Reggae is a complex Afro-Jamaican twentieth-century musical phenomenon, dating from the

1970s that has profoundly influenced global popular musical culture. The word reggae was
derived from the Latin regi meaning "to the king", but reggae as a musical term first appeared in
print with the 1968 hit "Do the Reggay" by The Maytals which named the genre of Reggae for
the world. Reggae music as a cultural practice in Jamaican postcolonial society, operates in the
languages of black struggle and redemption and is shaped by the language and religious and
political doctrines of Rastafari.. The themes of reggae music are history, slavery, Africa, exile
and colonialism. Rastafari, sometimes termed Rastafarianism, is a religion which developed in
Jamaica during the 1930s. It lacks any centralised authority and focuses its attention on the
African diaspora, which it believes is oppressed within Western society and thus reggae music
became the voice of black criticism in Jamaican society. Stylistically, reggae incorporates some
of the musical elements of rhythm and blues (R&B), jazz, African, and Latin American music,
as well as other genres and is organically tied to dance and the body. Reggae scenes consist of
two guitars, one for rhythm and one for leaddrums, horns, congas, and keyboards, with a
couple vocalists. One of the most famous reggae artists, who became an international icon and
served as a symbol of Jamaican culture and identity, is Bob Marley. He was a committed
Rastafari who infused his music with a sense of spirituality. The band he played in was called
Bob Marley and the Wailers, whose album Legend became the best-selling reggae album in
history. Although we only associate the term reggae with Bob Marley, there are numerous artists
who also contributed to the genre such as Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff. Today, reggae music
continues to develop with many of Marleys children continuing after his footsteps.