Rastas, race and the rhythm of Jah people

Bass Culture: when reggae was king by Lloyd Bradley (Viking, £12.99)

There was a moment in Britain when reggae music and its symbols - dreadlocks, the colours red, yellow and green - were an inescapable part of inner-city areas with an Afro-Caribbean community. It was a moment personified by Bob Marley's dreadlocked, ganja-smoking image but, beyond Marley, there was the rich history of an island, its peoples and their music.

There was a moment in Britain when reggae music and its symbols - dreadlocks, the colours red, yellow and green - were an inescapable part of inner-city areas with an Afro-Caribbean community. It was a moment personified by Bob Marley's dreadlocked, ganja-smoking image but, beyond Marley, there was the rich history of an island, its peoples and their music.