One of the first truly international music styles, reggae has its origins in the ska and rocksteady studios of Kingston, Jamaica. Some of the first reggae studios (Black Ark) later went on to create new genres, including dub, ragga, and even the prototype for American hip hop.
The most famous proponents of reggae are the Marley family (Bob and Ziggy), whose bands toured the world and produced some of the best selling singles and albums of all time. The first producer of Bob Marley and the Wailers was Lee "Scratch" Perry, legendary father of dub (originally meaning the B-side of a record, with drum breaks and dropouts for MCs to shout out over).
London based site offering quality reggae journalism on the web, including articles, features, news, reviews, images, sound samples and regular updates. www.reggaezine.co.uk
Includes online samplers, tributes to Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Marcia Griffiths, and Beenie Man, and a touch of Reggae music history. ptyme.tripod.com
One of the original (and also one of the largest) reggae sites on the web, with a wealth of information on artists, songs, tour schedules and resources. Also featuring a weekly-updated 24/7 webcast. niceup.com
Information on Germany's Reggae scene, including shows, news, soundsystems, artists, clubs, CD reviews, and radio stations. Site in German and English. www.reggaenode.de
With profiles of Canadian reggae and dancehall artists, musicians, record labels, distributors and other reggaemusic/entertainment professionals at the national and international levels. www.reggaecanada.com
Reggae information for Israel, Belgium, and the Netherlands. WIth concert and festival agendas and links, site hosting and creation, and an Irie reggae name engine. www.irielion.com
Offering a RealAudio webcast, artist of the week spotlight, free CD contests, festival guide, and top 20 chart. Also contains links to fan, MP3, regional, sound system, label, and radio sites. www.reggaetrain.com
A site from Russia, featuring links to roots and reggae musicians and bands, news, lyrics, RealAudio sound files, roots and culture publications and roots-conscious art. www.zhurnal.ru/music/rasta/index_e.html
Information about roots reggae artists, such as Luciano, Israel Vibration, and others, also with lyrics, album reviews, and links. www.acroots.com/roots
Featuring an encyclopedia of Jamaica's music industry and directory by location covering music and performers from mento and ska to rocksteady, dub and dancehall reggae. www.reggaefusion.com
A dancehall/reggae resource, updated regularly with news and information about artists, producers, labels, events, sound systems and photos. www.rudegal.com
Informational site with profiles of Bob Marley, Lee Perry and other artists, plus information on rastafarianism and the history of reggae. www.reggaelegends.com
Streaming reggae "sound station," a California entertainment calendar, official artist pages, reggae interviews and links to other reggae sites. www.ireggae.com
Information on reggae events, gigs, concerts, sound systems sessions, MP3s, bands, radio, record shops, bookshop, Realaudio, and reviews. www.reggaenews.co.uk
Information including show dates and food for music fans in the Indianapolis area. Covering reggae, dancehall, dub, ska, lover's rock, roots, soca, salsa, and calypso. www.naptownreggae.com