reggae

noun REH-gay Rare

Origin: Jamaican English reggae, of uncertain origin, popularised by Bob Marley in the 1970s

Usage Note

Reggae is a loanword adopted unchanged into French. It is masculine and invariable. French-speaking artists from the Caribbean (Guadeloupe, Martinique) and Africa have developed their own reggae traditions, sometimes called reggae antillais or afro-reggae. The genre blends smoothly with zouk and other Francophone Caribbean styles in club and festival contexts.

Examples

"Il écoute du reggae tous les soirs."

Natural Translation

He listens to reggae every evening.

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