FUSING a trendy platform with his passion for music, veteran journalist and educator Hartley Anderson has launched a podcast series to bolster the global reach and impact of reggae.

Reggae Unleashed, a fortnightly podcast series, ventures behind the scenes to lend historical context and add meaning to the genre.

In exploring uncharted aspects of the music, it seeks to add substance by tackling some grey areas in reggae as well.

“ Reggae Unleashed is a series that will focus extensively on reggae and all things associated with reggae music,” Anderson summarised ahead of the launch date on November 12.

“You can expect the unexpected; the series will probe those cracks in the genre that the average podcast would probably not have covered. For instance, we look at the most unheralded Bob Marley songs over the years and the possible reasons for this. This is an indication of what we’re about and where we’re headed,” Anderson continued.

Having spent several years as a journalist, including stints at the Jamaica Gleaner and Jamaica Observer newspapers, Anderson revealed that music is among his deepest passions. He hopes to channel his experience and fervour into this project.

“We’re current in the sense that we’re using a popular platform and present-day technology,” he stated. “The topics, themes, and areas of focus are hitherto unexplored or under-explored and are therefore intoxicating.”

“ Reggae Unleashed is all about unearthing those dimensions of the genre that would not have otherwise seen the light of day; when you tune-in to the respective episodes of Reggae Unleashed you will not be disappointed,” he said.

According to Anderson, another episode probes the magic of reggae’s vocal harmony groups — the chemistry between the singers, their history, anecdotes, overall dynamics, and how they stack up against their contemporaries in a classical ranking system.

“Some of the issues we explore are ideas that people may have actually thought about but didn’t articulate, develop, or fully conceptualise,” said Anderson.

“ Reggae Unleashed aims to cement the music even more firmly on the global landscape because we believe it’s the ‘sound of the universe; it’s evolving more and more into a highly respected genre just about everywhere,” he added.

Reggae Unleashed is underpinned by the belief that the embracing of the genre by a throng of international artistes proves not only the magic and range of the Jamaican-bred genre, but also its charm.

All episodes of Reggae Unleashed will be available on popular music and social media platforms such as Spotify, Audio Mack, Sound Cloud and YouTube. Listeners may also visit www.Reggaeunleashed.com for related information.