Which 1968 song by Toots and the Maytals first used the term 'reggae'?

The 1968 song by Toots and the Maytals that first used the term “reggae” was “Do the Reggay.” Written by Toots Hibbert and produced by Leslie Kong, the Jamaican single helped give the emerging musical style its name.

The song appeared during the transition from rocksteady to reggae. “Reggay” had already circulated in Jamaica as the name of a dance fashion, but Hibbert’s song connected the word directly with a developing sound and popularized it internationally. The spelling in the title uses “Reggay,” while the genre is now universally written “reggae.”

The word’s deeper origin is debated. Hibbert said it came from Jamaican slang related to someone looking ragged or untidy, while other explanations connect it with words such as “streggae” or “rege-rege.” Those theories concern the word’s etymology; the song’s role in naming the genre is the key fact. “Do the Reggay” is sometimes confused with the first reggae recording, a separate and more disputed question.