Remembering Jimmy Cliff, Who Sent Reggae Soaring

Even in 1969, Jimmy Cliff, who died Monday at age 81, might see what was coming. Although British rule over his residence nation of Jamaica resulted in 1962, independence and financial mismanagement led to excessive unemployment and a foundering youth tradition. The consequence was a gradual shift within the music-rich island from joyous ska and soulful rock-steady to reggae, a extra brooding style that addressed social and private points.

Mr. Cliff was already writing songs with these values. His sardonically bouncy music “Vietnam,” from his self-titled album launched in 1969, was mentioned to have been Bob Dylan’s favourite antiwar music. That very same 12 months, he was approached to star in “The Tougher They Come,” a criminal offense movie. He introduced with him a soundtrack of rising reggae artists, together with Desmond Dekker, the Slickers, Scotty, the Melodians and the Maytals. However the movie and LP stalled as a result of funding shortfalls and weren’t launched within the U.S. till 1973. The film helped popularize early reggae worldwide and reworked Mr. Cliff into Jamaica’s first international famous person.