Boomshots

Tag: Jimmy Cliff

  • WATCH THIS: Christopher Martin “Hideaway” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Christopher Martin “Hideaway” Official Music Video

    Martin Channels Jimmy Cliff In New Music From The Motion Picture Destiny

    Christopher Martin has always has been propelled by talent rather than hype. Since making his name on Digicel Rising Stars in 2005, the singer has amassed a considerable catalog of quality original tracks, from “Vibes Is Right” to “Cheaters Prayer” and his recent EP Stepping Razor. Earlier this year he made his big-screen debut as the romatic lead in the outstanding new film Destiny, a cinematic showcase for the island Jamaica in all its beauty. Produced and directed by Toronto-based Jeremy Whittaker, Destiny tells the tale of Lisa Pullen, played by the gorgeous Karian Sang, who journeys to Jamaica to sell inherited land acquired through inheritance leads to much more, as Lisa not only uncovers truths about her family’s past, but also finds herself falling in love in the process. The soundtrack to the film is blockbuster in its own right, released last month on Tuff Gong Records and produced by legendary reggae music producer Clive Hunt with Dwain ‘Wiya’ Campbell for Grasshopper Music Entertainment. Busy Signal, Tifa, and Spice appear on the album as well Garnet Silk Jr and Parisian reggae artist Bazil. But our favorite cut is this rub-a-dub lovers’ selection from Mr. Martin himself, who sounds uncannily like another legendary Jamaican actor/singer, Mr. Harder They Come himself, Jimmy Cliff. Don’t believe it? Just watch for yourself. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • 10 Things You Don’t Know About Jimmy Cliff

    10 Things You Don’t Know About Jimmy Cliff

    In Honor of Jimmy Cliff’s 70th Birthday Author David Katz Drops Knowledge on the Reggae Legend

    David Katz is no stranger to the world of reggae and documenting it. In 2006, he got hold of Lee “Scratch” Perry and released the widely-received biography People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee ‘”Scratch” Perry. He then got the story of icon, Jimmy Cliff to pen Jimmy Cliff: An Unauthorized Biography. Though Cliff was not heavily involved in its production, Katz relied on his previous interviews with the star and stories from artists who collaborated with him to bring forth the biography. In his travels and through countless reasonings, he gathered some interesting (and previously unknown) tidbits about JC. Scroll Through Gallery Above… (more…)

  • The Ten Best Jamaican Movies

    The Ten Best Jamaican Movies

    As The Harder They Come Celebrates Its  Anniversary, We Run Down Some Yardstyle Cinematic Classics

    Today marks the 40th anniversary of the official U.S. release of the Jamaican cult classic, The Harder They Come. Our heartical bredrens at Complex have just published a definitive history of the making of the film, which you can read right here. (After which you can peep the trailer below) As a celebration of the film’s legacy, Synocto Pictures is screening it in theatres across the U.S. in a fully restored and re-mastered version. If you’ve only seen the first film ever made in Jamaica on a small screen, find a theater near you, roll up, and roll out. After that we predict you’ll be in the mood for more yardstyle cinema. So we’ve helpfully curated a list of all killer no filler feature films with Jamaica and the Jamaican diaspora as a setting or a subject, complete with web streaming links so you can get right to the Lights… Camera… Action! Seen?

  • Konshens Pays Respect To 47 Reggae Superstars Who Paved the Way

    Konshens Pays Respect To 47 Reggae Superstars Who Paved the Way

    Who And Who Rates As An Icon Inna The Business?

    Remember when Shabba Ranks dropped that tune “Respect“? “Step by step you haffi climb the ladder / The elders you haffi show respect fah.” It’s plan to see that Konshens got the message. He may be on top of the game now, but he’s not one of those “likkle entertainers” who lose sight of the fact that their opportunities came from icons before him. The Dancehall artist recent single, “Icon,” on the Bad Bounce riddim, pays tribute to a long list of certified icons, all of whom helped “put the spotlight on we island” and established the worldwide success of Jamaican music.Audio & Photo Gallery After The Jump… (more…)

  • Jimmy Cliff Says Reggae Grammy Should Be Televised

    Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Wins Best Reggae Album Grammy—But He’s Not Satisfied
    JimmyCliffHallofFame

    When the Beatles imagined being over the hill and out of it, they sang a song called “When I’m Sixty-Four.” But reggae legend Jimmy Cliff has reached that ripe old age and he says he’s “just getting started.”  Cliff won the best reggae album Grammmy for his 2012 release, Rebirth, outdoing stiff competition from The Original Wailers, Sean Paul, Sly & Robbie, and Toots and the Maytals. But he’s not satisfied with being nominated… or even with winning. Jimmy Cliff wants to win on TV. “It’s a nice thing to be nominated for a Grammy,” he told CBSNews.com. “However, I do think that people ought to see me on TV, accepting the Grammy. Not the way it is being done at the moment for a reggae Grammy where you just hear about it. It’s about time they show me on TV.” Read More After The Jump…

