There’s a very special event happening next week in memory of Perry Henzell (who died in 2006), the celebrated director “The Harder They Come”. It’s a double feature screening with Perry’s until recently thought to be lost follow-up “No Place Like Home”. It’s also a celebration of the star of the film, Jimmy Cliff, and [...]]]>

There’s a very special event happening next week in memory of Perry Henzell (who died in 2006), the celebrated director “The Harder They Come”. It’s a double feature screening with Perry’s until recently thought to be lost follow-up “No Place Like Home”. It’s also a celebration of the star of the film, Jimmy Cliff, and his recent induction into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.

There’s a pre-party celebrating the life of Perry Henzell and Jimmy Cliff’s induction before the screenings. Music will be provided by DJ Baby Ace mixing the classics all brought to you by Universal Music Enterprises and Red Stripe Beer.

There will also be a Q&A panel between the screening of each film featuring Justine Henzell (Perry’s daughter), producer David Garonzik, P.J. Soles (actress), Arthur Gorson (friend and producer), Roger Steffens (reggae historian) and special surprise guests which will be moderated by Wayne Jobson.

“No Place Like Home” is not widely known as it was thought to have been lost years ago. It was intended as the 2nd part of a Jamaican trilogy after the international success of “The Harder They Come”, but all the footage that was shot in the 70’s was considered lost, destroyed in a vault flood. After that Perry focused on writing and his first novel POWER GAME in effect became the 3rd and final part of the trilogy.

The film follows New York producer Susan as she ventures into the Jamaican countryside (reversing the country-to-city trajectory of the first film) in search of a runaway actress. The film features music by Bob Marley & The Wailers, Toots & The Maytals, Peter Tosh, Grace Jones and P.J. Soles.

“The Harder They Come” needs no such introduction of course as most readers of this blog have surely seen it repeatedly since they first got a crappy VHS copy at a record swap or off a mate years ago. The DVD transfer is amazing if you haven’t seen it but none of that compares with actually seeing it on the big screen where it should be viewed.

Get more info at the Facebook Event Page.

Friday, March 19, 2010 at 6:30pm
American Cinematheque / Egyptian Theater
6712 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA

Watch the Trailer for No Place Like Home:

SPECIAL DEAL ALERT:
Discount tickets are available through Goldstar.com ($5.50 plus $3 fee, $11 @ box office)

Another amazing day and another amazing google alert popped up in my reader (dam fine service – what did we do without it?) and I about had a heart attack. My head goes dizzy and thoughts, lots of them, race through my head. How have I not heard about this before? Why is it not [...]]]>

Another amazing day and another amazing google alert popped up in my reader (dam fine service – what did we do without it?) and I about had a heart attack. My head goes dizzy and thoughts, lots of them, race through my head. How have I not heard about this before? Why is it not on every one’s favorite list already? Just where is that “Legends of Ska” documentary that we have been waiting years for if this can be made with a Canadian and Switzerland collaboration but the one that we have heard about and are waiting for hasn’t? What am I talking about?

ROCKTEADY THE MOVIE! or more to the point “Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae”.

Below I have posted the full and complete synopsis from the official Facebook group, which I now demand that everyone go and join, share and shout to the heavens to everyone they know!

The official website is www.getreadytorocksteady.com and looks to be in the process of completion and updating including a trailer but is more than enough to get you rocksteady lovers all super excited – including me!

There will also be a co-released CD from Moll Selekta out of Germany. It looks like it will be all new recordings made by the legends of Jamaica that contributed in some way to the development of rocksteady as a musical force and the birth of reggae.

Check out this list: Dawn Penn, Derrick Morgan, Hopeton Lewis, Judy Mowatt, Ken Boothe, Leroy Sibbles, Marcia Griffiths, Stranger Cole, U-Roy, The Tamlins

With these players as the backing band:
Lynn Taitt, arrangements
Ernest Ranglin, guitar, band leader
Gladdy Anderson, piano
Hux Brown, guitar
Lloyd Parkes, bass
Jackie Jackson, bass
Sly Dunbar, drums
Glen DaCosta, saxophone
Deadly Headly, saxophone
David Madden, trumpet
Calvin ‘Bubbles” Cameron, trombone
Bongo Herman, percussion
Scully Simms, percussion
Robbie Lynn, organ

SYNOPSIS
Rocksteady, a popular music that originated in Jamaica, was the rage on the Caribbean island for a short period (1966-68), but produced an astounding amount of material, much of it beloved and enduring. The Rocksteady era produced many worldwide hits such as “No No No ( You Don’t Love Me )”, “The Tide is High”, “By the Rivers of Babylon” and many other musical gems.

