Thursday November 12th – Another Jamaican song
In Redemption, Bob Marley has a similar lilt to his voice that reminds me of African music. The way he stretches out his words (particularly when he says “redemption song”) with an increased volume at the end, sounds a little like chanting. The simple instrumentation behind the song with its use of only a guitar make the bare bones music feel organic and more pure.
The character of Bob Marley’s song “Redemption” has a spirituality to it, maybe not religious, but a certain connection to the words. The range varies throughout the song, but stays mainly tenor with an increase to “almost” alto during the enunciation of his elongated words.
The dynamics of the song stay relatively low and soft, with a few slightly louder portions like when he sings “ever had.” The layers of the song are very straightforward…the acoustic guitar and Bob Marley. The guitar gives the pulse and rhythm of the song and interestingly has an almost off beat to it, while Bob Marley’s voice gives the articulation, swing, and timbre of the harmony. Both the speed of Bob Marley’s voice and the guitar are in sync and complement one another with a smooth harmony. The timbre of voice layer is deep and rich, while the guitar layer is muddy brown because it reminds me that redemption is usually coming back from something “dirty”. I wouldn’t consider anything in this song to be a typical call and response.
There is a very slow 1-2 beat to the song. The rhythm is an elongated one-two. The tempo of Redemption is regulated by the 1-2 beat, which is slow and steady. I guess this is because there are only 2 layers in the song. Bob Marley’s voice gives the swing to the music when he raises his volume, as well as when he elongates certain words. The syncopation of the song is consistent whenever Bob Marley is singing, but during the solo sections of the guitar, it is more unique. The solo sections of the guitar playing also remind me of the African music because there is such a concentration on the instruments. The articulation of the guitar is clear and crisp. The articulation of Bob Marley’s voice is well-formed, but slightly garbled to me because of his accent.
