Rodigan, David: Rodigan

‘Rodigan can still claim a currency few presenters of his vintage can match . . . Reggae‘s been lucky to have him‘ MOJO Rodigan is the unlikely story of how David Rodigan, an Army Sergeant Major‘s son from rural Oxfordshire, gave up an accomplished stage and television career and, because of a lifelong devotion to the music of a distant tropical island, became the man who championed Reggae music across the world. As the sound of Jamaica has morphed over five decades through a succession of different genres, so has Rodigan remained its constant advocate, winning the respect of generation after generation of Reggae followers across the globe. Rodigan continues to go into the heartlands of Reggae to compete in tournaments against the greatest Jamaican sound systems. He was declared the World Sound Clash champion in 2012 - at the age of sixty-one - after destroying the opposition with his unrivalled collection of rare ‘dub plate‘ recordings. And yet Rodigan remains the antithesis of the stereotype of an international dance music DJ. ‘I look like an accountant or a dentist,‘ he admits. Rodigan is no ordinary memoir: it is also a fascinating and incisive alternative history of a music form that remains as proud as ever of its African roots, a sound that emanates from and fiercely represents the ghetto poor. ‘Never has a book taken us so skilfully through this ethereal world with candour, grit and honesty. Essential reading for anyone who calls themselves a fan of Jah music‘ Roger Steffens