The booking fee for reggae music artists can start at $10,000, with booking prices for Adult Contemporary groups going to fee of over $1,000,000.

What is reggae music?

Noted for its heavy social criticism and lyrics which often reflect social issues and political struggle, the music genre of reggae grew out of Jamaican sky and rocksteady music of the 1960’s. Also influenced by the Rastafari movement, the genre was also heavily influenced by American blues and jazz music, which local artists were sometimes able to pick up via radio and to which they were exposed through visits by such New Orleans artists as Fats Domino and Allen Toussaint.

The blend of influence created the genre best associated with reggae pioneer Bob Marley, but other early reggae artists include Toots and the Maytals, Larry Marshall, and The Beltones, the first of which was the first two to use the word “reggae” in a song title (“Do the Reggay.”) Marshall and then The Beltones both recorded some of the earliest singles marketed as reggae: “Nanny Goat” and “No More Heartaches,” respectively.  

With the success of The Wailers, founded by Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, and Bob Marley, the genre of reggae began to make its way to America and beyond, despite most songs being recorded in heavy dialect—Jamaican Patois, Lyaric, and Jamaican English. Other notable reggae artists enjoying success during the genre’s “golden era” of 1960-1975 include: Millie Small (“My Boy Lollipop”); Ken Lazarus (“Come Back Darling”); Funky Brown (“You’ll Never Find”); Pluto (“I Man Bitter” and “Bend Down”); and Wilfred Edwards (“Tell Me Darling.”)

By the 1970’s reggae’s influence had reached its full strength in America, with multiple artists from other genres recording their own version of reggae hits, including: Three Dog Night (“Black and White,” originally recorded by the Maytones); Johnny Nash (“I Can See Clearly Now”); and Paul Simon’s “Mother and Child Reunion,” which he actually recorded in Kingston Jamaica with original artist Jimmy Cliff backing his vocals. The song rose into the top of the mainstream American charts upon its release in 1972. Also notable, of course, is Eric Clapton’s cover of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff,” which released in 1974.

Since it’s rise, reggae has solidified as an internationally recognized and embraced genre. The Grammy Awards installed the award for Best Reggae Album in 1985, bestowing the honor that year upon Black Uhuru for the album Anthem. Other notable award winners since include Jimmy Cliff (Cliff Hanger); Peter Tosh (No Nuclear War); Ziggy Marley (with multiple wins); Burning Separ (Calling Rastafari); and Toots & the Maytals (True Love.)  Current chart-topping reggae artists of the new millennium include: Bennie Man, Maxi Priest, Shaggy, Steel Pulse, and four of Bob Marley’s children—Damien Marley, Julian Marley, Ky-Mani Marley, and Ziggy Marley, who carry on their father’s legacy and influence through music.

What is dance hall music?

Dancehall music, also called dub or ragga is sort of mix reggae mand hip hop music which came out of Jamaica in the mid to late 1970s and is generally considered to be the direct predecessor of rap.

 

Tags: Reggae Music / Dancehall Bands