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And the roots of rhythm remain

£30.00

Joe Boyd was part of a small group of label heads and journalists who chose ‘world music’ as their marketing slogan in the 1980s. They had little idea how fast and how wide those simple words would spread, the controversy it would cause, and only the vaguest idea of how far back the history went. Following the international success of his memoir ‘White Bicycles’, Boyd set out to explore the stories behind the music he had helped to popularise. His experiences as a producer working the world over had given him the skeleton of an idea, though the subject is far broader. Over the past decade he has interviewed musicians, producers and academics, and spent years reading, listening and writing. The resulting book is like no other. He shows how jazz, r&b and rock ‘n’ roll would never have happened if it wasn’t for sounds emanating from over the horizon and below the equator.

In stock

Description

‘I doubt I’ll ever read a better account of the history and sociology of popular music than this one.’ Brian Eno

‘Profound.and beyond.’ Robert Plant

Legendary producer and record label boss Joe Boyd has spent a lifetime travelling the globe and immersing himself in music. He has witnessed first-hand the growing popularity of music from Africa, India, Latin America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe since the 1960s and was one of the protagonists of the ‘world music’ movement of the 1980s.

In this sweeping history, Boyd sets out to explore the fascinating backstories to these sounds and documents a decade of encounters with the most extraordinary musicians and producers who have altered the course of music for us all.

And the Roots of Rhythm Remain shows how personalities, events and politics in places such as Havana, Lagos, Budapest, Kingston and Rio are as colourful and momentous as anything that took place in New Orleans, Harlem, Laurel Canyon or Liverpool. And, moreover, how jazz, rhythm and blues and rock ‘n’ roll would never have happened if it weren’t for the notes and rhythms emanating from over the horizon.

‘A gift to the world. Blow your mind and your speakers’ Cerys Matthews

‘One only hopes that this will be taught in schools.’ Ry Cooder

Additional information

Dimensions 23.4 × 15.3 cm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Hardback

Pages

352

Language

English

Edition
Dewey

780.9 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K