Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a special kind of reggae that is strongly influenced by the spiritual ideas of the Rastafarian movement. It's the classic variety of reggae, the style that most people think of when they hear the word reggae .
development
The roots reggae develops from the early reggae , which in turn goes back to the rock steady . Compared to early reggae, the pace of roots reggae is slower. The previously popular studio effects such as delay reverb and phaser are largely in the background, instead the lyrics become more important. They often contain praises to God ( Jah Rastafari ) or Haile Selassie I. Recurring motifs are also poverty and resistance to government repression . The critical stance of roots reggae is particularly important in Africa and South America , and of course in Jamaica.
The first roots reggae album is generally considered to be Bob Marley & The Wailers ' LP " Catch a Fire " from 1973, although there was previously roots reggae by the Abyssinians , among others . International breakthrough but the music style helps a white man: Eric Clapton , the " I Shot The Sheriff " of Marley's second LP Burnin ' (1973) covert and 1974 No. 1 in the US, top 5 successes achieved in Germany and England. In the following years Marley rose to become a reggae superstar. The years 1976 and 1977 can be considered the creative climax of roots reggae. There appear u. a. the epochal albums: " Legalize It " by former Marley comrade Peter Tosh , "War Ina Babylon" by Max Romeo (both 1976), "Two Sevens Clash" by Culture , and " Exodus " by Marley himself (both 1977). Other important roots reggae performers include Johnny Clarke , Dennis Brown , Gregory Isaacs , Horace Andy , Barrington Levy , Third World and Justin Hinds . As producers should Lee Perry and Coxsone Dodd called. The roots reggae boom gradually ebbed away in the eighties, after Marley's death, but mainly due to the further development of studio technology.
Roots reggae is an important part of Jamaican culture, and although it was soon superseded by other reggae directions in its popularity (e.g. dub and dancehall ), it has nevertheless conquered its niche worldwide.