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Reggae is so deeply & necessarily intertwined with the religion. It's like saying you like gospel or byzantine chant except for the christian lyrics. The forms

Reggae is so deeply & necessarily intertwined with the religion. It's like saying you like gospel or byzantine chant except for the christian lyrics. The forms simply don't make sense when you separate them from their religious context. Anyway you've got ska, rocksteady, dub, dancehall, and a legion of white californian groups that should fit your sensibilities more easily. Religions are allowed to have their own thing even/especially when it makes outsiders uncomfortable.

detourdog 3y ago
This is the best copy I could find. Eddie Murphy SNL kill the white people https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vc5igOAJ7k&ab_channel=takanozomi1973 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vc5igOAJ7k&ab_channel=takan... It's an old dynamic.
hutzlibu 3y ago
"It's like saying you like gospel or byzantine chant except for the christian lyrics." I do actually (some of it, sometimes). Also yes, there is lots of reggae without Haile Selassi. Also I can make a difference between what other people mean with some words and what I understand by them. Meaning to Rastafari Haile Selassi stands for a great and just ruler. So I can go with those vibes while listening, even though for me the historical Haile Selassi was just another corrupt monarch.
TacticalCoder 3y ago
> Reggae is so deeply & necessarily intertwined with the religion. > The forms simply don't make sense when you separate them from their religious context. As a big reggae fan I totally disagree. Although there's indeed a lot of roots reggae talking about Selassie and religion, there's also a huge lot of reggae that's not about that. There's even, to me, lots of actual roots reggae that is not about religion but about poor people's struggle. Lots of reggae is also purely about ganga / smoking (Peter Tosh "Legalize it"). Stuff I listen to... Max Romeo's "Chase the Devil" (and many other Max Romeo songs), Ranking Dread "Superstar" (where he sings about... famous reggae singers), many reggae love songs (Marcia Griffiths "Hold me tight"), John Holt "Police in Helicopter", Horace Andy "Skylarking". One of my all time favorite: Zap Pow "This is Reggae music". No religion. No poor people's struggle. Just pure reggae sound, with lyrics about... Reggae itself (it's an amazing one, check it out). There's also more recent anti-consumerist reggae, like Mike Love "Permanent Holidays" (link because this is sooo good): https://youtu.be/fU7hZ3smj0g https://youtu.be/fU7hZ3smj0g So yeah big disagree. Not all reggae is about religion, far from it.
- giraffe_lady 3y ago
  I didn't say all reggae is about religion. I'm pointing out that it's a form that is historically connected to a specific religious practice, and rooted in a particular religious worldview. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy it from outside that religion or worldview. But it means if you find fault in the point of view it takes, you should find another music to listen to not wish this one was different for you. For me, I practice an abrahamic religion though not rastafari and a lot of the religious sentiment and imagery resonates with me. Again it's not that all reggae songs are religious. But it's there you know. I find it pretty grim how quick & comfortable people are trying to ignore it, or downplay its significance.
philwelch 3y ago
I don’t think this is how music works. The people who make music might have a certain worldview, and they might express that worldview in their lyrics, but it’s totally possible to enjoy that music without agreeing with or even understanding the lyrics or worldview. Just ask the millions of teenagers around the world who spend the second half of the 20th century enjoying English language rock music without even knowing English. > It's like saying you like gospel or byzantine chant except for the christian lyrics. People do that. People also like John Lennon or Rage Against The Machine without turning into communists (much to the artists’ disappointment, I think). Music can sound good to you without you having to agree with the lyrical content.
- hutzlibu 3y ago
  "People also like John Lennon or Rage Against The Machine without turning into communists (much to the artists’ disappointment, I think). " Or The Refused. They added a (simple) manifest to their LP and literally expected that wherever they were touring, uprising would follow.
OneDonOne 3y ago
>Reggae is so deeply & necessarily intertwined with the religion. It's like saying you like gospel or byzantine chant except for the christian lyrics. This hasn't been true for a very long time. Just look at Lover's Rock and the really big guys there - Beres Hammond - Gregory Isaacs - Dennis Brown - Sugar Minott - Ken Boothe - Alton and Hortense Ellis This certainly is not a religious song https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lJEQnmDnIq8 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lJEQnmDnIq8
sangnoir 3y ago
> Anyway you've got ska, rocksteady, dub, dancehall, and a legion of white californian groups that should fit your sensibilities more easily. Why did Ras Trent immediately come to mind? https://youtu.be/TcK0MYgnHjo https://youtu.be/TcK0MYgnHjo

detourdog 3y ago

This is the best copy I could find. Eddie Murphy SNL kill the white people https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vc5igOAJ7k&ab_channel=takanozomi1973 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vc5igOAJ7k&ab_channel=takan... It's an old dynamic.

