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 by 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.
Soča Reggae Riversplash was a music festival in Tolmin, Slovenia at the confluence of the Soča and the Tolminka rivers. It mainly features reggae music by international musicians.
Winston Rodney OD, better known by the stage name Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer-songwriter, vocalist and musician. Burning Spear is a Rastafarian and one of the most influential and long-standing roots artists to emerge from the 1970s.
The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music.
Steel Pulse are a roots reggae band from the Erdington area of Birmingham, England. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, and were composed of David Hinds, Basil Gabbidon, and Ronald McQueen (bass); along with Basil's brother Colin briefly on drums and Mykaell Riley. Steel Pulse were the first non-Jamaican act to win the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.
Third World is a Jamaican reggae fusion band formed in 1973. Their sound is influenced by soul, funk and disco. Although it has undergone several line-up changes, Stephen "Cat" Coore and Richard Daley have been constant members.
Heartbeat Records is an independent record label based in Burlington, Massachusetts. The label specializes in Jamaican music.
Reggae Sunsplash is a reggae music festival first staged in 1978 in northern 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.
Dawn Penn is a Jamaican reggae singer. She first had a short career during the rocksteady era from 1967 to 1969, but she is most known for her single "You Don't Love Me ", which became a worldwide hit in 1994.
Colin Patrick Harper, better known by his stage name Collie Buddz, is a Bermudian reggae artist best known for his single "Come Around".
The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many other Jamaican artists who recorded during that period, including Bob Marley & The Wailers, on their first single "Simmer Down." They reformed in 1983 and have played together ever since.
Chalice is a Jamaican reggae band formed in 1980 in Gibraltar Hill, St. Mary. Chalice is probably best known for their performances at the Reggae Sunsplash music festival.
Filipino reggae or Pinoy reggae is reggae music created in the Philippines. The country has several bands and sound systems that play reggae and dancehall music in a style faithful to its expression in Jamaica. Reggae in the Philippines comprises the many forms of reggae and its subgenres, and at times combining traditional Filipino forms of music and instruments in their music.
Rebelution is a reggae rock music band formed in Isla Vista, California. The current members of Rebelution are Eric Rachmany, Rory Carey, Marley D. Williams, and Wesley Finley. Each member attended and completed school at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The Victoria Ska and Reggae Festival aka "Ska Fest" is a music festival that takes place every summer in Victoria British Columbia, Canada. The festival is organized and executed by the Victoria BC Ska Society, a non-profit organization, and over 200 volunteers. It is the longest running ska festival in North America. Despite its name, it has also featured artists from a broad spectrum of genres including punk rock, hip-hop, soul music, calypso music, jazz, and more.
The Skints are an English reggae punk band from London, described by Clash Music as "the torchbearers for modern British reggae music." The Skints mix reggae, ska, dub, punk rock, dancehall, soul, and rap, touring extensively across the UK, Europe and the United States. Their album Swimming Lessons (2019) debuted at number 1 on the Billboard reggae chart. Their original style of music has been described as "tropical punk".
Josh Heinrichs is an American reggae singer/songwriter who was the former lead singer of internationally known indie reggae band, Jah Roots and current owner/operator of indie reggae record label, GanJah Records. Since leaving the band in 2008, Heinrichs has launched a successful solo career and has released several albums, including a #1 Billboard charting release with Good Vibes in 2016.
The Blue Riddim Band was a Kansas City, Missouri-based reggae band and the first US-based group to play at Jamaica's Reggae Sunsplash festival, which they did in August 1982. (6). The recording of the group's 1982 Sunsplash performance was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1986. (2)
Kerida Shushana Johnson, known professionally as Hempress Sativa, is a contemporary reggae singer and songwriter from Jamaica. Her music aligns with the roots reggae tradition with variants of hip hop, afrobeats and R&B.
The Elovaters are an American, Boston-based American reggae rock band, that formed in 2014.
