What does reggae mean?
Reggae is a music genre that developed in Jamaica during the late 1960s and early 1970s. It grew from earlier Jamaican styles such as ska and rocksteady, adding distinctive offbeat rhythms, prominent bass lines, and influences from African and Caribbean musical traditions. Over time, reggae became internationally recognized and came to represent more than a musical sound: it also expressed ideas about social justice, resistance, peace, and cultural identity, especially through artists associated with the Rastafarian movement. The genre continued to develop into related forms such as dub and dancehall, while remaining influential in popular music, dance, and political culture worldwide. As a word, reggae is used both to name the music and, more broadly, to describe cultural movements and styles connected with it.
A genre of music originating in Jamaica, featuring syncopated rhythms, strong bass lines, and influences from ska, rocksteady, and African musical traditions.
"The festival featured reggae, jazz, and folk music."
Relating to reggae music or the cultural movement associated with it.
"The singer performed on a small reggae stage."
Reggae grew out of Jamaica's distinctive late-1960s sound and became a global voice for rhythm, resistance, and cultural identity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reggae come from?
Reggae developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s from musical traditions including ska and rocksteady. Its precise origin is debated: scholars have connected the name with the English word "ragged" and with Jamaican expressions meaning "ragged" or "starving," but no single derivation is universally accepted. The term was already in use for the emerging Jamaican music before the genre gained its distinctive international identity.
How reggae is actually used
The term is primarily used for a genre of music and for cultural movements connected with it. In its broad cultural sense, it may carry associations with peace, protest, Rastafarian identity, and resistance to oppression, although individual reggae styles and artists vary considerably.
Easily confused with reggae
Reggae is the broader musical genre, while ragga is more specifically associated with an early, stripped-down style of Jamaican music that developed from reggae and later dancehall traditions.