Positive Vibrations

Politics, Politricks and the Story of Reggae

Positive Vibrations
Stuart Borthwick
RRP:
NZ$ 62.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 50.39
Hardback
h234 x 156mm - 448pg
11 Apr 2022 UK
International import eta 10-19 days
9781789145694
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
Positive Vibrations tells of how reggae was shaped by, and in turn helped to shape, the politics of Jamaica and beyond, from the rudies of Kingston to the sexual politics and narcotic allegiances of the dancehall. Insightful and full of incident, it explores how the music of a tiny Caribbean island has worked its way into the heart of global pop. From Marcus Garvey' s dreams of Zion, through ska and rocksteady, roots, riddims and dub, the story closes with the Reggae Revival, a new generation of Rastas as comfortable riding rhythms in a dancehall style as they are singing sweet melodies from times gone by. Impeccably informed, vibrant and heartfelt, Positive Vibrations is a passionate and exhaustive account of the politics in reggae, and the reggae in politics.
"Taking as its starting point that reggae is rooted in the forced migration of Africans during slavery, Positive Vibrations offers a nonstandard exploration of reggae' s evolution and its problematic relationship to politics. Surveying the available literature, Borthwick shows how Marcus Garvey' s vision of Black self-determination spurred the rise of Rastafari in Jamaica, his separatism a catalyst for the radical Nyabinghi branch, and unpacks the complex connections between Jamaican performers and the nascent state in the pre- and post-independence phases, honing in on the uneasy relationships that were key to the local power struggles of the Cold War and beyond. Tracing the influence of reggae on the punk, post-punk, and 2Tone movements in Britain, Borthwick goes on to explore the positioning of women in dancehall and the subgenre' s caustic homophobia, before contrasting the more recent Reggae Revival with the ' Dubplate Election' of 2020. A readily accessible, nuanced and thought-provoking read, Positive Vibrations offers much for fans of the music and reggae scholars, as well as those interested in postcolonial theory and the politics of liberation. "--David Katz, author of People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee ' Scratch' Perry
Stuart Borthwick is a photographer and author (with Ron Moy) of Popular Music Genres: An Introduction (2004) and The Writing on the Wall: A Visual History of Northern Ireland' s Troubles (2014).
Status: No local stock, title imported to order
ISBN-13: 9781789145694
Published: 11 Apr 2022
Published In: United Kingdom
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Format: Hardback
Height: 234mm
Width: 156mm
Pages: 448

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