Reggae

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Audio: Reggae

Reggae is a musical genre from 1960s Jamaica, with its signature “off-beat” rhythm (accents on weak beats), the spirituality of Rastafarianism, and a social message of struggle and peace.

Reggae took shape in Jamaica in the late 1960s as a development of ska and rocksteady. Its defining rhythmic feature is the accent on the second and fourth beats of the bar, creating the signature “rocking” effect, opposite to the European march.

Bob Marley (1945–1981) brought reggae to the world stage and made it the voice of the fight for freedom, peace, and racial dignity. His album Exodus and the posthumous compilation Legend are classics of world music. Other important artists: Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear. Reggae shaped hip-hop (through dub) and punk (The Clash). In Ukraine the reggae scene is represented by the band Komu Vnyz (in select tracks) and solo projects.

Cultural Versus

Reggae

Sub-category:: world

Reggae is a musical genre from 1960s Jamaica, with its signature “off-beat” rhythm (accents on weak beats), the spirituality of Rastafarianism, and a social message of struggle and peace.

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Avant-garde

Sub-category:: classical

Avant-garde is a broad movement of 20th-century experimental music that breaks established forms and sound norms. Aleatoric technique, prepared piano, and musique concrète are the legacy of this movement.