A tribute to the Jamaican deejays who started the jiving or toasting tradition in the 1950s and 1960s and then refined it in the 1970s when it reached its golden age. Some of these deejays like U-Roy, I-Roy, and Dillinger had international careers and became quite popular in Europe in the mid-1970s. Others had to be contented with local careers and were less successful as recording artists. But all the deejays mentioned in this book made great records and extended the Jamaican oral traditi...

The career of Burning Spear - the Rastafarian roots reggae singer otherwise known as Winston Rodney

The recording biography of reggae artist Joseph Hill and his group Culture.

A journey allowing dub poets to explore the debates and controversies plaguing their art form over the years. The interviews here were conducted in Britain, Canada, Jamaica and the USA with Yasus Afari, Klyde Broox, Dreadlockalien, Mbala, Mutabaruka, Cherry Natural, Kokumo Noxid, Oku Onuora, Moqapi Selassie and Malachi D Smith. by Eric Doumerc of the University of Toulouse.

Many writers started their professional lives in very diverse fields before embracing writing, or on the contrary have turned away from writing. The present volume seeks to explore the complex relationship between that ‘other life’ and writing. The aim is to determine whether a writer’s ‘other life’ appears in, influences or even shapes his/her work, and to what extent. What is the part of gestation and that of rupture? A diversity of writers is examined: Patrick Chamoiseau, J. M. Coet...

“Reggae’s chief eyewitness, dropping testimony on reggae’s chief prophet with truth, blood, and fire.” —Marlon James, Man Booker Prize–winning authorRenowned reggae historian Roger Steffens’s riveting oral history of Bob Marley’s life draws on four decades of intimate interviews with band members, family, lovers, and confidants—many speaking publicly for the first time. Hailed by the New York Times Book Review as a “crucial voice” in the documentation of M...

Bob Marley is the world’s best known reggae artist. His songs have brought pleasure to millions across the world and his legacy lives on to this very day. This book contains everything you need to know about the great man, from his family to his work with the Wailers, his beliefs and much more. So whether you’re a long-term fan or are new to Marley’s incredible music, this is the perfect addition to any bookshelf.

Erin Osmon presents a detailed, human account of the Rust Belt–born musician Jason Molina—a visionary, prolific, and at times cantankerous singer-songwriter with an autodidactic style that captivated his devoted fans. The songwriting giant behind the bands Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. had a knack for spinning tales, from the many personal myths he cultivated throughout his life to the poems and ballads he penned and performed. As with too many great musicians, Molina’s complicated...

This full-blooded story of The Wailers puts the life, music and death of the legendary Bob Marley into a razor-sharp new perspective.The Wailers played with Marley on all of the hit singles and albums that made him a legend, yet their story since his death is a little-known saga of betrayal, greed and murder that is told here in its entirety for the first time.Written in collaboration with Aston 'Family Man' Barrett and other surviving band members, the book explores Marley...

The quintessential folk poet of the Third World, Bob Marley influenced generations of musicians and writers. He was a performer who held true to his religious and cultural heritage, who rallied against injustice, and who became an internationally revered musical icon.Renowned poet and scholar Kwame Dawes analyses in detail his verses and lyrics, matching them against the social and political climate of the time and asking of them what it meant to be a black, Jamaican man thrust int...

**'David Katz's in-depth portrayal of his genius is to be commended and is an essential addition to any serious music fan's collection' David Rodigan MBE OD'For the complete picture of this musical genius you can't get better than David Katz's People Funny Boy - if you're into Scratch, it's essential' Don Letts**Arguably the most influential force in Jamaican music, Lee Perry brought Bob Marley to international stardom and has since collaborated with artists such a...

The legendary critic and author of Mystery Train "ingeniously retells the tale of rock and roll" ( Publishers Weekly, starred review).Unlike previous versions of rock 'n' roll history, this book omits almost every iconic performer and ignores the storied events and turning points everyone knows. Instead, in a daring stroke, Greil Marcus selects ten songs and dramatizes how each embodies rock 'n' roll as a thing in itself, in the story it tells, in...