Short answers, pulled from the story.
The word reggae first appeared on a record in the early morning of 1968. Frederick Hibbert, known as Toots, uttered the phrase in a Kingston studio while recording the song Do the Reggay. This moment marked the first time the word appeared in print on a record, effectively naming the genre.
Reggae differs from ska by dropping the tempo to allow for a thick, heavy bass tone that emphasizes low frequencies. While ska moves with a walking bass line and quarter note rhythm, reggae features a one drop rhythm where the bass drum hits on the third beat of the measure. The guitar and piano play short, staccato chords on the offbeat, known as the skank, which accents the second and fourth beats in each bar.
Reggae is deeply rooted in the spiritual and cultural practices of the Rastafari movement, which emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s. The movement promoted pan-Africanism and a return to African roots, and its influence is palpable in the lyrics and rhythms of reggae music. Rastafarian drumming styles, such as Nyabinghi, became integral to the genre, with drummers like Count Ossie taking part in seminal recordings that bridged the gap between ritual and popular music.
Reggae became a global force by the late 1970s, escaping the boundaries of Jamaica to fuse with local traditions across the world. The genre found a new home in the United Kingdom among the Caribbean diaspora and spread to Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Bob Marley's visit to Zimbabwe on Independence Day in 1980 boosted the genre's profile in Africa and demonstrated the political power of reggae.
Robert Nesta Marley was born in 1945 in Nine Mile, Jamaica, and became the central figure of the reggae revolution. He formed the Wailers in 1963 with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, creating a band that made the transition through ska, rocksteady, and reggae. Marley died in 1981, cementing his legacy as the King of Reggae and an international icon.
Visionary producers like Coxsone Dodd, Lee Scratch Perry, Leslie Kong, Duke Reid, Joe Gibbs, and King Tubby transformed the raw energy of Jamaican music into a polished sound. Lee Scratch Perry was known for his innovative production techniques, which included the use of dub plates and the manipulation of sound to create new textures and effects. These producers worked with sound system operators to create records that could be played at public dances, ensuring the music reached the people who needed it most.