Roots Block Reggae 03.24.2008
The Barbican in London, which has been serving up a tantalizing array of reggae cult classics since March 12th, only has a week left in its Film Jamaica series. The series runs parallel to the Barbican’s seasonal run of The Harder They Come, a musical adaptation of the groundbreaking, seventies Jamaican feature starring the legendary Jimmy Cliff. And while the musical runs in the theatre, the original celluloid headlines the Film Jamaica series.
The Harder They Come tells the country-boy-meets-world story of a young musician who moves to Kingston with dreams of becoming a singer, but who quickly becomes an outlaw. The soundtrack features seminal reggae hits “You Can Get It If You Really Want,” “Many Rivers to Cross,” and the eponymous title track.
This Wednesday, Film Jamaica will premiere Rockers, a 1970s documentary-style exploration of the Robin Hood myth in roots music culture during Jamaica’s music industry heyday.
For your viewing pleasure, check out the Film Jamaica series here and the musical here.

March 25th, 2008 at 2:44 am
Rockers is one of my all-time favorite films…genuine Rasta-speak, rich in authenticity, full of style, color and culture, wildly endeering, and a spectacle of sights and sounds! “…and Babylon shall fall!”