If one was to reason the popularity of reggae music or the globalization of the genre, well, it would be its soulful music, its lyrics which captured the universal themes of love, social equity, anti-racism and friendship, its innovative and catchy creations above all the man who gave reggae its due, Bob Marley. Struggling through the streets of Jamaica , this superstar, confident of his talent, made the entire world sit up and notice the charm of reggae.

Though reggae owes its popularity to a number of singers and artists, its craze grew in sync with Marley's fame. Marley's music not only popularized reggae but also he made an attempt to define the many aspects of the art form through his creations. He made an interesting use of drums and guitar. His lyrics were really powerful, yet simple, which helped the listeners to strike a perfect connect with the music. They truly captured the feelings and mindsets of his native people. Bob Marley laid the foundation of his band called The Wailers, who then emerged as some of the most promising stars of those times.

Taking reggae beyond the Jamaican streets to the popular American and European airwaves were the two songs from the groups' last album: The Burnin'. One of these hits, “I Shot the Sheriff”, penned by Marley, was featured in 1974 by Eric Clapton, who was already a huge figure in the rock and roll world by then. This stood as the stand point for reggae music which led to its widespread acceptance.

However, the romance of The Wailers soon came to an end and three of its members parted ways. Undeterred by the loss of company, Marley continued to churn some of the most immortal hits and continued to be a channel for the spread of Reggae music.

Apart from setting new standards for reggae, Marley influenced a number of art forms and new entrants. Shades and influence of reggae can be witnessed in the music of British bands like the Police, UB40 and Culture Club. Unfortunately, the tryst of this legendary artist with reggae did not last for too long as he died at a young age of 36. Some even thought it to be the death of reggae. It was as if the genre itself was mourning the death of its father. However, Marley's music set a unique precedent for all those who wanted to understand Reggae or make their own reggae numbers.

oday this traditional art form has made a global impact and artists and fans across the world are rejoicing reggae only because of someone who believed in the form and made it into a strong expression rather than a mere entertainment…someone who dreamt of taking the form to soaring heights and even strived hard to attain this goal and made this bass-dominated Jamaican music a global culture…so much so that his music is an intrinsic part of the collection of most reggae lovers. Cheers to the reggae king: Bob Marley.