Roots Archives Forum

Bredrin,...you convinced me. Give thanx!

Zionist wrote:-Real instruments. In a computerized world, it's as authentic as can be.

-It is an authentic, heartfelt roots music, the cry of the people in their suffering and also an expression of their joy, a mirror of life with all its highs and lows.

-To understand where much modern music came from. This is the granddaddy of every hip hop track and "remix" (much as you can't understand rock music without knowing anything about the blues).

-Often a message music, going far beyond the banalities of most "popular" music to reach a high spiritual plane. As biblical as gospel, but makes you move like funk.

-Some of the greatest melodies and most heartfelt singing to be found in any music. Anyone who thinks reggae all sounds the same isn't listening very closely.

I agree 100% with Zionist. Well said,
I might add that it is music made for the LOVE OF THE MUSIC , not for the " market "
or at least it used to be.

I'm thinking an incredible amount of reggae was done for the market and not just for the love of the music. The artist/producers wanted a hit and money ... not an empty plate and a little respect. Reggae is incredible music and has a certain vibe but trying to objectivily reason for it as being a better genre than any other genre is just ridiculous. It's also tiresome that people just seem to focus on the roots music when talking of how great reggae is. Makes a very broad genre extremely narrow.

^^ Its tiresome when people say its tiresome that there's more to reggae than stuff made in the lates 70's, early 80's though! I've always felt that people who say this are trying to sound like they have a finer appreciation for the genre. I don't know of many people like this because as record sales and how most reggae fans will tell you, the best stuff is vintage. You're making a narrow genre too broad. People often will complain that the masses are too deaf dumb and blind to appreciate anything non kitsch but in this case the majority have it right and they're listening to the minority of a genre. i think its actually one of reggaes more positive/interesting attributes.

I dont try to convince anybody to like reggae, those who overstand know already you either get it or you dont. the message is there for all to find.

Black Uhuru - Red
Any Bob Marley album on the Island label - no compilations
Peter Tosh - Equal Rights, Legalize It
Max Romeo - War ina Baylon
Burning Spear - anything until 1984
Gladiators -anything on the fronline label
etc...

it,s ok to recommend reggae to non reggae fans but in honesty there is so much rubbish out there you would have to put forward a few bands/names as an introduction to what reggae to listen too to get the hooked factor:

so my question is who would you reccomend to start with..

Peter Andre - Mysterious Girl
Baha Men - Who Let The Dogs Out?

Reggae music is so good, you can listen to the different versions of the same instrumental backing and it sounds like a totally new song, yet friendly and familiar. Though I have thought its a shame more genres dont have reggae style versions, the remixes in popular genres generally are drastically different to the original track and involve a lot more chopping about and adding samples, even totally different rythm parts and instruments. Mess around with the Multitrack of Wonderwall, and you can see how awesome reggae-style dub versions would be with other genres.

I think that a compilation like King Tubbys in Fine style, XXX% Dynamite, or a Trojan box set which is most similar to their current music taste (hiphop=DJ box set, indie=roots/rockers, electronic=dub, oldies=60s box set, etc), would be a good way to ease people into reggae.

interesting topic! in my experience it is hard to convince somebody to listen to reggae music by words, let them hear the music!
depending on the person´s taste in music there are different things to recommend. does she/he have an open ear to vintage music?
for jazz lovers try ernest ranglin, tommy mccook or groundation.
with rock fans i would recommend something with guitar and minor chords.
a dance music lover should listen to some heavy dub.
punk rockers should check sublime.
for rap music listeners i recommend some deejay tunes.

the most important thing is to play it LOUD on a good system so they can hear the power of the bass.