Page 59 - Reggae Festival Guide Magazine 2018

represent revolutionary ideals, youth culture,

black solidarity, herb smoking and dreadlocks,

as well as an international spirit of oneness as
much at odds with the establishment today

as it was when he first broke through in the

1970s. At the forefront of anti-apartheid

messaging in those times, songs like “Johnny
Was” from Rastaman Vibration anticipate the

Black Lives Matter movement of today.

The book is filled with cool graphics, from

Soviet bootleg Marley covers, uncommon

photos, historical documents, rare posters,
album covers and 7” single record labels, both

original rarities and contemporary reissues.

Colorful striking imagery has always been a

part of the spirit of reggae and is well reflected
in the visuals here. There are reviews of each

album, some from Unterberger and some from

other authors like Garth Cartwright, Pat Gilbert,

Harvey Kubernik and Chris Salewicz; sections
on significant eras, producers, related artists

and a selected discography and bibliography;

as well as fascinating inside stories such as Chris his show broke new ground for the music

Blackwell’s remarks on Lee Perry’s uncredited and helped keep reggae in the forefront with
involvement in some recordings. Even if you’ve artist interviews, top-grade selections and

devoured the major biographies from Stephen informative presentations. In recent years, he’s

Davis and Timothy White to John Missouri toured with his sound system, put together

and Roger Steffens, you’ll find this book an anthologies of the music he’s loved and
informative overview and visual treat. promoted all his adult life, and become better
known outside of England. In this engaging

book, he tells the story of his life, his lifelong
Rodigan: My Life In Reggae
love affair with reggae and his career in the

By David Rodigan with Ian Burrell music with amusing anecdotes and a dollop

(Constable, 2017) of the style that put him at the forefront of

U.K. reggae.
Any reggae fan who grew up or spent

significant time in England will know David Rodigan’s story is one many reggae lovers

Rodigan by his last name alone, as he was, can relate to. As a music enthusiast who
for many, the premier reggae radio DJ in took a deep plunge into reggae at a time

the U.K., even though the music had already when the general public didn’t understand

made great inroads there (compared with the attraction of the music or was put off by
the U.S.) by the time he began. Nonetheless, the raw, rebellious elements of the Jamaican

Reggae Festival guide 2018 59