♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Edgar: My name is Jacob Edgar.

I'm an explorer, but I don't search for lost cities or ancient ruins.

I'm on the quest for a different kind of treasure -- music.

♪♪ As an ethnomusicologist and world music record producer, I travel the globe hunting for the best songs the world has to offer -- and I suffer through some of the worst so you don't have to.

♪♪ I've got a backstage pass to the world's music, and I won't stop until I've heard it all.

♪♪ ♪ Let's go ♪ ♪ Are you ready now?

♪ Edgar: Jamaica, an emerald island in the Caribbean, has attracted explorers and pirates, writers seeking inspiration, and tourists just looking for a little relaxation.

And for music lovers like myself, it has an almost magnetic pull.

♪ Back to Africa, Mr. Enoch, it's your diamond ♪ ♪ Go ♪ ♪ Are you ready now?

♪ Edgar: For a small country, Jamaica's had a massive impact on the world's music, bringing influential styles such as ska, reggae, dancehall, and more to the global stage.

♪ People dying like flies ♪ ♪ People living in lies every day ♪ ♪ And why then sit back ♪ Edgar: Ask the average person what they know about Jamaica, and they'll likely mention Bob Marley, the reggae icon who's one of the world's most universally loved musicians.

Japanese Rastafarians and dreadlocked surfer dudes make pilgrimages to Jamaica to visit the Marley holy sites, such as the Bob Marley Museum, Trenchtown, and Nine Mile, the country village where Marley was born and is buried.

♪ Let's go ♪ ♪ Are you ready now?

♪ Edgar: Bob Marley is a musical force worthy of renown, but he passed away nearly 30 years ago, and Jamaican music has continued to grow and evolve in his absence.

Today, the edgy urban sounds of dancehall, a relative of rap, dominates the scene.

And I've been told that authentic roots reggae can be hard to find in Jamaica these days.

♪ Don't you think that it's ironic?

♪ Edgar: In an effort to find out who's carrying the torch of socially conscious, soulful reggae, I decided to seek out three young artists who are making waves on the local scene -- Tarrus Riley, Etana, and Richie Spice.

While they've been influenced by Bob Marley's music, message, and Rastafarian beliefs, each has managed to create their own unique sound to inspire a new generation of reggae fans.

♪♪ ♪♪ My first day in Jamaica, I head off to meet with a singer named Tarrus Riley.

♪ Dem big inna body ♪ ♪ And will tell yuh dem ready ♪ ♪ Mi nuh need no glass fi see dem force ripe ♪ ♪ And thru bad company some likkle pickney ♪ ♪ Nah tek no talk a straight road, a street life ♪ ♪ Mama likkle princess gone bad ♪ ♪ Daddy's likkle angel bruk out ♪ Edgar: I drive from Kingston to the small city of Morant Bay, along roads with the lush blue mountains rising up on one side and the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean stretching out to the horizon on the other.

With views like these, it's no wonder Jamaica is such a popular tourist destination.

I'm in Morant Bay, which is about an hour east of Kingston.

And I'm gonna be meeting here with Tarrus Riley, who is a talented young reggae singer.

And he asked me to meet him here at the Morant Bay Market.

Tarrus.

-Yes.

-How are you doing?

Nice to meet you.

Jacob Edgar.

Yes, Jacob.

Pleasure.

Oh, my pleasure.

♪ Who she impressing?

♪ ♪ The shutters closed, and she always... ♪ Everybody's got their cellphones here.

It's a very high-tech market.

Tarrus: Yeah, man.

We got Tarrus on his [indistinct].

And we got her doing her calculations on her mobile.

The modern market life.

Edgar: As we stroll through the streets of Morant Bay, it's clear from the constant stream of well-wishers that come up to greet him that Tarrus is a much-loved figure here.

Now, when I walk through town, people tend to cross to the other side of the street.

♪♪ But Tarrus did not seek fame and fortune, and he's actually quite shy and soft-spoken in person.

The music that I grew up listening to was more dancehall orientated.

