Friday, 22 April 2016

Discovering Past And Present Reggae New York

By James Clark


Reggae, originating from Jamaica in the late 1960s is a combination of rhythm and blues, jazz and soul. It is a term that defines the popular music of Jamaica. As such, island sounds, strong back beats, rhythms and vocals are often quite catchy. Inspired by mento and calypso music in the 1960s, it is more likely rap and hip-hop were born out of this genre than vice versa. Whatever the case, there are a number of clubs where live bands play reggae New York.

The genre has now spread to a number of countries around the world. Most often, players are open to welcoming local artists and instruments during shows. The musical style has now spread to the Caribbean, Guyana, Venezuela and beyond. When it comes to the UK, this style and Caribbean music have been popular since the late 1960s.

In the UK, a number of artists draw inspiration from musicians in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Whereas, artists like Bob Marley boosted the popularity even more so in the 1980s. In Jamaica, the sound remains authentic with this music being the number one source of income in the country. As a result, there are more reggae musicians per capita in Jamaica than anywhere else in the world.

When a person thinks of reggae, the first artist to come to mind is often Bob Marley. While Bob Marley has passed on, the genre remains alive and well. In fact, Bob's family has often graced the stage at a number of music festivals worldwide. Whereas, there are numerous other bands and solo musicians now playing clubs, shows and festivals all over the world.

Some artists currently performing music in this genre are UB40, Steel Pulse, Michael Franti and Spearhead and others. Venues of all sizes have welcomed these artists around the world. Whereas, most all of these acts are quite popular with music fans in the United States and beyond.

For those having never heard these artists, there are a number of audio cuts and video clips online. If desiring to check out a specific artist, search on Facebook, YouTube or Twitter to find clips, calendars and other information about the artists. While not all are on social media, most have at least one social networking page or a dedicated website. If nothing is found on social media, try searching the artist or band name using Google, Yahoo or Chrome.

One reason for reggae's vast popularity is most likely due to its fast nature. Bouncy tones, meaningful lyrics and heavy rhythms are most likely elements which draw huge crowds to shows in this genre. In fact, many shows sell out during pre-sales or within seconds of going on sale to the public.

When it comes to how the term evolved, many still believe Bob Marley claimed the word from a Spanish term known as the "King's music." In other text, it is suggested the word was developed from the Latin word "regi, " a word that means "to the king." The musical style is most often positive. There are some artists which use offensive lyrics related to police, women and the LGBTQ+ community. As this is the case, it is often best to preview a band before attending a live show to assure lyrics will not be offensive to oneself, family members or friends attending the show.




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