Boomshots

Tag: The Harder They Come

  • 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…)

  • 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?

  • What a BAM BAM!

    Brooklyn Academy of Music Hosts “Do The Reggae” Flim Festival Starting Today

    Written by Amy Wachtel (@NightNurse1Love)

    Reggae fans in the New York-Tri-State area will want to forget about the beach or any outdoor activities this weekend, and head over to BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) where they can hole up with some of the wickedest Reggae flims—er, films—ever made. Billed as “Do The Reggae,” BAMcinematek will present a 14-film series celebrating Jamaica’s music and the 50th Anniversary of the Land of Wood and Water’s Independence. (more…)

  • 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…)

  • Jimmy Cliff Up For The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

    15 Years After Bob Marley, A Second Reggae Artist Is In The Running

    “Very few single albums can be said to have changed music forever,” reads the official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ballot entry for Jimmy Cliff, who’s in the running to be inducted in 2009, the 25th year of the Hall’s existence. “Jimmy Cliff’s The Harder They Come is one. The album—and the movie that spawned it—introduced reggae to a worldwide audience and changed the image of the genre from a cruise ship soundtrack to music of inspiration and rebellion.” (more…)