The United Nations' cultural and scientific agency UNESCO on Thursday added reggae music to its list of global cultural treasures, saying its worldwide popularity "continues to act as a voice for all.".

"Its contribution to international discourse on issues of injustice, resistance, love and humanity underscores the dynamics of the element as being at once cerebral, sociopolitical, sensual and spiritual," UNESCO said.

Jamaica had pushed for the rich music tradition to be listed as "intangible cultural heritage," and as such, deemed worthy of protection under UNESCO.

Ahead of the vote, Jamaican Culture Minister Olivia Grange said that her country pushed for reggae to be added to the prestigious list as a "uniquely Jamaican" musical tradition that has touched communities across the globe.

"It is a music that we have created that has penetrated all corners of the world," Grande said.

Read more: Nazi slavery recalled at UNESCO-listed Völklinger Ironworks

Watch video 03:33 Share Gentleman - German reggae unplugged Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/1E00v Gentleman - German reggae unplugged

'Burnin' and lootin'

Reggae originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s, blending the country's ska, and rocksteady genres with blues and jazz. Songs of the genre often addressed sociopolitical issues, including inequality, police brutality and imprisonment.

"This morning I woke up in a curfew / Oh God, I was a prisoner too / Could not recognize the faces standing over me / They were all dressed in uniforms of brutality," reggae icon Bob Marley sung on the 1973 track "Burnin' and lootin'."

Many songs in the reggae tradition also extolled peace, unity and positivity, such as Marley's "One love" and Desmond Dekker's "Sing a little song."

Germany's own variation of reggae has been propagated by artists such as Gentleman and Seeed.

Read more: German reggae in Africa, courtesy of Gentleman

Seeed frontman Demba Nambé's musical legacy Mourning a friend "We mourn our friend and singer Demba Nabé," reads a post left on the Facebook page of band Seeed, who Nabé performed with for 20 years before his sudden death in Berlin on May 31, 2018. Above the note was an old black-and-white photo of Nabé as a youth standing somewhere in the countryside.

Seeed frontman Demba Nambé's musical legacy Finding fame with Seeed Nabé was born in the district of Pankow in Berlin in 1972. After studying theater and dance, he built his career with Seeed, an 11-member dancehall and reggae band formed in 1998 in the German capital. Pictured here (center) performing in Berlin, he was central to the band's high energy live shows. In 2001, the band released the massive hit song "Dickes B" (Big B), an ode to the city of Berlin.

Seeed frontman Demba Nambé's musical legacy Boundzone In 2007, Nabé released his debut solo album, Boundzound, which German music site laut.de said "effortlessly transcends the boundaries between Hip Hop , R'n'B and Soul." The album reached the top 20 in Germany and included the hit songs "Louder" and "Stay Alive." In the same year, Nabé was also named "Best Newcomer of the Year" by radio station 1Live.

Seeed frontman Demba Nambé's musical legacy Awards and sold-out tours Demba Nabé (center) performs with Seeed frontmen Peter Fox (left) and Frank A. Delle in Berlin for the Bundesvision Song Contest 2012. It was just after the release of "Seeed," which went straight to number one in Germany and would be the band's last album with Nabé. It was also the start of a sold-out Seeed tour in which the group was joined by MC Theophilus London.

Seeed frontman Demba Nambé's musical legacy Lollapalooza Though Nabé's last solo album, Ear, was released in 2011, and Seeed have not recorded another record since 2012, the old band have continued to perform their epic live shows across Europe. The 11-piece sensation, ably co-lead again by Nabé, can be seen here wowing audiences at the Lollapalooza music festival in Berlin in 2015.

Seeed frontman Demba Nambé's musical legacy The final show While Nabé performed here with Seeed in 2016, the band had been on hiatus in recent times until it announced a tour for the fall of 2019. Several concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale. And in March, band member Peter Fox said the group was working on new material. But following Nabé's tragic passing, any future Seeed concerts or albums will be missing a key element. Author: Stuart Braun



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ls/rt (AFP, dpa)