ROOTS ROCK REGGAE

Beats of the Heart. A 1977 music documentary...

1977 documentary about Jamaica and her music.

Roots Rock Reggae was the first in-depth documentary on the subject of Rasta music to ever be produced.

The film focuses on the producers, studios and recording artists of the era and the unique society and culture within which they worked and created. A desperately poor and impoverished societal and cultural neck of the woods, by most standards.

The likes of the illustrious Bob Marley (who would’ve turned 80 today), Lee Scratch Perry, Sly & Robbie, Third World, Jimmy Cliff, The Abysinnians, Junior Murvin, Jacob Miller, I Roy, U Roy, Toots and the Maytals all feature in the documentary.

Decent squad that you have to say. Wonder who’s in goals. Lee Scratch Parry?

Massive reggae and dub fan. Definitely a Top 5 genre and scene for me. The tunes, the innovation, the vibe, the spirit, the political-ness, the rebelliousness, the spirituality, the rough edges.

Rhythm from the ghetto. Lyrics from the streets.

Also enjoy some aspects of the Rastafarian cultural tradition, ethos and outlook. Not an expert and not a fan of all of it, but a very interesting and off-centre world and world-view all the same.

Each one, teach one.

In a previous life, I curated a few of my favourite things from this world in a Facebook group, then an online series called Reggae For Bed. Celebrating artists, videos, music and pictures from the world of reggae and its many sub-genres and affiliated scenes and styles from Jamaica and beyond.

Suitable for anytime of day but especially the night time, was how I put it then.

My thoughts on the broad Jamaican and Jamaicadjacent musical universe remain similar if not more evolved and developed now as I write this - still sounds best at night time.

The Lee Scratch Perry footage from the Black Ark is one of many highlights throughout the film. I touch on that studio and John Martyn’s time with The Upsetter there, here.

This film was the first part of a series of fourteen documentary films made in the 1970s with a focus on the specific music, art, folkore, culture and socio-cultural personalities and traits of distinct, disparate and unique communities around certain parts of the globe at the time.

Produced and directed by Jeremy Marre, here’s what the Harcourt Films website says about the film’s 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.”

Irie.

Enjoy.

First posted and hosted this on my old Racket Racket back in 2012 but have elaborated a bit on the words for the update here on Substack.