- Reggae pioneer with stormy roots: Jimmy Cliff turns 80
When Jimmy Cliff first topped the Jamaican charts with the song "Hurricane Hattie," the term "reggae" didn't even exist. It was 1962 - the year Jamaica gained independence from Britain and Cliff turned 18.
Four years earlier, the native James Chambers had moved to the capital, Kingston. He adopted the stage name Cliff, inspired by the cliffs of his hometown, St. James, in the northwest of the Caribbean island. As one of the last surviving reggae pioneers, he celebrates his 80th birthday on Tuesday.
The name "Hurricane Hattie" comes from a severe hurricane in October 1961. Like the start of Cliff's career, his life also began during a storm - in a house that the hurricane later destroyed, according to information on his website.
Marley's Champion
"Hurricane Hattie" was a ska song - the genre that would evolve into reggae. Cliff contributed to the global boom of reggae in the 70s not only with his music. According to Cliff, Bob Marley, then working as a welder, once showed up at his rehearsal space. Cliff recognized the future star's poetic talent, took him into the studio, and recorded his first three songs.
Years later, Cliff gave Marley another boost. In 1972, Marley and his band, the Wailers, were stranded in London without money. They went to Chris Blackwell, head of Island Records. "Their timing was good. Jimmy Cliff had just left me a week earlier," Blackwell wrote in his memoirs. He signed the trio, whose international breakthrough followed soon after.
While Cliff had already had international hits, such as "Vietnam" - which Bob Dylan called the best protest song of all time - he hadn't made much money, leading him to leave Island Records. Cliff also felt uncomfortable in London, where he had moved for his career. His landlady tried to evict him, saying, "Don't you know blacks aren't tolerated here?" But after seeing him on "Top of the Pops," she changed her mind, Cliff told CBC Radio in Canada.
Cliff's song "Many Rivers to Cross" explores his time in London and the Atlantic crossing of his ancestors - in the opposite direction as slaves. The song has been covered by Cher, Joe Cocker, and Harry Nilsson with John Lennon, and was part of the soundtrack for "The Harder They Come."
Star of Jamaica's First Feature Film
The 1972 gangster film is considered Jamaica's first feature film. Its realistic portrayal of black Jamaicans was groundbreaking, and it helped spread reggae internationally, thanks to Cliff's music, including the title song and "You Can Get It If You Really Want." Cliff also got the lead role, despite having only acted in school plays. The role has clear autobiographical elements, but Cliff's life turned out better - he won two Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
Despite his accolades, Cliff still feels connected to his humble roots. "Reggae is the cry and joy of the poor people," he said in the CBC Radio show "Q with Tom Power." And despite a recent injury, he's still happy and plans to release more music.
In his hometown of St. James, the young James Chambers found inspiration for his stage name. Despite his success, Cliff frequently reminded audiences of his roots, noting that "Reggae is the cry and joy of the poor people" from St. James.
