As a wise person (my son) has observed, the more prominent the bikinied babe in the cover art, the further from Bob Marley-style roots the reggae music is likely to be. That's certainly true in the case of this dancehall-style reggae/X-sports extravaganza featuring the aforementioned cupcake on the cover and reggae performers Ky-Mani Marley, Sizzla, Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Mr. Vegas, Sean Paul, Tippa Irie, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Slightly Stoopid, Common Sense, Badfish, Isouljahs, Super Jerry, THC, Ooklah the Moc, Marty, and Natural Vibrations in song snippets, live performances, and interviews (additionally, pro surfers Sunny Garcia, Shane Dorian, and others appear, riding the waves to a reggae beat). Reggae luminaries Luciano, Bushman, David Hinds of Steel Pulse, Junior Reid, Eek-A-Mouse, Half Pint, and Michael Rose appear briefly, mainly to comment on the "Irieness" of the other artists and their work. The organizing premise here is a round-the-world look at contemporary reggae, starting--of course--in Jamaica, then spotlighting the British, Californian, Japanese, Hawaiian, and Tahitian manifestations of Jah's music and attendant concert scenes (plus surfing where applicable!). Not all of the artists featured perform live and not all of the songs spotlighted are performed in their entirety, but as an omnibus source on contemporary reggae worldwide, this is impressive stuff with fine Dolby Digital stereo sound, excellent picture quality, and solid pacing (an accompanying audio CD features five songs, highlighted by Slightly Stoopid's "Fire Shot"). Perhaps surprisingly for a modern day production featuring so many dancehall-leaning performers, there is a good deal of talk about Jah Rastafari and the One Love ethos of Rastafarianism, and the question of casual or even sacramental cannabis use is addressed. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (M. Tribby)
Reggae Nation: Island Movement
(2002) 2 discs. 51 min. DVD: $19.99 (CD included). Image Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 20, Issue 1
Reggae Nation: Island Movement
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