roots reggae
Kingston's original sound
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae music that emerged in Jamaica in the 1970s, characterized by its emphasis on Rastafarian spirituality, African identity, and social consciousness.
The lyrics typically address themes of poverty, oppression, repatriation to Africa, and resistance to political injustice, distinguishing it from the lighter dance-oriented reggae styles.
Artists like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Burning Spear became the genre's most prominent voices.
The roots reggae sound defined a generation of conscious music.
Rasta term for deity
- ZionBiblical promised homeland
- BabylonAncient Mesopotamian capital
- Lion of JudahMessianic emblem from scripture
- dreadlocksRopelike matted hair strands
Haile Selassie · ganja · sacrament · repatriation · Ethiopia · Marcus Garvey · reasoning · redemption
Caribbean nation's capital
- sound systemAudio playback equipment
- selectorMechanism for choosing
- deejayOne who plays recorded music
- PatoisCaribbean English-based creole
yard · Caribbean · island · Blue Mountains · downtown · uptown · sufferer · ghetto
Racial classification by ancestry
- riddimSparse, bass-heavy dance music
- basslineLow-register musical foundation
- skankPromiscuous or disreputable person
- steppersThose who stride
rocksteady · dub · syncopation · backbeat · groove · drum and bass · repeater · melodica
- Peter Tosh
- AbyssiniansPeople of historic Ethiopia
- CongosTwo Central African republics
- Jimmy Cliff
Public expression of disapproval
- resistanceCapacity to withstand force
- struggleLabored effort against resistance
- defianceOpen resistance to authority
- revolutionViolent governmental overthrow
uprising · fight the power · wage slavery · colonial · apartheid · anti-imperialism · freedom fighter · stand up
Act of raising up
- liberationRelease from constraint
- unityWholeness through cohesion
- peaceFreedom from disturbance
- loveIntense fond attachment
equality · social justice · oppression · emancipation · Pan-Africanism · prophecy · righteousness · overcoming
Jah
Rasta term for deity
- ZionBiblical promised homeland
- BabylonAncient Mesopotamian capital
- Lion of JudahMessianic emblem from scripture
Haile Selassie · dreadlocks · ganja · sacrament · repatriation · Ethiopia · Marcus Garvey · reasoning · redemption
Kingston
Caribbean nation's capital
- sound systemAudio playback equipment
- selectorMechanism for choosing
- deejayOne who plays recorded music
Patois · yard · Caribbean · island · Blue Mountains · downtown · uptown · sufferer · ghetto · shantytown
one-drop
Racial classification by ancestry
- riddimSparse, bass-heavy dance music
- basslineLow-register musical foundation
- skankPromiscuous or disreputable person
steppers · rocksteady · dub · syncopation · backbeat · groove · drum and bass · repeater · melodica · four-to-the-floor
Bob Marley
- AbyssiniansPeople of historic Ethiopia
- CongosTwo Central African republics
protest
Public expression of disapproval
- resistanceCapacity to withstand force
- struggleLabored effort against resistance
- defianceOpen resistance to authority
revolution · uprising · fight the power · wage slavery · colonial · apartheid · anti-imperialism · freedom fighter · stand up
upliftment
Act of raising up
- liberationRelease from constraint
- unityWholeness through cohesion
- peaceFreedom from disturbance
love · equality · social justice · oppression · emancipation · Pan-Africanism · prophecy · righteousness · overcoming · perseverance
version
A distinct form
mixing board · vinyl · 45 RPM
- CaribbeanJamaica, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Haiti
- ReggaeBob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Jamaica, Kingston
- Afro-Latin musicsalsa, cumbia, merengue, bachata, mambo
- Caribbean musiccalypso, soca, ska, steelpan, steel drums
- Jamaican Musicdub, dancehall, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, ska
- RastafariJah, dreadlocks, Haile Selassie, Bob Marley, Zion
roots reggaedancehall
Paid venue for social movement
ragga · ska · reggaeton · soca · rocksteady
roots reggaeEDM
Beat-driven club genre
electronic dance music · synthpop · techno · drum and bass · dubstep