English in Reggae Music

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• The Political and Historical Background
• "Out of many one people" - Slavery in Jamaica
• Conquest, Genocide, and Slave Trade
• Slave rebellion
• The End of Slavery
• Rastafari
• The Birth of Rastafarianism – Garvey's Prophecy
• Haile Selassie I – unwilling God
• Rastafarian Beliefs
• Babylon versus Zion
• Inity
• Perception of the white race - Racial Boundaries
• The Bible
• Rastafarian Lifestyle
• I-tal
• Ganja
• Dreadlocks
• Color codes
• Musical Development
• Slave music
• Rastafarian Music
• Mento
• Calypso
• Ska
• Rocksteady
• Reggae
• Bob Marley
• Language Development
• Patwa
• Dread Talk
• Category I
• Category II
• Category III
• Category IV
• Category V
• Linguistic Analysis of Reggae Lyrics
• Song Lyrics
• Hail H.I.M. by Burning Spear
• Destiny by Buju Banton
• Linguistic Analysis
• Phonetic differences
• Comparison to Dread Talk
• Grammatical differences

Objectives and Key Themes

This paper delves into the origins and development of reggae music, exploring its deep-rooted connection to Jamaican history, particularly the legacy of slavery, and the impact of Rastafarian beliefs. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the historical, linguistic, and musical factors that shaped reggae, showcasing its enduring influence on music and culture.

• The influence of Jamaican history, particularly the experience of slavery, on the development of reggae music.
• The role of Rastafarianism in shaping reggae music, including its beliefs and practices.
• The evolution of Jamaican music, highlighting the contributions of different genres like Ska, Rocksteady, and Reggae.
• The unique linguistic features of Jamaican Creole, particularly Dread Talk, and its presence in reggae lyrics.
• Analysis of reggae lyrics to demonstrate the interplay between history, language, and musical expression.

Chapter Summaries

• Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of reggae music and its global impact. It highlights the three key components – historical background, language, and musical development – that will be analyzed to understand the origins of reggae.
• The Political and Historical Background: This chapter explores the influence of slavery in Jamaica on the development of reggae music. It discusses the impact of conquest, genocide, slave trade, and rebellions on the island's culture and identity.
• Rastafari: This chapter examines the emergence and beliefs of Rastafarianism, focusing on its connection to Jamaican history, the role of Haile Selassie I, and key aspects of Rastafarian faith like "Babylon versus Zion", "Inity", and the perception of the white race.
• Musical Development: This chapter traces the evolution of Jamaican music, starting with slave music and moving through different genres like Mento, Calypso, Ska, Rocksteady, and finally, reggae. It highlights the influence of Rastafarianism on music and the rise of Bob Marley.
• Language Development: This chapter explores the development of Jamaican Creole, particularly the influence of West African languages and English. It discusses the unique features of "Dread Talk" and categorizes its different elements.
• Linguistic Analysis of Reggae Lyrics: This chapter delves into the linguistic analysis of reggae lyrics, focusing on phonetic and grammatical differences between Jamaican Creole and Present Day English. It examines the connection between reggae lyrics and Dread Talk.

Keywords

Key words and concepts associated with this paper include Jamaican history, slavery, Rastafarianism, reggae music, musical development, language development, Jamaican Creole, Dread Talk, and linguistic analysis.