots Hibbert (Toots and the Maytals), Dennis Brown, Black Uhuru, Ziggy Marley, and Lee "Scratch" Perry.
A cultural movement born from Jamaica's struggles and spirituality, Reggae spread worldwide as a symbol of resistance, unity, and identity.
Recommended Resources
Presented by Nice Up Enterprises, a not-for-profit organization devoted to the principle that reggae music is a powerful uniting force, the Jammin Reggae Archives has been online since 1992. The long-running reggae portal aggregates news, articles, artist pages, playlists, discographies, interviews, festival and tour schedules, reviews, and resource lists for reggae, roots, club, and dancehall music. It combines contemporary news with historical archives useful for timelines and discography.
http://www.niceup.com/
MCC is presented as a roots reggae band whose members share deep personal and musical ties stretching from Freetown, Sierra Leone, to Australia. The site frames the group as a reunion of souls whose paths crossed through war, humanitarian work, travel, and music, and who come together on the Gold Coast to create a spiritually driven reggae sound. Band members and their roles are defined, along with the band's history, common themes, and videos. Other resources include the evolution of reggae.
https://reggaegroove.com/
Produced by Island SPACE Caribbean Museum, Reggae Genealogy is a multimedia concert and cultural showcase that traces the origins, evolution, and global influence of Jamaican music from mento, ska, and rocksteady, through dub, reggae, and dancehall, to contemporary descendants like hip hop, reggaeton, EDM, and Afrobeats. Event details, dates, and locations are featured on the website, along with an artist lineup, collaborators, ticket details, and contacts.
https://reggaegenealogy.org/
Portrayed as an online museum, the website is not affiliated with the physical museum by that name in the United Kingdom. This platform is independently created by The Reggae Museum Foundation and is based online with plans for a physical museum in Jamaica. At this time, the website features historical pieces and artist-focused blog posts, musician profiles and lists, and embedded audio/video clips and downloadable media files. Topic categories include Exhibits, Music, and Culture & Lifestyle.
https://thereggaemuseum.com/
Reggae Rise Up is a North American festival and concert production company that promotes reggae shows and multi-day festivals in several United States regions, including Florida, Arizona, Texas, Oregon, Utah, and Las Vegas. Upcoming festivals and concerts are highlighted on the website, with lineups, age limits, start times, and ticket links for specific shows. Pages are organized by region, and events are listed as all-ages and 21+, with details for each. Contacts are included.
https://reggaeriseup.com/
This is a personal reggae-themed blog and review site that focuses on reggae history, album and single reviews, artist roundups, and reggae-related culture pieces, generally from a personal perspective, using an informal, conversational voice. Included are blog-style posts about reggae history, subgenres (ska, ragga, dancehall), and cultural intersections, along with artist features, lists of favorites, and long-style pieces on Bob Marley and other classic acts.
https://www.reggae-reviews.com/
Founded in 2007 and dedicated to reggae music, United Reggae is a free, independent international online magazine that actively promotes reggae culture and publishes news, artist and industry interviews, reviews, artist biographies and discographies, videos, mixes, and cultural features. Its main sections include the digital magazine itself, an alphabetized artist index, music videos, mixes, longer articles, film coverage, festival reports, and themed pieces.
https://unitedreggae.com/
