Reggae

Reggae is a Jamaican form of music that emerged in the 1960s. Reggae has African, Western and Jamaican origins. The music consists of American rhythms and blues, African burru music, Jamaican mento, ska and rock steady. Starting with the mobile discotheques in Jamaica, called "sound systems", reggae soon conquered the whole world. The first international success was in 1968 "The Israelites" by Desmond Dekker. It is considered the first world hit of reggae.

Known Representatives

Early well-known performers include Desmond Dekker and Lee "Scratch" Perry. In the early 70's the group The Wailers followed with Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh. Together with Jimmy Cliff, they are still regarded as the most important internationally known representatives of reggae.