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Rasta Time
RasTa Time is Kathy Arlyn Sokol's personal journey with the King of Reggae Bob Marley, which has spanned over four decades. Her journey takes us from Kansas and Japan, where she first met and toured with him, to Miami, Jamaica and the Bahamas to learn more of his music's enduring power. The book was inspired by Kathy's in-depth interview with Marley in 1979 in Tokyo. It is perhaps the last still-unreleased conversation with the legend in the world. Subsequent interviews with his family and friends reveal how the King's philosophy has been translated into art & action. It is an essential primer for all those who love Bob Marley's music and spellbinding persona, and seek to understand more of his social vision and spiritual roots.
308 pages, Paperback
Published December 2, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 27, 2023
Fascinating rasta/reggae oral history & near numinous travelogue
After 3O baffling years AWOL,Kathy Sokol’s provocative 1979 Bob Marley ‘interview abruptly resurfaces and launches her on a synchronicity-blessed journey to meet his loved ones, unearth his roots and explore the impact of his catalytic anthems in revolutionary movements worldwide.
RasTa Time engagingly chronicles that pilgrimage and the extraordinary secrets poetry and personalities it revealed. It maps her pursuit of the King from her youthful Kansas reggae rapture to their shared week-long Japanese Babylon By Bus tour to her exhilarating later encounters with his family, friends and One Love crusaders.
Sokol has written a variety of books and interviewed scores of modern musical prodigies – from Ravi Shankar, John Cage & Stomu Yamash’ta to Pat Metheny, Sting & David Byrne. But despite that high altitude track record. no musician or message seems to have touched her as deeply as Marley, his vision and entrancing One Love mission.
Besides Bob’s intimate interview, her subsequent vivid conversations with his kin and collaborators shed fresh light on his sly selfless spirit, most emblematic songs and still evolving artistic & political legacy.
RasTa Time is rich in stories, voices & timely serendipities. It’s an easy entertaining read, but offers memorable insights into key players, prayers & artistry empowering One Love’s progress as a sensuous evolutionary force.
After 3O baffling years AWOL,Kathy Sokol’s provocative 1979 Bob Marley ‘interview abruptly resurfaces and launches her on a synchronicity-blessed journey to meet his loved ones, unearth his roots and explore the impact of his catalytic anthems in revolutionary movements worldwide.
RasTa Time engagingly chronicles that pilgrimage and the extraordinary secrets poetry and personalities it revealed. It maps her pursuit of the King from her youthful Kansas reggae rapture to their shared week-long Japanese Babylon By Bus tour to her exhilarating later encounters with his family, friends and One Love crusaders.
Sokol has written a variety of books and interviewed scores of modern musical prodigies – from Ravi Shankar, John Cage & Stomu Yamash’ta to Pat Metheny, Sting & David Byrne. But despite that high altitude track record. no musician or message seems to have touched her as deeply as Marley, his vision and entrancing One Love mission.
Besides Bob’s intimate interview, her subsequent vivid conversations with his kin and collaborators shed fresh light on his sly selfless spirit, most emblematic songs and still evolving artistic & political legacy.
RasTa Time is rich in stories, voices & timely serendipities. It’s an easy entertaining read, but offers memorable insights into key players, prayers & artistry empowering One Love’s progress as a sensuous evolutionary force.
April 23, 2023
Wow! Such a thought provoking read! The author, Kathy Sokol, is a fiery and free-spirited journalist who began her career in the 70’s traveling the world and blazing trails! She takes us on an incredible journey into the intimate details of Bob Marley’s life. Decades after his death, Bob continues to impact people all over the world. He was a man with a vision…able to see the world in a way that was years ahead of his time. His words and wisdom continue to inspire us today. Kathy shows us how Bob viewed the systems controlling our world and how we can push back against them with love…how we can come together to live conscious lives, realizing that we are all connected and that if we raise our consciousness and vibration we can change our world. This fascinating book gives the reader a never-before released interview from Bob in the 70s…plus more current interviews from his remaining close friends and family. It’s really inspiring to see how one man had such an impact on us all. No one is too small to make a difference! The Rasta way of life is one that we can all learn from and implement in our own lives to create a better future. I recommend this book to anyone who loves Bob Marley, or anyone who wants a glimpse into the Rastafarian philosophy and its history….originating in Jamaica, but spreading throughout the world thanks to this incredible visionary! Jah bless!
December 14, 2023
I just finished reading Rasta Time, A 40-year journey through Bob’s world, by Kathy Arlyn Sokol. If you’re looking for a great holiday gift or read, here it is. I have always enjoyed the music of Bob Marley, but I confess I knew little about the man, his historical significance or the movements he represented. This book left me totally enlightened by they way it introduced me to Bob Marley in such a personal way. First, Kathy Arlyn Sokol is the perfect connector, whose admiration for the man is infectious and makes you feel like her traveling companion.
The story begins at Marley’s 1979 concert in Japan and how through luck and persistence, a young fan, the author, lands the interview of a lifetime. You feel the heartbreak when the tape is lost, and you feel the excitement when it’s discovered twenty years later. Reading its transcription is like holding a treasure of rock and roll history.
The excitement builds at each step of her journey, from the discovery of the tape to each interview with members of Marley’s circle and family. I felt the author’s gratitude at each opportunity. More than interviews, these are intimate conversations, sharing emotional reactions to the lost Marley interview and the profound affect Marley has had on each of their lives.
My thanks to the author for sharing her found treasure and expanding my appreciation for Marley’s music.
The story begins at Marley’s 1979 concert in Japan and how through luck and persistence, a young fan, the author, lands the interview of a lifetime. You feel the heartbreak when the tape is lost, and you feel the excitement when it’s discovered twenty years later. Reading its transcription is like holding a treasure of rock and roll history.
The excitement builds at each step of her journey, from the discovery of the tape to each interview with members of Marley’s circle and family. I felt the author’s gratitude at each opportunity. More than interviews, these are intimate conversations, sharing emotional reactions to the lost Marley interview and the profound affect Marley has had on each of their lives.
My thanks to the author for sharing her found treasure and expanding my appreciation for Marley’s music.
December 10, 2023
This book is a masterpiece of the art of the interview. Kathy Arlyn Sokol has written a book that is informative and also profound in her feel for Bob Marley and the approach to life he proclaimed in his music and lived for. The core of the book is the interview Kathy did with Bob in Japan in 1979, one of the last interviews he ever made. With her decades-long career of interviewing leading figures in music and arts, Kathy took that interview, and expanded it to encompass Bob's entire life. She journeyed to America, Jamaica, and Bermuda to flesh Bob's words out with those of his friends and close family. Running through it all is Kathy's love and personal feeling for Bob and his music which makes every page come alive. For those like myself, who knew of Bob Marley only in a general sort of way, this book has vividly shown me the musician whose philosophy went way beyond music. For those who have always loved Bob Marley, this book will be a treasure, bringing home the man himself.
February 1, 2023
I knew Kathy in the time frame of her transition that is the basis of her book. She fully embraced Bob Marley's messages and has pursued a mission of helping her readers better understand this profound man and his music. I hear Kathy's voice all the time. When I read this book. When I read her other books, especially her Kyoto book drawing on Alex Kerr's Kyoto knowledge. This book is for anyone wanting an intimate encounter with Bob Marley, his family and friends, and Kathy Sokol. Those are three good reasons to buy it and savor it. One Love! Let's get together and feel all right!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews