The Harder They Come: Jimmy Cliff and the Broadening of Reggae

The Harder They Come is a 1972 Jamaican crime film directed by Perry Henzell and starring Jimmy Cliff. The film is considered one of the first films to put reggae on an international stage.

Jimmy Cliff and the Broadening of Reggae

In the early 1970s, reggae was still a fairly niche genre, most popular in its native Jamaica. That all changed with the release of The Harder They Come, a movie starring Jimmy Cliff as a struggling musician who turns to a life of crime. The movie was a massive success, and its soundtrack introduced reggae to a whole new audience. The movie and its soundtrack are credited with broadening the appeal of reggae and helping to make it into the international phenomenon it is today.

Jimmy Cliff’s musical career

Jimmy Cliff is a Jamaican singer, musician, and actor. He is the only living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a civilian in Jamaica. Cliff is best known for his songs “The Harder They Come”, “Wonderful World, Beautiful People”, “Sitting in Limbo”, and “You Can Get It If You Really Want”. His album The Harder They Come (1972) helped popularize reggae across the world, and made him an international star.

Cliff was born in Somerton District, St. James Parish, Jamaica. When he was eight years old, he joined his first vocal group which performed locally at weddings and other events. By the time he turned fourteen, Cliff was performing regularly with a local band called the Mandevilles. His musical career took off when he met record producer Leslie Kong (who also produced Bob Marley’s early work). Kong gave Cliff his first recording opportunity by having him record the song “Hurricane Hattie” for Kong’s new record label, Beverly’s. The single sold more than 60,000 copies in Jamaica and was a top ten hit in the United Kingdom. It was around this time that Cliff changed his last name from Williams to cliff, inspired by the character of Major Geoffry Clifford in the 1958 film The History of Mr. Polly.

In 1964 Kong arranged for Cliff to audition for film producer Perry Henzell. Henzell was working on a film about Jamaican gangsters called The Harder They Come; he offered Cliff a role as one of the main characters, Ivanhoe Martin. The movie became an international success and made Cliff a star; it also helped to increase interest in reggae music across the world. In addition to acting in The Harder They Come, Cliff also recorded its title track; the song became hugely popular and is now considered one of the greatest reggae songs of all time.

After appearing in The Harder They Come, Cliff continued to act in movies and release new music; he also started his own record label called Jimmy Jim Records. He has released thirteen studio albums throughout his career and has been nominated for five Grammy Awards; he won two Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album (Cliff Hanger (1985) and Journey into Paradise (1987)). He was inducted into the Roll Hall of Fame in 2010 and was awarded an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.

The birth of reggae and its early years

In the late 1950s, a new style of music called ska was born in Jamaica. Ska was a fusion of African rhythms, American jazz, and Caribbean mento (a local style of music). The new style quickly spread throughout the island and soon became the most popular form of Jamaican music. In the early 1960s, ska was replaced by rocksteady, a slower and more soulful form of the music. Rocksteady was short-lived, however, as it soon gave way to the faster and more intense sound of reggae.

Reggae is characterized by a strong bass line, complex drumming patterns, and the use of horns and keyboards to create a distinctive sound. The lyrics are often political or religious in nature, and they are often sung in Jamaican Patois, an English-based dialect with African influences.

Jimmy Cliff is one of the most important figures in the history of reggae. A talented singer, songwriter, and actor, Cliff began his career in the early 1960s. His work helped to bring reggae to a wider audience and influenced many subsequent artists.

In 1972, Cliff starred in The Harder They Come, a groundbreaking film that introduced reggae to moviegoers around the world. The film’s soundtrack album was also hugely successful and helped to establish reggae as a global musical force.

Over the next few years, Cliff continued to release successful records and appeared in several more films. He remains an active force in reggae today, both as a performer and as a champion of its positive social message.

Jimmy Cliff’s contribution to the genre

In the early 1960s, reggae was a strictly Jamaican phenomenon, albeit one with a small but devoted international following. The music was made by and for poor, working-class Jamaicans, and it reflected their everyday lives and struggles. But all that changed in 1972 with the release of The Harder They Come, a film starring Jimmy Cliff as an aspiring reggae singer who turns to a life of crime. The movie was an enormous success in Jamaica, and its soundtrack introduced the raucous, up-tempo style of reggae to a worldwide audience.