Rocksteady’s biggest claim to fame is that it morphed into Reggae, a musical style that became hugely popular and influential throughout the world. It was Rocksteady that developed the buoyant rhythms, prominent base pulse, soulful vocals and socially conscious lyrics that gave Reggae its power.

Everyone’s heard of Reggae’s megastar, Bob Marley (1945-81), the singer and songwriter who emerged from the ghettos of Kingston to become the Third World’s first international superstar. Marley began his career in the Ska era, characterized by fast tempo dance music, but he too changed his music to Rocksteady and recorded beautiful songs with The Wailers ( Peter Tosh & Bunny Wailer).

Most of Rocksteady’s artists went on to build Reggae careers of their own although their rising stars were eclipsed by Marley’s. While their contributions to the evolution of the musical style have not been as celebrated as Marley’s, they were significant nonetheless.

For the very first time, the stories of these original Rocksteady artists are told in the documentary Get Ready to Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae. Some of the Rocksteady performers and singers travelled from other countries to be filmed, to perform their music at an All-Stars Rocksteady concert in Kingston and to record an album of Rocksteady favorites at legendary Tuff Gong Studio, the former Federal Records.

The Rocksteady performers in the documentary include Hopeton Lewis, a Gospel-Reggae singer in New York who recorded the first Rocksteady song “Take it Easy” in Kingston when he was 16; Dawn Penn, a community worker in London, England whose Rocksteady song “No No No, You Don’t Love Me Anymore” was re-recorded by other artists and became a world hit; Marcia Griffiths, a Reggae performer who still tours the world (“The Tide is High”); Ken Boothe, who also performs in Reggae festivals worldwide (“Shanty Town”); Judy Mowatt (“Silent River”) who, with Marcia Griffiths and Rita Marley, was part of the I Threes, the backup singers of Bob Marley; Derrick Morgan (“Conquering Ruler”); Leroy Sibbles (“Equal Rights”); and U-Roy (“Stop That Train”).

Singer Stranger Cole (“Morning Train”) serves as the narrator of the film. Rita Marley also has a major role in the documentary describing her life in the 1960s in Trenchtown with Bob and other musicians. Many Rocksteady artists lived in Trenchtown at that time.

The backup musicians in the movie are led by band leader and legendary guitarist Ernest Ranglin and include Gladstone “Gladdy” Anderson and Robbie Lynn (piano), Linford “Hux” Brown (guitar), Sly Dunbar (drums), Lloyd Parks and Jackie Jackson (bass), Glen Dacosta and Headley Bennett (sax), Calvin “Bubbles” Cameron (trombone), David Madden (trumpet), Bongo Herman and Scully Simms (percussion).

Through interviews and rarely seen archival footage and photos, the documentary traces the evolution of Rocksteady, from its breakaway from Ska, to its emergence as full-scale Reggae.

The 1960s was a decade of roller-coaster changes in the newly independent Jamaica when the political, social and cultural fabrics of the country were transformed. The film reveals how Rocksteady artists experienced this turbulent era and how it influenced their music. It demonstrates that Rocksteady musicians had a shared belief in the transformative power of music.

At first, Rocksteady songs were soulful and romantic and singers sang about love and hope. As the economy of rapidly industrializing Kingston collapsed and the thousands of rural youth who had flocked to the capital found no work, gangsterism (“rude boys”) and shanty towns developed. The lyrics of Rocksteady changed to speak about the violence and the dispossessed.

Get Ready to Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae explains how the visit in 1966 of the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie to Jamaica had a lasting impact on the small nation and on Rocksteady. The music took on new themes: black consciousness, yearning for equal rights, Africa and Rastafarianism, a religion that spread rapidly after Selassie’s trip.

The film shows a face of Jamaica that tourists never see when they visit the island’s beaches and resort hotels. Most importantly, it captures the roots of Reggae music and preserves, for posterity, a musical history that otherwise may have been forgotten.

NOW GO AND SPREAD THE ROCKSTEADY SOUND – SHOUT IT FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOPS, FROM SEA TO SEA AND BEYOND! GO!

We mentioned this interesting documentary “Dub Echoes” back in November and hadn’t heard that it was screening anywhere here in LA or the US in fact. Well we just got word that it is and there’s a good DJ spinning hits before and after the show!

How did we miss this? Get to this screening [...]]]>

We mentioned this interesting documentary “Dub Echoes” back in November and hadn’t heard that it was screening anywhere here in LA or the US in fact. Well we just got word that it is and there’s a good DJ spinning hits before and after the show!

How did we miss this? Get to this screening if you can! DJ Danny Hallloway will be dropping the solid sounds tonight and tomorrow with me at the 3 Floors of Ska event at the Knitting Factory.

