Siddhesh Joshi (Editor)

Roger Steffens

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Nationality
  
American

Other names
  
RoJah, RasroJah


Name
  
Roger Steffens

Role
  
Actor

Roger Steffens httpslistenrecoveryfileswordpresscom201104

Born
  
June 17, 1942 (
1942-06-17
)
New York, NY

Children
  
Devon Steffens, Kate Steffens

Known for
  
Author, Actor, Archivist, Radio personality

Books
  
The Reggae Scrapbook, Bob Marley and the Wailers: T, Roger Steffens and Peter, Global Treasures Presents, My Favorite Poets

Art books on tape roger steffens


Roger Steffens (born June 17, 1942) is a Brooklyn, New York-born American actor, author, lecturer, editor, reggae archivist, photographer and, producer. He may be best known for his reggae archives, in particular his archives of Bob Marley.

Contents

Roger Steffens Roger Steffens Life of Bob Marley Riot Artists

Six rooms of his home in Los Angeles house his archives, which include the world's largest collection of Bob Marley material. Based on these archives Roger lectures internationally with a multi-media presentation called The Life of Bob Marley. His radio career began in New York City in 1961, and was co-host of the award-winning Reggae Beat on KCRW in Los Angeles and was syndicated on 130 stations worldwide in the 1980s.

Roger Steffens reggaegrammychairmanmrrogersteffensretiresafter27yrs21596207jpg

Psychedelics reggae bob marley photography explored with roger steffens


Photography

Roger Steffens RSroom02smjpg

Steffens served in Vietnam and spent a year in Morocco before visiting Jamaica for the first time in 1976. He has a large collection of photographs covering his Vietnam service and Jamaican musicians, including many slides which were digitized and released via Instagram in 2013.

Roger Steffens Roger Steffens Bob Marley Historian YouTube

In early 2015 the BBC did a report on Steffens' first collection of photographs, "The Family Acid" [S_U_N_). The Sunday New York Times Style and the The Observer both featured his photographs. His work has been exhibited at Paris Photo LA and Art Basel.

"The Family Acid presents his often transcendent vision and life as a psychedelic pioneer on the order of Timothy Leary and Hunter S. Thompson beginning with his work in Vietnam and moving through his ever revolving circle of friends and characters made up of Rastas, beatniks, musicians, artists, gonzo journalists, his family, and himself. The portraits, scenes, and freewheeling experimentation with the medium of photography coalesce into a body of work that both parallels and defines the countercultural ethos of Steffens’ generation."

Acting and narrating

Steffens has been involved with a large amount of acting and narration work, both credited and uncredited. He provided narration in The Flight of the Gossamer Condor and the television documentary Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam, and he portrayed Ben Veelchez in Dean Quixote, Daniel Golan in the 1999 film Deterrence, and a radio technician in Rollercoaster. In addition, Steffens has been involved with many other films and television shows in an uncredited role, including Forrest Gump, Ghosts of Mississippi, CHiPS, and Empty Nest.

Radio

Steffens co-hosted Reggae Beat on KCRW from 1979-87, and Reggae Beat International from 1983-87, which was syndicated internationally to 130 stations.

He served as a syndicated weekly contributor from 1993-97 for Planet Reggae on the radio station Groove Radio 103 in Los Angeles. Steffens also worked on several other radio shows, including Offbeat: The Roger Steffens Show (Host, 1987–89), Sound of the Sixties (Host, 1984–1986), Morning Goes Makossa (co-host, 1980–84), Future Forward (ethnic music commentator, 1985–86), and Poetry For People Who Hate Poetry (1983, 1987).

Steffens was named "Most Popular Reggae DJ in the World" by Martin's International Awards in Chicago, 1985, and "One of the Forty Who Matter in L.A." by the Los Angeles Reader.

Music anthologies

Steffens has contributed to countless music anthologies as a writer and photographer. But surely his most important contribution to the reggae legacy is the ten-CD series entitled The Complete Bob Marley & the Wailers 1967 to 1972. Released in 1998-2003, this 220-track series revealed over a hundred rare Bob Marley & the Wailers recordings to the world, including major songs like Selassie Is the Chapel, and many of them previously unreleased, such as Rock to the Rock.

Audio books

Steffens was a reader for the audiobooks Bill Gates' Business @ the Speed of Thought (Time Warner), The Man From St. Petersburg (Warner Audio), Big Two Hearted River: The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway (North Star), and Mother Earth Father Sky (North Star). He also provided the corporate voice (all wrap-arounds) for Time Warner Audio Books from 1996 until 2003.

Stage

Steffens' stage experience includes work with the Pittsburgh Playhouse, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and his one-man show, Poetry for People Who Hate Poetry which was performed to over two million people from 1966 to 1976 and was used as the basis of TV series 1968-69 Armed Forces Vietnam Network.

Interviewee, adviser or content provider

Steffens has been interviewed and served as an advisor on many television programs, including American Masters three times (on the subjects Rebel Music, James Brown, and Waldo Salt), VH1's Behind the Music four times (for the subjects Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Alan Freed, and 1970), VH1 Confidential: Tosh & Marley, VH1 Ultimate Albums: Bob Marely's Legend, Stand And Be Counted, The Voice on Channel Four, and Soul Britainia on the BBC.

