First published 1977
Davis traces how reggae music developed in Jamaica, growing from the island's poorest communities. The music becomes intertwined with Rastafari beliefs and practices. Musicians channel the struggles of Jamaica's dispossessed into a new sound that speaks to their daily realities. The Rastafari movement provides spiritual foundation for the music's messages. Artists express both the pain of poverty and their hopes for change through reggae's distinctive rhythms and lyrics. The music serves as voice for those society overlooks. Davis shows how reggae carries the dreams and anxieties of Jamaica's marginalized people, transforming their experiences into songs that reach beyond the island's shores.
Genres: 20th-century, african-american, non-fiction, music
Vibes: lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: voice-of-the-marginalized
Setting: Jamaica
Period: 20th-Century
216 pages · Paperback · Doubleday