“Dub Echoes” is a documentary that traces the origins of the Jamaican dub music and it’s influence on the development of hip hop and electronic music. The film features prominent Jamaican producers Lee Perry, Sly & Robbie, Bunny Lee, King Jammy, etc. and shows how the Jamaican invention called dub ended up influencing much of the music we hear today.

“Dub Echoes” was produced by a Brazilian crew, in Kingston (Jamaica), London (UK), NY, Washington, LA (US), Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo (Brazil).

Friday February 6th at 8:30 + 10:30pm

TICKETS: $10 (STUDENTS, SENIORS: $7)

Downtown Independent Theatre
www.downtownindependent.com
251 S.Main Street
Los Angeles, 90012
714-305-9509

View the Trailer here – www.thefouracesclub.com

Legacy in the Dust: The Four Aces Story documents the history of the Hackney club which became a home to the most influential black music of the early 1960s. Founded by Jamaican east Londoner Newton Dunbar, The Four Aces Club [...]]]> Check out this new documentary about this classic venue. Sounds amazing!

View the Trailer here – www.thefouracesclub.com

Legacy in the Dust: The Four Aces Story documents the history of the Hackney club which became a home to the most influential black music of the early 1960s. Founded by Jamaican east Londoner Newton Dunbar, The Four Aces Club held shows by Desmond Dekker, Prince Buster, Jimmy Cliff, Ann Peebles, Percy Sledge, Ben E King and Billy Ocean, then in the 1970s Bob Marley, Chrissie Hynde, The Slits, Sex Pistols and Bob Dylan. The film charts the club’s history right up to its closure as a result of the 2012 Olympic urban regeneration.

The British Film Institute are screening the documentary at the NFT on Southbank on Friday the 28th November. After the film ska/rocksteady maestros Freetown and ‘queen of lovers’ rock’ Janet Kay perform live on stage. Whitter will join DJs Nick Luscombe and Emma Pettit in the Benugo Bar after the show as well

FROM: www.modculture.info

www.theupsettermovie.com SYNOPSIS The Upsetter is the first feature-length documentary film about the life and genius of Jamaican musician and visionary Lee Scratch Perry. The film probes into Perry’s mysterious youth as well as the notorious events [...]]]> Get ready for another trip into the wacked out mind of the lyrical mastermind that is Lee Perry – THE UPSETTER!

www.theupsettermovie.com

SYNOPSIS
The Upsetter is the first feature-length documentary film about the life and genius of Jamaican musician and visionary Lee Scratch Perry. The film probes into Perry’s mysterious youth as well as the notorious events of his peak music production years in Kingston, in which Scratch mentored a young Bob Marley, created the sound of reggae as we know it, pioneered a new genre of music he called dub and invented what was to become “the remix” all while working out of the infamous Black Art Studio. Filmed in Jamaica, London, Tokyo, Switzerland, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, The Upsetter documents Perry’s influence on all reaches of the globe.

VIEW THE TRAILER HERE: www.theupsettermovie.com/trailer.html

THE UPSETTER
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH
8pm-12am

Located at
THE FINE ARTS THEATRE
8556 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills

Welcome cocktail reception w/ music provided by DJ Hier
Q&A with Special Guest

MUST RSVP TO GAIN ENTRY
Early arrival is suggested as space is limited
Must be 21+ to enter

http://www.scion.com/route/movie3.html

Check out this cool little interview with some of the principles from the movie “Babylon” including:

Franco Rosso Italian-born director and editor, who has worked on everything from Ken Loach’s Kes to the films of black director Horace Ove.

Martin Stellman Babylon co-screenwriter who also wrote Quadrophenia and For Queen And Country.

Gavrik Losey Babylon producer and son of [...]]]>

Check out this cool little interview with some of the principles from the movie “Babylon” including:

Franco Rosso
Italian-born director and editor, who has worked on everything from Ken Loach’s Kes to the films of black director Horace Ove.

Martin Stellman
Babylon co-screenwriter who also wrote Quadrophenia and For Queen And Country.

Gavrik Losey
Babylon producer and son of blacklisted Hollywood director Joseph Losey. Producing credits include The Beatles’ ‘Magical Mystery Tour’, That’ll Be the Day and Slade In Flame.

Brinsley Forde
Former child actor-turned-Aswad frontman and Babylon lead.

Trevor Laird
Actor, plays the hot-tempered ‘Beefy’ in Babylon.

Brian Bovell
Actor, plays ‘Spark’ in Babylon.

Dennis Bovell
British reggae legend and Brian’s brother, composed the music for Babylon.

http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/feature.jsp?id=168965