The concept that all
black people belong to a common ancestry whether living in the mother continent
or the diaspora and therefore should unite for a common purpose has been sensitized
in different ways. Music, especially reggae has played a crucial role on that side.
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| Iconic Reggae Music Flag |
Inspired by great black
race leaders such as George Padmore, Marcus Garvey, Haile Selassie etc., reggae
music has been part of the struggle for justice and civil rights for millions
of black people across the world, especially in the Caribbean Islands and other parts of Central America.
Terming the European system of oppression and unjust treatment against African folks and corrupt political governments as ‘Babylon,’ artists through reggae music have questioned, rebelled and awaken African masses to rise against such systems and to realize their true worth.
Some of the most notable reggae musicians who pioneered this include;
1. Robert Nester Marley A.K.A Bob Marley
Bob Marley is the greatest of all-time
reggae stars and is known worldwide for his revolutionary tunes. Bob Marley,
originally a member of the Wailers band has had without a doubt the greatest
impact on people from oppressed states through his reggae music.
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| Image: Robert Nester Marley |
Depicting the speech of
Emperor Haile Selassie in 1963 address to the United Nation, Bob Marley in
his big tune ‘War’ illustrates that the struggles of many oppressed black
people either at home or in the diaspora will live on until victory for
humanity is achieved.
Bob also reminds black
people to get up and stand up for their rights. Through the ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ hit song he deconstructs the European concept of God that is forced on black people
through systematic institutionalization and education. Bob Marley is one of the
greatest Pan Africans that ‘Jah’ sent to save/awaken the black people.
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| The face of Reggae Music - Bob Marley |
So strong was his impact that he inspired several reggae artists, and woke several black folks who for a long time had been dead asleep. So lethal were his lyrics against the 'Babylon System' that the system had him eliminated and rested the blame on cancer. Nevertheless, the third-eyed Pan Africans know that the Babylon System would do all it takes to eliminate that which is a threat to them.
2. Lucky
Philip Dube
This South African star had people from all walks of life fall in love with reggae music. In one of his greatest lyrics, he bashes the 'Babylon' System of apartheid in South Africa.
Dube was without a
doubt a critic of racism and oppression. He believed in a one people, one love philosophy, to live in peace and harmony despite the different colours of our skin.
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| Lucky Dube |
Listening to Dube’s lyrics is not only about reggae music and race struggle but also a lesson of many social life challenges that several African youths go through in their day-to-day lives.
Unfortunately, the Babylon System had Dube brutally shot most probably out of
fear of his awakening of black people through the influence of his reggae lyrics.
3. Winston
Rodney OD A.K.A Burning Spear
Popularly known as the ‘Teacher’, Burning Spear is one of the most experienced reggae artists. He is known to remind the black people of their identity through the lyrics in his song ‘Identity.’
Burning Speer is popularly known for exposing the European
explorer Christopher Columbus as a ‘damn blasted liar’ after Mr Culumbus had claimed to discover America.
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| Burning Spear |
Burning Spear also takes
keen note of all the black race leaders who had and still use different means
such as speeches, writing, and philanthropy to change the face of
Africa and her people as he acknowledges them as ‘Jah’ sent.
4. Tarrus
Omar Riley
The American reggae
singer of Jamaican descent is today popular in Africa and across the world for
good, inspirational reggae tunes that depict squarely African issues and
values, especially those of the Caribbean.
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| Taurus Riley |
The staunch member of the Rastafarian Movement is a conscious pan African and he expresses it through his reggae lyrics. In his tune ‘Love Created I’ Tarrus like Bob Marley bashes the European depiction of God’s image.
Preferring the teaching
of Marcus Garvey and Selassie to any other, Taurus illustrates that black folks
have been submerged deep into the new millennium of slavery where the Babylon
system has hidden their chains and whips and still beat Africans daily.
5. Richell
Bonner A.K.A Richie Spice
The Jamaican star is popular for his depiction of the youths and ‘ghetto’ life through reggae and dancehall music.
Through the power of his lyrics, Richie Spice has for a long time
communicated key messages to African youths struggling to make ends meet in the
‘ghettos.’
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| Richie Spice |
Richie Spice like most
reggae artists is a member of the Rastafarian Movement and a conscious Pan African
who through music has expressed love for black people, and encouraged blacks to
embrace the beauty of melanin and the land from whence they are from.
Role
of reggae music in the emancipation of Africa
Music is more than just an art. Bob Marley says "when music hit, you feel no pain". Music is one of the mind stimulants, it increases human thought vibration to a much higher state above the normal planes. Higher thought vibration will connect the finite mind of man to his infinite intelligence where knowledge and wisdom reside.
Positive vibration reggae music, with a positive and relevant lyrical pattern, can instigate in the African person a disturbance of thought when listening to reggae music. Such disturbance or vibration will in return elevate the ordinary man into an extraordinary state, where they could see and make sense of lyrics and the intended message.
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| A Reggae Music Concert |
Reggae music is sometimes
referred to as positive vibration for it carries along with it messages about
black people's oppression and segregation across the world, black culture, history and
beauty and more than most it celebrates the great victory over enslavement of the
Africans in the Caribbean, seeing them awaken and sensitive about their identity.
Therefore, many of you who have downplayed reggae music as a criminal umbrella of hemp smokers with rough and kinky hairs known as ‘deadlocks’ should abandon that thought as soon as possible and realize that the lyrics of roots reggae music carries great messages of the emancipation of black people.
So lethal is this message that many reggae artists and messengers have paid with their dear lives. So strong is this message that you can only eliminate the messengers but not the message. It is also fair to say something more before I sign off. There is a message in every music whether reggae, rock, RnB, Rhumba or Jazz, next time don’t just hear but listen.
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