… and life is music. It is side by side of love the most important thing in my life. I often sit and actively listen to music, not just having it in the background. I reflect upon the lyrics, I cry, I smile, I jump up and down, I dance or I just relax and let the music take me places I never thought I would experience. I don´t drink or take any kind of drugs, nor do I have a TV, instead I get high on music, sometimes falling into trance-like states of mind. Even though I understand seven languages I enjoy music sung in languages I do not understand. Music in itself is a language, speaking not only to your mind but also most definitely to your heart, and it transcends all boundaries and borders. Music is freedom and in someway music and love is the same.
I remember almost everything I have listened to in my life. Every song brings out memories of significant and unsignificant moments in my life both in urban Sweden, living or passing through other countries, and in the mountains of Bosnia where I spent the summers shepherding with my grandparents from the age of five.
I got my first music cassette when I was three years old at the end of the seventies : James och Karin – Barnlåtar (which in Swedish means Children´s songs). I would describe it as psychadelic progressevie children´s singer/songwriter rock/pop. Now as an adult I wonder what stuff they must have taken to write this kind of music? There were songs about flying dogs biting children in the legs and swallowing the legs whole ; songs sung by a letter without a stamp that was lost; songs about animals demonstrating against roads being built through their forest, , songs sung by a toothbrush and so on …
When I was four my hippie mother came home from Morocco with a piece of music that would change my life and follow me through the next 30 years. It was the album Uprising by Bob Marley & The Wailers. Since then I have never stopped listening to Reggae. Whatever kind of music I have listened to through the years Reggae music has followed me patiently side by side with rock, pop, punk, heavy metal, blues, hip-hop, rap, drum n´ base, ska, salsa, reggaeton, bachata, dub, dubstep, zouglou, mbalax, so called world music and some stuff I really wouldn´t know how to categorize.
Lately I have been virtually travelling to most of the 55 countries of Africa by help of the music program Spotify. That program revolutionized my life as I all of a sudden have access to billions of songs from all over the world legally. You listen to one artist and the program suggests simliar artists to you. In that way I started in Gambia in western Africa and Zimbawe in eastern Africa with artists such as Youss N´Dour and Thomas Mapfumo and three months later I had several hundreds of songs from all over the continent that I really like. You just pick the best from each artist and put them in playlists available to you anywhere in the world where you have internet access. Before Spotify I had to go through strange music shops looking for Reggae that I never found or just finding one or two artists from outside of the so called western world. The good thing about Spotify is that you are supporting the artists while you listen, since they get payed a very small sum every time their song is played. For my clickable spotify playlist please go to the bottom of this page.
I´ll try to post when I find songs or music albums that moves me or from time to time write about great music that I have already stumbled upon. Also, whenever I hear a thoughtful piece of lyrics I will share it with you in a short post here or on my music blog A World of Reggae.
As a start without introducing all musicians/groups at this time I´ll list some favorite musicians/bands. Instead of genre I will begin with a list from country to country in alphabetical order.
The following is a list of favorite artist/group and one or two of their songs that I can think of at the moment (I´ll add more later) :
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF9F44191DA5A49FB Please click if you would like to hear some of the songs below.
