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Jamaica, 1979. It might be a while back in time,
but back then Reggae Music already had a history
of over a decade. And in that decade, a lot of
things happened.
From the Ska days with Studio One straight to
the Sound Systems and the Dub Studio's. From the
hills of Jamaica and the ghetto of Kingston
straight to the world stage.
Spearheaded by heavyweights such as Burning
Spear and Bob Marley, Reggae Music drew the
attention of the world as many Rastafarian Reggae
artists shared their message on the now all too
familiar drum and basslines.
In a way, Jamaica became the center of the
world as all eyes focused on that island just
under the smoke of Fidel Castro's Cigar Republic.
A symbol of emancipation from mental slavery, a
source of inspiration for the downtrodden of the
earth.
It is in this time and place, that the video
capture the live performances of some of Reggae's
greatest stars. Burning Spear, Bob Marley, Bunny
Wailer, Third World, Peter Tosh: they're all
there. We see several tracks, recorded by a
professional crew.
The video also takes us to various places on
the island itself. We see the ghetto's, we see the
hills and speak to Rastas who give us a different
perspective on music than what is usually
assumed.
A must-see documentary that will definitely
increase the knowledge of it's viewers, if not
revitalize the memory of the oldies among us.
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