Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2019, Music Ethnomusicology

Reggae, though it originated on a small Caribbean island, has extended far beyond its origins in Jamaica. Not long after its inception, this music became disseminated through popular commercial channels, which facilitated reggae's global presence and exposed it to a wide and diverse audience. In conjunction with its far-reaching appeal, reggae's origins in the black, Jamaican, working-class community and its connections to the Afrocentric faith known as Rastafari have also allowed this music to serve as a tool for pan-African expression. In addition, reggae has been used by marginalized populations, both in Jamaica and abroad, as a critical voice against oppressive forces. With these factors in mind, I examine the people and places associated with reggae music and culture in Detroit, Michigan, how reggae is used as a social unifier there, and the ways in which these practices fit into the larger scheme of reggae as a globally circulated musical form. I use the theoretical orientation of Afropolitanism to discuss the aesthetics and politics of reggae in Detroit and as a global art form. Through ethnographic research, which focuses on certain key figures and locations associated with Detroit reggae, I determine how various groups participating in the reggae scene in Detroit use this music and its associated culture to orient themselves, both in Detroit and in relation to reggae as a global phenomenon. I ask, what does this music mean to its participants? How is it used to construct personal and group identity? How does what is happening in Detroit relate to reggae music's larger global narrative? Through my work I conclude that Detroit is an important, globally connected site for the production of black culture, albeit a culture that often finds itself in a marginalized position—both in Detroit and in the world at large. I find that reggae, while not being a powerfully influential force in Detroit, plays a significant role in generating a sense of community with (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sidra Lawrence PhD (Advisor) Subjects: African American Studies; Ethnic Studies; Music