So how is it that you that -- you aren't a dancehall singer?

Like, why aren't you doing that?

Well, I don't particularly class myself as any type of singer.

You know, I'm a musician, I'm an artist.

Right.

But your music has more of a -- it has a rootsier vibe to it.

It has a cultural vibe.

Yeah, well, it's not -- the cultural part of it is because who I am.

I mean, my inspiration is, like, Jamaica's, like, out of many one people have many a lot of inspiration.

You know, and my inspiration is, I'm all about breaking down barriers of prejudice, and segregation, and discrimination with music.

Riley: ♪ Well, he's growing his hair ♪ ♪ Left the barber chair ♪ ♪ And the old folks saying that he's crazy ♪ Edgar: He prefers to lead a simple life close to nature.

And he takes me down bumpy dirt roads, to the one room-shack by the sea where he lived for many years.

Riley; ♪ I want to know more about my culture ♪ ♪ Want to know about my past and about my future ♪ ♪ I like to live a little closer to nature ♪ Edgar: Tarrus still comes here often, to sit in this quiet setting, and compose songs.

♪ And if you knew the life I found ♪ ♪ Then you would all put on your crown, and come around ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Your mother raised you well ♪ ♪ Now you're going to hell ♪ ♪ I'm afraid someone took your brain, and washed it ♪ ♪ He said, "Hey, [indistinct] ♪ ♪ And to tell you the truth ♪ ♪ Life has never been better since I lost it ♪ When "Barber Chair" was recorded on my first album, "Challenges," And the song is dealing with, like I said, nature.

And it's, like, almost a song about myself, you know.

I can't leave out Rastafari out of my music.

The teaching of Rastafari is a big influence in my life, and that comes through my music.

Now, a lot of people, you know, in other parts of the world, they think, if you have dreadlocks and you smoke ganja and listen to reggae, you're a Rastafarian.

But that's not what it's about.

Well, I mean... it's deeper than that.

Definitely.

It's not an outside thing.

It's not a hair thing.

♪ Come around ♪ ♪ [Indistinct] ♪ ♪ [Indistinct] barber chair ♪ ♪ And the old folks saying that is crazy ♪ ♪ Hey, there ♪ ♪ What's wrong?

♪ ♪ Woman ♪ ♪ Looks like you're feeling down inside ♪ You've done some work with -- regarding domestic violence in schools.

Yes.

Tell me about that.

There's a project -- my project -- called "Start Anew."

Start Anew.

Yes.

Start anew -- like "start a new beginning."

♪ How him fi beat, beat yuh ♪ ♪ Den waan tek yuh clothes off ♪ ♪ Abuse and mistreat yuh ♪ ♪ Sen later on seduce yuh ♪ It's basically just, you know, us doing community things, trying to live by the self esteem in our surroundings.

So... Building self-esteem.

Yeah, it's a part of thing with me.

♪ Let it go ♪ ♪ Start anew ♪ ♪ Cut it off ♪ ♪ And find someone who loves you, girl ♪ Edgar: While he may shy away from self-promotion, Torres has become hugely popular in Jamaica and across the Caribbean.

And when I stopped by the release party for his new album, "Contagious," he does a fine job of playing the part of reggae superstar.

The last time I saw Tarrus Riley, he was playing in front of a simple tin roof shack that he'd lived in for seven years.

And today, here in Montego Bay, he's doing a record release party at a luxury hotel.

It's not the most intimate setting, but I think I'll go check it out.

♪ Once she was a good girl ♪ ♪ but now she gone bad ♪ ♪ Story of a good girl gone bad ♪ ♪ And she don't know what she have ♪ ♪ Driving the family mad ♪ ♪ Good girl gone bad ♪ So, how is it to have this press conference, and all this attention?

Well, I mean, it comes with it.

I don't really like the attention.

I'll tell you the truth.

I'm into the music.

No, honestly, it's nice when people love your music, and "Yo, Tarrus."

And respect.

[Indistinct] You know?

