Libyan reggae can be clearly seen as reggae music produced by people in Libya with a little fusion of Libyan folklore.

Reggae which started in Jamaica and always preached the messages of Love, unity, social justice and uprising made its way into the Libyan community when reggae blew up in the 1970s through imported CDs and cassettes with notable artists like Lucky Dube, Bob Marley, The Wailers, Peter Tosh and some other artists being pioneers and frontiers of this beautiful genre. However, Libyan reggae started when local artists started experimenting with reggae rhythms and incorporating Arabic lyrics and elements of traditional Libyan music to create this distinct genre. The elements of traditional Libyan music include the melodic structures and a few North African rhythms.

Several notable artists made significant contributions to the Libyan reggae genre both but one standout artist is Ahmed Fakroun who blended elements of reggae in his music creating a fusion that resonates with a lot of audiences. Other notable artists are El Far3i, Ahmed Ben Ali, Ibrahim Henswani and many others.

Notably, Libyan reggae emerged as a musical response to the social and political challenges faced by the Libyan people. Gained prominence during the late 20th century, it experienced a surge in popularity during the Arab Uprising in 2011, during the end of the Gaddafi long regime, the genre allowed artists and activists to voice their opinions, concerns and frustration and also helped in the spread of the word of unity and uprising among the Libyan people. Even after the end of the civil war, Libyan reggae kept springing up as it now became the artistic expression of the newly found hope and freedom in their democracy.

To understand the exact fusion of the Libyan reggae genre, one has to explore and study the works of specific artists. Comparing the works of the two top Libyan reggae artists from the one of the biggest record labels in North Africa, Ibrahim Hensnawi and Ahmed Ben Ali, both from the Habibi funk label with the tracks from the traditional reggae music from Jamaica, it was concluded that these artists brought together the melodic element of the traditional Libyan folklore music with the groove style of reggae. They typically featured some Arabic percussion instruments, oriental notes and the characteristic reggae offbeat rhythm and this fusion of influences combined to create a beautiful genre. The lyrics in this genre always featured themes of Hope, unity, social justice and fight for freedom which is also the same as the traditional reggae music themes.

One question that kept springing up at the course of this research is, CAN LIBYAN REGGAE BE CONSIDERED A STANDOUT GENRE?

So far, there has not been any special cue that makes Libyan reggae a standout genre because aside the incorporation of some notes similar to the Libyan folkloric tradition and the use of indigenous language in their singing, the Libyan reggae music sounds the same and the has the same rhythm pattern as the traditional reggae music from Jamaica. Instead, it can be said to be a regional variation of reggae music that fuses elements of traditional Libyan music and reflects the social, cultural and political context of Libya with artists fusing their own music with their experiences making it a sub-genre.

The image above is of Ahmed Ben Ali, a signee with Habibi Funk and also credited as the Father of modern day Libyan reggae.

Can Libyan Reggae be Considered a Standout Genre?

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