Jimmy Cliff’s performance in The Harder They Come helped make him one of the most popular reggae artists of the 1970s. His smuggling anthem “The Harder They Come” became an international hit, and his cover of Cat Stevens’ “Wild World” brought him mainstream success in the United States. But it was his work on the film’s soundtrack that had the biggest impact on the evolution of reggae.

Cliff’s recordings of “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “Many Rivers to Cross” introduced a new level of sophistication to the genre. His use of horns and backing vocalists expanded the sound of reggae beyond its traditional acoustic guitar/bass/drum foundation, and his lyrics tackled weighty topics like poverty and injustice with a maturity that was rare in Jamaican popular music at the time.

The Harder They Come soundtrack also featured early recordings by such future reggae legends as Toots & the Maytals, Desmond Dekker, and The Melodians. These artists would go on to play a major role in spreading Jamaican music to the rest of world in the 1970s and beyond. But it was Jimmy Cliff’s work on The Harder They Come that helped set the stage for their success.

The Harder They Come

In 1972, a film called The Harder They Come was released, starring Jimmy Cliff as a young man named Ivanhoe Martin who turns to a life of crime to escape the poverty of his rural Jamaican village. The movie was a hit, and the soundtrack, which featured Cliff’s songs “The Harder They Come” and “Sitting in Limbo,” became an even bigger success. Reggae, which had been largely unknown outside of Jamaica, was suddenly thrust into the spotlight.

The film’s plot

The film tells the story of Ivanhoe “Ivan” Martin (Jimmy Cliff), a Jamaican country boy who comes to Kingston to make his fortune as a reggae singer. Ivan arrives in Kingston and quickly finds himself immersed in the city’s vibrant music scene. He falls in with a local producer named Joey (Desmond Dekker) and scores a record deal. His first single, “The Harder They Come,” is an instant hit, and Ivan’s star begins to rise.

However, as Ivan’s fame grows, so does his ego. He becomes embroiled in a turf war with a rival singer, Bounty ( Jorge Perugorria), and eventually descends into a life of crime. When the police close in on him, Ivan goes on the run, leading to a spectacular showdown atop a mountain ridge.

The Harder They Come is widely considered to be one of the most influential films of all time. It popularized reggae music around the world and helped launch the career of Jimmy Cliff, who went on to become one of the genre’s biggest stars.

The film’s soundtrack

The film’s soundtrack, which was also its title track, became a huge hit in 1972 and helped to establish reggae as a force in popular music. The soundtrack featured performances by Jimmy Cliff, the Maytals, and the Melodians, among others, and was produced by Perry Henzell and Jimmy Cliff.

The film’s reception

The film was a surprise hit upon its release, grossing $12 million worldwide, and is credited with helping to popularize reggae music outside of Jamaica. It has since become a cult classic.

The film received mixed reviews from critics. Roger Ebert gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, writing that it “succeeds as an entertaining melodrama” and praising Cliff’s performance. Vincent Canby of The New York Times was more critical, writing that the film “manages to be both schematic and chaotic,” while also praising Cliff’s performance.

The Impact of The Harder They Come

The film The Harder They Come starring Jimmy Cliff was groundbreaking in several ways. Not only did it help to bring reggae music to a wider audience, but it also showed the world a different side of Jamaica. The film was controversial at the time, but it is now considered a classic.

The film’s influence on reggae

The Harder They Come catapulted reggae music and Jamaican culture to an international audience and had a profound impact on the development of reggae music. The film’s soundtrack, which featured many of Marley’s songs, is considered one of the greatest and most influential albums in reggae history. The Harder They Come also helped to popularize the Rastafarian movement, which was growing in popularity in Jamaica at the time.

The film’s influence on popular culture

The film had an immediate and significant impact on the development of popular culture in Jamaica. It was the first Jamaican film to be widely released outside of the island, and it helped to put reggae music and the Rastafarian movement on the global map.

The film was also responsible for introducing the work of singer and actor Jimmy Cliff to a wider audience. Cliff’s performance in The Harder They Come helped to make him one of the most popular reggae artists of all time, and his song “Many Rivers to Cross” became an international hit.

The film’s impact was not limited to Jamaica or even to reggae music. It was also responsible for bringing attention to the country’s poverty and violence, which had previously been largely ignored by the outside world. The Harder They Come helped to focus international attention on Jamaica’s problems, and it continues to be an important cultural touchstone for Jamaicans both at home and abroad.