The beat 1982–1988

Founded in 1981 by publisher and editor C.C. Smith and continuing until 2009, The beat described itself as “the world's leading publication on reggae, African, Caribbean and world music”. Originally a fanzine for the radio program The reggae beat (broadcast by KCRW-FM in Santa Monica, California), it progressed from a handmade publication to a major, glossy newsstand magazine available at many book stores and music outlets. This mirrored the increasing popularity and prominence of the genres it covered. The beat is valuable not only for its profiles and interviews of artists like Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Alton Ellis, and Miriam Makeba, but also as a source for tracking the application and interpretation of the “world music” label.