Why Reggae Is My Favourite Music Genre

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by Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle

If I weren’t Jamaican, would reggae still be my favourite music genre? I guess that’s a question I’ll never have an answer to. However, as I answer yet another WordPress prompt, I find myself thinking. Why is reggae my favourite genre of music?

Daily writing prompt
What is your favorite genre of music?
View all responses

Well, for starters, this genre of music has shaped my identity. Reggae promotes love. Reggae believes in the unity and equality of all races while promoting Black consciousness and pride. Our people are lost and broken. We bleach our skin, we sew in weaves and uphold Eurocentric beauty ideals because we were told to for several hundred years and we internalized it. Reggae is radical in that it teaches Black people to love ourselves. Reggae has rewritten the narrative of what our hair should look like, what our skin should look like, and what we can achieve as Black people. Black identity is still an uncomfortable topic for many, and even in Caribbean schools (yes, even in Jamaica with a 91% Black ethnicity) in the 21st century– afros, locks and braids are frowned upon, forcibly cut off and shaved because they are still considered unkempt. But, we are slowly unraveling these generational curses and finding our way. Reggae music has been the vehicle.

Reggae music is spiritual. Reggae speaks about overcoming struggle. Reggae music promotes optimism, positivity, humility and gratitude. There’s no better way to connect with the Creator than through reggae music.

One good thing about [reggae] music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.

– Bob Marley

Reggae music is freeing. Reggae music is happy music. Reggae music is “slow down and smell the roses” music. Reggae music promotes healthy living, or what Rastas call the ital lifestyle. Reggae also promotes Jamaican Patois, a language which I took a while to accept and love.

Thus, as cliché as it is coming from a Jamaican, reggae is and will always be my favourite genre of music. Thanks, WordPress, for giving me the platform to share my love for good ole school reggae music. Also, I’m happy to have lived through the great Reggae Revival of the 2010s with new artistes like Chronixx, Koffee, Protoje, Lila Ike, Sevana and Jaz Elise running di place! I’m fortunate to live in Jamaica too where I’ve seen most of my favourite artistes live in concert for free. 🙂

Before I go, let me leave you with three of my favourite reggae songs:

Thanks for reading!

‘Til next time.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle

Adventures from Elle is a travel blog for locals & visitors who want to experience the best of Jamaica, one adventure at a time. The blog is curated by Dr. Rochelle Knight, an internal medicine specialist and published author. She began the blog in 2016 as a medical student & wants to see the world, starting with her home country. Purchase her book 'SIGHTSEE JAMAICA' on Amazon and join her in Jamaica!

21 thoughts on “Why Reggae Is My Favourite Music Genre”

  3. I don’t know much about reggae music, but I always remember some lyrics from a song by Lucky Dube, something about roots and how reggae music is all that he needs.

    I thought of the song when you I read the part of reggae music being a unifying sound — for blacks and Africans.

    This is a sign for me, to actually listen to reggae music.❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Awww that’s so cool! Lucky Dube isn’t big in Jamaica but we do hear his music every now and again. It’s always humbling to see how worldwide our music has become. Do check out reggae music again. 🙂

      Chronixx’s “Capture Land” and “Black is beautiful” are great places to start where Black consciousness is concerned. And Bob Marley’s music is timeless. Thanks for reading!

      Liked by 1 person

  4. I only know of Bob Marley when it comes to reggae, but I will say that a lot of Western music (especially from non-reggae artists), have incorporated reggae into their music, thus making it trendy and mainstream today. However, one must not forget reggae’s roots and its philosophy beyond its catchy beats– it’s truly an indelible part of Jamaican culture, that’s for sure!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Rebecca! You’re so right. Reggae has been incorporated into pop, rap, EDM and more. I also find it incredible how long lasting Bob Marley’s legacy is. Can you imagine he died at 36 over 40 years ago?? Imagine how many more hits we would’ve got. At least his sons are doing a great job at continuing his legacy. Thanks for reading!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Hi Rochelle. I’d like to say this. Probably our greatest single thing we brought home from our Jamaica tour last year was the pride of Jamaican people surrounding how at long last after such a long history of oppression, the people have asserted themselves in such a way that they can finally be openly proud of their ethnicity and culture. And so they should be. The murals around the Water Lane area tell a meaningful and moving story. Reggae is and has been the vehicle for those powerful messages, no wonder Bob Marley is a natural hero. We came away with more than love for Jamaica and its people and Rastafarian beliefs; we came away with a deeper understanding of the consequences of inequality than we’ve leaned anywhere else on our travels. We feel we are better people for having visited Jamaica and listened and learned. One Love…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m so, so happy you took home this message from your visit to Jamaica. I think you did so because of your trip to Kingston. It’s not the most glamorous city but it tells the story of our people, emerging from oppression and finding beauty in ourselves. Reggae is the vehicle with which we spread that epiphany of love and unity, and it’s reflected in our art too. Thanks for reading and sharing! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Reggae music is so influential in Nigeria. Lots of us grew up listening to these tunes and thanks to Koffee (tho it’s high time she came back from retirement) and Protégé for rekindling my love for the tunes. Their collabo – Switch It Up still jams in my head occasionally.

    Good day Rochelle and thanks for sharing. I may hop on this writing prompts myself; as long as they’re related to travel, arts or culture

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Erico. That’s so heartwarming to know! I attended a sound clash music festival on Friday (an article on music festivals is loading 🙂 ) and they brought a South Sudanese and German DJ to clash and both handled themselves pretty well. It was amazing to see how far reaching our culture is. I love that Proteje and Koffee collab too, and yes. Several of these guys are long overdue putting out new music, Chronixx and Koffee especially.

      Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you trying one of these writing prompts soon. I find that they’re fun and don’t take as much work since it’s opinion based with little to no research involved.

      Liked by 1 person

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