Early Reggae

Early reggae, the evolution from rocksteady and precursor to the roots reggae that exploded in the late 1970s, flourished in Jamaica between approximately 1968 and 1972. Characterized by a bouncy rhythm with a slower tempo than ska but quicker than rocksteady, it often featured a prominent bass line and offbeat rhythm guitar strums, creating a skank rhythm that encouraged a danceable groove. The genre laid down a framework for the political and socially conscious themes that would become synonymous with later reggae. Artists like Derrick Morgan and Clancy Eccles infused early reggae with soulful vocals and harmonies, while instrumentalists such as Roland Alphonso contributed rich and melodic horn lines. Early reggae records frequently boasted organ riffs, a signature sound provided by musicians like Winston Wright, which would become a distinctive feature of the genre.

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