HOME



picture info

Jimmy Cliff
James Chambers, Jamaican Order of Merit, OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Jamaican Order of Merit, Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievements in the arts and sciences. Cliff is best known among mainstream audiences for songs such as "Many Rivers to Cross", "You Can Get It If You Really Want", "The Harder They Come (song), The Harder They Come", "Reggae Night", and "Hakuna Matata (song), Hakuna Matata", and his cover version, covers of Cat Stevens's "Wild World (song), Wild World" and Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" from the film ''Cool Runnings''. He starred in the film ''The Harder They Come'', which helped popularize reggae around the world, and ''Club Paradise''. Cliff was one of five performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame i ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first popular song to use the word ''reggae'', effectively naming the genre and introducing it to a global audience. Reggae is rooted in traditional Jamaican Kumina, Pukkumina, Revival Zion, Nyabinghi, and burru drumming. Jamaican reggae music evolved out of the earlier genres mento, ska and rocksteady. Reggae usually relates news, social gossip, and political commentary. It is recognizable from the counterpoint between the bass and drum downbeat and the offbeat rhythm section. The immediate origins of reggae were in ska and rocksteady; from the latter, reggae took over the use of the bass as a percussion instrument. Stylistically, reggae incorporates some of the musical elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, mento (a celebratory, rural folk form ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  




Many Rivers To Cross
"Many Rivers to Cross" is a song written and recorded in 1969 by Jimmy Cliff. It has since been recorded by many musicians, most successfully by UB40, Cher and Annie Lennox and it was sung in the Caribbean by Alison Hinds and Tessanne Chin. Background Cliff was aged 25 when he wrote and recorded the song in 1969. He has said he wrote the song due to the trouble he was having making it as a musical artist after moving to the United Kingdom. He commented, "When I came to the UK, I was still in my teens. I came full of vigor: I'm going to make it, I’m going to be up there with the Beatles and the Stones. And it wasn’t really going like that, I was touring clubs, not breaking through. I was struggling, with work, life, my identity, I couldn't find my place; frustration fueled the song." Regarding the line, "Wandering I am lost, as I travel along the White Cliffs of Dover," Cliff stated, "...that came from the number of times I crossed the channel to the continent. Most of t ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Order Of Merit (Jamaica)
The Order of Merit is part of the Jamaican honours system, and it is the fourth-highest honour awarded by the nation of Jamaica. The Order of Merit is conferred upon Jamaicans or distinguished citizens of other countries who have achieved international distinction in the field of science, the arts, literature or any other endeavour. The award can be held by no more than 15 living persons. It is not given to more than two people in any one year. Members and Honorary Members of the order are entitled to wear the insignia of the order as a decoration and to be styled "The Honourable". In addition, they can append the post-nominal letters OM to their names, or OM (Hon.) in the case of Honorary Members. The order's motto is "He that does the truth comes into the light." The Order of Merit was originally one that was awarded to foreign heads of state, but this function was taken over by the Order of Excellence in 2003. Recipients Source: Living * Donald Jasper Harris (2021) *Orla ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Jamaican Order Of Merit
The Order of Merit is part of the Jamaican honours system, and it is the fourth-highest honour awarded by the nation of Jamaica. The Order of Merit is conferred upon Jamaicans or distinguished citizens of other countries who have achieved international distinction in the field of science, the arts, literature or any other endeavour. The award can be held by no more than 15 living persons. It is not given to more than two people in any one year. Members and Honorary Members of the order are entitled to wear the insignia of the order as a decoration and to be styled "The Honourable". In addition, they can append the post-nominal letters OM to their names, or OM (Hon.) in the case of Honorary Members. The order's motto is "He that does the truth comes into the light." The Order of Merit was originally one that was awarded to foreign heads of state, but this function was taken over by the Order of Excellence (Jamaica), Order of Excellence in 2003. Recipients Source: Living *Donald ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Club Paradise
''Club Paradise'' is a 1986 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Robin Williams, Twiggy, Peter O'Toole and Jimmy Cliff. Set in a fictional Caribbean banana republic, it follows a group of vacationers' attempts to create a luxury resort from a seedy nightclub, and the series of events that take place. The film reunites director and cowriter, Ramis, with most of his ''SCTV'' co-stars — ''SCTV'' cast members, Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, Joe Flaherty and Robin Duke play supporting roles in the film, as does cowriter, Brian Doyle-Murray, a former ''SCTV'' staff writer. It was the final film of actor Adolph Caesar, who died in March 1986, four months before the film's release. Plot Jack Moniker is a Chicago firefighter who is injured on the job. Using his disability insurance payout, he retires to the small (fictional) Caribbean island of Saint Nicholas, and buys a small property. Anthony Croyden Hayes, appointed by the British crown as gov ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  




