Reggae and Caribbean Music

REGGAE AND CARIBBEAN MUSIC, Dave Thompson`s comprehensive study of the infectious and influential music of the Caribbean, highlights its remarkable stylistic diversity. With entries on artists from Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear to Bahamian guitar legend Joseph Spence, plus a generous section on the winners of different islands` annual carnivals, the book supplies a sweeping overview of the region`s many genres, their histories, and their relationship to one another. The careers and output of bands like the Heptones, from Jamaica, who were once tipped to follow Bob Marley and the Wailers to international stardom, and artists like Guyanan Eddy Grant, who became a star in Great Britain, are studied in detail, with select listening guides to the best of their material. Thompson also traces the development of calypso, reggae, mento, and steel pan bands. Especially intriguing is his learned depiction of the rise of chutney, a hybrid of East Indian and Caribbean music popularized by indentured servants imported from India by the ruling British class--just one example of the scope of this fascinating volume. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.