© Adrian Thomas

David Katz has spent more than fifteen years interviewing over 200 key artists in researching his latest book, Solid Foundation: An Oral History of Reggae. Published in April 2003, Solid Foundation is the definitive history of the first thirty years of Jamaican Reggae.

David Katz is author of one previous book, People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee Scratch Perry (Canongate, 2000) and he contributed to The Rough Guide to Reggae (Penguin, 1997) and A Tapestry of Jamaica (Macmillan, 2003). His writing and photographs have appeared in many different international publications, including the Guardian, Mojo, Sky Writings and Caribbean Beats. He has co-ordinated and annotated several retrospective collections of Jamaican music, released an original record in France, and has co-hosted reggae radio programmes on three continents. Originally from San Francisco, he currently lives in London, where he sometimes deejays at select night spots.