:: Tony Q Rastafara ::



Hal-hal apa saja yang membuat memilih genre Reggae ?
Sebenarnya berdasarkan pengalaman batin aja sich, banyak alasan yang mebuat memilih genre reggae.

Sejak kapan mulai konsen di genre reggae?
Belum lama sich sekitar 1989

Apakah harus Dreadlock bagi pecinta maupun praktisi musik reggae?
Pencinta musik reggae tidak harus gimbal, sebenarnya juga kembali pada filosofi itu sendiri bagaimana pendengar dan perilaku dalam menyikapi lirik atau musik reggae itu seperti apa.

Inspirasi lagu dari mana (influencenya)?
Tentu saja Bob Marley, dia seorang yang fenomenal secara musical, penulisan liriknya bagus.

Sudah berapa album? Bisa sebutkan?
- 1996 Rambut Gimbal
- 1997 Gue Falling In Love
- 2000 Damai dengan cinta
- 2003 Kronologi
- 2005 Salam damai

Selain bermusik ada hobi lain?
Ada, sebenarnya banyak sih...tapi saya suka melukis...

Harapan Mas terhadap perkembagan musik reggae di Indonesia?
Ditekankan pada para pelaku musik reggae, bagaimana esensi musik reggae di perjuangkan bukan sekedar gimbal atau ganja. Dan yang paling penting esensi perdamaian, kemerdekaan arti sebuah musik, dan lebih pada edukasi agar tidak menjadi salah mengartikan musik reggae itu sendiri.

Pengalaman yang paling berkesan selama bermusik ?
Salah satu lagu saya yaitu Pat Gulipat masuk dalam kompilasi World Reggae berjudul Reggae Playground bersama musisi reggae dunia yang diproduksi oleh Putu Mayo World Record.

Salam Damai..

Management :
Jl.Puloasem I C no. 57 Rawamangun, Jakarta Timur

Phone: (021) 4895326 - Fax :(021) 4757005

Ibnu ( Manager) at 08129217757Nino (Album Management)
E-mail : indonesia_rasta@yahoo.com

Reggae Culture Salute celebrates 40 years of the Mighty Diamonds


The Mighty Diamonds, the only Jamaican group to boast the same members after forty years, will be honoured at Reggae Culture Salute 2009, scheduled for the Performance Centre at Nazareth Regional High School in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday, November 1.

The Coalition to Preserve Reggae Music will use the platform to have a twin celebration - the 40th anniversary of the Mighty Diamonds and the 79th anniversary of the coronation of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I and Empress Mennen of Ethiopia.

Performances will come from Warrior King, Everton Blender, the Mighty Diamonds, the Ethiopian World Federation Nyahbinghi Drummers along with Dub Poet Infinity and roots singer, Ossie Dellimore.

The Mighty Diamonds ranks high among the pioneers in the pantheon of reggae music. Their name is synonymous with Rastafari and Roots Reggae and the trio has been entertaining and educating the world for years with their sweet harmonies, conscious lyrics and polished performances.

The annual Reggae Cultural Salute is a multimedia presentation which highlights the unique relationship between Reggae, Rasta, Selassie, and Jamaica and is also a benefit concert for the Coalition to Preserve Reggae Music (CPR) Community Conversation Series.

Reggae Culture Salute is a family-friendly, first-class showcase of the best of Roots Reggae suited for reggae aficionados as well as newcomers.

The New York Times called the 2006 staging of Reggae Culture Salute "a celebration of reggae's old -fashioned family values". The fifth annual Reggae Culture Salute will continue the tradition of presenting diverse stages of the genre's evolution.

The event also features a full screening of Stephanie Black's film, Africa Unite, about the 2005 Marley family concert held in Ethiopia in honour of Bob's 60th birthday. It was premiered at Reggae Culture Salute 2007.