Author

  • Bob Marley: Spirit Dancer
  • Bob Marley and The Wailers: The Definitive Discography - (first place award for Best Research in Folk, Ethnic or World Music from the Association of Recorded Sound Collections, 2006)
  • The World of Reggae featuring Bob Marley: Treasures from Roger Steffens Reggae Archives
  • One Love: Life with Bob Marley and the Wailers
  • Roger Steffens and Peter Simon's Reggae Scrapbook (winner, ForeWord Magazine Silver Medal for Best Music Book of 2007)
  • The Family Acid, 2015
  • Contributing writer

  • “Bob Marley: Rasta Warrior” in Chanting Down Babylon: The Rastafari Reader Temple Univ. Press 1998
  • Dictionnaire des chansons de Bob Marley, Editions de Tournon, Paris, 2005
  • “Reggae in the Seventies” in Rolling Stone’s The Seventies
  • Introduction to Bob Marley Reader (DaCapo 2004);
  • A Magio do Reggae, Martin Claret Pub., São Paulo, 1997
  • “Nine Meditations on Jimi and Nam” in The Ultimate Hendrix, Macmillan, NYC
  • "Bob Marley: The Complete Annotated Bibliography" with Joe Jurgensen, Haras Publishing, Prospect 2009
  • Photographer

  • The Family Acid, 2015
  • Contributing photographer

  • Couleur Reggae, Editions Tana, Paris, 2001
  • Jamaica, Lonely Planet Guide Book, 2000
  • Sur la Route avec Bob Marley, Mark Miller, Scali, France 2007
  • Recordings

  • Miriam Makeba:The Sangoma Interview with Roger Steffens Warner Bros.
  • World Music Sampler writer/narrator, Warner/Reprise/Sire
  • David Byrne: Rei Momo:Words and Music, interviewer, Sire
  • Occupy Los Angeles: Narration & Continuity, Reel Intellect/Good Feel Films
  • Employment

  • National Promotions Director, Island Records, 1982–1983, in charge of all reggae and African music promotions including Bob Marley Confrontation, King Sunny Ade Juju Music and Synchro System, Gregory Isaacs Night Nurse, Black Uhuru, Michael Smith
  • National Reggae Promotions, Elektra Records, 1982; Steel Pulse True Democracy and Sunsplash ’81: Tribute to Bob Marley
  • National Reggae Promotions, EMI-America, 1985–1986, first two Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers albums
  • National Reggae Promotions, Slash Records, 1986, Burning Spear People of the World
  • Filmography

    Actor
    2014
    Omission Report (TV Series)
    - It Begins (2014)
    2003
    Secrets of Archaeology (TV Series) as
    Narrator
    2000
    Dean Quixote as
    Ben Veelchez
    1999
    Deterrence as
    Daniel Golan
    1995
    The American President as
    Radio Announcer (voice, uncredited)
    1991
    Line of Fire: The Morris Dees Story (TV Movie) as
    Reporter
    1990
    The Dreamer of Oz (TV Movie) as
    Salesman (as Roger Steffans)
    1988
    Hooperman (TV Series) as
    Irate Man in Suit
    - Nick Derringer, P.I. (1988) - Irate Man in Suit
    1986
    Unnatural Causes (TV Movie) as
    Golub
    1977
    Fernwood Tonight (TV Series) as
    Martin Worth
    - Roger Bellman (1977) - Martin Worth
    1977
    Rollercoaster as
    Radio Technician
    Miscellaneous
    2012
    Marley (Documentary) (archive consultant: US)
    2001
    Rebel Music: The Bob Marley Story (Video documentary) (consultant)
    1986
    Extremities (additional dialogue)
    Writer
    2010
    Wingless Angels (Documentary short)
    Script Department
    2012
    Occupy Los Angeles (Documentary) (continuity)
    Self
    -
    There Must Be Some Kind of Way Outta Here (Documentary) (filming) as
    Self - Actor- Author- Lecturer- Editor- Photographer- Reggae archivist- Director and producer
    -
    Dreadtown (Documentary) (post-production) as
    Self
    -
    Livicated (Documentary) (post-production) as
    Self
    2022
    Unsung (TV Series documentary) as
    Self
    - Unsung Presents: Reggae Revolutions (2022) - Self
    2020
    Music's Greatest Mysteries (TV Series documentary) as
    Self - Author
    - CIA, Impersonator and Insult (2020) - Self - Author
    2019
    Porn Culture (TV Mini Series documentary) as
    Self
    - Die nackten Revolutionäre - Die 60er zwischen Politik und Provokation (2019) - Self
    2018
    ReMastered: Who Shot the Sheriff? (TV Movie documentary) as
    Self
    2017
    Soundtracks: Songs That Defined History (TV Series documentary) as
    Self
    - Kent State and the Vietnam War (2017) - Self
    2017
    Lost L.A. (TV Series documentary) as
    Narrator
    - Wild West (2017) - Narrator
    2017
    There's a Place with Adam Papagan (TV Series) as
    Self
    - 100th Show Aniversary Special (2017) - Self
    2016
    Les derniers jours de Jim Morrison (Documentary) as
    Self - Jean de Breteuil's friend
    2013
    True Born African: The Story of Winston Flames Jarrett (Documentary) as
    Narrator (voice)
    2012
    Occupy Los Angeles (Documentary) as
    Self (voice)
    2012
    Order of Distinction as
    Self - Author & Reggae Archivist (voice)
    2011
    Holding on to Jah (Documentary) as
    Self (voice)
    2011
    Toots and the Maytals Reggae Got Soul (TV Movie documentary) as
    Self
    2010
    Wingless Angels (Documentary short) as
    Self
    2001
    Rebel Music: The Bob Marley Story (Video documentary) as
    Self
    2000
    VH1 Confidential (TV Series documentary) as
    Self
    - Episode #1.1 (2000) - Self
    1998
    Christmas at War (TV Movie documentary) as
    Self - Narrator
    1987
    Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (TV Movie documentary)(voice)
    1978
    The Flight of the Gossamer Condor (Documentary short) as
    Narrator (voice)

    References

    Roger Steffens Wikipedia