How did you first get into reggae music?

[A Youthman Deh]

I personally find techno music boring as hell due to its lack of proper basslines. It reduces the bass to a monotonous rhythmic instrument that's just for the habit of it thrown somewhere in the mix to bleep annoyingly (most often in upbeat), whereas in reggae and dub the bass truly fullfills its important role as the backbone of the music; the perfect union of rhythm and melody. The principle of one beat & one harmony truly manifests itself ingeniously in a proper bassline.

My infamous 2 cents, ina offtopic fashion

[Punxsta]

I think many people feel the same way as you Youthman but I think more and more people are getting into dub music through electronic music (techno, jungle and breakbeat) especially us youngsterswho are always openminded about such things! I guess it's cos tubbs and scientist were such innovators. Very interesting thread this one ....

[Oink!]

I guess this is a good thread for my first post with my newly registered username

I'm a young guy (16) and this is how I first got introduced to and later hooked on reggae.

4 years ago my family and I was lucky enough to get a two week trip to a nice place in Barbados. Two nights we were having dinner on the dark and hot beach by our hotel only light up by these torches and there was this local reggae band performing. I don't remember much, but I do remember their funny and totally identical rasta outfits, and that they performed some Bob Classics as well as some other pretty cheesy "tourist friendly" reggae.
This however, made a big impression on me as a young guy, and I remember humming along to the songs I had heard (and now forgot) on the trip months after returning to my cold homecountry.

In the time after I got home I managed to get hold of a recorded VHS copy of the Bob documentary "Rebel Music". This is perhaps what really got me hooked on reggae. I heard snippets of songs I had never heard by Bob before but really loved. I remember songs as "Duppy Conqueror", "Burnin'", "Concrete Jungle" made big impressions. I had no idea at this time what the songs were called or how I could get hold of them. I watched the VHS tape over and over to hear the snippets of the songs. Good times.

I later downloaded a shitload of reggae and I slowly stopped listening to other kinds of music. Reggae was perfect for me. I really got the vibe. I have since bought 100 cds or something and just recently started my vinyl collection.

My friends and family thinks i'm crazy, but I'm totally addicted to this wonderful music.

[Greg]

bob, no question. first time i heard stir it up i was hooked
i was about 10years of age and since that day i was never the same. i know some would make fun but for someone who was strictly into blues before that it hit me really hard to hear that one drop and skankin guitar

[donstrumental]

My Father was a local musician and Reggae and soca were always playing in the house.

On a sunday Tony williams Reggae Time would come on about midday on radio London.He used to play a lot of big people reggae like Winston Groovy,John Holt,Ken Boothe and dem kinda tings.Every now and then he would slip in a Mikey Dread or Al Campbell.This was what i wanted to hear but couldn't get enough of it.

One day i was listening to Greg Edwards Soul Spectrum from 5-8 on a saturday evening then at 8 the next DJ was David Rodigan.This was about 1980 and the sounds of Barrington Levy,Linval Thompson ,Michael Prophet and Barry Brown hit me with music.

This new Rodigan fella,would talk about the history,Tubbys,Scientist,Jammys,Junjo Lawes,i was hooked and would set up my tape recorder with a fresh TDK D90 every week,write down the tunes i liked and save up my dinner money and paper round money and head for the market where a guy was selling these baad tunes.

First record i bought was Fort Augustus by Junior Delgado,by 1981 i was bitten by the Scientist bug,King Tubbys,Roots Radics,Junjo Lawes and linval Thompson took over my life.

I went through the sound system phase and later became a full time musician,carrying on where dad left off.

[slengteng]

In the mid/late 90's; I was 13 and listening exclusively to french rap. Then I discovered french raggamuffin which I loved (it was kinda new to me), then Bob Marley on the radio and I fell in love with Buffalo Soldier (which still is today my favourite song).
And after that, I knew Peter Tosh, then Max Romeo, Burning Spear and Gregory thanks to the compilation named Reggae Refreshers which was available at the public library of my town. Wonderful. I never stopped listening to reggae till that day I'm writing these lines...

[donstrumental]

oh i forgot to ad in my post i begged my mum to by me. the Exodus album when it came out when i was about 9

[Jason Allen]

I listened to Marley, Tosh, and Jimmy Cliff in the 80s. That was about it. I knew that the Clash took their name from Culture and some stuff like that but paid little notice. Then about 15 or so years ago, I had a friend that seemed to love it. So, I bought everything I could from Columbia House (which actually used to be quite a lot!!!). Burning Spear, Culture, Steel Pulse, Third World, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, the Maytals, Lee Perry, Israel Vibration and a bunch more.
When I heard Culture, I got it. I knew this was the real thing. Raw, real, living, with no apologies.
Within a year I was DJing and promoting shows with my friend. A few years after that I totally got lost in the roots vibe. I bought whatever I could by Prince Alla, Prince Far I, Johnny Clarke, the Gladiators, Yabby You, Congos, etc, etc, etc. It used to be that all these CDs would somehow just "turn up" in the pawn shops and CD stores I shopped at. All of them would always be 25 cents to $5. I guess that is what got me hooked. It was fun, exciting, and inexpensive.
Now those shops are gone. I accumulated a lot in that time (several 100 CDs). But, still find more that keeps me interested but now drains my bank account.
I only recently "got" dancehall and have started to listen to White Mice, Little John, etc. and a ton of Barrington. I do luck into rare vinyl on occasion but not as much as I wish.

[picaraza]

Oddly enough it was a term paper.

I was supposed to write a paper in high school in a sociology/history class on topic of my choice. And I had read an article-- in *Rolling Stone*, I think-- about Rastas and reggae. (I was really interested in religion at the time, so my decision was made) In any case it was a good excuse to buy some records.

So I went to the county library --there was not a lot available-- and a record shop in Berkeley -- not knowing anything. Some guy recommended the Wailers, *Funky Kingston*, and the *Harder They Come*

[Ron]

I must admit, Bob Marley and even UB40 were the first reggae artists to listen to.
I nicked both "Babylon By Bus" as "Signing Off" from my sister.
My first reggae album was given by my other sister: [Man In The Hills](http://www.roots-archives.com/release/28).
The first albums I bought with my own money were:
- [Dread Ina Babylon](http://www.roots-archives.com/release/914)
- [Super Ape](http://www.roots-archives.com/release/298)