Bob Marley
During the 1960’s, reggae music was created by combining the characteristics of the North American rock and African Jamaican music. This new style known as reggae had very much in common with rhythm and blues, though the textbook America’s Musical Landscape the author Jean Ferris states that, “the polyrythms are more complex, the bass lines are stronger, and the tempos more relaxed” (Ferris p. 207). The music of reggae gives a very soulful and religious feel to its listeners. Reggae music is closely related to the religious movement Rastafarianism, and so much of this genre of music has religious connotations explaining the singers beliefs and views on situations from a Rastafarian perspective (Bradbury p.2).
Though the reggae music had been popular in other parts of the world in 1960, especially England, it didn’t become popular music in the United States until a legendary performer named Bob Marley came onto the reggae musical scene. Bob Marley is without a doubt the king of reggae music and when you think of reggae Marley is probably associated. His words of wisdom reached to many people who were in a difficult situation; no matter what the problem maybe there is a Bob Marley song that can in some way or another relate. Marley grew up in the ghetto of Kingston, Jamaica known as Trenchtown. It was here that he went through his struggles with poverty, hunger, and the everyday struggles of being a poor black child in a poor third world country. Marley dropped out of school at the age of 15 to make money as a welder, and he spent all of his free time with his best friend Bunny perfecting his vocal skill (Miller p.1). In 1962 musical friends Bob Marley, the Bunny, Peter McIntosh, and Junior Braithwaite started a reggae band the Wailing Wailers. Within their first year their first single “Simmer Down” was a number one hit in Jamaica and was putting the young men on a path to stardom. Though the band did not remain together after Bob Marley got married in 1966. The other members of the band all went on to have successful careers as solo artists of reggae music, but none of them turned out to be as great as Bop Marley. Bob Marley changed his style of reggae, after his marriage and involvement in the Rastafarian movement, to send a more spiritual and social message to its listeners. Bob Marley formed his new band Bob Marley and the Wailers featuring a female trio of vocal harmony including his wife Rita, Marcia Griffith, and Judy Mowatt. The new group was set on spreading the message of “One love, one world” (Miller p.1).
The Rastifarian religious movement was based on the blending of the purest forms of both Judaism and Christianity. Though they differed very much from Christians, for they worshipped and prayed to Jehovah, their god. This religious form rejects the Babylonian hypocrisy of the modern church (Bradbury p.1). [next page]