Reggae is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first popular song to use the word "reggae", effectively naming the genre and introducing it to a global audience. While sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of popular Jamaican dance music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that was strongly influenced by traditional mento as well as American jazz and rhythm and blues, and evolved out of the earlier genres ska and rocksteady. Reggae usually relates news, social gossip, and political commentary. It is instantly recognizable from the counterpoint between the bass and drum downbeat and the offbeat rhythm section. The immediate origins of reggae were in ska and rocksteady; from the latter, reggae took over the use of the bass as a percussion instrument.
Rodney Basil Price, known as Bounty Killer, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. AllMusic describes him as "one of the most aggressive dancehall stars of the '90s, a street-tough rude boy with an unrepentant flair for gun talk". He is considered one of the best dancehall lyricists of all-time.
Clifton George Bailey III, better known by his stage name Capleton, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician. He is also referred to as King Shango, King David, The Fireman and The Prophet. His record label is called David House Productions. He is known for his Rastafari views expressed in his songs.
Reggae Sunsplash is a reggae music festival first staged in 1978 in the northern part of Jamaica. In 1985 it expanded with the addition of an international touring festival. The festival ran annually until 1996, with a final event in 1998, before it was revived in 2006. The festival returned for a virtual staging in 2020 produced by Tyrone Wilson, Randy Mclaren and Debbie Bissoon.
Half Pint, and sometimes credited Lindon Andrew Roberts, is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae singer.
Reggae fusion is a genre of reggae that mixes reggae and/or dancehall with other genres, such as pop, rock, hip hop, R&B, jazz, funk, soul, disco, electronic and latin.
The Ottawa Reggae Festival was a volunteer driven music festival held annually from 2008 to 2010 at Le Breton Flats Park, Ottawa. The festival was cancelled in 2010, its third year due to the financial troubles of the festival's president, Benjamin Williams.
Reggae is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. Australia has several bands and sound systems that play reggae music in a style faithful to its expression in Jamaica. Australia has a relatively small Jamaican community, but reggae penetrated local consciousness via the popularity of reggae among the non-Jamaican population of England in the 1960s and 1970s. Many indigenous musicians have embraced reggae, both for its musical qualities and its ethos of resistance. Examples include Mantaka, No Fixed Address, Zennith and Coloured Stone.
John Masouri is a journalist, reviewer, contributor and author for reggae music and several of its musical offshoots including dub, roots and dancehall.
Tessanne Amanda Chin is a Jamaican recording artist, best known for winning Season 5 of NBC's reality TV singing competition The Voice as part of Adam Levine's team. She has opened for artists such as Patti LaBelle, Peabo Bryson and Gladys Knight, and toured for three years with Jimmy Cliff. She is the younger sister of singer Tami Chynn.
Andrew Bradford, known by the stage name Buccaneer is a Jamaican dancehall artist He first emerged in 1994 and has released three albums. He later went into production.
Andrae Hugh Sutherland, known professionally as Popcaan, is a Jamaican singer.
Leroy Russell Junior, better known by his stage names Tommy Lee and Tommy Lee Sparta, is a Jamaican dancehall artist from Flankers Montego Bay, Jamaica. Tommy Lee Sparta gained popularity as a member of Adidjahiem Records and the associated Portmore Empire crew under the leadership of Vybz Kartel. He has been a controversial figure in dancehall due to his self-described "Gothic Dancehall" style, which often features dark and Satanist-inspired subject matter.
New Kingston is a Progressive Reggae group whose members combine their Jamaican heritage with the urban sounds of their New York home, New Kingston are a family band consisting of brothers Tahir, Courtney Jr., and Stephen along with their father, Courtney Panton Sr. A first-generation Jamaican-American, Courtney the elder was active in New York's reggae scene before turning his sons on to the music of their island heritage. Born out of jam sessions in the family's Brooklyn basement, the brothers began their career playing Bob Marley and Earth, Wind & Fire covers at parties and gatherings around the neighborhood. By 2010, they'd become focused on their own writing, which fused R&B, hip-hop, and dancehall with traditional reggae sounds. With each brother writing and offering vocals, Courtney Sr. filled in on bass. Following their self-released debut, In the Streets, New Kingston went on a European tour with rising reggae star Collie Buddz, playing a number of prominent festivals. Their sophomore LP, 2013's Kingston University, earned them a deal with New York label Easy Star Records, which issued their third LP, Kingston City, in early 2015. Boasting an increased production value and guest spots by the Tribal Seeds, The Wailing Souls, Sister Carol, and Sugar Minott, Kingston City raised the band's visibility considerably, topping Billboard's reggae chart upon its release. An EP, Kingston Fyah, arrived in the summer of 2016.
Neville O'Riley Livingston, known professionally as Bunny Wailer, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and percussionist. He was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he is considered one of the longtime standard-bearers of reggae music. He was also known as Jah B, Bunny O'Riley, and Bunny Livingston.
Grace Latoya Hamilton, known professionally as Spice, is a Jamaican dancehall recording artist, singer, songwriter and businesswoman. Often cited as the "Queen of Dancehall", Spice is recognised as one of the most prominent dancehall artists in the world.
Earlan Bartley, better known as Alkaline, is a Jamaican Dancehall and Reggae musician from Kingston, Jamaica.
Desire Sibanda is a Zimbabwean reggae singer and songwriter, better known by his stage name Dizzy Dee. He moved to Australia in 2007 and currently resides in Melbourne where he performs and works as a disk jockey on a regular basis.
Louis Grandison, known as Dexta Daps, Dappa Don or Dexta, is a Jamaican dancehall and reggae performer. Grandison’s career began in 2012 with the release of his first 2 singles "Save me Jah" and "May you be". Though he has made many songs in between the periods, he really began gaining public recognition in 2014 with his songs "Morning Love", and "Jealous Ova", the latter of which featured another upcoming dancehall artist Tifa. Dexta Daps rode this wave of popularity into 2015. With the release of "Shabba Madda Pot". With over 13 million views on Youtube, this song is one of Grandison’s most iconic songs. He has collaborated with many dancehall artists including Kranium, Masicka, Movado, and international artists like M.I.A, Kiesza, and Tory Lanez. Dexta Daps is praised for his versatility, unique voice, style and, performances.
Chinsea Lee, known professionally as Shenseea, is a Jamaican dancehall artist. She initially gained attention after appearing on songs by Vybz Kartel, Sean Paul, and Christina Aguilera. In 2019, she signed a recording contract with Interscope Records and released the song "Blessed" featuring Tyga, which has accumulated over 58 million views on YouTube.