Julian Marley spreading message of 'oneness and unity'


It's obvious that Julian Marley has been in town. He has been doing all the right "pee-arrey" stuff - morning television, lots of radio and some print in which he has been enthusiastically talking about his latest CD, Arise and his upcoming US tour of the same name with his 7Uprising band.
MARLEY... Marley sees his music, above all else, as the medium through which he spreads his message of 'oneness and unity to the world'

The tour was scheduled to kick off last night in Jacksonville, Florida, and Julian told Splash last Friday that he has been doing rigorous preparation for the six-week journey. "It has been four weeks of solid rehearsals everyday, getting the voice and everything up to date," he said.

Having accomplished that, he says he is ready for the real challenge of the road. He so far has 34 US dates confirmed and will see him moving through cities including New Orleans, Austin, Albuquerque, Pozo, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, Eureka, Durango, Aspen, Boulder, Minneapolis, CHarlote and Atlanta.

Marley sees his music, above all else, as the medium through which he spreads his message of "oneness and unity to the world".

"Me is a man play music from me lickle," he explains. "Me think 'bout music 24/7 . it always in me brain," Julian shared.

And although the six-year gap between Arise and his last been six CD (A Time And Place, 03) leads one to ask pertinent questions, Julian is still all smiles. "The six-year gap," he pondered. "Well it was a period of growth and maturity," he reflects.

"Ah not saying I did like it . but give thanks for those six years. But no more six years like that," he assures.

Arise, he says is a fusion of roots reggae with more modern beats. "The title is what it is. Every song give you that upfull vibe," is Julian's take on the CD, on which his band, Uprising, is heavily featured.

The aggregation has been with Marley since 1991 and the synergy is unmatched. "The band started with the bass players Owen 'JB' Reid and then we bring in other people and get the thing just right. Uprising played on almost all the tracks for the CD, so they know it," he said, pleased.

Not surprisingly, Arise is one of 39 albums submitted for what is called 'consideration' to the board of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for the Reggae category. Those album which given the most favourable consideration will be shortlisted and placed in the official Reggae Grammy category.

However, while Julian is quite thankful at being considered, he says his main focus is making good music. And should he be short-listed for the Grammy and subsequently join the ranks of his musical siblings and father, all of whom are in possession of the coveted gamophone statuette, Julian "woulda just give thanks for that too".

Reggae artist says NYC man slashed him with sword

NEW YORK

Jamaican reggae artist Major Mackerel was slashed Sunday on the head, arm and hand by a neighbor wielding a two-foot-long sword, the musician and police said.
Major Mackerel, who attracted some recognition in the 1980s and 1990s as a dancehall reggae artist, was seen hours after the attack returning to his Brooklyn home. He had white bandages crowning his dreadlocks and wrapped around one hand, a wrist and elbow.

"I had a fight and I got cut," Major Mackerel told the Daily News.

The reggae artist, whose real name is Garfield Dixon, said he got into a fight earlier in the day with a neighbor, identified by police as Oscar Joseph, outside a two-story brick house on East 91st Street where they live on separate floors.

World Reggae "Various Artists"


::World Reggae ::

"If music is the universal language, then reggae is its most widely spoken dialect." As the liner notes to this latest Putumayo release assert, reggae has unprecedented global commercial appeal. It is fascinating that the music of a marginalized group from a tiny island in the Caribbean has entered the mainstream enough to warrant a reliable slot on any index of genres. That easy to feel, up-beat groove has been manipulated to varying aesthetic results and for various political agendas. World Reggae, along the same lines as an earlier Putumayo release entitled Reggae Around the World, certainly illustrates these varying aesthetic results.

The CD gets off to a slow start with "Pas de Problèmes," by the French band Kana. The listener is urged to "just be yourself." I would not say that anything about this track resembles the Toots and the Maytals, as the liner notes profess, however the groove is pleasant enough. It was the whiney singing and accompanying cheese that thwarted this reviewer's attempt to just be himself. Digging the hole deeper is Apache Indian with "Om Numah Shivaya." Sung in fake patois, "the lyrics are inspired by Apache Indian's personal quest to define his identity in a multicultural world where traditional definitions of religion and culture have to be reevaluated." Good luck with that one, Apache.