The Harder They Come
''The Harder They Come'' is a 1972 Jamaican crime film directed by Perry Henzell and co-written by Trevor D. Rhone, and starring Jimmy Cliff. The film is most famous for its reggae soundtrack that is said to have "brought reggae to the world". Enormously successful in Jamaica, the film also reached the international market and has been described as "possibly the most influential of Jamaican films and one of the most important films from the Caribbean".Mennel, Barbara, ''Cities and Cinema'', Routledge, 2008, p.170. Plot Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin is a young and poor man living in rural Jamaica. After his grandmother dies, he leaves the country for the city of Kingston, where he is immediately conned out of all his possessions by a street vendor. Though his mother tells him that city life is hard, she suggests he might find work with a local Christian preacher. Ivan then meets José, who takes him to see '' Django'', a spaghetti Western film. Excited by urban life, Ivan desperate ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Cool Runnings
''Cool Runnings'' is a 1993 American sports comedy film directed by Jon Turteltaub from a screenplay by Lynn Siefert, Tommy Swerdlow, and Michael Goldberg, and a story by Siefert and Michael Ritchie. It is loosely based on the debut of the Jamaican national bobsleigh team at the 1988 Winter Olympics, and stars Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, Malik Yoba and John Candy. In the film, former Olympian Irving Blitzer (Candy) coaches a novice four-man bobsleigh team from Jamaica, led by sprinter Derice Bannock (Leon). The film was originally envisaged as a sports drama, and Jeremiah S. Chechik and Brian Gibson were attached to direct before dropping out, leading to Turteltaub being hired. Leon was cast in 1989, followed by Doug and Yoba a year later. Lewis, who had little acting experience prior to the film and was first sought as a dialect coach, joined in November 1992. Principal photography began in February 1993 and lasted until that March, with filming locations in ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


I Can See Clearly Now
"I Can See Clearly Now" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Johnny Nash. It was the lead single from his twelfth album, ''I Can See Clearly Now'' (1972), and achieved success in the United States and the United Kingdom when it was released in 1972, reaching No. 1 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and ''Cash Box'' charts. It also reached No. 1 in Canada and South Africa. The song has been covered by many artists throughout the years, including a hit version by Lee Towers that reached No. 19 in the Dutch Top 40 in 1982, and another recorded by Jimmy Cliff for the motion picture soundtrack of '' Cool Runnings'' that peaked at No. 18 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1993. Writing and recording After Nash wrote and composed the original version, he recorded it in London with members of the Fabulous Five Inc., and produced it himself. The song's arrangements and style are both heavily laced with reggae influences, as Nash had earlier collaborate ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Johnny Nash
John Lester Nash Jr. (August 19, 1940October 6, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter, best known in the United States for his 1972 hit " I Can See Clearly Now". Primarily a reggae and pop singer, he was one of the first non-Jamaican artists to record reggae music in Kingston. Early life Nash was born on August 19, 1940, in Houston, Texas, the son of Eliza (Armstrong) and John Lester Nash. He sang in the choir at Progressive New Hope Baptist Church in South Central Houston as a child. Beginning in 1953, Nash sang covers of R&B hits on ''Matinee'', a local variety show on KPRC-TV; from 1956 he sang on Arthur Godfrey's radio and television programs for a seven-year period. Career 1950s Signing with ABC-Paramount, Nash made his major label debut in 1957 with the single "A Teenager Sings the Blues". He had his first chart hit in early 1958 with a cover of Doris Day's "A Very Special Love". Marketed as a rival to Johnny Mathis, Nash also enjoyed success as an actor earl ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Wild World (song)
"Wild World" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. It first appeared on his fourth album, '' Tea for the Tillerman'' (1970). Released as a single in September 1970 by Island Records and A&M Records, "Wild World" saw significant commercial success, garnering attention for its themes of love and heartbreak, and has been covered numerous times since its release. Maxi Priest and Mr. Big (released in 1988 and 1993 respectively) had successful cover versions of the song. Song meaning Stevens developed a relationship with actress Patti D'Arbanville and the two were a pair for roughly two years. During that time, he wrote several songs about her, including "Wild World". The song is in the form of the singer's words to his departing lover, inspired by the end of their romance. Stevens later recalled to '' Mojo'': "It was one of those chord sequences that's very common in Spanish music. I turned it around and came up with that theme—which is a recurri ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and musician. He has sold more than 100 million records and has more than two billion streams. His musical style consists of folk, rock, pop, and, later in his career, Islamic music. Following two decades in which he performed only music which met strict religious standards, he returned to making Secular music, secular music in 2006. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. He has received two honorary doctorates and awards for promoting peace as well as other humanitarian awards. His 1967 Matthew and Son (album), debut album and its title song "Matthew and Son" both reached top 10 in the UK charts. Stevens' albums ''Tea for the Tillerman'' (1970) and ''Teaser and the Firecat'' (1971) were certified RIAA certification, triple platinum in the US. His 1972 album ''Catch Bull at Four'' went to No. 1 on the U ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Cover Version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song released around the same time as the original in order to compete with it. Now, it refers to any subsequent version performed after the original. History The term "cover" goes back decades when cover version originally described a rival version of a tune recorded to compete with the recently released (original) version. Examples of records covered include Paul Williams' 1949 hit tune " The Hucklebuck" and Hank Williams' 1952 song " Jambalaya". Both crossed over to the popular hit parade and had numerous hit versions. Before the mid-20th century, the notion of an original version of a popular tune would have seemed slightly odd – the production of musical entertainment was seen as a live event, even if it was reproduced at home via a ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]