Songs/Artists in green are also clickable and will take you to that spesific song on youtube 🙂
If you have any suggestions for more music, please let me know 🙂
I’ll add new favorites at the bottom 🙂
Algeria | Idir | Exil (Da Rib) | Reggae/Other |
Algeria/ France | Gnawa Diffusion | Révolution, | Gnawa, Reggae |
Algeria/Switzerland | Sarazino | Ecos de Radio Iguana | Reggae/Saharan… |
Argentine | Los Enanitos Verdes | Eterna Soledad | Alternative Rock |
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs | Yo Quiero morirme Acá | Ska/Reggae | |
Soda Estereo | La ciudad de la furia | Rock/ Alternative | |
Australia | AC/DC | Back In Black | Heavy Metal |
Xavier Rudd | Come Let Go | Alternative | |
Austria | Iriepathie | One World | Reggae |
Brazil | |||
Mzuri Sana | Definição | Rap / Hip-Hop | |
Tribalistas | Velha Infancia | Alternative | |
Tribo De Jah | Apartheid Social | Reggae | |
Burkina Faso | Victor Démé | Sina, Djôn´maya | |
Cabo Verde | Cesária Évora | Riberonzinha | |
Maria de Barros | Petit Pays | ||
Cameroon | Richard Bona | Dipita | Jazz |
Canada | Neil Young | Like A Hurricane | Rock |
Chile | Gondwana | Aire de Jah | Reggae |
Commonwealth of Dominica | Nasio Fontaine | Living In The Positive | Reggae |
Costa Rica / Mexico | Chavela Vargas | La Llorona | Traditional, Rancheras |
Côte d’Ivoire(Ivory Coast) | Alpha Blondy | Peace in Liberia, Ikafô, Jerusalem | Reggae |
Beta Simon | Malian Way | Reggae | |
Magic system | Ki Dit Mié, Premier Gaou | Zouglou | |
Tiken Jah Fakoly | Africa, Ayebada | Reggae | |
Côte d’Ivoire/ France | Dobet Gnahore | Djiguene | |
Cuba | Afro-Cuban Allstars | Pío Mentiroso, Habane Del Este, Amor Verdadero | Guaracha, Guajira Son, Mozambique, |
Eliades Ochoa | Ay Papacito, Chan Chan | Son, Bolero | |
Orishas | Mujer, El Kilo | Hip Hop/ Mix with other Cuban styles | |
Democratic Republic of Congo | Pitcho | On Va Célébrer | Hip-Hop |
Congo | Franco | Kinsiona | ? |
Dominican Republic | El Chaval | Donde Están Esos Amigos | Bachata |
Frank Reyes | Princesa | ||
Zacarias Ferreira | La Avispa | ||
England (GB) | Alpha & Omega | Rastafari | Heavy Dub |
The Animals | The House Of The Rising Sun | Classic Rock | |
Asian Dub Foundation (ADF) | Fortress Europe | Rap / Ragga-jungle / Indo-dub | |
Aswad | I A Rebel Soul, Concrete Slaveship | Reggae | |
(Cat Stevens)Yusuf Islam | Wild World | Rock / pop | |
Deep Purple | Solider Of Fortune, Hush | Hard rock | |
Dire Straits | Romeo And Juliet, | ||
Iron Maiden | Hallowed Be Thy Name, Children Of The Damned | Heavy metal | |
Judas Priest | Dying To Meet You | Heavy metal | |
Steel Pulse | Ku Klux Klan | Reggae | |
Uriah Heep | The Wizard, Lady In Black | Progressive rock | |
England / India | Talvin Singh ਤਲਵੀਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਠਾਰੂ | Jaan, Sutrix | Drum ´N´Bass |
Eritrea | Asmara All Stars | Fhemsela, Haki | Dub/Jazz / Local/ Reggae |
Ethiopia | Dub Colossus | Azmari Dub | Dub/Mix of different styles |
France | Daddy Mory | Seigneurs de Guerre | Reggae |
Sergent Garcia | Poetas,Amor Pa´Mi, Los Desaparecidos | Salsamuffin | |
France/Burkina Faso | Yapa | M´Mory, Kelemani | |
France/Spain | Mano Negra | Mala Vida | Punk, All styles |
Mano Chao | Me Laman Calle, Clandestino | All styles | |
“Garifuna” / Belize, Nicaragua, Honduras | Andy Palacio | Baba (Father), àmuñegu (In Times To Come) | Garifuna |
Gambia | Rebellion The Recaller | Take It Easy, Why No Food | Hip-Hop/ Reggae |
Ghana | Reggie Rockstone | Accra Allstars | Hip-Hop |
Guyane | Energy Crew | Change Your Mind | Reggae |
Jah Soldiers | Oussama the Most Wanted Man | ||
Natural Black | Be Careful Of Your Enemies | ||
India | Alphonse | Aaromale | Film music |
Rakesh Chaurasia | Gujarat Bhajan | ||
Ireland | Rory Gallagher | Bad Penny, Philby | Blues / Rock |
Thin Lizzy | Dancing In The Moonlight | Rock | |
Jamaica | The Abyssinians | Satta Massa Gana | Reggae -from -roots -to -dancehall |
Anthony B | How do you feel, -Woman Of My Dreams, Striving | ||