♪ She's royal ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ So royal ♪ Edgar: That night, Paris performs his hit song, "She's Royal" to an adoring crowd at Sunfest, one of the island's biggest music festivals.

♪ So one-of-a-kind ♪ ♪ The way she move to her own beat ♪ The song's lyrics of praise for womanhood have made him a heartthrob, and led many women to ask their men, "How come you don't treat me like that?"

Okay, Tarrus, that's enough.

You're making the rest of us guys look bad.

♪ And ooh, what a natural beauty ♪ ♪ She no need no makeup to be a cutie ♪ ♪ She's a queen ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ So supreme ♪ ♪♪ It's no wonder Tarrus has earned the love and respect of his fellow Jamaicans.

Even as his star rises, he maintains a humble attitude.

And his adoring songs to his children and odes of respect and love for women demonstrate that he's also a great family man and role model.

♪ My little baby don't follow the rules ♪ ♪ She likes to do things her own way ♪ ♪ She's gonna need a baby brother soon ♪ ♪ To share the attention with ♪ ♪ [Indistinct] ♪ [ Vocalizing ] ♪♪ Edgar: My reggae road trip continues with a visit to another singer whose socially conscious lyrics, devotion to Rastafarian beliefs, and soulful, bass heavy grooves identify him as another branch of the Marley tree.

♪ [Indistinct] ♪ I gave a call to Richie Spice, who is one of the most popular and talented young roots reggae artists here in Jamaica.

And he asked me to come all the way up to Rock Hall, which is way up in the mountains above Kingston.

So, I'm waiting here, and supposedly, he's gonna come pick me up.

Richie Spice.

Nice to meet you.

Richie invites me up to the family farm where he grew up alongside his many brothers, most of whom are successful musicians, as well, especially Pliers from Chaka Demus and Pliers, who had a huge hit in the '90's, with "Murder She Wrote."

♪♪ We're heading up a really steep, old, bumpy dirt road.

It's pretty cool, but I hope I don't fall out.

[Singing] Take me home, country road.

West Jamaica.

Mountain Mama.

Okay.

Okay.

I'll keep my day job.

Spice: So this is the place, yeah?

That was a -- That was quite a little trip up there.

♪♪ It looks like some people are buried here.

Yeah, that's my, um... My great-grand -- grandfather and great-grandfather.

So, this -- this place has been in your family for a long time.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Edgar: The rugged hills of the farm are planted with scotch bonnet peppers, carrots, Irish -- as they call "potatoes" here -- and some kind of medicinal herb that seems pretty common in Jamaica.

What's it called again?

Mary something?

♪♪ Spice: Well, you know, roots rock reggae is the root of -- of the music.

You know, it's real -- reggae music is real music.

You know?

A lot of Rasta music is, like, reggae is the root, and Rasta music is the branch.

You can raise a family from this music, you know, it's a music where you can listen to one after a hard day's work, and it gives you back a relaxation.

♪♪ Edgar: So it's important to you to -- that, you know, the words to your songs have a positive impact.

You know, [indistinct], which mean, you know, you know, doing uplifting things, listening uplifting things.

They listen, they learn.

Edgar: Richie seems like a pretty intense guy, but it turns out one of his hobbies is raising cute little bunny rabbits.

♪♪ Rasta is life.

You know?

Rasta is love.

You know?

Rasta is cleansing [indistinct].

You know?

Rasta is loving people, seeing people as people, and appreciate people as people.

You know?

Rasta is a way of living.

I hope, for those bunny's sake, that Richie Spice's devotion to being a Rastafarian includes following a vegetarian diet.

♪♪ Sitting on a hill above the farm, Richie Spice sings "Youth Dem Cold," which talks about the struggles of inner city youth to get by in Jamaica's violent and impoverished ghettos.

The subject seems a world away from this beautiful and serene setting.

But reggae artists have always used powerful lyrics like these to remind us of the injustices in Jamaican society and around the world.

