More handpicked essays just for you.
Studies on bob marley and reggae music
An essay on the achievements of bob marley
An essay on the achievements of bob marley
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
The 70's - musically, culturally, and politically - was a transitional phase, and a
emotional link between two very infamous periods. This decade was also the recess from
reality, in which people used music to escape from the real world leaving behind all their
worries. People were consumed by appetites, addicted to their guilty pleasures, and soon
there would be a price to pay.
During the late 60's and early 70s, reggae music was created by combining the
characteristics of the North American rock and African Jamaican music. This new style
had a lot of influence from rhythm, the blues, and some jazz. Though the textbook
"America's Musical Landscape" the author Jean Ferris states that, "the polyrhythms are
more complex, the bass lines are stronger, and the tempos more relaxed" (Ferris p.
207). Reggae music gives a very soulful and religious feel to its listeners because of the
close relation it has to the religious movement known as Rastafarianism, and because so
much of this genre has religious connotations explaining the singers beliefs and views on
situations from a Rastafarian perspective.
The Rastafarian religion, the heart of reggae music, based itself in belief of "Jah"
which was a metaphor for a god of goodness and love. Jah was the force fighting against
the oppression from "Babylon" which meant the destructive force. Metaphors of
oppression and freedom, explain the social problems and ways of liberation. Many of Bob
Marley's lyrics delivered this kind of message and as a result his music was accepted by
many people that shared or at least agreed with his point of view. It is said that when
Marley spoke of things that were accepted by h...
... middle of paper ...
...f "Time
Magazine's Album of the Century." Almost every one of his songs is a classic, from the
message of love to the anthem of revolution. But even more than that, his music is a
political and cultural combination, that was inspired by a third world country, and now
reaches people around the whole world.
Ferris, Jean. America's Musical Landscape, Third Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.
White, Timothy. Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley. New York: Henry Holt, 2000.
Gilmore, Mikal "The Life and Times of Bob Marley" Rolling Stone Magazine. March 10, 2005.
White, Timothy. "The Origin of Reggae" September,1996
URL: http://www.bobmarley.com/life/musicalinfluences/reggae/index.html
Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers. DVD Producer Jeff Fura. 3rd Sector Entertainment Inc. & Island Def Jam Music Group, 2003.
...uality, nature, anti-materialism and self-reliance. His music was purposed towards encouraging people to believe in their choices and decisions rather than believing in the teachings of societal institutions. Bob Marley criticized religion is an institution which instead of uniting people ends up separating them. He also warns people not to suffer in the name of going to even and live an afterlife. Rather, they should live in heaven on earth that is, they should be happy in their lives. Bob Marley’s song corresponds to transcendentalist who believed that people should not conform to the normal life patterns. Transcendentalists, just like Bob Marley, believed that one derives happiness from what he/she believes is right no matter what people think or the consequences. When one stands up for his/her rights, he/she does not follow what has been stipulated or instructed.
Although there is a variety of music that could be examined to trace its evolution through time, there is one genre in particular that is quite interesting to examine. Though it differs from other types of music, it will be looked at in conjunction with Reggae music as they have similar ties. Reggae music is quite prominent today in the United States, parts of Africa, and of course Jamaica. Reggae is notoriously known for its most influential artist Bob Marley, and it is not unusual for one to have heard a few, if not many of his songs. Reggae’s popularity is steadily increasing and is doing so through both expansions of the music as well as increasing knowledge on the genre.
This world is a big place. It is very diverse, in culture, beliefs, traditions, and even music. Music is an important part of this world; not just pop music and what many first world countries are used to, but music of the world as well, such as melodies in Cuba or Africa. These two countries share many characteristics in their music, despite being two very different places. From the melody, to the rhythm, and even the instruments and cultural practices, the countries of Cuba and Africa have both very similar traits in their music.
Reggae music is a meaningful channel for social change. Reggae music portrays resistance to oppression, it is a symbolic action, part of a nonviolent revolution. It is a type of rhetoric; a method of communication designed to influence and persuade. It is a message with a purpose, it represents a crystallization of fundamental issues. Reggae music asks the listener to reconsider our daily lives and to hear the cry of the sufferer, because so many people are suffering. The lyrics and music of Robert Nesta Marley gave reggae music international recognition. Bob was a charismatic performer who truly stands out as a prophet. There is clearly a prophetic overtone to his lyrics yet he was only given the prophetic status after he died. His lyrics operate on a deep level, yet they typically relate to everyday occurrences. Bob's music was and is a powerful force to ease the pain of life in the ghetto. He embodied a feeling of empowerment, and encourages all listeners to 'chant down Babylon'.
