Reggae Lyrics!

New books about the rhythm of Jah have come out in recent months and others are in the works, promising new perspectives and many surprises for reggae admirers. The first is a substantial biography of the mad king of Reggae, Lee "Scratch" Perry (read more about him in Dread Times and Reggae State of Mind), called 'People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee "Scratch" Perry' and written by David Katz, Scratch's official biographer.

Through interviews with friends, relatives and artists who worked with him, Katz paints the most accurate portrait possible of this brilliant producer, arranger, lyricist, singer and cultural catalyst. Perry's story is also the story of the rhythm he helped build, and his biography is a valuable contribution to understanding the roots of this musical genre.

Another eagerly awaited book is an autobiography by Lee Jaffe, entitled 'Knotty Dread: My Life with Bob Marley', which he is writing together with journalist and researcher Roger Steffens. Sometimes called 'the white Wailer', Jaffe played a crucial role in the careers of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer. He participated in several of their recordings as a musician, took the famous photo of Tosh in a lush plantation on the cover of the album 'Legalize It' and, according to Steffens, 'the book will have stories that no one has ever told about Bob, plus two hundred never-before-seen photos'. And then there is Bunny Wailer's autobiography, also written in collaboration with Steffens, which is expected to be released next year. We look forward to these books being published here.