♪ In the streets it's getting hot ♪ ♪ And the youths, dem a get so cold ♪ ♪ Searching for food for the pot ♪ ♪ They'll do anything to fill that gap ♪ ♪ As generation comes and grows ♪ ♪ You gotta make preparation while the youths dem grow ♪ ♪ It's what you reap it's wat you sow ♪ ♪ The youths them have a life in the future ♪ ♪ So when that's then you know ♪ ♪ In the streets it's getting hot ♪ ♪ And the youths, dem a get so cold ♪ ♪ Searching for food for the pot ♪ ♪ They'll do anything to fill that gap ♪ ♪ In the streets it's getting hot ♪ ♪ And the youths, dem a get so cold ♪ ♪ Searching for food for the pot ♪ ♪ They'll do anything to fill that gap ♪ [ Vocalizing ] Edgar: On my way back down from Rock Hall, I decide to check out some food stalls.

I'm on the hunt for local delicacies like oxtail, jerk chicken, curry goat.

I'll pretty much eat anything.

Hello.

It's dead, right?

Jango.

You know, I had a friend named Jango, but he didn't look at all like you.

What is this?

[Indistinct] Oh, so this is the baby.

All right, lets check -- check out this jango soup.

So, it's this long, dangly shrimp in here.

Ah.

I don't think that's really the method -- the technique.

I'll have to get some lessons from the pros.

♪♪ ♪ There's a little place in Africa ♪ Edgar: Another artist whose lyrics cry out for change is Etana, a young singer who blends reggae and neo-soul.

Her name means "the strong one," and although I'd heard her debut album, it didn't prepare me at all for the tour de force that I saw on stage.

♪♪ ♪ Don't want to be caught up ♪ ♪ Don't want to be caught up in the day ♪ Edgar: Etana ripped it up at Sumfest, and proved that she has the star power to make it big across the globe.

Don't let the frilly dress fool you -- this is one powerful lady.

♪♪ ♪ Fighting every day ♪ ♪ That's the price you have to pay ♪ ♪ For the birthright that you gave away ♪ ♪ Gave away ♪ ♪ Don't want to be caught up ♪ ♪ Don't want to be caught up ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Gave away ♪ ♪ Gave away ♪ ♪ Don't want to be caught up ♪ I was even more impressed a couple of nights later, when I saw her perform again at the Harder Edge dancehall festival Fully Loaded.

The festival is a showcase for intense dancehall and rap, but Etana took over the stage, and had the crowd hanging on every word.

It's a good thing, too, because you really don't want the guys with homemade blowtorches on your bad side.

♪♪ Etana spent much of her childhood living in Florida, but she's clearly managed to hold on tight to her Jamaican heritage.

She came back to live in Jamaica in 2004, planning to open an Internet cafe.

But luckily, her natural talent made it clear that her future was in music.

It was actually Richie Spice that convinced her to be a backing singer in his band.

But Etana is clearly not the type of person to play a backing role for long.

I was at dancehall night two nights before your show.

Women came out, motorcycles, and they had little bikinis on, and they were dancing, and blah, blah, blah.

What's your attitude about how women are portrayed in Jamaican popular music?

I didn't like the way it was when I came here to Jamaica.

Came back home in 2004, December, and I realized that, in the industry, there was much... nakedness Nakedness.

Yea, I say "nakedness" because they were revealing.

I mean, women had to reveal themselves, be raunchy.

Yes.

Talk about sex, mostly, to get ahead in music.

And I figured if... if I could just do music in a light that would -- in a way that would point the young ones in a more positive direction, then -- then, I think, you know, it would be a job well done for me.

♪ Oh ♪ ♪ There's a little place in Africa ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Children lose their lives by AIDS ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ Edgar: I asked Etana and her band to meet me at the stunning Goldeneye Beach, one of Jamaica's most picturesque and exclusive settings.

It was at a nearby house overlooking this inspirational view that author Ian Fleming wrote his "James Bond" novels.

♪ Oh ♪ ♪ There's a little place in Asia ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, yeah ♪ ♪ Children lose their lives to mumps ♪ Edgar: And Etana is clearly influenced by the Jamaican musical greats, and not just in the fashion department.