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  • Reggae Grammy Nominees Announced

    Old School Legends Dominate The Best Reggae Album Category

    In a year when Jamaica celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence, legends of roots rock reggae took four of five nomination for the Best Reggae Album Grammy Award—reaffirming the powerful legacy of Jamaica’s musical legacy even as it left its future clouded in relative obscurity. Despite outstanding releases by Busy Signal (Reggae Music Again), Mr. Vegas (Sweet Jamaica), Vybz Kartel (Kingston Story), Konshens (Mental Maintenance) and Romain Virgo (The System)—to name a few glaring oversights—the only reggae artist under the age of 50 to make the cut this year was Sean Paul, whose album Tomahawk Technique stands as the sole nominee representing the dancehall genre. Full List of Nominees After The Jump… (more…)

  • Junior Gong To Set Up Shop at London’s Indig02 TWICE

    Damian, Stephen, and Julian Marley—With The Whole Ghetto Youths Crew—Kick Off Respect Jamaica 50

    The UK’s gonna be ram-a-jam this summer. Not only will London be hosting the 2012 Olympics but it’s also the site of 12 consecutive nights of reggae shows at the Indig02 in celebration of Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of independence. Kicking off the string of concerts on Wednesday July 26th will be Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, who will be joined by his brothers Stephen and Julian as well as the Ghetto Youths crew—Wayne “Go Hard” Marshall, Christopher Ellis, Black Am I, and Joe Mersa. They recently added an extra show on Thursday the 27th due to popular demand. If you were at the Marley concert at the Best Buy Theatre in NYC this Spring, then you already know this show is going to be A-Mazing!  (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Jimmy Cliff “One More”

    Download The First Single From The New Album Rebirth

    With all due respect to the Gully Gaad, Jimmy Cliff is the original Starbwoy. We’re talking about the man who auditioned Bob Marley, starred in Perry Henzel’s seminal flick The Harder They Come, and was rightfully inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Now he’s back with a brand new album at age 64, produced by  Tim Armstrong, the same punk rocker who was responsible for Cliff’s outstanding Sacred Fire EP. The first single off Rebirth is a hard-driving ska number called “One More.” Cliff sings it like it’s the last tune on earth.

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  • WATCH THIS: Bruce Springsteen & Jimmy Cliff “The Harder They Come” Live Video

    The Boss Brought Out The Original Starbwoy For His Headlining Show At SXSW
    Photograph by Erin Fotos

    We’ve always liked Bruce Springsteen—he’s unpretentious by rock-star standards, his Born To Run album is a straight-up classic, and his E-Street band was no joke. Now we’ve got another reason. During his headlining set last week at SXSW 2012, the Boss brought out Jimmy Cliff, who tore the roof off the brand-new Austin City Limits concert hall.
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  • WATCH THIS: Jimmy Cliff “Many Rivers To Cross” LIVE

    40 Years After Starring In The Harder They Come, He’s Still Coming Hard

    As Vivien Goldman observed in her excellent review of Jimmy Cliff’s recent unplugged set at Miss Lily’s Variety, for Mr. Cliff “every night is like a first night.” Standing three feet away from the 63-year-old living legend—watching him strum his guitar and feeling him nail every high note while perched on a bar stool with his cap to the back—was enough to make me forget half the live shows I’ve ever seen. Thankfully, LargeUpTV captured the moment for posterity, so you don’t need to be mad if you were unable to squeeze in there with the Miss Lily’s posse that night, or you somehow missed the live broadcast (including Pat McKay’s irie interview) on Sirius Satellite Radio. (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Jimmy Cliff “The Guns of Brixton”

    With Your Hands On Your Head—Or On The Trigger Of Your Gun?

    If there were a proper Reggae Hall of Fame, Jimmy Cliff would be amongst the first inductees. As it is, he’s a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who’s inspired everybody from Bob Dylan to the Neville Brothers. Now in his 60s, the man who auditioned Bob Marley for Leslie Kong and went on to portray Ivan, the original StarBwoy, in Perry Henzel’s film The Harder They Come still has a few tricks left up his sleeve. On Cliff’s new EP, Sacred Fire, he linked up with Rancid’s Tim Armstrong to remake a classic by The Clash in a stripped-down acoustic stylee. In an eerily appropriate twist of fate, the late Joe Strummer sings lyrics that are replete with references to Jimmy Cliff’s cinematic debut. (more…)

  • Buju Celebrates Grammy Win

    Before The Dawn Honor Lifts Spirits As The Gargamel’s Trial Resumes

    Although Buju Banton was not able to attend the Grammy Awards ceremony yesterday in Los Angeles, the reggae star—who is still confined to Florida—celebrated his win to the fullest. A member of Buju’s security team was startled when he heard shouting from Buju’s hotel room in Tampa, where the artist faces jury selection in his second trial on drug charges today. “I thought something was wrong,” the guard told The Jamaica Observer. Instead he found out Buju had won the Grammy for Best Reggae Album. (more…)