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Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae
Running Time: 97 minutes
Directed by: Stasha Bader
Producers: Valentin Greutert (HG Films), Betty Palik (Muse)
Executive Poducers: Simon Hesse (HG Films), MIchael Prupas (Muse)
For those of you lovers of great Reggae music, this documentary is a great lesson on how the sound came about. Director Stascha Bader brings us an in-depth session with many of the musicians of the late 60’s, who created the path for Reggae music even before Bob Marley. In this music documentary, we come to know each musician in a more intimate manner….
The film is narrated by Stranger Cole. To list a few, the musicians interviewed for the film are U-Roy, Hopeton Lewis, Sly Dunbar, Ernest Ranglin, Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, Dawn Penn, Ken Boothe, Derrick Morgan, Leroy Sibbles, the Tamlins, Gladstone Anderson, Hux Brown, Bongo Herman, and Scully Simms. Many of you will know Dawn Penn from her unforgettable track “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No)”; this is a classic… everytime that tune is played the room becomes alive. She discusses how that song has endured for so long and continues to be as popular as when it was originally released. We also get to hear Hopeton Lewis sing “Take it Easy” as well as a rocksteady version of “Rivers of Babylon.”
In many other reviews, this film is being compared to another music documentary… That of Buena Vista Social Club by Ry Cooder. In that film, the musicians are interviewed along the way and they also reunite to re-record their original songs. This is also the case with Rocksteady; many of the musicians go back to the studio to reprise the songs they recorded over 40 years ago. An anchoring figure is that of Sly Dunbar, the original drummer for many of the great tunes that were produced during that time. To see all these musicians gather at Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston, Jamaica once again is a sight to behold and a genuine musical history moment.
Throughout the film, we come to understand the nature of many of these great songs. The fact that Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1963 played a large role in what messages artists wanted to send out in their music. Ken Boothe’s “Freedom Street” and U-Roy’s “Stop that Train” are examples of the political and economical climate of the time. The film is filled with great moments; including one in which Rita Marley takes us on a tour of Trenchtown; the area in which Bob Marley lived and created much of his music.
The film is now playing at the Carlton Cinema in Toronto. The soundtrack will be released this very August. If you’re a serious music lover and a Reggae music fan at that, go see this film. You’ll find it interesting, funny and a great musical experience. You’ll get lost in time and in music.