Majek Fashek steps in to save the day with something almost skank-worthy. The talking drum's presence in "African Unity" counters the specter of those ubiquitous synthesizer lines that so often taint otherwise enjoyable compositions. Maria de Barros follows with "Riberonzinha," a Cape Verdean reggae excursion done with the smoothness often cited as characteristic of the island's music. Alpha Blondy, a reliable exponent of "world reggae," gets a deserved slot to do his thing. A track from Chis Combette of French Guyana is an interesting addition. Combette's "Babylone Buildings" features the sitar, played by Mungal Patasar (a Trinidadian), an amusing addition to the reggae ensemble given the history of East Indian indentured labor in the Caribbean. Combette's voice sounds a little like a Francophone Sting, assign your own connotations there.

The real standout of this compilation is the Algerian collective Gwana Diffusion. "Ya Laymi" finds a happy medium between the worlds of raï and reggae. The bass line is sufficiently phat and the singing executed with intention. One can hear conversation among the instruments and the Algerian flavor comes across without overstatement.

Of the countless reggae compilations out there, World Reggae is but a drop in the proverbial bucket. The strength of this particular release lies in its promotion of lesser known reggae fusions. There is no lack of interesting reggae outside of Jamaica, and maybe World Reggae will give some leads on where to find it. As for the general ideological thrust this collection, I suppose one could feel some warm and fuzzy sense of international empowerment by listening to this rather diluted, if well intentioned sampling of reggae's "world" manifestations. After all, it's "Guaranteed to make you feel good!" If you would like to board this "global musical journey from the Caribbean to Africa and beyond," go ahead, chirp down Babylon.

Isaac Haile Selassie


:: Los Angeles ::

In the annals of reggae music and its devotion to Emperor Haile Selassie, one thing becomes
striking by its absence: the lack of Ethiopian voices giving thanks and praise to the Almighty
God through the teachings of His Majesty. Now, from Addis Ababa, by way of Southern California, comes a striking new voice whose direct links to the King of Kings are stronger than any other singer and player of instruments this century has known.

If that seems hyperbole, consider the fact that Isaac Haile Selassie not only carries the
Imperial name, but was, in fact, raised under the supervision of His Majesty. "I have been blessed," recalls the singer from his cozy hillside cottage in Los Angeles, "to have been raised in the care of His Imperial Majesty personally, at his boarding school a few miles from
the palace. I used to see him at least once a week throughout my childhood."

When Selassie was deposed, Isaac recalls sadly, "I felt like I was cut into halves and I had no place in my own land. War and destruction surrounded me. So I decided to walk out of my country through the desert of Eritrea, all the way to the Sudan. My companions and I slept in the daytime and walked in the night, hiding like hyenas. I eventually found my way to Khartoum, Sudan, and one day I encountered a group of Ethiopians who were lying in the 120 degree heat under a fan in a small room, listening to Bob Marley on the radio."

This initial encounter with Jah music came as a visceral revelation. "His voice sounded like truth, although none of us could understand what he was saying. I'd never heard of dreadlocks or Jamaica or Rasta. I never knew there were these people abroad who loved Selassie I. But the spirit of this man just hit me like he hit the rest of the world."

Isaac eventually arrived in the United States in 1980 and by 1983 he had reached Los Angeles where he began performing publicly, starting in an Ethiopian restaurant, singing Ethiopian songs and reggae both in English and Amharic.

Isaac's message of unity, love and peace took off and he began playing at many of the local universities, popular clubs and venues like the African Marketplace, Beach Fest, Coconut Teaser, Kingston 12 and the Music Machine.

