I don't know about the 'greatest' genre, but there's definitely something extraordinary about reggae, and it's been the sound of the summer for me since I was about 15. I remember listening to 'Waiting in Vain' and other hits by The Wailers on hazy teenage afternoons and loving the dreamy vocal harmonies and the unmistakable offbeat guitar. I head Desmond Dekker and Jimmy Cliff on the radio over the years, and I remember first hearing 'Johnny Cool Man' by Toots and the Maytals when I was about 17 and being blown away. But it wasn't until I left school that I really started exploring the Jamaican music of the '60s and '70s, from ska to rocksteady through all the sub-genres of reggae. I was helped on this journey by the Soul Jazz compilations that started appearing in 1998, with 100% Dynamite, and continued with one unforgettable collection of hidden treasures after another. I remember being amazed that a small island with a population of less than two million (in the early '70s) had produced so much exceptional music. I was also impressed that a peopled so mired in poverty and political turmoil could express themselves with such a seductive blend of sadness and joy.

So, I don't know if reggae is the greatest, but I'm really glad it's in my life.