Cultural-Spiritual Factors in Reggae’s Evolution
Rastafarianism (Afro-centric religion and culture; people’s nationalism: a return to the ideals of independence; emancipation)
Rastafarianism was an indigenous fusion of messianism and millenarianism, anti-colonialism, and Black nationalism, and it gave the cause of “Black supremacy” spiritual, political, and social dimensions. The religion found a fast following in the impoverished western Kingston ghettos, especially in the Back-O-Wall yard, where Rastas constructed a camp of wood and tin. Through the mid-1960s, amidst frequent and constant run-ins with the colonial authorities, their influence over the tenement yards grew. (Chang 23-4)
“Selassie is the Chapel” by Bob Marley
Entry Questions
Marley dives into Bob Marley’s life as a Rastafarian, including his relationships, family, and health struggles. How does the documentary balance his patriarchal complexities with his public image as a symbol of resistance and unity? How can we connect it to Safiya Sinclair’s critique of Rastafarianism’s masculinist tendencies?
Rebel music: rocksteady, reggae, sound systems and dub
“Noise came up from the streets to fill the space—yard-centric toasts, sufferer moans, analog echoes—the sounds of people’s histories, dub histories, versions not represented in the official version. As musical competition was overshadowed by violent political competition, dub became the sound of a rapidly fragmenting nation—troubling, strange, tragic, wise slow-motion portraits of social collapse.” (Chang 30)
What is your understanding of reggae music after engaging with these sources? Can you identify its key characteristics, themes, or prominent artists (besides Bob Marley) who have contributed to its development?
“Roots, Rock Reggae” by Bob Marley and the Wailers
What is Marley’s definition of Reggae? What does the music do to the listeners?
Presentation(s):
A
B
Political Factors Involved in the Evolution of 1960-70s Jamaican Music
By the 1970s, the economy, still dependent on the former colonial arrangements, sputtered. Banana farming needed price support and protection. The bauxite and tourist industries—the businesses that extracted more than they put in—were growing but had little effect on an island where more than one in three was unemployed. Here was where the optimism of official nationalism broke down. (23)
.Political corruption and confrontation between two main parties: the Conservative Jamaican Labour Party (JLP) and the democratic socialist People’s National Party (PNP).
.U.S. intervention in Jamaica and economic retreat.
.Violence against the supporters of the opposition; The intermingling of state violence and gang violence.
How does Marley reflect post-independence Jamaica’s social and political struggles, particularly during the 1970s? In what ways did Bob Marley’s music respond to or reflect the tensions between the People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP)?
Diaspora
.In 1948, the British Nationality Act gave people from colonies the right to live and work in Britain. The government needed workers to help fill post-war labor shortages and rebuild the economy. Caribbean countries were also struggling economically, and job vacancies in the UK offered an opportunity. Many of those who came became manual workers, drivers, cleaners, and nurses in the newly-established NHS.
.The 1971 Immigration Act gave Commonwealth citizens living in the UK indefinite leave to remain – the permanent right to live and work in the UK.
This included the Windrush generation and people from other former British colonies in South Asia and Africa.
Racist alarm at the increase in the Black British population led to the Commonwealth Immigrants Act that restricted the entry of immigrants from current and former British colonies. By 1972, only those with work permits or parents or grandparents born in Britain could enter the country, effectively ending most Caribbean immigration.
Here’s Bob Marley’s take on the urban/diasporic experience:
“Concrete Jungle” by Bob Marley
What are his conceptions of captivity and freedom in the song?
Breakout Room Discussions
Group 1
How does Marley portray Bob Marley’s music as a cultural expression and a tool for political and social change?
Group 2
Much of Bob Marley’s music speaks to the struggles of Jamaica’s poor and marginalized communities in urban areas like Trench Town. How does the documentary link Marley’s personal experiences and lyrics to the broader context of economic inequality and systemic oppression in Jamaica during his lifetime?
Group 3
The documentary highlights Bob Marley’s mixed-race identity. How did these aspects of his identity influence his music and his role as a cultural icon?
Group 4
Bob Marley’s embrace of Rastafarianism coincided with its rise as a significant cultural and political movement in Jamaica. How does the documentary portray Marley’s role in amplifying Rastafarianism as a spiritual practice and a form of resistance to colonial and neo-colonial influences in Jamaica?
Group 5
In what ways did his music transcend national boundaries to address global issues? What challenges or tensions are highlighted regarding the worldwide reception and appropriation of reggae?