From Nyahjoe, reggae radio DJ, Guam

Greetings from Guam;

When I lived out in Cali I always sought out the Beat Magazine wherever I went throughout the state. When I moved back to my home here in Guam, a few family members and I had a likkle Reggae Shop called Cultural Trenz and we distributed the magazine to the masses. Jah's Reggae Shop here on Guam recently was offering the Beat Magazine to all the Reggae lovers here in Guam. I had the pleasure of meeting Carol many years ago in Las Vegas during the R.A.W. event that was taking place. We became friends and I hand carried some items for a bredren of mine here in Guam Jah Son, from Carol and from the late Papa Pilgrim. Years later I would meet Mr Roger Steffens here on Guam and we would become friends as well. The first time I had him up at the radio station I work for here on Guam (POWER98FM The Island Stylin' Reggae Show. now going on my 21st yr. on air,) I had a copy of either the 1st or the 2nd printing of the Beat Magazine and he could not believe that I still had that copy. I've alway's saved them, as up to this day, I still use them as reference material for my show. One Love, One Heart & may Jah look upon his children over the years that have made this great magazine possible with blessings, love and guidance.
Respect;
nyahjoe

From Ever Rey D, Ragga/Reggae Vibes Magazine, France

Big up any time !
I started to read The Beat in the late 80's and always looked forward to its new issues. It had become increasingly tough to find it in France, so I lost touch gradually but will always have fond memories of writings like Jamaican Obsession, Mr Marlon's stint on dancehall, Brian Dring's Other Caribbean an many other works about certain music genres i wasn't always so versed in, which also enabled me to look beyond my own "Jamaican obsession" !
I will always have fond memories of knowledgeable writers who more often than not had style and a serious sense of humour, who also didn't feel compelled to follow any hype. My main gripe will always remain "too much Marley stuff", but hey, all the rest always more than made up for it ! Also thanks for allowing me to contribute to a dancehall issue.
All the best for your future ventures.
PS : Not too sure we'll manage to get so much in-depth stuff in the so far mostly disappointing (imho) world of the reggae web. The Beat was never about hypes, a rare thing these days.

Ever Rey D,
Ragga / Reggae Vibes magazine, France
Keeping the reggae press alive against all odds.

How The Beat was born, part 1 (as published in The Beat's 15th anniversary issue, Vol. 15 #4, 1996)

In the beginning, there were no computers. No laser jet printers, no fax machines, certainly no such thing as the Internet. 

Fifteen years ago, the first issue of The Beat, then called Reggae Beat, was a single 14" piece of paper, with one photo and four ads sold for $20 each. It cost $80 to print on one of those little instant-press offset machines that were more common than copiers in 1982. I typed up the copy on my IBM Selectric and reduced it on the copy machine: It consisted of a little "Forward," a report on the UCLA Reggae Cultural Festival, Hank Holmes' "I&I Works," Roger Steffens' first "Ras Rojah's Reggae Ramblings," a listing of local reggae radio programs and record stores, and Bob Steinhilber's "Collector's Corner." Bob was the initial art director and introduced me to my first halftone. He also designed the highly rootical original logo.

The newsletter, as it was then known, arose from Roger and Hank's "Reggae Beat" radio program on KCRW-FM in Santa Monica, where I answered the telephones and prepared the calendar of concerts, clubs and events, taking on the role of "Minister of Information." Roger had come up with the idea of starting a mailing list for the show, putting out the call on the air one Sunday for people to send in their names on postcards. The next week, we had 200 names.

"Roger," I exclaimed, "what should we send them?"

Prophetically, he replied, "Oh, you'll think of something."

The second issue, dated July 1982, took on booklet form, with the three sheets of 14" paper folded in half, giving us 12 pages. Bob drew the Mutabaruka  cover, and we'd also acquired a staff: Maidah Bey had come aboard to sell ads, and Brock Adler volunteered  his Kroy type machine to set headlines. Over the next few months, every time we'd publish an issue, a great team of folks would stop by the radio station during the show to collate, fold, staple, stamp and address the newsletter.

