Researched by The Reggae Institute

In 1968, inside Duke Reid’s legendary recording studio in Kingston, Jamaica, a group of pioneering musicians created a recording that would become central to one of Jamaican music’s most important historical debates.

The tune was “Bangarang,” also remembered by its defining lyric, “Muma no want bangarang.” Recorded by vocalist Stranger Cole with saxophonist Lester Sterling and keyboardist Lloyd Charmers, the song is widely regarded as one of the earliest— and possibly the first—true reggae recordings.

More than half a century later, “Bangarang” remains an essential document of the moment Jamaican music began transitioning from rocksteady into the revolutionary rhythm the world would come to know as reggae.

A Historic Recording Session at Duke Reid’s Studio

The recording took place in 1968 at Duke Reid’s studio, popularly known as Treasure Isle, one of the most influential creative spaces in Jamaican music history.

According to accounts from the session, producer and engineer Bunny “Striker” Lee was working with a rhythm based partly on “Bongo Chant,” an instrumental associated with British jazz musician Kenny Graham and his Afro-Cubists.

Stranger Cole recalled walking past Duke Reid’s establishment when someone informed him that Bunny Lee was conducting a recording session upstairs. Cole and Lee had known each other since their school days, so Cole went inside to see what was happening.

Lee reportedly told him that he needed a short vocal phrase to place over the instrumental. After hearing the rhythm, Stranger Cole responded with the now-historic line:

“Muma no want bangarang.”

In Jamaican usage, “bangarang” refers to noise, disorder, confusion, conflict or commotion. The phrase essentially meant that Mama wanted no trouble or disturbance.

That simple but unforgettable expression gave the recording its identity.

The Musicians Behind “Bangarang”

The recording brought together several important figures in Jamaica’s developing music industry.

Stranger Cole, born Wilburn Theodore Cole, supplied the vocal line and lyrical concept. By 1968, he was already an established singer and songwriter whose career had developed through ska and rocksteady.

Lester Sterling, a founding member of The Skatalites, played saxophone and is widely credited with helping to shape the rhythm and arrangement. His horn work added a distinctive melodic voice to the recording while the rhythm moved away from rocksteady toward a new musical feeling.

Keyboardist Lloyd Charmers was also part of the session, contributing to a recording that captured Jamaican music at a critical point of transformation.

Bunny “Striker” Lee oversaw the session and played a central role in bringing the musicians together. Lee would become one of Jamaica’s most influential record producers, contributing extensively to the development of reggae, dub and dancehall.

The recording was performed live, reflecting an era when singers and musicians frequently created music together in the studio rather than recording every part separately.

Was “Bangarang” the First Reggae Song?

The identity of the first reggae recording remains debated among Jamaican artists, producers, historians and musicologists.

Several recordings released during 1968 have been presented as the beginning of reggae. These include:

• “Bangarang” by Stranger Cole and Lester Sterling
• “Nanny Goat” by Larry Marshall
• “Do the Reggay” by Toots and the Maytals
• “No More Heartaches” by The Beltones
• “People Funny Boy” by Lee “Scratch” Perry
• “Long Shot (Bus’ Me Bet)” by The Pioneers

“Nanny Goat” is frequently described by music historians as one of the first recordings to contain a fully developed reggae rhythm. “Do the Reggay,” meanwhile, is widely credited with helping introduce the word “reggay”—later standardized as “reggae”—to an international audience.

Stranger Cole strongly maintained that “Bangarang” was the first reggae recording. His argument focused on the rhythm rather than the first appearance of the word reggae.

For Cole, the distinction was important: a recording did not become reggae simply because someone used the word. The musical rhythm itself—its tempo, accents, bass movement and instrumental arrangement—was what established the new genre.

Modern historical accounts often describe “Bangarang” as either the first reggae recording or one of the strongest contenders for that distinction. The Jamaica Gleaner has also recognized it as one of the earliest recordings of the reggae genre.

From Rocksteady to a New Jamaican Rhythm

“Bangarang” emerged during a period of extraordinary musical experimentation.

