Wednesday 12 June 2019

Jamaica: The Harder They Come - 2. Legacy

JAMAICA: THE HARDER THEY COME - 2. LEGACY (320kbs-m4a/64mb/27mins)
BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcast: 23rd April 2019

Writer Chris Salewicz revisits Jamaica 40 years since the premiere of the cult film The Harder They Come and talks to the musicians who were directly inspired into a life of crime by the film.

In the second and final part of his investigation, Chris asks why so many Jamaican musicians have associations with criminality, how Kingston's gun culture began and when politicians carved up downtown Kingston. Former Met Police officer Mark Shields and community worker Pastor Bobby Wilmott of Trenchtown talk about the reality of everyday life there.

Back in Britain, Chris examines the legacy of Jamaica's music and culture on today's youth in the form of reggae's cultural descendant, Bass Culture, which to many eyes glorifies the 'Badman' archetype portrayed in The Harder They Come. Grime MC Flowdan, reggae singer Tappa Zukie, Jimmy Cliff, and black music historian Mykaell Riley all contribute.

Producer: Simon Poole

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2013.

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