Reggae has had a massive impact on the world and in Africa it was one of the biggest genres of music. Its greatest influences came from the early 70s with the likes of Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Culture, Burning Spear, Sugar Minot, and other reggae artistes holding concerts, performing, and even living in Africa.

One of the most significant moments for reggae in Africa was Bob Marley’s 1980 concert in Zimbabwe to celebrate the company’s independence. It was groundbreaking because Bob Marley produced the concert and even shipped concert equipment from to Zimbabwe. That love and zeal for reggae created a domino effect throughout the continent, making Africa the biggest market for the Jamaican-born music form.

In 2006 I began working for Irie FM as a research director producing radio documentaries on Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Shabba Ranks, Shaggy, and others. I met a lot of movers and shakers in the industry. One particular conversation that I will never forget was with Jimmy Cliff. Not only was I honoured to be able to personally hear his life story as a musician, but it touched my heart strings knowing that he had made a home for himself in The Gambia.

Cliff told me that he began his journey of Islam in The Gambia and lived there for almost three years. This was exciting to me knowing that a reggae legend had made a home in my hometown. Around the same time I ended up meeting Joseph Culture Hill at Tired Fi See Me Face Concert in Oracabessa. I was interviewing him for my TV show on Caribbean Jams about his travels in Africa performing, but what stuck out the most was that he had a home in Ghana. I began to see that the messages in reggae music, the hope and inspiration that it brought to the people was not just about a song but a reality.

The connection for African people to reggae is the beat for sure, because it has elements of African rhythmic patterns from different ethnic groups. I will never forget a rhythm produced by Skatta Burrell, which coincidentally were the same chants and rhythm found amongst the Jolas in the SeneGambian region. The drums were mirrors of a people lost from their original selves, physically, but still found within, through ancestral memory. Africa is never forgotten. This is evident throughout the sounds of reggae and in every subgenre be it roots, lover’s rock, or dancehall, reggaeton or tropical house. You can hear it also in the works of Steelie and Clevie, Philip “Fatis” Burrell, Bobby Digital, Sly & Robbie, and others.

In countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, The Gambia, and many others, reggae festivals are held annually. Despite the global boom in Afrobeat, reggae is still heard everywhere in taxis, corner shops, local bars, clubs, the markets, homes, and the streets. I found it interesting to hear Jahmiel in The Gambia for a recent performance tell me that he knew the reason Africans loved reggae. He said it was because they can relate based on the living conditions and the injustices. He also said that The Gambia reminded him of Jamaica long time ago. What about reggae music that made Africa love it so much?

Going back to the 60s and 70s, the messages in the music resonated with the people in Africa. In most African countries, just like the Caribbean, everyone was fighting for independence. South Africa and other areas had major issues of apartheid. Jim Crow was present in the US which many African students experienced going to universities and just living there.

Continental Africa’s reggae artistes began to bloom out of this period and began to voice their own cry against injustice. Acts like Lucky Dube, Alpha Blondy, Tichan Jah Fah Koly, Majek Fashek, and more.

“Reggae music plays a very important role in Africa. Reggae has always carried a positive message — a message of hope, a message to unite, a message to help build Africa. And no other musical genre has had such an impact on Africans like reggae has,” noted reggae Africa First. “I started listening to reggae when I was four and even though I couldn’t understand the lyrics, the rhythm of the song just comforted me. As I grew older and understood the lyrics, I began to understand the message. If only our leaders would listen to conscious reggae artistes they will be able to bring peace to Africa and solidify the unity of Africa,” he concluded.

A next generation of reggae acts continued to carry the torch — singing and chanting about their love for Africa, repatriation, reparations, and the pain that Africa must overcome through justice and empowerment. This cry was led by the likes of Buju Banton, Luciano, Capelton, Sizzla, Jah Mali, Ras Shiloh, Bushman, Norrisman, Jah Cure, and other Rasta artistes that invoked new generations of young people globally to gravitate towards Africa and Rastafari. They even began to come to Africa. Patra performed in Senegal accompanied by Homer Harris and Luciano and Sizzla were hosted by Baba Maal in Dakar.

I was one of those young people that fell in love with reggae as the daughter of pan-African parents who fought in the civil rights, Black Power, and pan-African movements. I was suckled on reggae music. Every stage of my life it was blaring in my ear on all continents where we lived and travelled. As a little girl in The Gambia, I knew the lyrics to every song on Bob Marley: The Legend Live, which I used to play in my videocassette recorder (VCR) at any given moment.

After a long year of school and working with my non-profit organisation in Atlanta, the Youth Task Force, I went home for the summer. It was 1997, I was sitting in Banjul with a cousin and he said to me: “I want you to hear this artiste.” He put the cassette in the player. No White God by Sizzla began to play and some of his other songs. This was like, whoa! because my godbrother had got suspended from school for wearing a shirt that with words, “Jesus was a black man”. It was motivating to me as a young activist to see that there were young reggae artiste singing the songs that reflected the values I was fighting for everyday in the movement.

Fast-forward to today. As a seasoned publicist, journalist, and businesswoman in the reggae industry, my role has also encompassed production of reggae concerts and booking of artistes to do shows in Africa. From my first show in 2006 in The Gambia at the stadium with Junior Kelly to Richie Spice in 2008, both in Senegal and The Gambia, to Sizzla’s first time producing his first performance in The Gambia, I have seen a tremendous growth in the reggae scene on the continent.

More local reggae artistes continue to make their mark within Africa and internationally. In Senegal, Youssou N’dour, Darra J Family, Viviane, Awa Fall, Titi, and Positive Black Soul have used elements of reggae in their music. In Ghana, StoneBwoy and Shottawale have done a number of crossover hits and collaborations with reggae artistes in Jamaica. In The Gambia, Royal Messenjah, Jizzle, TeeFye, Attack, Lady Quincy Fyah, St Brikamo Bwoyo, and others have become reggae artist and/or experimented with elements of reggae and its subgenres. Taka Na Zion is making major moves in Guinea. In Nigeria artistes like Seun Kuti, WizKid, Fancy, Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, and others use reggae in their sound.

The musical bridge has been crossed in Africa from the sounds of reggae, Afrobeat, ndaga, mbalax, afromanding, high life, azonto, and more. Reggae artiste are in high demand to make their presence felt in Africa. I have been back in The Gambia for almost four years and since then Mavado, Chronixx, Lutan Fyah, Fantan Moja, Spice, Jahmiel, Christopher Martin, Norris Man, Cali P, and Duane Stephenson have all passed through. The people are yearning for Buju Banton, Beres Hammond, Sizzla, and Capleton’s return. While, at the same time, Popcaan, Koffee, Damian Marley, and others have not graced this area. We await them.

Reggae in Africa will always be a huge genre. The connections run too deep, the love of diaspora Africans and continental Africans is sealed through our culture and music, which will never die.

Olimatta Taal is a true African American. The product of an American mother and African father. She grew up experiencing both cultures in both countries. Currently based in The Gambia, she is dedicated to reggae music and works as a publicist and show promoter.

Currently she is focusing on building her company Sen Ghigen Production, which is an entertainment company that does event planning; organises tours; books artistes; as well as manages public relations, marketing, and a record company called Money Empire Group in The Gambia .

Over the years she has provided publicity services for King of Kings, Sizzla Kalonji, Tarrus Riley, Coco Tea, GeeJam, D’Angel, BET J’s Earth Strong Production, the Selma Voting Rights Museum, The Roots Festival in The Gambia, and others.