What is the connection between reggae and the Rastafarian movement?

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Both originating in Jamaica, reggae and the Rastafarian movement are connected through shared themes of equal rights, justice, and the mystical consciousness of kumina, an earlier Jamaican religious tradition that ritualized communication with ancestors. Reggae became associated with the movement through the influence of Rastafarian musicians and groups such as Bob Marley and the Wailers and, later, Big Youth, Black Uhuru, Burning Spear (principally band member Winston Rodney), and Culture.