Ajamu | Mystery Babylon | ||
Black Roots | War, Juvenile Delinquent | ||
Bob Marley& The wailers | So much trouble in the world, One love, Redemption Song | ||
Bugle | Journeys | ||
Bunny Wailer | Who Feels It | ||
Burning Spear | No more war, Cultivation | ||
The Congos | Fisherman | ||
Culture | Too long in slavery, I´m not ashamed | ||
Delroy Washington | Wake Up Jamaica | ||
Don Carlos | Love Jah | ||
Duane Stephenson | August town | ||
Earl Sixteen | Babylon Walls | ||
The Gladiators | Dreadlocks The Time Is Now | ||
Gregory Isaacs | Mr. Cop | ||
The Heptones | Mama say, Cool rasta, Revolution | ||
Horace Andy | Love Love Love | ||
Hugh Mundell | Greaat Tribulation | ||
Ijahman Levi | Jah Heavy Load | ||
Israel Vibration | The Same Song, Why Worry | ||
The Itals | Me Waan Justice | ||
Jacob Miller | Roman Soliders of Babylon | ||
Jah Mason | No matter the time,Love Is The Answer | ||
Jimmy Cliff | Lonely Streets | ||
John Holt | Strange Things | ||
Jhonny Clarke | Ites Green and Gold | ||
Junior Byles | Fade Away | ||
Junior Kelly | Rasta Should Be Deeper | ||
Keith Hudson | Rasta Took The Blame | ||
Ken BootheLittle Roy | Freedom Time (aka Freedom Day), Is It Because I´m Black | ||
Lee “Scratch” Perry | Babylon Falling Version | ||
Linval Thompson | River Jordan | ||
Lutan Fyah | What A Woe, Stress Free, Our World | ||
Morgan Heritge | Live To The Fullest | ||
Perfect | Rasta Rebel | ||
Peter Tosh | I Am That I Am | ||
Pressure | Modern Pharao, Be What You Want To Be | ||
Queen Ifrica | Far Away | ||
Richie Spice | The World Is A Cycle, Take It Easy, Brown Skin | ||
Sojah | Wake Up | ||
Sylford Walker | Burn Babylon | ||
T.O.K | Guardian Angel | ||
Tanya Stephens | These Streets | ||
Tarrus Riley | Let Peace Reign | ||
Third World | 96 ° In The Shade | ||
Tony Rebel | Jah Is By My Side | ||
The Twinkle Brothers | Babylon Falling | ||
YT | Mr. Politician | ||
Kenya | Stan Nganga | Wageci | Soul |
Mali | Afel Bocoum | Alasidi | ? Blues |
Ali Farka Touré | Tulumba | Blues | |
Habib Koité | Saramaya, Kumbin | :- ) | |
Kiakeya Project, Various Artists | Red Ladies Tent Jam | Electronic / Tamashek | |
”Viux” Farka Touré | Slow Jam | Blues | |
Mexico | Maná | Selva negra, Mis ojos | Rock |
Caifanes | Nubes | Rock/Alternative | |
Los De Abajo | Mateme Amor, El Loco | Ska/Traditional/Rap… mix | |
Mexico/USA | Santana | Black Magic Woman | Rock/Alt. |
Nepal | Sur-Sudha | Rajamati | |
Nigeria/UK | Ben Okafor | Raise your Conscience | Reaggae |
Nigeria | Majek Fashek | African Unity | Reggae |
Northern Ireland | Van Morrison | Days Like This | Rock |
Pakistan | Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan | Mustt Mustt (- Lost In His Work Remix) | Quawwali, Ghazal |
Pakistan / UK | State of Bengal | Flight IC408 | Drum´N´Bass, Dub, Electronica … |
Puerto Rico | Calle 13 | No Hay Nadie Como Tú, La Perla | Reggaeton y más |
Don Omar | Pobre Diabla, Bandoleros | Reguetón | |
Ismael Rivera | Traigo Salsa, El Nazareno | Salsa | |
Tego Calderon | Quiéreme Como Soy | Reguetón | |
(Julio) Voltio | El Mellao | Reguetón | |
São Tomé e Príncipe | Izék Costa | Mácu | Reggae/ zouk |
Senegal | Abass Abass | Africa Child | Hip-Hop |
Awadi | Sunugal, Zamouna | Hip-Hop | |
Carlou D | Sen Regal | :- ) His own style, Mbalax | |
Cheickh Lo | Set, Sant Maam,N´galula, N´Jariñu Garab | Mix of mbalax, jazz, salsa, … | |
Daara J | Esperanza | Rap/ Hip-Hop | |
Ismael Lo | Manko, Tadjabone, Talibe | Mbalax and more | |
Omar Pene | Woma, Fari, | Mbalax and other | |
Orchestra Baobab | Hommage Á Tonton Ferrer, Aduna Jaruul Naawo | Specialists in all styles | |
Pape & Cheikh | Mariama, Yaay | ? | |
Positive Black Soul | Taara | Hip-Hop | |
Sister Fa | Milyamba | Empowering Hip-Hop | |
Youss N´Dour | Birima | All styles | |
Senegal (south part) | Daby Balde | Waino Blues | Blues |
Toure Kunda | Sama Dio | :- ) | |
Senegal/France | Diogal | Sore | ? |
Serbia | Hornsman Coyote | Hornsman Cry | Reggae |
Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša | Stastopojo | Alternative, Reggae | |
