Roots reggae

History#

The increasing influence of the Rastafari movement after the visit of Haile Selassie to Jamaica in 1966 played a major part in the development of roots reggae, with spiritual themes becoming more common in reggae lyrics in the late 1960s. The Wailers’ popularity in Europe opened the door for other artists, and roots reggae artists became popular with punk rock fans. While roots reggae was largely overtaken in popularity in Jamaica by dancehall, several artists from the original era, such as Culture, Burning Spear, and Israel Vibration continued to produce roots reggae, and artists like Beres Hammond and Freddie McGregor continued the use of roots reggae, as a musical style and thematically, through the 1980s. In the 1990s younger Jamaican artists became interested in the Rastafari movement and began incorporating roots themes into their music. Most notable among the new generation of “conscious” artists was Garnett Silk, whose positive spiritual message and consistent use of roots and rocksteady riddims gave him cross generational appeal with Caribbean audiences. While other notable dancehall stars like Capleton and Buju Banton became devout Rastas and changed their musical direction as a result. Other modern roots artists and bands also emerged at this time, including Luciano, Junior Kelly, Morgan Heritage, Anthony B, and Sizzla.

Africa as myth#

Similar to the oversimplification and limitations of the terminology middle passage, the roots reggae displays Africa as a mythical paradise that functions primarily as a motivating symbol, imagined origin, and semantic center. “More so even than earlier sounds, roots reggae always seemed to invite itself directly to Africa, brazenly insisting upon itself as the continent’s primary echo, if not recursive mirror”. The mythical Africa articulated in roots reggae is shaped by desire, nostalgia and trauma under the pressure of local Caribbean politics. While an imagined Africa is used as an inspiration for resistance and revolution against “Babylon” (corrupted capitalist colonial culture), Africa’s actual complexity and contradictions are not investigated.

Roots reggae vs. traditional reggae#

Traditional reggae and roots reggae, a subgenre that evolved from traditional reggae, while sharing a common Jamaican heritage, exhibit distinct characteristics that set them apart. Traditional reggae encompasses diverse themes, including love, everyday life, and dancehall culture, whereas roots reggae tends to focus its lyrics on social consciousness. Musically, roots reggae maintains a specific sonic identity, characterised by deep basslines, skanking guitar patterns, and the inclusion of horns. While these distinctions exist, the lines between reggae and roots reggae can be flexible, and the two genres share a significant overlap within the broader reggae musical landscape.

See also#

*List of roots reggae artists

External links#

• Roots-Archives – Searchable database of Jamaican Roots Reggae albums from 1970 to 1985
• Strictly Vibes : Roots Vinyl Database