NEW YORK – From its birth in the vibrant Kingston ghettos, through its phenomenal popularity in the 1970s, to its iconic standing in today’s global culture, reggae’s journey has finally been collected in a one-of-kind portfolio. In Reggae Scrapbook (Insight Editions, November 2007), scintillating words and images propel our appreciation of Jamaican music into the 21st century.
Roger Steffens is one of the men who introduced reggae to America and helped rock the world with its syncopated beat. Through lectures, books, magazine articles, radio and television, Steffens has shared his knowledge of reggae from coast to coast. The world’s premiere archivist and collector of reggae memorabilia, Steffens brings the fruit of his in-depth interviews with such reggae legends as Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, and “Toots” Hibbert to the public.
Award-winning photographer Peter Simon presents a collection of evocative images, from reggae’s rough beginnings to the latest festivals, producing a stunning visual accompaniment.
A chronological overview supplemented with sidebar features on historic figures, styles, and events, Reggae Scrapbook is all anyone could ever wish for in a celebration of an irresistible musical and social force.
More than this, Reggae Scrapbook allows you to experience its music and culture through a DVD of rare interviews and a treasure trove of artifacts, the cream of Steffens’ collection.
This includes the more than 30,000 photographs, 800 T-shirts, 3,000 buttons, 10,000 posters and flyers, and 11,000 records, tapes, and CDs, not to mention innumerable magazines, books, banners, and concert tickets. Rare memorabilia such as autographed flyers, seven-inch singles and album covers, posters, postcards, and tickets are displaying in glorious color; some are included in the facsimile reproduction.
Reggae Scrapbook is a musical and visual delight that allows for total immersion into the brilliant, pulsating, vital and multicultural world that is reggae today.
Reggae Scrapbook includes:
• DVD of interviews with reggae greats by Roger Steffans
• Facsimile reproduction of autographed flyers, album covers, posters, postcards, and tickets
• A collection of evocative images by photographer Peter Simon, from reggae’s rough beginnings to the latest festivals, providing a stunning visual accompaniment
• The best of Roger Steffens personal collection of more than 30,000 photographs and rare memorabilia
