Beth Lesser
Beth Lesser, born in New York City,[1] is a Canadian[2] writer and reggae photographer, particularly known for her photography Jamaican music in the 1980s.[3][4] Lesser photographed reggae artists such as King Jammy, Sugar Minott and Dennis Brown.[5] Lesser's photographs have featured on hundreds of CD covers, as well as in books and films.[6]
In 1977, Lesser moved to Toronto,[1] where she became captivated with the sound, aesthetic, and culture surrounding the genre of reggae.[7] In Toronto, she met David Kingston, whom she later married.[1] From 1982 to 1988, they regularly travelled to Jamaica.[8]
Lesser and Kingston were first involved with reggae in 1980, when they started a fanzine for Augustus Pablo's organization Rockers International. The fanzine was named Live Good Today after a song by Prince Jazzbo. Pablo suggested the scope of the fanzine be widened, so Lesser and Kingston began to publish Reggae Quarterly which covered Pablo’s artists and the dance hall scene.[9] Lesser was responsible for most of the interviews and photography for Reggae Quarterly, whereas Kingston, who hosted a weekly reggae radio show on CKLN radio in Toronto under the name Lord Selector, used their travels to collect music for his show.[10]
Lesser took thousands of pictures of the Jamaican dance hall scene,[2] which reflect the producers, musicians and idlers present at that time.[11] In Kingston, Lesser and Kingston witnessed reggae history firsthand; they frequented Jammy's Yard and got to know Sugar Minott.[12] Lesser married Kingston at a Youth Promotion dance at Sugar Minott's house in 1986.[9]
Lesser has written four books on reggae and the dance hall culture: King Jammys,[12] Dance hall: The Rise Of Jamaican Dance hall Culture, which conveys the styles and fashion of dance hall,[3] and records the word and images of musicians and producers,[13] The Legend Of Sugar Minott & Youth Promotion, and Rub-A-Dub Style: The Roots Of Modern Dance hall.
The first exhibition of Lesser's work, entitled Reggae or Not was held in 2013, in Toronto.[14] In 2016, an further exhibition was held in KK Outlet in London.[15][16]
Works
- Lesser, Beth (March 2001). The legend of Sugar Minott & Youth Promotion. Muzik Tree. ISBN 978-0-9868797-0-8. Search this book on
- Lesser, Beth (2002). King Jammy's. ECW Press. ISBN 9781550225259. Search this book on
- Lesser, Beth (2008). Baker, Stuart, ed. Dancehall: The rise of Jamaican dancehall culture. Soul Jazz Pub. ISBN 9780955481710. Search this book on
- Lesser, Beth (2012). Rub a dub style: the roots of modern dancehall. Beth Kingston. ISBN 9780986879715. Search this book on
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Beth Lesser-Capturing dancehall greats circa 1980". Itchy Silk. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Vibrant photos show what Jamaica looked like during the 80s dancehall scene". The Sun. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 McKeon, Lucy (24 October 2017). "Swagger & Pomp: Jamaica's Dancehall Style". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ↑ Dundon, Rian (15 January 2017). "One photographer's amazing firsthand look at the 1980s Jamaican dancehall scene". Timeline. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ↑ "La photographe Beth Lesser expose à Londres". Reggae.fr (in français). 12 January 2016. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ↑ Irish, Paul (30 January 2013). "Black History Month: Reggae or Not celebrates Jamaican culture in Toronto". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ↑ Weinstock, Tish (2016-01-13). "From roots to dancehall: Beth Lesser's love letter to Jamaica". I-d. Archived from the original on 2022-03-15. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
- ↑ Campbell, Howard (October 29, 2017). "Wheel & come again! A second serving of Beth Lesser's Rub-a-Dub Style". The Jamaica Observer. Archived from the original on 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2018-12-19. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 Sterling, Marvin (2010-06-08). "Fashion and Dance: Performing Gender in Japan's Reggae Dance Scene". Babylon East. Duke University Press. pp. 101–142. doi:10.1215/9780822392736-004. ISBN 9780822392736. Search this book on
- ↑ Mr.T (12 August 2017). "Rub-a-Dub Style: The Roots Of Modern Dancehall by Beth Lesser". Reggae Vibes. Retrieved 2018-05-24.
- ↑ Yates, Steve (9 August 2008). "Review: The Rise Of Jamaican Dancehall Culture by Beth Lesser". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Mr T. (21 March 2011). "The Legend Of Sugar Minott & Youth Promotion". Reggae Vibes. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ↑ Kühnemund, Jan (25 February 2009). "Jamaikas Musikexport: Jeder Hinterhof eine Tanzhalle". Die Zeit (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ↑ Dart, Chris (29 January 2013). ""Reggae or Not" Spotlights Toronto's Contribution to a Jamaican Genre". Torontoist. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ↑ Hawkins, Alexander (12 January 2016). "Reggae, roots and the undeniable style of Jamaica's 80s dancehall culture". It's Nice That. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- ↑ "The early days of Jamaican dancehall – in pictures". The Guardian. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
External links
resubmitted with additional references showing significant multinational coverage of Lesser's work
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