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Reggae History essays

Reggae History essays History of Reggae and Caribbean Music. To this day there are many mixed disputes about the origin of the word reggae. To Jamaican music fans of the late sixties and early seventies the term came from a song entitled Do the Reggay from legendary band Toots and Maytals. Some think that it comes from the word streggae, a Jamaican slang term for prostitute. The most reputable explanation was by Bob Marley himself which was that the word came from Spanish origin which roughly translated to the kings music. (Timothy White, 16) Reggae music originated from the style of Calypso. For years during and after the 1920s, Calypso was the dominant music throughout the Caribbean. Calypso originated from the celebration of carnival in the Caribbean province of Trinidad. (White, 18) The celebration of carnival gave the Trinidadians an outlet for their music. Carnival is a celebration that emanates from a smorgasbord of European and African cultural expressions. The word CARNIVAL comes from a Roman word which translates into farewell to the flesh. Carnival is celebrated throughout different areas of Brazil and Trinidad prior to Ash Wednesday. (Mascots2000.com) It was during the 18th century that carnival celebrations were brought to Trinidad. During this time period the Spanish were the governors of Trinidad and they invited the French to live in their lands. With the French settlers came their cultural identity and traditions. As business flourished from the French settlers so did mass celebrations originating from French/Creole culture. With these celebratory balls came masks, music and dancing. Soon after, Trinidad was taken over by Britain. This change in ownership did not effect the celebrations as they became a tradition of the island. The Britishs African slaves witnessed the celebrations and began to incorporate their own culture and traditions into the celebration with ...