Bob Marley was the first, and possibly the only, superstar to emerge from the Third World. Although he lived a short life, only 36 years, Bob penned an enormous quantity of songs, pioneering a new reggae rhythm and sound that was distinctly Jamaican. Author David Moskowitz gives readers an inside look at the man behind the legend.
David V. Moskowitz is Assistant Professor of Musicology at the University of South Dakota. He is the author of the Greenwood reference book Caribbean Popular Music: An Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall.
Writing to be accessible to a high school audience, Moskowitz
(musicology, U. of South Dakota) profiles the life of Jamaican
reggae legend Robert Nesta Marley (1945-1981). The biography traces
Marley's life from birth through death, concentrating almost
exclusively on celebrating his musical achievements over the course
of his career, but not entirely ignoring the importance of Marley's
Rastafarianism or his political engagements with the likes of
former Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley. Also included in the
volume are brief profiles of Marley's family, many of who also
became prominent in the musical world.
*SciTech Book News*
[This book serves its] target audiences effectively. I would also
recommend [this volume] to new devotees of Marley and his music. .
. . Bob Marley: A Biography does an excellent job navigating this
biographical minefield. At the conclusion of the book, Moskowitz
discusses Marley's musical legacy, legal controversies, and
provides short, but illuminating, minibiographies on Marley's large
family (Rita Marley and twelve children). . . the book's accessible
writing style, organizational structure, colorful examples, and the
author's own passion about the subject will certainly keep the
young reader's interest. At the same time, Moskowitz should be
commended for avoiding the trap of glorifying or sensationalizing
reggae's best-known artist.
*Caribbean Studies*
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