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Roots reggae is the name given to Rastafari movement reggae music from Jamaica which evolved from Ska and Rocksteady and was made famous outside the Caribbean by the legendary singer/songwriter Bob Marley. Roots reggae is an inherently 'spiritual' type of reggae music, the lyrics of which are predominantly in praise of Jah Ras Tafari Makonnen — Haile Selassie (1892–1975) the Emperor of Ethiopia (1930–1974).

Recurrent lyrical themes include poverty and resistance to the oppression of government. The creative pinnacle of roots reggae is arguably in the late 1970s, with singers such as Johnny Clarke, Horace Andy, Barrington Levy, and Lincoln Thompson, teaming up with studio producers including Lee 'Scratch' Perry, King Tubby, and Coxsone Dodd. The experimental pioneering of such producers within often restricted technological parameters gave birth to dub, and is seen by some music historians as one of the earliest (albeit analogue) contributions to modern dance music production techniques.

Roots reggae is an important part of Jamaican culture, and whilst other forms of reggae have replaced it in terms of popularity in Jamaica (dancehall for instance), roots reggae has found a small, but growing, niche globally.

External links

• A listing of biographies and discographies of most Root Reggae artists
• A paper on the wider influence of Jah Shaka and Roots Reggae on UK music
• Adrian Sherwood on a "very English Roots Reggae"
• Don Letts on the contribution of Roots Reggae to Punk Rock and English Society
• Drum and Bass and Junglist have their Origins in Roots Reggae
• The Pil Interview
• Roots Reggae,Punk and Dub in the UK, part 2
• The Clash DJ Scratchy Explains his Roots in Punk and Roots Reggae in London
• The 90's UK Roots Reggae: The Disciples
• European Roots Reggae, Twilight Circus
• [1] Examining the use of psalms in Rasta lyrics.

Reggae | Reggae genres
Mento - Rocksteady - Ska
Dub - Dub poetry - Dee jaying or Toasting - Dancehall - Ragga or Raggamuffin - Reggaeton - Roots reggae - Two Tone