More recently, Isaac has performed at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival (Marysville, CA) Roots Mountain Reggae (Tonasket, WA), Northwest Reggae Fest (Seattle, WA and Portland, OR), Roots Revolution Festival(Montana), Lake Casitas World Music Festival (Ojai, CA), One Root World Music Festival (Sacramento, CA) and was a headliner on the 2000 Annual Bob Marley Exodus Festival, traveling and performing throughout Texas and Arizona. He has played shows in Toronto, Canada, Boston and Cambridge, MA, Virginia, Boulder and Denver, CO and continues to tour and perform.

His debut CD, "UNITE" was chosen as one of the Top Ten reggae releases of 1999 and 2000. Ethiopia's history has been a struggle toward unity during the past millennium. I contribute this music for Ethiopians at home and abroad who starve for peace and unity and for Africans and the rest of the world who pray for happier times to come for all of us."

Japanese Reggae, Dancehall, Ragga


:: Japanese Reggae ::

For those who have asked, there IS a Japanese Reggae/Dancehall/Ragga/Bashment scene in Japan. The scene like in most countries has progressed from Reggae to Dancehall/Ragga.

Dancehall is as much about dancing as it is about the music. Besides getting tanned and braided, the dance moves from the women include some serious erotic hip shaking movements. Japan held 3 events earlier this year, the Reggae Japansplash, the first-ever Avex sponsored Black Summit and Japan’s premier dancehall festival, the annual Yokohama Reggae Sai.

Currently, Japan’s most famous dancehall music group is Mighty Crown. Other artists to check out are Ryo the Skywalker, Pushim, Fireball, Homegrown, Mighty Jam Rock, Pang, Munehiro, Megaryu and Lecca and the Ichi Bang Boshi Crew.

Reggae Indonesia Vibration

:: Indoensia Reggae society ::

Sebait lirik lagu dari single Jamaica’s Away (Souljah), yang belakangan sedang sering diputar di radio-radio, sangat menggambarkan musik reggae. Jamaica sendiri memang enggak bisa kita lupakan saat kita berbicara tentang musik ini. Beberapa sumber mengatakan, musik ini gara- gara orang Jamaika mengadopsi variasi sinkopisasi rhythm gitar dari new orleans R&B yang mereka dengar dari radio di tahun 60-an. Lalu, sedikit up tempo, terciptalah musik ska yang menjadi cikal bakal reggae. Ada lagi sumber yang mengatakan bahwa ska berawal dari musik asli Jamaika yang bernama mento, yang berkembang sejak tahun 40-an.

Akhirnya saat musim panas, orang terlalu malas untuk berdansa up tempo. Sedikit mengendurkan tempo musik, irama lebih mengayun dan terkesan bermalas-malasan, itu yang sekarang kita kenal dengan reggae. Beberapa nama "pahlawan" reggae bermunculan, dari Jimmi Cliff, Horace Andy, sampai akhirnya melahirkan seorang legenda bernama Bob Marley.

Bob Marley
Bob Marley memang paling berpengaruh di dunia reggae. "Reggae mulai makin dikenal luas setelah Bob Marley meninggal," begitu pendapat Tony Q, yang identik dengan reggae di Twelve Blues Bar, Menteng, Jakarta, setiap Rabu dan Jumat. Lagu-lagu Bob Marley yang meninggal di tahun 1981 ini sering terdengar di songlist- nya. Bersaing dengan lagu-lagu karyanya sendiri yang sudah terkumpul dalam dua Album.

Di Bali, lagu-lagu Bob Marley juga menguasai panggung-panggung musik reggae. Apache, sebuah bar yang identik dengan reggae di kawasan Legian, hampir tiap hari mengumandangkan lagu-lagu Bob Marley. "Senin khusus membawakan lagu-lagu Bob Marley. Selasa lagu lain, diselingi lagu-lagu Bob Marley. Lha, Bob Marley thok?" protes seorang pemerhati kesenian bermusik di Bali, Rudolph Dethu. "Reggae enggak cuma paman Bob (Bob Marley), tapi juga ada Peter Tosh, Black Uhuru, Jimmy Cliff, dan sebagainya. Dan Reggae itu secara tidak langsung menembus kawasan elektronika, yaitu Drum N’ Bass," tambah Dethu lagi. "Kami sempat mau bawain selain Bob Marley, tapi pasti ada yang minta lagu-lagu Bob Marley," komentar Joni Agung musisi Reggae yang mengisi acara setiap Senin di Apache.

