Prominent businessman Joe Bogdanovich has announced the launch of his literary publishing division, Downsound Books, which will coincide with the Spring 2021 release of Reggae My Life Is — the memoirs of veteran artiste and tour manager Copeland Forbes.

Forbes is considered one of the most consequential figures in the history of modern Jamaican music. Throughout his over 50-year career he has worked with some of the most iconic personalities in the music business including Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Rita Marley, and Marcia Griffiths.

Forbes has been a witness to and a participant in some of the most ground-breaking moments in Jamaican entertainment history.

Discussing the launch of Downsound Books and his decision to publish Reggae My Life Is, Bogdanovich, CEO of Downsound Entertainment, noted, “I decided to establish this company over a year ago. Downsound is in the business of content delivery and investing in a book publishing operation is consistent with that strategic objective. Book publishing is largely about storytelling which has considerable commercial and cultural implications. We have always been fascinated with the promotion of Jamaican culture and we see this venture as another way of achieving this objective.”

The launch of the publishing company, Bogdanovich said, forms part of Downsound’s overall expansion strategy which is geared towards the promotion of Jamaica’s culture and the growth of the local entertainment industry.

Expected to be one of the most insightful literary forays into Jamaican music culture, Bogdanovich said the much-anticipated Reggae My Life Is will give readers a unique view into experiences with icons like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Dennis Brown, Jimmy Cliff, Bunny Wailer, Rita Marley, Gregory Issacs, Chris Blackwell, Mick Jagger, and others.

Bogdanovich, the man behind the world-famous music festival, Reggae Sumfest, and proprietor of the R Hotel Kingston, and the recently launched District 5 restaurant and bar, concluded, “We will be concentrating on telling great stories about Jamaican entertainment. There are some amazing stories and our first release, Reggae My Life Is, is a look at the Jamaican music industry over the last 50 years through the eyes of the ultimate insider Copeland Forbes. Downsound Books will employ several persons in the areas of marketing, collating, editing and writing.”