Reggae, Rasta, Revolution: Jamaican Music from Ska to Dub

This book is very educational. There is something in it for everyone who listens to Jamaican music. Anybody heard of Bob Marley? I thought so, he is a revolutionary soul-prophet whose music had a massive impact on people of all races throughout the world. I personally love Marley's music, and have been a fan of his for a great while. Reggae Rasta, Revolution begins with a section about Bob Marley. By doing this it captures the attention of people interested in his music, and then brings them into the big wide world of all other forms of Jamaican music. This book is not written by one author, which in neat. It is a collection of various critics, fans, and the very people involved in the music as it happened and is happening. All of the sections of the book do a good job at getting fully rounded view of the topic by including writings from people all over the world; additionally all of the sections include different articles and such from various time periods to see what the music has evolved from - to. Reggae, Rasta, Revolution is basically an anthology on all Jamaican music forms. The book includes insightful sections on: roots, Marley, reggae, ska, dub, dancehall, and world. Other parts explored are the roots of Jamaican pop from mento, ska, calypso, and rock steady. All aspects of Jamaican music are thoroughly covered from front to back. Profiles of roots pioneers such as Toots and the Maytals, the Skatalites, and Jimmy Cliff, as well as less-heralded, more militant figures such as Mutabaruka and Brother Resistance, will be drawn from both Western and Third World sources (Caribbean newspapers, political pamphlets, etc.) to document the evolution of the music from before Bob Marley and beyond. There are a total of forty-seven articles, plus a bibliography and discographies of different musical types. The seven chapters are smooth reading and The descriptive parts of this book get their claws into you and won't let you stop reading. The changing articles keep you interested. I definitely recommend checking out this book if you can get your hands on it. It will put a smile on your face and a wrinkle in your brain. You won't regret it, and if you have never heard the music of Jamaica, pick up one of the many suggested albums listed in the book after reading, it'll brighten up your days.

This book does not dictate the history of reggae, rather it is up to the reader to sort through previously published pieces. Some of the articles are very interesting and some are more informative.There is a wide variety of viewpoints.