Colin Grant: Natural Mystic

The music biography is a stalwart of non-fiction books. Everyone wants to know the stories behind the songs, what inspired the musicians and where they came from. Colin Grant's I&I: The Natural Mystics is one such book, telling the story of the Wailers, of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer - placing their lives and music in a socio-political backdrop, exploring their relationships with each other and with Jamaica. All to the backdrop of sweet, sweet reggae music.

From baldhead to dreadlock, Grant explores how Marley, Wailer and Tosh went from crooners to dreadlock rastas fighting for righteous, how they became national heroes and how, ultimately, Marley's elevation to frontman, drove a wedge between them all. It's a vivid and sensitive book about a band with its own mythology. Here, though, we're presented with an untold history, and a fascinating one it is, of one of music's best bands.

We talked to Colin about writing the book, about music and about working on non-fiction projects.

> Hello Colin, please could you tell us about your book?

Essentially, it's three books in one. It unites the three original Wailers - the first time this has been done in a biography, and, especially, giving equal weight to each member. It is also a social history of Jamaica, from the violence of rebellion in 1938, to the debacle of the hunt for mafia don Christopher Dudus Coke. And, finally, it is a wry travelogue following in the footsteps of Anthony Trollop, Patrick Leigh Fermor, and Ian Thomson, with an equally critical eye, but a sympathetic understanding of the complexities of the 'Jewel of the Antilles'.

> What was it about the Wailers that made you want to write the book?

The eclipse of Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh has been, in my view, and many other people of Caribbean origin, a travesty. In Jamaica it's often said that 'half the story has never been told'. My book attempts to deepen the understanding of Bob Marley as being one of three equals.

> Can you remember the first time you heard their music? What kind of impact did it have in your life?

Exodus in 1977. It was a powerful invocation of the place of Africa in the heart of Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. The album, coming at a time when black people were still vilified, made me feel good about my heritage.

> In your eyes, what is key for a writer of non-fiction?

Accuracy. Accuracy. Accuracy. I think it's also important to talk - as widely as possible -with people who may have useful information that will enrich the book. Also, writers of non-fiction should try to convey a sense of atmosphere and drama. Furthermore, writers should recognise that part of the art of writing a non-fiction book is drawing upon the skillset of a novelist.

> What are your tips for researching a piece of non-fiction?

Invaluable resources are housed at the British Library and the National Archives. Wherever possible, it is important to go back to primary sources. And, it is also useful to pay attention to oral history.

> Who is your favourite writer about music and why?

Richard Williams' book, Kind of Blue. He has a clear eye for dramatic stories; a sharp intelligence for analysing and contextualising music; and his writing illustrates his wit, humour and humility.

> In the book, you discuss the role of your subjects as role models. Do you think this can be applied to today's young people?

I see them more as three archetypes; three expressions of being a black man in the second half of the twentieth century, and now the 21^st Century. The shorthand is that Bob Marley was photogenic and accommodating. But that's not to say he would sell-out; he recognised that being more practical might further his career. Peter Tosh was tall and 'defiantly black'. He always wore dark glasses. He frightened people and appeared to enjoy doing so. He ended up being murdered. Bunny Wailer, famously, rather than go on tour, would prefer to feed his chickens and plant his crops. So, there you have three archetypes: Marley the accommodator; Tosh the rebel, and Wailer the man in retreat. Each of these archetypes can be seen being played out - particularly among today's young black people in the Diaspora. My book examines the navigation of one's way in the world, and the consequences of each approach.

> What is your favourite book you've read this year?

Two books really caught my attention: The Better Angels of Our Nature: The Decline of Violence in History and Its Causes by Stephen Pinker; and Preston Lauterbach's, The Chitlin' Circuit and the Road to Rock 'N' Roll.

> Finally, what is the definitive Wailers song?

Concrete Jungle. It is a song that is really a biography of their lives. And it is also a song that expresses the notion of duende - the ability to transmit a profoundly felt emotion.