In Jamaica, Rastafarianism emerged as a native religion which addressed issues that affected the majority of the black population. Black religion has been equally concerned with the yearning of a despised and subjugated people for freedom: freedom from religious, economic, social, and political domination. The ideology of the Rastafarians was put forth by leaders, such as Marcus Garvey, Leonard Howell, and Sam Brown.
Marcus Garvey, born in 1887, wanted to resocialize the black man so that he believed himself to be the equal of the white man and that he could accomplish anything he wanted ...."Up you mighty race, you can accomplish what you will." Garvey's message called for this change to come by encouraging all Africans to join into one large group since they all had similar needs and goals. The idea of uniting together to cause change is essential if any movement is to succeed. Garvey realized this and used it to advance the African race to move together as one. Education and respect for oneself were two other points of Garvey's ideology of racial uplift. This The new ideology gained strength through the voice of Sam Brown. To Rastafarians, like Brown, the emphasis was on liberation before repatriation to Ethiopia.
The beliefs which the Rastafarians hold have enabled its followers to gain strength in numbers. The movement has evolved from a small, sheltered group of followers to a world-wide pattern of shouting 'Down Babylon.' The belief in black power and the end of oppression find their roots in Ethiopianism. Another commonly held belief of Rastafarianism is that the values and ideologies which the western world represents are not in the best interests of the black race, or for that matter any person in the world. Rastafarians beliefs revolve around empowerment, spiritual/mental uplift, and enlightenment. In the past, slavery was the direct cause of inequality, but now wealth and power are the primary factors, with much of the wealth concentrated in the hands of the few.
Reggae music is an important means of transporting vital messages of Rastafarianism. The musician becomes the messenger, and as Rastafarians see it, "the soldier and the musician are tools for change." Reggae's message crosses international borders and deals with themes that cut across all aspects of humanity. Reggae evokes a message of universal suffrage and in doing so spreads a theme of class consciousness to the poor, illiterate, and oppressed. The early reggae artists of the late 1960's, such as Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, and Burning Spear, brought the message of Rastafarianism into the musical world. It is hard to imagine that Rastafarianism would have spread outside of Jamaica without the aid of reggae music. Bob Marley gave the poor a voice in the international arena of ideas.
While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term 'reggae' more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady. Reggae is based on a rhythm style characterized by regular chops on the off-beat, known as the 'skank'. The tempo is generally slower than that found in ska.
While sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of popular Jamaican dance music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that was strongly influenced by traditional mento and calypso music, as well as American jazz and rhythm and blues, especially the New Orleans R&B practiced by Fats Domino and Allen Toussaint, and evolved out of the earlier genres ska and rocksteady.
Stylistically, reggae incorporates some of the musical elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, mento (a celebratory, rural folk form that served its largely rural audience as dance music and an alternative to the hymns and adapted chanteys of local church singing), calypso, African music, as well as other genres. One of the most easily recognizable elements is offbeat rhythms; staccato chords played by a guitar or piano (or both) on the offbeats of the measure. The concept of "call and response" can be found throughout reggae music.
The bass guitar often plays the dominant role in reggae. The bass sound in reggae is thick and heavy, and equalized so the upper frequencies are removed and the lower frequencies emphasized. The guitar in reggae usually plays on the off beat of the rhythm.
Our exposure to reggae on this cruise has been mainly indirect, hearing recorded music in cafes and bars. Our most vivid direct experience of reggae was in Quito's Bar and Restaurant and the man himself, Quito Rhymer, was playing for Happy Hour. Quito is a legend on Tortola Island and he has a big following further afield in the Caribbean and beyond. Alas, you won't be able to download his music, which is such a shame. We purchased two of his CD's and his music has been our constant companion on board. The beat is just so catchy and the lyrics are truly meaningful. Songs such as Burn Fire, I Wanna Go Home, Be Still and Press On, have become part of our daily dose of music for the soul. As a small gesture of thanks to Quito, here are the words for the first verse and refrain of Press On:

Hey, life is pass'n you by,
Get up get up, give it another try,
Press on, press on, press on

Always talk'n about that trip on a safe ship,
You always talk'n about those with master's whip, wow'oh
You're talk about the things you never had grow'n up,
But you never give thanks for the little bit that you got, oh my!
Forever you in kindness used to stay in poverty,
Or find some way to be fine and surely be, oh now,
You can choose to live your life filled with jealousy
A victim of your own captivity, not me!

Get up, get up, life is pass'n you by,
Get up, get up, you'll have another try,
Press on, press on, press on, press on,
Get up, get up, life is pass'n you by,
Get up, get up, you'll have another try,
Press on, press on, press on.

Reference material is sourced from the Internet. One article from Wikipedia and the other entitled Reggae As Social Change:The Spread of Rastafarianism by D. Chad Spiker, April 23, 1998.