Reggae "vibration"
Seperti kata Dethu, reggae sebenarnya memang sudah beranak pinak. Bahkan, sejak awal kemunculan reggae, ada Alton Ellis dengan rocksteady (sekarang kayak No Doubt gitu deh). Dan Lee "scratch" Perry memulai memakai sampling- sampling suara, yang membuat musiknya disebut dub. Dan bermunculanlah rock and folk base ala Bob Marley sampai yang sangat pop oriented seperti yang dilakukan oleh UB 40.

Di Yogyakarta tidak ada bar yang identik dengan reggae. Tapi, lewat acara kampus yang ada hampir tiap minggu, band-band reggae unjuk gigi. Berbicara reggae di Yogyakarta tak bisa memalingkan muka dari sebuah grup ska yang masih konsisten hingga sekarang, Shaggy Dog. Sejak berdirinya di tahun 1995, band ini memang mematok ska reggae sebagai aliran hidup mereka. "Kowena," ujar Heru, sang vokalis Shaggy Dog, saat diminta menyebut nama band reggae Yogya favoritnya. Sayang, Kowena sepertinya tidak terlalu berminat hidup. Sempat muncul sekali di Citos, lalu menghilang lagi. "Tapi, sekarang banyak banget band reggae di Yogya dan variatif," tambah Heru.
Heru sendiri memuaskan jiwa reggaenya lewat Dub Youth. "Kalau ini reggae campur elektronika," jelasnya tentang proyek Dub Youth yang dimulai sejak dia memiliki sebuah groove box.

Reggae "got soul"
Belakangan mungkin orang tidak merasakan kehadiran reggae secara jelas. Tapi, begitu banyak band yang terpengaruh oleh reggae. Dari yang ngepunk (Rancid), rocksteady (No Doubt), ragga (Shaggy & Sean Paul), Dancehall (Outkast), sampai yang rock ’n folk (John Buttler Trio). Di dalam negeri, setelah era keemasan Anak Pantai-nya almarhum Imanez, Tony Q tidak berjuang sendirian. Ada Steven & Coconuttreez yang punya single Welcome To My Paradise. Sekilas band ini mengingatkan kita kepada Big Mountain yang ngetop lewat Baby, I Love Your Way beberapa tahun lalu. Joni Agung di Bali juga melepas album Reggae Mebasa Bali (reggae berbahasa Bali).

Yang paling anyar adalah band asal Bekasi yang baru saja merilis album Breaking The Roots, Souljah. Reggae yang dimainkan Souljah lebih cenderung memasuki daerah elektronika. Banyak nuansa ragga lewat toasting (semacam ngerap dengan gaya Jamaika), dan beat dancehall untuk lagu-lagu berirama riang mereka. Bahkan, belakangan band-band papan atas mencoba memainkan reggae. Seperti Dewa yang mencoba berdansa lewat lagu Matahari, Bulan, Bintang. "“Setiap orang boleh saja main reggae. Yang penting ada soul-nya," ujar Gung Jon mengomentari soal ini. "Lagu itu bagus, tapi kurang bagus untuk dibilang reggae," kata Heru. Ia lebih memilih lagunya Nugie, Bisa Lebih Bahagia. Terlepas dari siapa dan bagaimana memainkannya, semua pentolan reggae itu setuju kalau fenomena itu cukup membantu mengenalkan reggae ke tingkat yang lebih luas.

