Jamaica was a possession of the British empire from 1655 to 1962, and for centuries it was the hub of the slave trade in the Western hemisphere. By then racism and inequality were well established in the country, and a rigid caste system pitted the white ruling class and a Jamaican elite against the native majority, who were kept poor, underemployed, and powerless. The situation changed little when Jamaica became an independent democracy. The country's independence may not have brought great social change, but it did create an enormous demand for indigenous, rhythm and blues-influenced records. First ska, then rock steady and reggae, were not only means of self-expression but also a way to spread knowledge among those ignored by Jamaica's mainstream media.
Bob Marley was born in the Jamaican countryside, but in 1957 his mother moved the family to Trenchtown, a government housing project on the outskirts of Kingstown. There Marley met Joe Higgs, one of the first successful Jamaican recording artists, who gave musical seminars in his backyard for any local youth who cared to learn. He taught his young hopefuls to play the guitar (and make their own from found items), to strengthen their voices, and to write lyrics that carried a message. He was also a spiritual mentor. Higgs was an adherent of Rastafarianism, a sect of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity that held that an African king would emerge and lead disenfranchised blacks to a better existence. The faith provided hope to the hopeless of the slums, including the young Bob Marley.
Marley, with his friend Bunny Aston and another Higgs disciple, Peter McIntosh (later shortened to Tosh), formed the Wailers in 1963. They made several successful ska records, but as fashions changed and rock steady became popular the group lost its audience. Lee "Scratch" Perry, a successful recording artists and producer, convinced the Wailers to abandon the falsetto harmonies and vocal gymnastics that they employed in emulation of American doo-wop groups. Instead, he suggested that they cultivate simpler backing vocals and assertive lead lines in a lower register and loaned them his rhythm section, the Upsetters. Their new sound, which they combined with the psychedelic rock of Jimi Hendrix and Sly and the Family Stone, created a new style of reggae. Chris Blackwell, the owner of Island Records, heard them and was convinced it was the style of the future; shortly thereafter the Wailers began to attract an audience in Britain and the United States.
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Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Impressions, Joe Higgs, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Toots and the Maytalls
Must Haves:
 "Exodus"
"No Woman No Cry"
"Could You Be Loved"
"One Love/People Get Ready"
"Redemption Song"
All other reggae acts; the Clash, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill, Busta Rhymes
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