With her neo-soul sounds, she brings new flavors to Jamaican music.

Etana has also made it a mission to serve as a positive female role model.

For guidance, she turned to another pioneering female Jamaican artist -- the legendary Marcia Griffiths, who was a member of the I Threes, Bob Marley's backing Singers.

I wanted to talk to somebody, like a woman, in the business for a long time.

And I met Marcia Griffiths.

She was just the best person.

And she invited me to dinner.

I went over there.

And she laid it all out on the table, from, you know, the business side to the stage.

And when she was done, I was so grateful for that day, and for that moment, I started calling her "Auntie Marcia."

♪ We are living in a crazy, lazy world ♪ Edgar: So, how did you establish something different?

How were you able to find a place for yourself as a popular singer?

Well, after going out on the road with Richie Spice for all of 2005 as a backup singer, I loved it a lot.

I wasn't even thinking about going out there and singing on my own, or being a solo artist.

Never.

I had so much fun, But then, the people kept asking, "Who is the girl?

Who is the girl?

Who is the girl?"

We want to hear you record a few songs.

And I'm like, "All right.

Only if I get to do it my way."

And I was so serious about it.

It took me a while to record the first song.

♪♪ By summer of 2006, people are singing this song everywhere.

Every dancehall -- I mean, the deepest and roughest of dancehalls.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Edgar: The three artists I've met on the first part of my journey are taking Jamaican reggae in new and exciting directions, and keeping the flame ignited by Marley and other reggae legends burning strong.

Their efforts guarantee that Rastaman vibrations will continue far into the future.

But the history of Jamaican music doesn't begin with reggae.

For my next adventure, I want to travel back in time, and uncover what was the driving force of Jamaica's musical heartbeat back before reggae took the world by storm.

♪I see them coming after my soul ♪ ♪ Wanted to take control ♪ ♪ Wanna give me locks ♪ ♪ Wanna give me bling ♪ ♪ Wanna give me all the material things ♪ ♪ I hear dem talking bout what the world has to offer ♪ ♪ Girl, what you doing ♪ ♪ Don't you see what they have done to Bed-ward & Marcus ♪ ♪ Jesus and all of the prophets ♪ ♪ But I am not afraid ♪ ♪ No I am not afraid ♪ ♪ No ♪ ♪ No, I am not afraid ♪ ♪ If dem a come let them come ♪ ♪ I'm protected by the most I ♪ ♪ They don't mind when you fall behind ♪ ♪ And can't pay your bills on time ♪ ♪ Prostituting and standing in their government line ♪ ♪ No ♪ ♪ And they don't mind when you waste your time ♪ ♪ coming up with some stupid line ♪ ♪ Influencing the youth dem fi start a line or take a life ♪ ♪ And they don't mind when you locked up in jail ♪ ♪ Can't get no bail ♪ ♪ Sentence fi lif ♪ ♪ You can't see you youth dem strive ♪ ♪ But they don't mind ♪ ♪ But I am not afraid ♪ ♪ No I am not afraid ♪ ♪ No ♪ ♪ No I am not afraid ♪ ♪ If dem a come let them come ♪ ♪ I'm protected by the most I ♪ [ Vocalizing ] ♪ I see them coming after my soul ♪ ♪ Wanted to take control ♪ ♪ Wanna give me locks ♪ ♪ Wanna give me bling ♪ ♪ Wanna give me all the material things ♪ ♪ I hear dem talking bout what the world has to offer ♪ ♪ Girl, what you doing ♪ ♪ Don't you see What they have done to Bed-ward & Marcus ♪ ♪ Jesus and all of the prophets ♪ ♪ But I am not afraid ♪ ♪ No I am not afraid ♪ ♪ No ♪ ♪ No I am not afraid ♪ ♪ If dem a come let them come ♪ ♪ I'm protected by the most I ♪ ♪ No I am not afraid ♪ ♪ No ♪ ♪ No I am not afraid ♪ ♪ No I ♪ ♪ I am not afraid ♪ ♪ No ♪