There once was a natural mystic blowin' through the air... That natural mystic being one Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley. Bob Marley and The Wailers popularized that distinctive Ska laced Reggae beat.
I first saw Bob Marley and the Wailers on a PBS special many years ago. I'd never heard music that sounded like that and I was mesmerized by the dreadlocks which I hadn't seen before. Then there was that beat. Where did that beat come from? There really aren't words other than, simply, 'who feels it knows it'.
The distinctive rhythm of The Wailers continues to influence pop music long after Bob's death from melanoma cancer in May, 1981. You can hear that beat in the music of No Doubt, Wyclef, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and The Black Eyed Peas. One man and one band altered the rhythm of modern music.
Thank you Bob Marley. Happy Birthday and rest in peace.