Skip to main content
Global ambition
Tony Burke speaks to music producer JOE BOYD about his new book, and his career promoting world music
Buena Vista Social Club in full flight

And The Roots of Rhythm Remain – A Journey Through Global Music
Joe Boyd, Faber, £30

JOE BOYD’s music career began promoting blues music at Harvard University. He managed a British tour featuring Muddy Waters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and others in 1964 and he was the sound engineer at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival when Dylan plugged in.

He was sent to Britain to establish Elektra Records’ office in London and started the underground UFO Club in 1966 and began producing records by Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, the Incredible String Band, Fairport Convention and later Toots & The Maytals and Billy Bragg as well as owning world music label Hannibal Records in the 1980s and writing a book about the ’60s music scene, White Bicycles, published in 2006.

In an interview for the Morning Star, he told me: “I started on Roots of Rhythm Remain after White Bicycles was published. Yes! Sixteen years ago! It took a while to get going. There are so many, deep, explorations of different musical cultures hiding in specialist and academic bookshelves. I’ve tried to bring some of the most interesting and important narratives from those wonderful experts into a broader readership — while giving full respect and credit to the pioneers.” 

Take out shares in the People's Press
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
CONFRONTING HOMOPHOBIA: (L) FCB Cadell, The Boxer, c.1924; (
Exhibition review / 21 March 2025
21 March 2025
While the group known as the Colourists certainly reinvigorated Scottish painting, a new show is a welcome chance to reassess them, writes ANGUS REID
BLOOD ON THE TRACKS: Xilun Sun as the mysterious interloper
Film of the Week: / 20 March 2025
20 March 2025
ANGUS REID recommends an exquisite drama about the disturbing impact of the one child policy in contemporary China
Short Story / 7 February 2025
7 February 2025
The phrase “cruel to be kind” comes from Hamlet, but Shakespeare’s Prince didn’t go in for kidnap, explosive punches, and cigarette deprivation. Tam is different.
Frantz Fanon at a press conference during a writers' confere
BenchMarx / 28 January 2025
28 January 2025
ANGUS REID deconstructs a popular contemporary novel aimed at a ‘queer’ young adult readership
Similar stories
Toumani Diabate with his kora
Culture / 29 December 2024
29 December 2024
Tony Burke speaks with LUCY DURAN producer of a reissue series of Toumani’s Diabate recordings
Music / 9 December 2024
9 December 2024
A new release from Joachim Cooder, and re-releases from Miles Davis and Mountain
Aboubakar Traore
Global Routes / 2 December 2024
2 December 2024
Two new releases from Burkina Faso and Niger, one from French-based Afro Latin The Bongo Hop, and rare Mexican bootlegs
Global routes / 22 May 2024
22 May 2024
The Jimi Hendrix of the kora, pure Soviet guitar and North African funk