Production had also become a collective effort, as a bunch of us, by now under the art direction and patient guidance of Donna Tarzian, would gather at someone's apartment after work to cut, paste, and set up the pages for printing. It wasn't until a year later that we discovered typesetting, but by the summer of 1983, we had evolved to full magazine size, with a color cover (Lee Perry, cartooned by A. West), and a cover price: $1.00. The masthead's burgeoning list of participants now numbered about two dozen; Nick Wolf was now in charge of ad sales, Annie Evans was the assistant editor, and we were all learning what it took to put out a magazine. The brave new world of computer dawned in 1986. We moved into our first office, finally getting the business out of my apartment, in 1990.

(Continued in next posting. A picture of the first issue is reproduced below in Bob Steinhilber's post.)

Cartoon, below, by Jah Bizarre, "Dread Lion Looks at the Team on Reggae Beat" published in Reggae Beat #5, Nov. 1982, depicts Roger Steffens on air at KCRW-FM (center), CC Smith at lower left, board op Jim Milne and DJ Hank Holmes lower right. At top right is a vignette showing volunteers collating and stapling the newsletter at the radio station. 

How The Beat was born, part 2 (as published in The Beat's 15th anniversary issue, Vol. 15 #4, 1996)

The first and foremost purpose of this publication has always been to provide information: Who are these musicians, where does that music come from, sound like? When was it made, what does it mean? How does it make you feel? The music we deal with is mostly obscure, non-commercial, even underground, but has immense heart and soul, and comes from the deepest expressions, feelings, hopes and dreams of an artist, a culture, a people, and can communicate this universally despite language, or temporal or geographical barriers.

It doesn't really seem like 15 years have passed--even when I look at those early Beats, it seems like only yesterday. I've often said in moments of cynicism: If I knew then--15 years ago--what I know now, this magazine would never have been. It certainly is not the career I had planned for myself. Having started, and too far gone to turn back, it sometimes has only been dogged persistence that kept me going. That and the feeling that this was not just about me, merely a job, a way to make a living, but something that almost immediately took on a life of its own, forcing itself into existence, and I could do little else but become its handmaiden.

So here's to our writers, the best in the business, who selflessly share their expertise and enthusiasm, the photographers, whose hard-won shots enliven our pages, our hard-working staff, who tolerate my tantrums and anxieties, and our readers, always supportive and hungry for more: You are the greatest. Give thanks and praises, everyone, for 15 years of The Beat--it belongs to all of you, and with your continued love and support, will continue for many more years.

Jah Guidance,

CC Smith

Minister of Information

From Kaati, Reggae Festival Guide

Good bye and blessings to our old friend The Beat Magazine. CC and Carol and crew set the standard for top notch editorial coverage and state-of-the-art design/layout in the reggae industry. There are those of us who love the feeling of a magazine in our hand, but unfortunately, the rest of the world wants all their reading, education and entertainment to come from the computer. I will cherish my back copies of The Beat as the information is timeless. This is a blow to the industry.
Respectfully,
Kaati
Reggae Festival Guide

From Bob Steinhilber, first art director for The Reggae Beat newsletter

CC, you have left us a musical-literary-journalistic legacy. The BEAT is musical history writ large in our lives - a touchstone and a watchword for intelligent, inspirational writing about some of the most significant sounds to vibrate our musical palettes over the course of three decades.

 I still have a fat envelope full of snippets and paper leavings from pasting up the first several issues. I loved every issue, and I loved contributing to the magazine, each and every time I was so honoured.

The BEAT was something we could hold in our hands to turn on our hearts and our minds- now we will hold it in our hearts and minds and turn our hands to the next chapter. Thanks to your noble efforts, the BEAT goes on in eternity, never to be subject to deadlines. Forward ever, backward never.

-Bob Steinhilber

From Bill Bragin, Director, Public Programming, Lincoln Center, NYC

Thanks so much for your leadership for so many years. The Beat was a major source of discovery for me for so many artists.  It must have been a hugely difficult decision.  Best of luck with new ventures wherever they take you.
All the best,

Bill Bragin