Steuart Hutchinson Blue

Though widely recognised, many people are mistaken in their assumption that all Jamaican dance music is reggae. Though it was originally created in Jamaica, in the 1960s, the term reggae refers specifically to a genre of music that has been developed from ska, as well as other traditional forms of performance.

Fans of reggae music, such as Steuart Hutchinson Blue, are drawn to the rhythmic patterns contained within songs. These patterns hark back to the rhythm and blues, calypso and jazz movements that were the precursors to reggae finding widespread and international popularity. It is particularly interesting to note that it is the structure and instrumental elements of reggae music, rather than the lyrics, that are the most important features, but there are a number of themes that can be regularly identified in songs.

As with most musical genres, reggae seeks to discuss issues pertinent with its listeners such as social observations, as well as more lighthearted and subjective topics such as relationships. Though a number of reggae artists have previously re-recorded popular Motown and soul songs in order to thrust themselves into the limelight, original tracks are a far better gauge of what is considered to be important and deserving of artistic consideration.

With its origins firmly in Jamaica, reggae music has spread throughout the world, gaining an enormous legion of fans, such as Steuart Hutchinson Blue, and other individuals of non-Jamaican descent. The all-inclusive nature of the music organically welcomes listeners and new artists, who often add a localised feel to the tunes they produce. For example, western reggae, though aligned to the traditional genre, is demonstrably an evolution for a different audience. Misty in Roots, for example, began in the UK and released their first album, a collection of traditional Rastafarian bible songs, in 1979. With the backing of an already successful radio DJ, John Peel, the band was thrust into the limelight. Alongside UB40 and Aswad, Misty in Roots helped to make reggae an exceptionally popular genre of music in the UK.