History of Reggae Reggae music is musical genre which is a result of the evolution and development of several other musical genres and styles. Although it is strongly influenced by Afro-Caribbean music and American R&B, reggae music primarily originated from the progressive developments of rocksteady and ska back in the 1960s in Jamaica. Bob Marley, a popular reggae musician, said that the term reggae came from the Spanish term for the king’s music. Today, reggae music continues to be a significant influence on many other genres such as black music, soul music and chillout music. The distinguishing characteristic of reggae music would be a heavy and back-beated rhythm. This means that the emphasis of the beat would be on the second and fourth beat in a 4/4 time. This backbeat is actually a general characteristic of most African-based musical compositions and cannot be found in traditional Asian or European music. Another characteristic of reggae music would be an emphasis on the third beat in 4/4 time done through a kick on the bass drum. As for its harmony, reggae music often has a simple one; sometimes an entire song would have just one or two chords. Because of the simple and repetitive chord structures of reggae music, it has been sometimes described to have a hypnotic effect to the listener. The lyrics of reggae music could somewhat be difficult to understand, as they are typically English-based but have a distinct Jamaican dialect. The common themes of the song lyrics of reggae music are usually associated with various subjects including relationships, love, religion, peace, sexuality, injustice and poverty. There are also some reggae songs with lyrics that attempt to elevate the political awareness of the audience through criticizing materialism, or through informing listeners about controversial topics like Apartheid. Some common socio-political topics which are also used in reggae songs would be Black Nationalism, anti-colonialism, anti-racism and anti-capitalism. Most reggae lyrics also reflect the traditions and beliefs of Rastafarianism, which is a religion practiced by the most famous reggae musicians of the world.