My favorite genre of music is reggae. Most people think that reggae is just “vacation music”, but listening to any reggae song instantly lifts my mood and raises my spirits. Reggae has such strong lyrics and deep meanings, that it’s hard to ignore the power and influence of the music. There are a lot of subgenres within reggae that all have different meanings. My husband and my brother-in-law actually introduced me to the music when I was in college. Growing up in Florida, they were (obviously) closer to Jamaica and their parents would, in fact, travel to Jamaica and buy cassette tapes of local musicians and bring them back to the States to enjoy. My husband and brother-in-law can remember listening to the tapes as little boys and developing a fondness for the music early on in life. Naturally, they’ve influenced my opinion of reggae and introduced me to so many artists. Here is just a sampling of my favorite songs.

“Chant a Psalm”, Steel Pulse

“Man in the Hills”, Burning Spear

“Hills and Valleys”, Buju Banton

“Under Mi Sensi”, Barrington Levy

“Reggaemylitis”, Peter Tosh

“Mellow Mood”, Bob Marley