Roots Reggae

Roots Reggae is the name given to Rastafarian reggae music from Jamaica, which evolved from Ska and Rocksteady and made famous by the legendary singer/songwriter Bob Marley. Roots reggae is an inherently spiritual type of reggae music, the lyrics of which are predominantly in praise of Jah Rastafari - believed to have been, Haile Selassie (1892-1975) the Emperor of Ethiopia (1930-1974]].

Recurrent lyrical themes include poverty and resistance to the oppression of government. The creative pinnacle of roots reggae is arguably in the late 1970s, with singers such as Johnny Clarke, Horace Andy, Barrington Levy, and Lincoln Thompson teaming up with studio producers including Lee 'Scratch' Perry, King Tubby, and Coxsone Dodd. The experimental pioneering of such producers within often restricted technological parameters gave birth to Dub Reggae , and is seen by some music historians as one of the earliest (albeit analogue) contributions to the development of Techno.

Roots reggae was an important part of Jamaican culture, and whilst other forms of reggae have replaced it in terms of popularity in Jamaica (Dancehall for instance), roots reggae has found a small, but growing, niche globally.

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