The reggae and dancehall genres of music are ones that sometime flies under the radar; but their influence is undeniable and both have dedicated fanbases in the UK and around the world.
In recent years, Rhianna’s dancehall inspired pop tunes have ensured that the sound is never far from the charts, and even people who wouldn’t describe themselves as reggae fans hear reggae and dancehall regularly.
It’s a popular sound and it’s one that was born in Jamaica; the term is often used to describe all sorts of music associated with the Jamaican diaspora, but the true reggae sound is characterised by a blend of traditional mento and calypso music, jazz and ska.
Since its inception in the 1960s, reggae has inspired thousands of musicians in Jamaica and beyond to pick up their instruments and create music; there are too many talented artists to mention, but read on for a low down on just a few of the greats.
Bob Marley
No list of the reggae greats would be complete without a mention of Bob Marley, perhaps the most famous reggae artist of all time and certainly the only one that many Brits have heard of.
Marley achieved mainstream success, the likes of which has not been seen since, with his infectiously catchy tunes and simple lyrics, which were often about topics like love, unity and peace.
The singer initially started out with the band The Wailers, but following the breakup of the band he created a successful solo career for himself.
The album Exodus proved to be his first and biggest hit, securing him a place as one of the top selling artists of all time. It stayed in the UK album charts for an impressive 56 consecutive weeks and established a worldwide reputation for Marley.
As a committed Rastafarian, Bob Marley’s music was deeply spiritual and promoted peaceful values which resonated with his audience, for whom the threat of war and even nuclear war loomed large in the 70s.
Taken too young, Marley died at just 36 from a rare form of skin cancer, but his legacy as the most successful reggae artist of all time lives on.
Desmond Dekker
One of the pioneering reggae artists was Desmond Dekker, but reggae was not the genre in which he began his musical life.
A dedicated church goer for his whole life, Dekker was first introduced to music in the form of hymns, which he enjoyed singing at church. At the age of 20, while working as a welder, Dekker was offered the opportunity to sign with a record label – Beverley’s.
Although his early releases were mostly ska in style and drew heavily on the Rude Boy culture, in 1968 he released Israelites. In retrospect, it was one of the first reggae records ever released, and topped the UK singles chart, as well as hitting the US Billboard Chart’s top ten.
After that hit, Dekker continued to release music in the new reggae style, and became one of the first Jamaican artists to gain mainstream success with music of a genre that was unique and did not follow American conventions or styles.
Performing until the very end, Dekker passed away at his London home in 2006, after a sparkling career which saw him spearhead the inception of a new genre and raise the profile of Jamaican music immeasurably.
Jah Cure
Born Siccature Alcock in 1978, Jah Cure claims to have loved reggae music since he was just three years old. As a young adolescent he sneaked out to listen to dancehall and reggae music at night and quickly became an established name in Jamaica.
The name Jah Cure was given to him by fellow artist Capleton and rumor suggests that it was a reference to the copious quantity of marijuana that he smoked; an integral part of his Rastafari religion.
In the late 90s and early 00s Jah Cure spent some time in prison, but with access to a recording studio and facilities in the correctional facility, he didn’t let these circumstances stop him from making and releasing music.
Since his release, Jah Cure has spoken publicly of his desire to spread love and peace through his music, and remains popular among reggae fans to this day. If you’d like to book him for any kind of performance or appearance, the Jah Cure agent is London based agency MN2S.
