Summerstage features seminal reggae film

2009

Summerstage features seminal reggae film

I-Wayne lends support to screening

By Ben Apatoff/ BobMarley.com

Trevor Rhone, pictured above, wrote the script for "The Harder They Come" (Courtesy, Trevor Rhone)

More than 35 years after it was released in New York City, the classic film "The Harder They Come" will be shown as part of Central Park's Summerstage series. The event, which starts at 7pm on July 10, will be hosted by Dahved Levy and will feature a performance from roots reggae singer I-Wayne.

Unquestionably the most famous reggae film in history, "The Harder they Come" played a substantial role in bringing reggae into international prominence. The low budget movie, filmed in Jamaica, stars budding reggae star Jimmy Cliff as Ivanhoe Martin, an aspiring singer trying to survive in a violent neighborhood. Ivanhoe gets caught up with nefarious characters, signs away the rights to his songs and gets tangled in a life of crime in a compelling rise-and-fall story that continues to captivate audiences just as it did three decades ago. The film has been canonized with a Criterion Collection DVD reissue, and it is a must-see for film buffs and reggae fans alike.

The story of The Harder they Come is a classic gangster tale, inspired by both Jimmy Cliff's upbringing and 1940s Jamaican gangster Rhyging. But the film's most enduring aspect is the soundtrack, which features some of the best-known reggae songs in history. Jimmy Cliff's "You Can Get it if You Really Want," "Many Rivers to Cross" and the title track are now standards, and artists including Desmond Dekker and Toots & the Maytals also contributed some of their most popular songs. The Harder they Come was a primer on reggae for many of its initial viewers, and songs like "Pressure Drop" and "Rivers of Babylon" sound as fresh today as they did when reggae was just starting to reach American listeners.

Born in Portmore, Jamaica, I-Wayne was raised by a musical family and has been performing music for most of his life. In the past few years, he's emerged as one of the strongest new reggae artists in the world, charting with the songs "Living in Love" and "Can't Satisfy Her" from his debut major-label album, Lava Ground. I-Wayne's recently released follow-up, Book of Life, confirms his status as a hot new reggae talent, with thoughtful lyrics and a classic roots reggae sound.

The Harder they Come is presented in association with the African Film Festival. The film screening and I-Wayne performance are scheduled to run Thursday, July 10, from 7pm to 10pm, at Central Park Summerstage.