Sierra Leone | Sierra Leone Refugee Allstars | Global Threat, Living Stone | Reggae and other |
Somalia/USA | K´naan | Take A Minute | Hip-Hop Positive |
South Africa | Proverb | Stop Think, Say Something | Hip –Hop/Rap |
Hugh Masakela | Vasco Da Gama | Jazz/ funk / soul | |
South Sudan | Emmanuel Jal | Warchild, Emma | Hip-Hop Spoken Word |
Spain | Amparanoia | En La Noche, En La Ciudad | All styles |
Bebe | Malo, Ella | Rock/Pop | |
Los Delinquentes | El Aire De La Calle | Flamenco nuevo | |
Macaco | Con La Mano Levantá | Flamenco nuevo | |
Mala Rodríguez | La Niña, Jugadoras-Jugadores | Hip Hop | |
Morodo | Mas Yama | Reggae | |
Skalariak | Guantanamo | Ska | |
Sweden | Chords | Knocking On my Door | Hip-Hop |
Helt Off | Babylonsjukan, Säg som det E, Det Brinner I Paris | Reggae | |
Kapten Röd | Trasig, Blommor Vid Oscarsleden, Ta Inga Order, Ju Mer Dom Spottar | Conscious Reggae | |
Kultiration | Babylon Faller, Ur Jord, Propaganda, Sparkar & Slag | Reggae / traditional | |
Labyrint | Kärleken | Hip-Hop | |
Looptroop | Long Arm Of The Law | Hip-Hop | |
Looptroop Rockers | Joseph, Fort Europa | Hip-Hop | |
Peps Persson | Copenhagen Blues, Hög standard | Blues / Reggae | |
Promoe | Long Distance Runner, Songs Of Joy, Lullabies to Myself, Dog Day Afternoon | Hip-Hop /Rap | |
Skaburbian Collective | Stressa Av | Reggae | |
Svenska Akademien | Cttrl+Alt+Del | Hip-Hop / reggae | |
Timbuktu | Jag Drar, Dynamit Det löser sig | Hip-Hop / reggae | |
Sweden / Holland | Cornelis Wreswijk | Lasse Liten Blues | Singer songwriter |
Sweden / South Africa | Zoro | Jabulani, Azania | Reggae + ? |
Tanzania / Congo | Ndala Kasheba | Refugees Session 2 | Sokous and other |
Uganda | Geoffrey Oryema | Makambo | ? |
Madoxx | Fed Up, Ngolabye | Reggae | |
USA | Alice In Chaines | Rotten Apple | Grunge |
Alex Theory | Voodoo Dub | Electronic chill | |
BB King | Ghetto Woman, Help The Poor | Blues | |
Ben Harper | Excuse Me Mr. | Singer songwriter | |
Blind Melon | Change, No Rain | Alternative | |
Blue Oyster Cult | Don´t fear The Reaper | Rock | |
Bob Dylan | All Along The Watchtower | Singer songwriter | |
Chicago | 25 Or 6 To 4 | Rock | |
Cunninlynguists | Georgia, Close Your Eyes, Valley of Death | Conscious Hip-Hop | |
Groundation | Music is the most high | Reggae | |
Guns N´Roses | Sweet Child O Mine, Civil War | Hard rock | |
Jimi Hendrix | Voodoo Chile Blues | Blues rock | |
Mr. SOS | Die For You | Hip-Hop / Progressive | |
Lou Reed | Dirty Blvd. | Rock | |
The Outlaws | (Ghost) Riders In The Sky | Southern rock | |
Pearl Jam | Indifference | Grunge | |
Smif N´Wessun | Wrecktime | Hip-Hop | |
Soliders of Jah Army (SOJA) | Rasta Courage, True Love, Mother Earth | Reggae | |
USA/Dominican Republic | Aventura | El Malo, Un Beso, Obsesión | Bachata |
USA/ Romano/Russia / Spain / Latvia / Israel / Ukraine / China / Italy / Sweden / Trinidad and Tobago / Ecuador /Ethiopia | Gogol Bordello | Immigraniada ( We Comin´ Rougher) , Alcohol | Punk world Romano ? |
USA/ South Africa | Young Nations | Get It Good Got It Good | Rap / Hip-Hop |
Yugoslavia | Azra | Balkan | Rock |
Bijelo Dugme | Lipe Cvatu | Progressive rock | |
Електрични оргазам (Električni Orgazam) | Igra Rok’ En’ Rol cela Jugoslavija, Zlatni Papagaj | Rock/Punk | |
Ekatarina Velika (EKV) | Sinhro, Oči boje meda | Rock/Alternative | |
Шарло Акробата | Ona Se Budi | Punk/Rock | |
Smak | Ljudi Nije Fer | 70´s rock | |
(Zaire)/Tanzania | Remmy Ongala | I Want To Go Home, One World | Soukous, Ubongo… |
(Zaire) D.R. of Congo | Lokua Kanza | Nakozonga | |
Zimbabwe | Thomas Mapfumo | Juanita, Kuvarira Mukati/ Suffer in Silence | Chimurenga |
Oliver ”Tuku” Mtukudzi | Neria, Ndima Ndapedza | ”Tuku Music” | |
Winky D | Say No | Reggae/ Dancehall | |
USA / Senegal / Mali / Ivory Coast | Africando | Mandali | Salsa |
Virgin Islands (St. Croix) | Midnite | Pagan, Pay Gone | Reggae |
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF9F44191DA5A49FB
If you want to listen to some of the music on the list just click the link above to my playlist on youtube.
