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I had my first real taste of Caribbean culture in the late sixties, whilst trying to look cool in Nottingham blues dances. That didn't work but my love of the music has endured to this day. Thanks to everyone who's invited me to share that same passion with them whether online, in print, on film and radio or better yet, in person.
We'd known that Bobby Digital was unwell, but it was still a shock when he passed in 2020. We lost someone I'd long respected and admired, as well as an irreplaceable part of dancehall history. I'm therefore thankful to have been part of the team who filmed Xtra Wicked - The Digital B Story in 2013, and would also like to thank everyone who's welcomed me on visits to Bobby's studio over the years.
Back in 2017, American author, broadcaster and renowned Marley expert Roger Steffens and I embarked on a UK tour promoting our latest books. Our first stop was in Leicester where we met Shrik Kotecha aka DJ745, whose World A Reggae YouTube channel remains an important source of well-researched reggae journalism.
The Library
In the wake of Steve McQueen's recent Small Axe series, let me just say that I still consider Menelik Shabazz's The Story Of Lovers Rock, together with his earlier film Burning An Illusion, to be among the most accurate and powerful expressions of UK lovers rock, reggae and blues dance culture we've seen on screen to date.
Thanks to Menelik for inviting me to be a talking head in The Story Of Lovers Rock, which was first shown in cinemas during 2011.
VP Records filmed a documentary on Jamaican producer Gussie Clarke during that same trip to Jamaica in 2013. Thanks to everyone who contributed and gave freely of their time and good will in being interviewed - not least Gussie himself. Also special thanks to my dear friend, the late Nambo Robinson.
Thanks to Don Letts for inviting me as a guest on his BBC radio documentary about the life of Peter Tosh - Arise Black Man, first broadcast in November 2010.
Thanks to Harry Sword for his article Retracing The Roots Of British Sound-System Culture for Vice, discussing an exhibition, Sound System Culture: London held at the Tabernacle, Ladbroke Grove during January 2016, that I worked on as an acting consultant / writer.
Thanks to Michael Limnios of the Blues GR website for his interesting and thoughtful questions that I had the pleasure of answering in June 2020. You can read his post, Caribbean Soul, Irie Blues, by clicking the button below.
It was a pleasure talking mainly about the Wailers with American music blogger Carl Weinschenk in this two-part interview for his video show The Daily Music Break, posted October 2019.
I've long admired and respected Davina Hamilton's writing for The Voice, which is the UK's leading black newspaper. Here she reviews my book Steppin' Razor - The Life Of Peter Tosh upon its publication in 2013.
I become an honorary American citizen in this Jamaica Gleaner review of Wailing Blues - The Story Of Bob Marley's Wailers, published May 2008.