hutzlibu 3y ago

"It's like saying you like gospel or byzantine chant except for the christian lyrics." I do actually (some of it, sometimes). Also yes, there is lots of reggae without Haile Selassi. Also I can make a difference between what other people mean with some words and what I understand by them. Meaning to Rastafari Haile Selassi stands for a great and just ruler. So I can go with those vibes while listening, even though for me the historical Haile Selassi was just another corrupt monarch.

TacticalCoder 3y ago

> Reggae is so deeply & necessarily intertwined with the religion. > The forms simply don't make sense when you separate them from their religious context. As a big reggae fan I totally disagree. Although there's indeed a lot of roots reggae talking about Selassie and religion, there's also a huge lot of reggae that's not about that. There's even, to me, lots of actual roots reggae that is not about religion but about poor people's struggle. Lots of reggae is also purely about ganga / smoking (Peter Tosh "Legalize it"). Stuff I listen to... Max Romeo's "Chase the Devil" (and many other Max Romeo songs), Ranking Dread "Superstar" (where he sings about... famous reggae singers), many reggae love songs (Marcia Griffiths "Hold me tight"), John Holt "Police in Helicopter", Horace Andy "Skylarking". One of my all time favorite: Zap Pow "This is Reggae music". No religion. No poor people's struggle. Just pure reggae sound, with lyrics about... Reggae itself (it's an amazing one, check it out). There's also more recent anti-consumerist reggae, like Mike Love "Permanent Holidays" (link because this is sooo good): https://youtu.be/fU7hZ3smj0g https://youtu.be/fU7hZ3smj0g So yeah big disagree. Not all reggae is about religion, far from it.

giraffe_lady 3y ago
I didn't say all reggae is about religion. I'm pointing out that it's a form that is historically connected to a specific religious practice, and rooted in a particular religious worldview. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy it from outside that religion or worldview. But it means if you find fault in the point of view it takes, you should find another music to listen to not wish this one was different for you. For me, I practice an abrahamic religion though not rastafari and a lot of the religious sentiment and imagery resonates with me. Again it's not that all reggae songs are religious. But it's there you know. I find it pretty grim how quick & comfortable people are trying to ignore it, or downplay its significance.

philwelch 3y ago

I don’t think this is how music works. The people who make music might have a certain worldview, and they might express that worldview in their lyrics, but it’s totally possible to enjoy that music without agreeing with or even understanding the lyrics or worldview. Just ask the millions of teenagers around the world who spend the second half of the 20th century enjoying English language rock music without even knowing English. > It's like saying you like gospel or byzantine chant except for the christian lyrics. People do that. People also like John Lennon or Rage Against The Machine without turning into communists (much to the artists’ disappointment, I think). Music can sound good to you without you having to agree with the lyrical content.

hutzlibu 3y ago
"People also like John Lennon or Rage Against The Machine without turning into communists (much to the artists’ disappointment, I think). " Or The Refused. They added a (simple) manifest to their LP and literally expected that wherever they were touring, uprising would follow.

OneDonOne 3y ago

>Reggae is so deeply & necessarily intertwined with the religion. It's like saying you like gospel or byzantine chant except for the christian lyrics. This hasn't been true for a very long time. Just look at Lover's Rock and the really big guys there - Beres Hammond - Gregory Isaacs - Dennis Brown - Sugar Minott - Ken Boothe - Alton and Hortense Ellis This certainly is not a religious song https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lJEQnmDnIq8 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lJEQnmDnIq8

sangnoir 3y ago

> Anyway you've got ska, rocksteady, dub, dancehall, and a legion of white californian groups that should fit your sensibilities more easily. Why did Ras Trent immediately come to mind? https://youtu.be/TcK0MYgnHjo https://youtu.be/TcK0MYgnHjo