Reggae developed from mento,
R&B, and Ska music in the 1960s. The shift from rocksteady to reggae was
illustrated by the organ shuffle pioneered by Jamaican musicians like Jackie
Mittoo and Winston Wright and featured in transitional singles "Say What
You're Saying" (1967) by Clancy Eccles and "People Funny Boy"
(1968) by Lee "Scratch" Perry. The Pioneers' 1968 track "Long
Shot (Bus' Me Bet)" has been identified as the earliest recorded example
of the new rhythm sound that became known as reggae
Early 1968 was when the first bona
fide reggae records were released: "Nanny Goat" by Larry Marshall and
"No More Heartaches" by The Beltones. That same year, the newest Jamaican
sound began to spawn big-name imitators in other countries. American artist
Johnny Nash's 1968 hit "Hold Me Tight" has been credited with first
putting reggae in the American listener charts. Around the same time, reggae
influences were starting to surface in rock and pop music, one example being
1968's "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" by The Beatles
The Wailers, a band started by Bob
Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in 1963, is perhaps the most recognized
band that made the transition through all three stages of early Jamaican
popular music: ska, rocksteady and reggae. Other significant reggae pioneers
include Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker and Ken Boothe.
However, another pioneer was Millie
Small (born 6 October 1946 a Jamaican
singer-songwriter, best known for her 1964 blue-beat/ska cover version of
"My Boy Lollipop" which was a smash hit internationally.
No comments:
Post a Comment