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The Beat Goes (Back) On!

We are very pleased and proud to announce a new feature at Afropop.org : reprints of selected articles from the late, lamented ma...

March 28, 2010

From Jah-Pan, Rove Magazine says bye-bye to The Beat

From the reggae capital of Tokyo, JAHPAN, the ROVE MAGAZINE has contributed an article on the International Reggae News column in Jan-Feb 2010 issue, sending out a great farewell to the BEAT MAGAZINE in the commemoration for its much celebrated twenty-eight years long dedications in the music publication arena, which has been the true enlightenment to many of us.

As for myself, I had been encouraged by the BEAT to follow in a walk of path of music journalism. And therefore, I would like to leave this little note for Ms. CC Smith and Mr. Roger Steffens... Give much thanks for opening the gateways to the heart beat world of Reggae, Afrikan, Caribbean and World Music... Wi cyaan miss yuh nuff', BEAT!

JAH BLESS to all.

Emiko 'JAH Dawta' Noda
ROVE columnist, Tokyo
EMPRESS VOICE contributor, Hiroshima
CARIBPRESS staff photo-journalist, Los Angeles 


レゲエ情報 Rove[ラブ] - マガジン | 雑誌 最新号のご案内

March 22, 2010

The Beat Honor Roll 1986

The following good souls volunteered to join The Beat effort in 1986:


BEAT HONOR ROLL 1986

Barbara Barabino
Bruce Bebb
Bob Berger
Eric Bickford
Adrian Boot
Chris Boyle
Marion Brooks
Patrick Cameron
Jane Christy
John Collins
Cassandra Davis-Cheyney
Larry Dawson
Darcy Diamond
Henry DiRocco
Phil Drange
Sam Epstein
Enid Farber
Al Franklin
Brigitte Gomane
Angela Hajanis
Kevin Henry
Scott Hinkley
Eric Hiss
Hyikhyon Hyawhycuss
Tia Johnson
Emmet Jordan
Miriam King
R. Errol Lam
Conley Major
Anne Mavor
Ron Miller
Michael Milton
Tommy Noonan
A.A. Lumumba Omowale
Steve Radzi
Victor Reid
Gene Scaramuzzo
Ralph Schlesinger
Sikhulu Shange
Ross Smith
Gary Stewart
Ann Summa
Ras Tesfa
Mandy Tomson
Mohammed Waheed
Mike Wells

March 17, 2010

Adieu to the BBC's Charlie Gillett, one of the original world music DJs, with deep appreciation for all he did for those of us who followed in his tracks

Charlie Gillett obituary | Television & radio | The Guardian

New York Times obit

Dave Hucker, "Hey Mr. Music" from The Beat vol. 25 #1, 2006, had this to say in praise of Charlie:
Back in 1970 when I was an innocent 18-year-old,  Charlie Gillett had published his definitive work on the history of American r&b and soul, The Sound of the City (Sphere). He had starting writing it in 1966 as the subject of a master's degree at Columbia University and he certainly produced a bonafide masterpiece. Sound of the City was the bible, helping us to understand how the history of post-World War II American black music and its industry fitted together. This book laid out the roots and routes like never before.
Back in London, with his enthusiasm, encyclopedic knowledge and record collection, Charlie became a radio dj playing soul, r&b and blues. His shows drew many new listeners and over the years he moved from niche programming to wider popularity, but never enough for a prime-time show! Like many of us during the '70s and '80s Charlie began taking an interest in a wider range of music from all over the globe.
However, Charlie went further than most people. Some of us just took from the parts of the world that interested us but Charlie, the consummate polymath, absorbed and was interested in everything. And through his weekly shows for the BBC World Service he opened things up to a lot of people who might not normally have had access to this variety of music. A listener in Kinshasa, for example, might discover the existence of Argentine star Chango Spasiuk or hear Russian bands. He currently operates from London BBC local radio station GLR-the shows are archived at www.bbc.co.uk/radio .
Six years ago he started doing compilations of the best of the year's music that had come his way. His latest offering, Sound of the World (Wrasse), covers in its two cds the high points of 2005 with 33 artists from 28 countries. It is a well-informed selection of the outstanding music from all around the world that has floated to the top. Represented here are Charlie's eclectic choices--Volga from Russia, a dip into Kenyan rap, a pick from New Zealand. Popular favorites such as Mali's Amadou and Miriam rub shoulders with Croatians Darko Rundek and Brazilian Seu Jorge as Charlie intelligently passes through many countries of the various continents. Sound of the World is an object lesson in exactly how to do a compilation.

March 14, 2010

From Steve Heilig: Lee "Scratch" Perry, Style an' Fashion

This Sunday morning, leafing thru the NYTimes, consulting the glossy 'men's fashion' mag for all my sartorial tips, there was none other than Lee Perry inna full page color ad - for what I could not tell, as no ID, nothing but a website for "Supreme New York". Of course I had to check that, and of course it is a clothing company, and of course, there is an essay by Dave Katz. to accompany some new LSP-designed T-shirts: http://www.supremenewyork.com/

style and fashion!
--Steve Heilig (columnist, All Over the Map)

On the company's site, click on "News." Clicking on Scratch's picture opens an unexpected, incomprehensible video featuring Scratch playing with fire, Bob Marley playing with a soccer ball, the Clash playing "Police & Thieves." Click on "Spring/Summer" and then Scratch's picture in the collage to see his T-shirt design.
--The Dreaditor

March 10, 2010

From Nelson Meirelles of Digital Dub, Cidado Negro, Brazil

Yes, it's sad.
The magazine, like Dave wrote in his article, played a central role in my musical education too. For a guy living in Brazil in the '80s (a distant, far away place in terms of reggae culture), to have access to it was something special. In those times we didn't have legal means to send the money to pay for a subscription (!!) so we have to be very creative to get an issue (normally bothering friends or relatives abroad). After a while the magazine started being sold in some special places here, but it didn't last much. Later on I finally became a subscriber and that was enough to make me feel like a reggae expert!! :-)
Well, but like George Harrison once said, all things must pass. I think The Beat had its time but didn't have the same power anymore. The reasons? well, you guys could talk much better about it than me, but the single fact that it remained alive for 28 long years is remarkable in itself. A great contribution from a whole generation of reggae lovers (some of them I have the honor to know personally!!) that must be celebrated for ever and ever.
A toast to the great The Beat magazine!
or, better yet, a big spliff for it!! :-))