HOWARD CAMPBELL Observer senior writer Sunday, October 05, 2014
FFOR almost 30 years, Gary Himelfarb negotiated countless deals with Jamaican artistes as principal of RAS Records, one of the largest distributors of reggae music during the 1980s and 1990s.
Popularly known as Dr Dread, Himelfarb revisits his ties with Jamaica, its culture and some of reggae's most successful artistes in The Half That's Never Been Told, a book scheduled for release on March 3, 2015 by Akashic Books.
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| Dr. Dread and late Gregory Issacs |
The 59-year-old Himelfarb made RAS one of the top independent companies in the world, with a catalogue containing albums by major acts such as Black Uhuru, Bunny Wailer, Culture, Israel Vibration, Yellowman, Gregory Isaacs and Freddie McGregor.
Some of the chapters in The Half That's Never Been Told are dedicated to Himelfarb's relationship with these artistes. Speaking to the Jamaica Observer recently, he described the book as a "page-turner", adding: "No one will be bored."
Himelfarb said over the years he has been encouraged to write a book on his time in the music business. But it was not until he read the biography of an industry giant that he took the plunge.
"I read a biography about Norman Granz who started Verve Records. It was sub-titled 'The Man Who Used Jazz For Justice' and spoke volumes of how he used music to bring a halt to segregation in America," Himelfarb explained. "I saw many parallels (with RAS) as to how he ran his label and his relationships with his jazz artistes."
Verve exposed a number of black jazz performers who were not attractive to major record companies. RAS did the same for reggae, helping to revive the careers of groups like Culture, Israel Vibration and Inner Circle in the 1990s. more
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