1977 documentary about Jamaica and her music. It focuses on the producers, studios and recording artists of the era and the unique society and culture within which they worked.
Third World, Lee Scratch Perry, Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, The Abysinnians, Junior Murvin, Toots and the Maytals, Sly & Robbie, Jacob Miller, I Roy and U Roy all feature.
This was the first part of a series of fourteen documentaries made in the 1970s with a focus on the specific music, art and culture of distinct and unique parts of the globe. Produced and directed by Jeremy Marre, here’s what the Harcourt Films website says about the Roots Rock Reggae film exploration of Jamaica:
Kingston, Jamaica, 1977: a flashpoint year for reggae music and for its tiny homeland. Police and thieves battle in the street as politicians fight for power – and reggae musicians struggle for people’s souls. This was the first in-depth documentary about reggae music in Jamaica, and the social and political importance of this ‘cry of the people’.
Roots Rock Reggae shows us Jamaican society from the violent struggles of the Trenchtown ghetto to the placid hills behind Kingston, where Rastafarians drum and sing hymns, and everything in between: the sound systems, back-street studios – including Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s famous Arc – political bandwagons and radio stations. This film captures a moment in time in Jamaica’s history when music became the island’s voice. It immortalises the heroes that went on to become superstars.
And, as ever, for more reggae and dub influenced bits and pieces visit Reggae For Bed on Racket Racket and on that Facebook thing.