Reggae "jammin"
Perluasan reggae di Indonesia ini begitu terbuka. Setiap pemusik ini punya jalan masing-masing untuk menyebarkan musik reggae. Tony Q dengan senang hati berbagi panggung dengan band-band reggae baru. "Tadi ada band Bekasi, namanya Peron One. Minggu depan ada lagi, namanya The Dread," ujar Tony sambil tersenyum seusai pertunjukannya pada Rabu malam di Blues Bar.
Steven & Coconuttreez adalah salah satu yang dulu rajin "mengganggu" panggung Tony Q. Sekarang Steven sudah merilis debut album The Other Side. Steven juga sedang giat mengumpulkan band-band reggae untuk diajak bikin proyek album kompilasi.

Joni Agung di Bali tak pernah berhenti bermain reggae. Senin dia akan berada di Apache Bar. Selasa dan Jumat dia manggung di Soda Bar, Sanur. Lalu, Minggu dan Rabu pesta reggaenya di gelar di Putra Bar, Ubud.

Heru "Shaggy Dog" tidak hanya aktif menyebarkan reggae lewat panggung. Tapi juga lewat siaran radio. Bersama sang manajer Dread Met, mereka punya program Simmerdown di Star FM Yogya. Geronimo FM, Yogya, juga punya acara Rabu Reggae yang usianya sudah cukup lama.

Jika ingin menikmati reggae di Jakarta, kita juga bisa datang ke Parc, yang menawarkan DJ-DJ yang memainkan lagu-lagu dub & reggae setiap Selasa. Drum N’ Bass yang cenderung elektronika sekarang ini juga mulai sering jadi musik tema di tempat-tempat klubing yang biasanya di dominasi hip-hop dan R&B.

Ternyata Indonesia memang cukup berpotensi untuk reggae. Ada dua band yang jaringannya sudah internasional. Tony Q dan New Rastafara terdaftar sebagai headliners di acara Legend Of Rasta Reggae Festival (www.legendsofrastareggaefestival.com). Dan Shaggy Dog yang rencananya pertengahan tahun ini berangkat ke Festival Mundial, Belanda, untuk yang kedua kalinya. Dan bukan tidak mungkin akan makin banyak band-band pop/rock lain yang menyelipkan reggae dalam musik mereka.

Bali Reggae Performance - Indonesia


:: JONI AGUNG & DOUBLE T ::

Was formed in '90s, they have been in reggae gig in all well known
reggae club and pub as well as outdoor concert in Bali.
JONI agung as the dreadlock sweet fat balinese guy as leader and
the vocalist of double T reggae band.
Has won several reggae competition in Bali and always perform in any
beach festival in the paradise.

THE GUYS :
JONI AGUNG AS VOCALIST
CETU ON DRUMS
ALITS ON GUITAR
TILEM ON BASS
MAYUN ON KEYBOARD

Since 2004 this band launched 3 album independent here in Bali.
The Reggae with balinese language, very popular since their lyric
talk more about life in Bali, love and tradition
their music composition not too progressive , simple but very rich.

2004 ALBUM REGGAE MEBASA BALI
2005 ALBUM MELALUNG
2006 ALBUM PUL SI NO GE

music video :(tittle)
nyoman kelepon
pocol
jero gede
melalung
nuutin jaman
pu sinoge
sing sedeng tuutin

GIG/CONCERT
More than 100, big gig concert lombok and bali island

Their album in Bali nearly reach 20,000 copies sold. and every big
concert here in Bali always full of entertaining moment and cool
atmosphere.
Many Collaboration also they have made with some band here in Bali
such as funk and rock band.
at this moment this album still in finishing their tour here in Bali
with some band to make they exist .

At last their dream to perform in international music event still in
wait, they hope there gonna be sponsor, who wants to grab them to
perfom internationay.