Perfect love!
“Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds!”
Bob Marley
New favorites:
Ghana – Chizzy Wailer – Change the Constitution
Turkey – – Dinle
Puerto Rico – Calle 13 – Latinoamérica (click here and you come to a plece where I translated the lyrics and you can listen to it as well)
Pakistan – Ali Zafar – Nahi Re Nahi, Jee Dhoondta Hai
http://nandinidhiman.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/nahi-re-nahi/
Old favorites I had forgotten 🙂
I can’t believe I left out John Lennon – Working class hero
Nigeria – Fela Kuti – Water No Get Enemy (Thanks for reminding me @friquan):
http://afriquan.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/fela-kuti-trouble-sleep-yanga-wake-am/
South Africa – Lucky Dube – Together as one
The World – Manu Chau – Clancestino, Me llaman calle
Venezuela – Oscar de Leon – llorarás
USA – Nina Simone – Baltimore
Here is some music from the 55 countries of Africa for the people that can access Spotify , , you can also go directly to my Spotify profile for all my playlists.
The good thing about Spotify is that they will pay the artist a small sum every time their song is played
Spotify Playlists:
Africa, west, east and south (soft)
Africa 2000 on the move (All styles 55 countries music explosion )
Beautiful Africa (Soft, soft, soft) (55 countries)
Hip Hop Africa (one continent – 55 counties)
Africa Reggae (one continent 55 countries)
Africa Blues (Mostly Mali region)
Africa/Europe dance (Two continents many countries)
Here are also some reggae playlists on my Spotify
A) Stand up and fight, Never give up
LOVE songs, broken, true, stolen…all REGGAE of course
All reggae until 2010 from roots to dancehall
Enough is enough (Reggae) World gone crazy
Positive – Musik med niceness och glädje!
And also a playlist with over 1000 songs in cronological order that I have listened to since I was 3 Musik jag lyssnat på sen jag var 3 i kronologisk ordning tom. 2010
Perfect love and good listening,
a long list and a huge variety….truly a musical life !!
greetings from India…you should also listen to Rahman’s music (Academy award winner), traditional indian instruments and a band named ‘motherjane’.
Thank you for the tips.
Is that A.R. Rahman?
Motherjane was an interesting experience and so nice to see that no matter where in the world you will find people playing all kinds of music (they remind me a little of two Mexican bands, Caifanes and Mana).
The internet is really fantastic when you can share music with people from everywhere in the world. It makes me so happy.
Inspiring, every post leaves me wanting to hear more, you are a marvel rasta teacher
Wow, powerful comment!
Thank you 🙂
WHEW! Playlist! The hard work is already done. Thanks for this.
You are welcome 🙂
Do you have any favorite musicians that I might like?
[…] was a Music-Suggestion from Rasta Teacher, thanks for that one and for the list on your […]
Whoa! Loads of research was involved I bet!…
so much music to explore.. : ) thank you!
Well i bought by first LP at 10 that was 25 years ago, and then some 400 CDs over the years until finally internet made the whole world available 😉
You are most welcome. I’ll try to make more songs clickable to youtube. The green ones are already linked.
Enjoy .-)
Good stuff
Asante sana 🙂
Wow…what a wonderful trove!!!! Tks
🙂 you are most welcome