Ska had dominated Jamaican popular music earlier in the 1960s with its fast tempo and energetic horn arrangements. By the middle of the decade, the music slowed into rocksteady, bringing bass lines and vocal harmonies more prominently into the foreground.

Around 1968, the rhythm began changing again.

The bass became heavier. The guitar and keyboard accents became sharper and more pronounced. The drum patterns developed a different pulse. Jamaican Patwah also became increasingly prominent in recordings, allowing performers to communicate in the language and expressions of everyday Jamaican life.

“Bangarang” captured this transformation. It carried elements of the music that came before it, but its rhythm and vocal presentation pointed toward something new.

That emerging sound would soon become reggae.

The Cultural Importance of Jamaican Patwah

The phrase “Muma no want bangarang” also represented a shift in how Jamaican identity was expressed through recorded music.

Stranger Cole observed that performers during the ska and rocksteady eras were often encouraged to sing in formal English. As reggae developed, Jamaican artists increasingly embraced Patwah, local expressions and stories rooted directly in Jamaican communities.

The use of the word “bangarang” gave the recording cultural authenticity. It was familiar, expressive and unmistakably Jamaican.

This development would become one of reggae’s greatest strengths. The music carried Jamaica’s language, social realities, spirituality, humor and resistance into international spaces without removing the identity of the people who created it.

Stranger Cole’s Place in Jamaican Music History

Stranger Cole’s involvement in “Bangarang” was one chapter in a remarkable career spanning ska, rocksteady and reggae.

Before becoming a successful recording artist, Cole established himself as a songwriter. He wrote “In and Out the Window,” which became a hit for Eric “Monty” Morris. Cole later recorded major songs including “Rough and Tough,” “When You Call My Name,” “Just Like a River” and “Run Joe.”

He also helped introduce emerging performers to recording opportunities and played an important role within the creative community surrounding Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle studio.

Cole’s career reflected the entire evolution of modern Jamaican popular music. He did not simply witness the transitions from ska to rocksteady and reggae—he participated directly in shaping them.

Why “Bangarang” Must Be Preserved

The importance of “Bangarang” extends beyond the question of whether it can be definitively named the first reggae song.

The recording preserves a moment when several musicians entered a Kingston studio and helped establish a sound that would eventually influence nearly every part of the world.

Reggae became far more than a musical genre. It became a vehicle for cultural identity, political expression, spiritual consciousness and resistance. Its influence can be heard in hip-hop, punk, pop, electronic music, Afrobeats and numerous other musical forms.

Yet global movements often begin in small rooms, through creative exchanges that may not initially appear historic.

The “Bangarang” session represents one of those moments.

Honoring the Architects of the Music

The Reggae Museum recognizes “Bangarang” as a foundational recording in the development of reggae and honors the artists and musicians connected to its creation:

• Stranger Cole — vocalist and lyricist
• Lester Sterling — saxophonist and arranger
• Lloyd Charmers — keyboardist and musician
• Bunny “Striker” Lee — producer and recording-session leader
• Duke Reid’s Studio/Treasure Isle — the historic recording location

Whether described as the first reggae song or one of reggae’s earliest defining recordings, “Bangarang” belongs at the center of the genre’s origin story.

Its legacy reminds us that reggae was not created by one person or through one recording alone. It emerged through the collective innovation of Jamaican singers, musicians, producers, engineers, sound-system operators and communities.

“Muma no want bangarang” was a short phrase—but the rhythm surrounding it helped announce the arrival of a cultural force that would transform the world.

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Historical note: The exact title appears across releases and historical accounts as “Bangarang,” “No Want No Bangarang” and “Muma No Want Bangarang.” The identity of the first reggae recording remains contested; therefore, The Reggae Museum recognizes “Bangarang” as a leading contender and one of the foundational recordings of the genre.

Researched by The Reggae Institute
Published by The Reggae Museum
Where reggae and dancehall history lives.

Research references: The Jamaica Gleaner, Stranger Cole’s firsthand interview with United Reggae, and The Jamaica Gleaner’s examination of the origin debate.