Contact :
Bagus Mantra / Pregina Studio
Jl. Danau Buyan 46 Sanur – Bali 80228
Ph. 0812 381 1001 / pregina@balitamansari.com

Rum & Reggae's Rio de Janeiro


:: Rum & Reggae's Rio de Janeiro ::

Since the first edition of Rum & Reggae's Caribbean was published in 1988, all of our guides have developed an avid following. Rum & Reggae's newest release - Rum & Reggae's Rio de Janeiro - is a collaboration of Jonathan Runge and Sam Logan's combined 25 years of travel writing experience. This guide is a complete revision and major expansion of the Rio de Janeiro chapter found in Rum & Reggae's Brazil. Thus, it covers many more areas along Rio State's coast as well as its interior. Rio can be a confusing place for tourism, but this book will help the traveler easily navigate through Rio's city streets, beachside destinations, and mountain retreats. With opinionated and honest advice that's presented in an entertaining and personal tone, Rum & Reggae leads travelers not just to the most popular spots, but to the best spots (whether they are on or off the beaten path). Meanwhile, Rum & Reggae's Rio de Janeiro has maintained the creative flair found in features such as Rum & Reggae's Touristo Scale, the Superlatives section, and the stylish illustrations of Disney's Eric Orner.

Rum & Reggae's Rio de Janeiro will help you find and experience all the best of this land of samba and soccer. Beyond the complete information on hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, beaches, and activities, we'll tell you everything that's great (and, of course, what's not) about this unique and energetic destination. You'll learn the inside scoop on all of Rio's nightlife (both gay and straight) - from the chic neighborhoods of Leblon and Ipanema, to the thumping beat of the up-and-coming Lapa district. We'll also detail the tourist sites of Corcovado and Sugarloaf (among others), and the mountains of Petrópolis, Teresópolis, and Itatiaia, as well as the posh beach resort of Búzios, and the colonial town of Paraty. This guide will let you in on the secrets that many other guides will not. For example, all guidebooks will tell you how beautiful Búzios is, but only Rum & Reggae will let you know about the cops that create blockades along the route to Búzios supposedly in search of drugs (when they are really looking for bribe money from unsuspecting tourists). So if you're in search of the real Brazilian experience, Rum & Reggae's Rio de Janeiro is the trusted friend and indispensable guide you'll need.

“Honest opinions delivered straight from the hip and the heart…. A refreshing antidote to travel writing blandness” – Chicago Tribune

“An irreverent and highly personal guide with an emphasis on places to stay and places to party…” – Travel & Leisure
“Clearly, this book is not for the porch crowd.” – The New York Times

Rum & Reggae's Virgin Islands


:: Rum & Reggae's Virgin Islands ::

Rum & Reggae’s Virgin Islands is an in-depth guide to the necklace of idyllic (and not so idyllic) islands that span the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. With the same format and wit of Rum & Reggae’s Caribbean, this more affordable and compact book is all the savvy and sophisticated traveler needs to navigate the archipelago, which includes St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John, Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, Peter Island and more. You’ll learn what we adore and despise in this latitude — from New Year’s Eve on Jost Van Dyke, the romance of Virgin Gorda, the easy sailing of the Drake Channel and the beauty of St. John, to the traffic jams of Charlotte Amalie, cruise ship gridlock and the brusqueness of certain island residents — it’s all here for the taking. All the traveler needs to know is in this book, from hotel and restaurant recommendations to the best snorkeling spots and yachty watering holes. Best of all, this book is an entertaining and fun read - even if you never leave your living room. No vacation (or vacation wannabe) to the VI’s should begin without Rum & Reggae’s Virgin Islands.

