01 Aug
Soul Rebel: An Intimate Portrait of Bob Marley in Jamaica and Beyond
In 1976, while on assignment in Jamaica for Time magazine, David Burnett photographed Bob Marley for the first time, and Burnett became so entranced by Marleyâ??s charisma that he continued to document the reggae king throughout his groundbreaking European â??Exodusâ? tour. Burnettâ??s vision, coupled with Marleyâ??s larger-than-life charisma, resulted in an amazing collection of images, only a handful of which appeared in the Time article. The other photos â?? more than 200 in all â?? appear for the first time in Soul Rebel. This stunning visual biography offers a rare look at Marleyâ??s personal life in Jamaica, as well as the exodus from his home country that culminated in his tragic death in 1981. Though it focused on Marley, Burnettâ??s work also canvassed a wide array of up-and-coming reggae talents, providing striking early looks at Peter Tosh, Lee Scratch Perry, Burning Spear, and Ras Michael. Compelling and incomparably candid, Soul Rebel is a remarkable testament to the legacy of a legend.
Price: $39.95
The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres, such as mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub music, dancehall, reggae fusion and related styles. Jamaica’s music culture is a fusion of elements from the United States (rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul), Africa and neighboring Caribbean islands such as Trinidad calypso) and Soca. Reggae is especially popular through the international fame of Bob Marley. Jamaican music’s influence on music styles in other countries includes the practice of toasting, which was brought to New York City and evolved into rapping. British genres as Lovers rock and jungle music are influenced by Jamaican music.
Trenchtown in the ’60s was home to more stars than Hollywood, and they all passed through the gates of Studio One, the seminal and legendary Kingston, Jamaica, recording studio. This exquisitely remastered volume in Heartbeat’s landmark Studio One series brings together the finest singing and instrumental talent to come out of that blessed isle. The Wailers (Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny “Wailer” Livingston) are joined here by Bob Andy (second only to Marley as a songwriter); Ken Boothe (still among Jamaica’s vocal elite); Jackie Opel, first lady of reggae; Marcia Griffiths; and others. The Studio One stable of jazz musicians who backed them–including the late saxophonist Roland Alphonso and guitar legend Ernest Ranglin–were responsible for creating that blend of New Orleans R&B and mento (a Jamaican folk music akin to calypso) known as ska, and oversaw its development into rock steady, and, finally, in the early ’70s, into reggae. Many of those same musicians would soon unite for one astonishingly prolific year as the Skatalites. Almost all the singers, captured here in the raw and thrilling infancy of their careers, went on to international stardom. –Elena Oumano