Reggae is one of the most influential forms of music of the late C20. It has changed the face of popular culture in the UK, America and across the world. In the late sixties it inspired the skinhead movement. In the late seventies it travelled to the Bronx where Jamaican expatriate sound bwoys like Kool Herc established sound systems and brought DJ'ing (rapping) and selecting (DJ'ing) to America and gave birth to hip hop. In the UK it inspired the punks and a whole generation of anti- establishment, 'bu'n down Babylon', behaviour. In the late eighties the dancehall was used as the template for the rave scene. This, in turn, formed the template for the present club/dance scene. In the nineties dancehall reggae (dub and ragga) were speeded up and re-mixed to give jungle, this became drum & bass and is presently UK garage. |
Today the emphasis on the bass; the DJ who plays, not behind a desk in a radio station, but mixes live on a 20k+ sets; the rapper who chats over the music; the whirling sound effects mixed live over the music; the blending and mixing of rhythms (beats); the hardcore bumper shaking on the dancefloor; the impy-skimpy, dege dege outfits; the phrases like booyakka! big up! Babylon; the Sound System stringing up in an abandoned hall at 2:00 in a morning and playing throughout the next day...all of these owe their existence to reggae. In spite of this, how much do we know about reggae? I don't mean the names of performers and their discographies. I mean, how much do we know about reggae? |
This site is designed to inform. It is also here to argue and discuss. This is not the TV equivalent of a 'reggaementary' some superficial documentary on reggae designed for those who know little or nothing about the genre. Too many of these leave out the reggae massive. No Elvis fan would be interested in viewing yet another documentary that went no further than informing us of where he was born and what records and films he made. This site is not about the music there are nuff sites dealing with that. This is about the culture, the style, the dance and the importance to African peoples identity, culture and struggle against oppression. |
bAM bAm Using original stuff I want to explore reggae dancehall dance, fashion an issues. Dance moves - check out what's happening on the danceloor. Fashion - my own work exploring African peoples style via the dancefloor. Comments on what is wearing. Designers please send images and info. so I can feature it. Comment - discussion about dancehall and wider cultural issues. Exploring and informing.
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