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The Definition Of Reggae

Definition of Reggae Music, how would one define Reggae Music. Reggae is a genre of music which originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s.

What part of speech is Reggae? the word Reggae is a Noun. According to the Dictionary.com "Its a style of Jamaican popular music blending blues, Calypso, and rock-'n'-roll, characterized by a strong syncopated rhythm and lyrics of social protest".

The 1967 edition of the Dictionary of Jamaican English lists reggae as "a recently estab. sp. for rege", as in rege-rege, a word that can mean either "rags, ragged clothing" or "a quarrel, a row". Reggae as a musical term first appeared in print with the 1968 rocksteady hit "Do the Reggay" by The Maytals which named the genre of Reggae for the world.

The genre of Reggae music was formed from the blending of Ska and Rocksteady Music, two of Jamaica's first kinds of music.

According to Ras Cardo Reggae was born in his backyard in Trench Town, Kingston, Jamaica.


Definition of Reggae music in the early days was more about social commentary, politics and love. Most Reggae artists back then were Rastafarians.

Reggae is deeply linked to the Rastafari, an Afrocentric religion which developed in Jamaica in the 1930s, aiming at promoting Pan Africanism.

One of the most easily recognizable elements is offbeat rhythms; staccato chords played by a guitar or piano (or both) on the offbeats of the measure. 

The BPM of Reggae music is much slower than Ska and Dancehall Music. Reggae music is played between 60-80 beats per minutes (BPM).

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