Rum & Reggae's Grenadines


:: Rum & Reggae's Grenadines ::

Rum & Reggae’s Grenadines (including St. Vincent & Grenada) is a thorough, handy and affordable guide and the only book you’ll need to the 75-mile-long chain of islands that stretches from St. Vincent to Grenada. Written with the sharp wit and critical eye that is Rum & Reggae and geared toward the savvy and sophisticated traveler, this book highlights what to see and discover at this remote end of the West Indies. We’ll take you to St. Vincent, a relatively undiscovered destination, complete with spectacular black-sand beaches and an active volcano. Then we’ll go to the islands which lie south, all the way to Grenada — Bequia, Mustique, Mayreau, Canouan, the Tobago Cays, Union, Palm, Petit St. Vincent, Petit Martinique and Carriacou. The Grenadines, as these islands are called, are a sailor’s dream, second only to the British Virgin Islands as the Caribbean’s prime sailing destination. They are also wonderful and untouristed destinations in their own right. And with more than 25 islands in the chain (most are uninhabited and can be explored on day-trips), there are ample opportunities for snorkeling, scuba diving, beachcombing, and picnics. But you’ll need Rum & Reggae’s Grenadines to know where and how to go to these magical places. Then we visit Grenada, the Spice Isle. Sitting majestically at the southern end of the Grenadines chain, it is a wonderfully verdant, picturesque, lively and friendly destination. All the traveler needs to know is here, from hotel and restaurant recommendations to the best rum punch, waterfall hike and celebrity hangout. No vacation here should begin without Rum & Reggae’s Grenadines!

Rum & Reggae's Caribbean


:: Rum & Reggae's Caribbean ::

First published in 1988, this expansive guide to the Caribbean has developed an avid following. Under the watchful eye of 20-year travel writing veteran Jonathan Runge, and now in its fifth incarnation, this flagship production of Rum & Reggae Guidebooks is bigger and better than ever. This edition has undergone a complete revision, with improved maps and a new format that makes it easier for readers to find all the information they need to plan the perfect Caribbean vacation. Meanwhile, the creative flair found in features such as Rum & Reggae's Touristo Scale, Island Friendliness Climate, and Superlatives section, still remains.

While Rum & Reggae’s Caribbean includes all of the nuts and bolts found in other guidebooks, it goes above and beyond the ordinary travel guides. It’s opinionated, irreverent, informative, funny, and entertaining. Geared toward the more sophisticated and savvy traveler who generally avoids the tourist swarms, it is indispensable for those in search of the real island experience. For vacationers who want to go beyond the T-shirt stalls of Ochos Rios, the casinos in St. Maarten, the all-inclusive resorts of Jamaica, and the cruise ship traffic jams of St. Thomas, Rum & Reggae’s Caribbean is the ultimate travel companion.

"An irreverent and highly personal guide with and emphasis on places to stay and places to party..." - Travel & Leisure

"As guidebooks proliferate, those with a sharp point of view, whether or not one agrees with it, can seem as refreshing as a cold drink of water at midnight after a supper of salami....Rum & Reggae is perhaps an extreme example of the opinionated guidebook.... Clearly, this book is not for the porch crowd." - The New York Times

Rum & Reggae's Brazil


:: Rum & Reggae's Brazil ::

Rum & Reggae’s Brazil takes on the world’s hottest destination with its trademark critical, witty and cosmopolitan eye. It takes the reader not only to the renowned Rio de Janeiro and its famous Carnaval, but to areas virtually unknown to the English-speaking world — like Salvador, Pipa, Buzios, Minas Gerais and Paraty — with its “Travel with an Opinion®” motto as its m.o. Rum & Reggae’s Brazil is the only book the in-the-know and savvy traveler will need. Those who are a tad timid about journeying throughout this island of Portuguese and little English will find a welcome friend and guiding light in Rum & Reggae’s Brazil.

With time increasingly at a premium for the sophisticated, successful and adventurous person, Rum & Reggae’s Brazil does the work for the minute-challenged. It sifts through the Himalayan-like mountains of material and provides the reader with the right balance of info and recommendations — all in a style and tone that is fun and engaging. While traditional travel books work better than Valium for insomnia, Rum & Reggae’s Brazil will have the reader trying to samba, listening to Marisa Monte, mixing a caipirinha and saying “tudo bem” by the end of the first chapter. And what about those legendary and uninhibited Brazilian beauties and where to find them? Well, you’ll just have to buy Rum & Reggae’s Brazil to find out!