Kevin O'Brien Chang holds an MBA from the University of Toronto. He lives and operates a business in rural Jamaica. An occasional freelance writer, he has contributed to the Toronto Star, the Jamaica Gleaner, and the Jamaica Observer. His music interest ranges from reggae to the opera. Wayne Chen holds a degree in law from the University of the West Indies. He is currently Chief Executive Officer of Jamaica's largest supermarket chain.

"[I]nsightful, informal and well-written...an essential addition to any reggae library and a good selection for anyone interested in the music." -The Beat "...Reggae means real music, music that tells a good story, music you can make sense out of. At first reggae sort of mean untidy or scruffy. But then it start to mean like coming from the people. Everyday things. From the ghetto. From the majority. Things people use every day like food, we just put music to and make a dance out of it. Reggae mean regular people who are suffering and don't have what they want." -Toots Hibbard, from the chapter "Do the Reggae" "In an intelligent, accessible and entertaining book, two Jamaican amateurs divide the island's popular music since 1960 into four rough eras-ska, rocksteady, reggae, dancehall. ...This history and the subsequent analysis of important songs are punctuated by 400 sharp archival photos, eye-catching graphics and boxed articles on various cultural issues and personalities. The appendices here include not only a bibliography, notes and index by artist, but also lists of the top hits by year and artist rankings that are based on what islanders-not foreigners-love best. The authors' exploration and celebration of their island's far-reaching culture makes this both a crash course in Jamaican history and a fine guide to developing a 'riddim' record collection." -Publishers Weekly

• CONTENTS Acknowledgments The History Introduction The Heartbeat of a People Roots Music: Kumina, Quadrille, Mento, Blues and Jazz Sound System Days and Nights Rhythm and Blues: Rasta and Oh Carolina Ska, Ska, Ska Get Ready for Rocksteady Do the Reggae Reggae International: The Harder They Come and Bob Marley Dub and Roots Inna the Dancehall Dancehall Massive The Pioneers: Count Matchukie and King Stitt U-Roy the Originator Riddim Wild Talking Gleaners The Sounds The Sixties The Seventies The Eighties The Nineties Appendices Charts Notes and References Bibliography List of Sources A brief history of Rastafarianism Index

Kevin O'Brien Chang holds an MBA from the University of Toronto. He lives and operates a business in rural Jamaica. An occasional freelance writer, he has contributed to the Toronto Star, the Jamaica Gleaner, and the Jamaica Observer. His music interest ranges from reggae to the opera. Wayne Chen holds a degree in law from the University of the West Indies. He is currently Chief Executive Officer of Jamaica's largest supermarket chain.

"[I]nsightful, informal and well-written...an essential addition to any reggae library and a good selection for anyone interested in the music." -The Beat "...Reggae means real music, music that tells a good story, music you can make sense out of. At first reggae sort of mean untidy or scruffy. But then it start to mean like coming from the people. Everyday things. From the ghetto. From the majority. Things people use every day like food, we just put music to and make a dance out of it. Reggae mean regular people who are suffering and don't have what they want." -Toots Hibbard, from the chapter "Do the Reggae" "In an intelligent, accessible and entertaining book, two Jamaican amateurs divide the island's popular music since 1960 into four rough eras-ska, rocksteady, reggae, dancehall. ...This history and the subsequent analysis of important songs are punctuated by 400 sharp archival photos, eye-catching graphics and boxed articles on various cultural issues and personalities. The appendices here include not only a bibliography, notes and index by artist, but also lists of the top hits by year and artist rankings that are based on what islanders-not foreigners-love best. The authors' exploration and celebration of their island's far-reaching culture makes this both a crash course in Jamaican history and a fine guide to developing a 'riddim' record collection." -Publishers Weekly

• CONTENTS Acknowledgments The History Introduction The Heartbeat of a People Roots Music: Kumina, Quadrille, Mento, Blues and Jazz Sound System Days and Nights Rhythm and Blues: Rasta and Oh Carolina Ska, Ska, Ska Get Ready for Rocksteady Do the Reggae Reggae International: The Harder They Come and Bob Marley Dub and Roots Inna the Dancehall Dancehall Massive The Pioneers: Count Matchukie and King Stitt U-Roy the Originator Riddim Wild Talking Gleaners The Sounds The Sixties The Seventies The Eighties The Nineties Appendices Charts Notes and References Bibliography List of Sources A brief history of Rastafarianism Index

Kevin O'Brien Chang holds an MBA from the University of Toronto. He lives and operates a business in rural Jamaica. An occasional freelance writer, he has contributed to the Toronto Star, the Jamaica Gleaner, and the Jamaica Observer. His music interest ranges from reggae to the opera. Wayne Chen holds a degree in law from the University of the West Indies. He is currently Chief Executive Officer of Jamaica's largest supermarket chain.

"[I]nsightful, informal and well-written...an essential addition to any reggae library and a good selection for anyone interested in the music." -The Beat "...Reggae means real music, music that tells a good story, music you can make sense out of. At first reggae sort of mean untidy or scruffy. But then it start to mean like coming from the people. Everyday things. From the ghetto. From the majority. Things people use every day like food, we just put music to and make a dance out of it. Reggae mean regular people who are suffering and don't have what they want." -Toots Hibbard, from the chapter "Do the Reggae" "In an intelligent, accessible and entertaining book, two Jamaican amateurs divide the island's popular music since 1960 into four rough eras-ska, rocksteady, reggae, dancehall. ...This history and the subsequent analysis of important songs are punctuated by 400 sharp archival photos, eye-catching graphics and boxed articles on various cultural issues and personalities. The appendices here include not only a bibliography, notes and index by artist, but also lists of the top hits by year and artist rankings that are based on what islanders-not foreigners-love best. The authors' exploration and celebration of their island's far-reaching culture makes this both a crash course in Jamaican history and a fine guide to developing a 'riddim' record collection." -Publishers Weekly

• CONTENTS Acknowledgments The History Introduction The Heartbeat of a People Roots Music: Kumina, Quadrille, Mento, Blues and Jazz Sound System Days and Nights Rhythm and Blues: Rasta and Oh Carolina Ska, Ska, Ska Get Ready for Rocksteady Do the Reggae Reggae International: The Harder They Come and Bob Marley Dub and Roots Inna the Dancehall Dancehall Massive The Pioneers: Count Matchukie and King Stitt U-Roy the Originator Riddim Wild Talking Gleaners The Sounds The Sixties The Seventies The Eighties The Nineties Appendices Charts Notes and References Bibliography List of Sources A brief history of Rastafarianism Index