Transcript REGGAE - cismusic

REGGAE
Jamaican Music
Musical characteristics
• Listen to this piece of
reggae music and identify
the musical characteristics
and as many of the
instruments as possible
• The Abyssinians
"Riddim"
• Reggae is characterized by a heavy backbeated
rhythm, meaning the emphasis of the beat is on,
for example, beats 2 and 4 (the skank), when in
4/4 time.
• This backbeat is characteristic of all Africanbased music and is not found in traditional
European or Asian music.
• Reggae drummers also emphasize the third beat
when in 4/4 time with a kick to the bass drum
(one drop).
• The keyboards will often play a distinctive
rhythm called the ‘bubble’.
Riddim
• The bass guitar plays melodic ostinato
patterns that interlock with the drum
patterns.
• Brass, percussion and backing vocals are
often added.
• There are many distinct ‘reggae’ rhythms
such as ‘sleng teng’, ‘nyabinghi’, ‘lovers’
and ‘one drop’.
Jamaica
• Jamaica is one of the Caribbean islands.
• Throughout history the ports of Jamaica have
been very important for trade.
Slave trade
• The Caribbean was part of the trade triangle that transported slaves
from Africa to the Americas in exchange for raw materials to be
taken to England.
• Slaves from all over West and Central Africa were put to work on the
sugar, cotton and tobacco plantations in Southern America and the
Caribbean islands.
African traditions
• The people of the
Caribbean have retained
a lot of the traditions,
culture and music of
their African heritage.
This has been fused
with the many other
influences that have
been part of the areas’
rich history.
Mento
• The origins of Reggae can be traced back to the many
forms of folk music that were popular in Jamaica in the
1950's.
• The first recorded Jamaican music was Mento which
drew heavily from all the forms of folk music. It was often
referred to as Jamaican Calypso, however only some of
the more uptempo Mento tunes sounded similar to
Calypso.
• Mighty Sparrow- Lion and Donkey
• In the 1940's the phenomenon known as the 'sound
system' began to replace live musicians, principally
because it was cheaper. The sound systems played US
R&B and later their own Jamaican-recorded R&B, which
although initially copied the US style, evolved over a
couple of years into a distinctively Jamaican sound. This
sound drew from Mento as well as R&B and by the end
of 1961 had evolved into Ska.
Sound systems
• Reggae Producers
Some of the first producers of reggae music were: Coxsone Dodd
(Studio One) and Prince Buster
• As they ran sound systems they started recording music to ensure a
exclusive supply of records. They tested new styles of music on the
sound systems, nearly all the Jamaican music - ska, rock steady,
reggae, dancehall and a like has been created because of the
competition between the sound systems for something new to
attract a crowd.
• Sound systems equipment was also a competition between the
sounds. As who had the heaviest bass or the most speaker boxes.
This competition moved into the clashing of sounds.
• A clash is where 2 or more sound systems would compete against
each other in a dance to find the best sound. The crowd would
normally choose the best sound on the night. Sounds would have
"Specials" produced for the sound system exclusively sometimes
just for this one clash by reggae singers and DJ's in a bid to win the
clash.
Ska
• By 1964, a distinctive Jamaican music had
sprung up based around the sound systems
called ska, which was fast and danceable.
• Ska's popularity grew steadily in Jamaica,
alongside Rastafarianism, which spread rapidly
in impoverished urban areas and among the
often politically radical music scene. The lyrics of
ska songs began to focus on Rastafarian
themes; slower beats and chants entered the
music from religious Rastafarian music, and ska
soon evolved into rocksteady.
Rocksteady
• The Wailers and Toots and the Maytals
dominated the charts, taking over from pioneers
like Alton Ellis (who is often said to have
invented rocksteady).
• Desmond Decker’s "007" brought international
attention to the new urban beat.
• The mix put heavy emphasis on the bass line, as
opposed to ska's strong horn section, and the
rhythm guitar began playing on the up-beat
(beats 2 and 4).
Ras Tafari
• Rastafarianism is a religion that is very
common among Jamaicans of African
descent. Many of the world's most
famous reggae musicians practice this
religion, and therefore many reggae
lyrics reflect the beliefs and traditions of
Rastafarianism.
• Rastafarians believe that Emperor
Haile Sellasie of Ethiopia fulfils a
biblical prophesy and is therefore a
living god (Jah). (His birth name was
Ras Tafari)
Marcus Garvey and Civil Rights
• Marcus Garvey was a civil rights leader who
sought to improve the living and working
conditions of Jamaica's poor.
• Through making African descendents proud of
their ancestral heritage he started the civil rights
movement in Jamaica.
• This approach dovetailed with the ‘back to Africa’
beliefs of the Rastafarian religion, and refusing
to use western combs as a protest, their hair
grew into ‘dreadlocks’.
• This was reflected in a ‘rootsier’ sound to the
islands musical styles. Burning Spear
Reggae
• Rocksteady flourished until 1968 when it
evolved into what is now labelled as 'Reggae'.
Reggae became a term which encompassed the
many developing styles of Jamaican music
characterised by the trademark 'skank‘ offbeat
played on the guitar.
• By the mid 1970's, Roots reggae had
developed which concerned itself with the life of
the ghetto sufferer, with reality, with truths and
rights. Many Roots artistes drew on Rastafarian
ideologies and indeed this dominated its lyrics.
Bob Marley
• Bob Marley is probably the most
famous reggae musician.
• His music married his Rastafarian
beliefs with different styles of
Jamaican music and pop.
• He started out as a singer in a
vocal trio singing R and B and
ska before forming The Wailers in
the 1960’s.
• Island Records turned him into a
global superstar by the early
1970’s.
"Riddim"
• Reggae is characterized by a heavy backbeated
rhythm, meaning the emphasis of the beat is on,
for example, beats 2 and 4 (the skank), when in
4/4 time.
• Reggae drummers also emphasize the third beat
when in 4/4 time with a kick to the bass drum
(one drop).
• The keyboards will often play a distinctive
rhythm called the ‘bubble’.
• The bass guitar plays ostinato patterns that
interlock with the drum patterns.
• Brass, percussion and vocal harmonies are
often added.
Dub
• By 1973, dub music had emerged as a
distinct reggae subgenre, and heralded the
dawn of the remix.
• Developed by record producers such as Lee
‘Scratch’ Perry and King Tubby, dub featured
previously-recorded songs remixed with
prominence on the bass. Often the lead
instruments and vocals would drop in and out
of the mix, sometimes processed heavily with
studio effects.
• King Tubby's advantage came from his
intimate knowledge with audio gear, and his
ability to build his own sound systems and
recording studios that were superior to the
competition. He became famous for his
remixes of recordings made by others, as well
as those he recorded in his own studio.
• DJ’s (toasters) would use the mixes to ‘chat’
lyrics over the top.
Listening
• Identify these Jamaican styles:
DUB REGGAE SKA ROCKSTEADY MENTO
TOASTING
Toasting
1.
Rocksteady
2.
Ska
3.
Mento
4.
Reggae
5.
Dub
6.