Marley advocated freedom for everyone.” (Burke 20) Bob Marley in more than a few of his songs made a long lived impression with his music. In his song War he also states “Until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, without regard to race this is war.” This shows that he isn’t trying to just make colored people better he wants everyone to be equally treated. Bob marley spoke out about the issues and was threatened a few times for his life.
Music is an art and a wonderful gift to human race. It soothes, stimulates and makes us feel happy. It affects our moods in many different ways from lullaby to war cry for changes in the society. Music is actually distinct to different people. Above all, it has a transformational importance that is captured in its art and nature. Music draws our emotions and it has an impact of bridging different cultures across the continents. Slave songs were very vital channels through which all kind of information was conveyed both positive and negative.
Sundquist, Eric J. “Ralph Ellison, Jazz, and Louis Armstrong.” Bloom’s Literature. Facts on File, Inc., 1995. Web. 9 Jan. 2014.
The Bob Marley CD in the movie, “I am Legend,” is one symbol that relates to the theme of loss of humanity. The Bob Marley CD was used throughout the movie as symbolism to Robert Neville’s daughter Marley. He named his daughter after the Bob Marley CD because he knew that Bob Marley wanted to change racism in human lives, which symbolizes the importance of the CD. Robert said, “ He believed he could cure racism and hate, literally cure it by injecting music and love into people’s lives” (Lawrence). This quote
From the start of the Counterculture, singers and songwriters took on a role that would dramatically change the way emotions were expressed in music, but not many were as influential as Mr. Bob Dylan. Not only did his works alter his life, but they also altered the lives of everyone living in the historical era. Dylan would not have done any of this without the impact of his past, his biographical and sociocultural influences, and his poetic characteristics.
Salmon, Barrington “ Bob Marley’s legacy lives forever” Miami Times, V. 73; N. 22 p. 5A, 2/18/1996
The way he used nature in his everyday life and he didn't need much to keep him happy. He could let others see the world through his nonconformist ways through song. He was just happy to be living the life he was given without a worry in the world. That's why I think Bob Marley fits into the Transcendental concepts of nonconformity, simplified Life, and importance of nature. Although he started off Christian I think Rastafarian made him into the man he was. I can't imagine what kind of things he would've done if he didn't die at such an early age can
Bob Marley was never taught how to sing he simply had a generous voice that was lovely to hear. In his voice there are many timbres that add to the style of the song. He uses different dynamics in his voice to enhance soulful vocals. The piece is written in 4/4 times, but his voice is largo therefore the piece is extended to be an ample amount of time. The key signature is D major containing F Sharp and C Sharp this is important because F comes between beats 2 and 3 during the chorus, this is recognized as offbeat syncopation. It was impressing to find the use of a coda. The coda is commonly found in classical music but can be seen on other genres of music. The connection that is seen through the elements of music was a remarkable observation for me. Bob Marley pioneered the development of reggae, a highly syncopated musical style that take influences from horn parts of American rhythm and Blues as well as funky electric bass guitars that embodies a Caribbean beat at the same time. It is my view that Bob Marley intended for his music to have a message of unity symbolized by the simplistic sounds yet, but the complicated underlying patterns and beats to his work symbolize the controversies the social and political
Wenner, J.S. (2014) Bob Marley: The Stories Behind 17 Rare and Unseen Images. Retrieved from http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/bob-marley-the-stories-behind-17-rare-and-unseen-images-20140325/0537942#ixzz2yw4n0HUp
Music does have the power to recruit individuals longing for a space to say that otherwise might not be able to be voiced and can be used as a tool for education to present new information to audiences . However, the music’s ability to be participatory in nature, promote a universal theme with the ability to diffuse borders and bridge networks regardless of ethnicity, and how well it frames its collective identity are ultimately what set the movement up to be a successful musical transnational social movement, and affect global civil society in a positive way.
King, Stephen; Jensen, Richard,(1995) Bob Marley's "Redemption Song": The rhetoric of reggae and Rastafari Journal of Popular Culture 29.3