Boomshots

Category: Books

  • Marlon James Interview: “I Might Stay Away From Jamaica for a Little Bit”

    Marlon James Interview: “I Might Stay Away From Jamaica for a Little Bit”

    The Author of A Brief History of Seven Killings  Has Had No Reaction from the Marley Family

    Marlon James was born in Kingston, Jamaica, the son of two police officers. After earning a living designing album covers, he developed his interest in creative writing via the Calabash Literary Festival writer’s workshop. His debut novel, John Crow’s Devil, was published in 2010 by the Brooklyn-based indie press Akashic Books. His second, The Book of Night Women, about a slave rebellion on a 19th century plantation, won several awards, while the third, A Brief History of Seven Killings, published this October by Riverhead Books, has been hailed by the New York Times as “epic in every sense of that word: sweeping, mythic, over-the-top, colossal and dizzyingly complex.”  Interview after the Jump… (more…)

  • The Evolution of Lieutenant Stitchie

    The Evolution of Lieutenant Stitchie

    Interview & New Music From The Dancehall Governor Turned Gospel Artist

    Twenty-five years after he became the first Jamaican dancehall star to drop an album for a major U.S. record label with his debut album The Governor (Warner/Atlantic), Lieutenant Stitchie continues to govern our thoughts. He delivered an electric performance at Rebel Salute, 2014 and released his autobiography, Power of Determination, contiguously. The book release event attracted such celebrities as Maxi Priest (Click on images above in photo gallery).  In the days leading up to the publication of his book,  I conversed with Stitchie and his friends regarding his journey from humble beginnings in Kingston, Jamaica, to having his voice heard around the world. Exclusive Interview After The Jump…

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  • Clarks: The Book

    Clarks: The Book

    Read All About The Wickedest Dancehall Footwear 

    What adidas shell toes are to hip-hop, Clarks are to reggae. From Little John’s Jammy’s classic “Clarks Booty” to Vybz Kartel & Popcaan’s smash hit “Clarks,” these shoes have been chronicled in endless dancehall tunes. And now there’s a book that tells the full story that’s a must have for all reggae lovers. We spoke to Al Fingers, the UK disc jockey and author to get the scoop on how he put the book together. Photo Gallery Above & Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • Author Treks Through Jamaica, Africa, and the USA “Searching For Zion”

    Author Treks Through Jamaica, Africa, and the USA “Searching For Zion”

    Emily Raboteau’s New Book Is One Reggae Lover’s Literary Quest For The Promised Land

    In her book Searching For Zion, Emily Raboteau sets off on a diasporic quest for the mythical promised land that so many reggae artists have sung about over the years. If you’ve ever been puzzled by songs like Demond Dekker’s “The Israelites” or Dennis Brown’s “Children of Israel” then this book is just what you’re looking for. Why are Jamaican Rastafarians so obsessed with Israel anyway? And what about those elaborately dressed black Israelites one sometimes encounters on street corners? As a lover of Jah music and the daughter of an expert in African-American religion, the acclaimed author was well aware of the concept of “Zion” as a “place black people yearned to be.” Over the course of ten years, she visited Jamaica, Ethiopia, Ghana, and the American South, speaking with Rastas, mystics, and Katrina refugees, shedding light on their shared plight as well as their shared visions. While you wait for this enlightening book to download, check out Some of Our Favorite Zionist Reggae Jams After The Jump… (more…)