reggae — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s and is heavily associated with Rastafarianism, featuring a heavy bass line and percussive rhythm guitar on the offbeat, often with close vocal harmonies.

   Usage

   • Rastafari
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   Near-synonym: (earlier) bluebeat

   I want to do the reggay with you / Come onto me, do the dance

   More examples (1)

   I mean, the very name reggae. I mean, it wasn’t called reggae in the first place. It came from blue beat, just ska, you know? Ska and blue beat, the era, and then reggae. Because it was a dance, originally. And the DJs thought, “That’s a nice name,” and the kept saying “reggae music, reggae music” on the air all the time. “Reggae music, reggae music, the DJs on the radio. So everyone kept on saying “Reggae music”. They classed it as …(other Matumbi band members join in) Reggae.

Noun

1. popular music originating in the West Indies; repetitive bass riffs and regular chords played on the off beat by a guitar

   Broader terms

   popular musicpopular music genre