Jimmy Cliff in concert in 2012 on the Landaoudec stage during the Festival du Bout du Monde in Crozon, Finistère (France).
Reggae’s biggest star, Jimmy Cliff wrote and performed songs that combined reggae with folk, soul, ska and rock, with lyrics protesting poverty, injustice and war. But he was also misunderstood by the reggae public due to his ‘commercial’ image, far from the usual Rasta imagery.
The Jamaican Jimmy Cliffthe reggae star who helped transform the island’s music into a global cultural phenomenon, died at the age of 81, a victim of pneumonia, his family said this Monday.
For more than four decades, Jimmy Cliff, stage name of James Chamberswrote and performed songs that combined reggae with folk, soul, ska and rock, with lyrics protesting poverty, injustice and war.
“It is with deep sadness that I share the news that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has passed away due to a seizure caused by pneumonia,” his wife, Latifa Chamberson the artist’s official Instagram account.
In the message, he thanked “family, friends, fellow artists and co-workers who shared his journey with him. To all his fans around the world, know that your support was his strength throughout his entire career. He truly appreciated each of his fans for their affection.”
An internationally renowned artist, Cliff was the creator of successes that went around the worldcomo “Many Rivers to Cross”, “You Can Get It If You Really Want” e “Reggae Night”.
Winner of gotta Grammysboth for best ‘reggae’ album (in 1986 and 2013), in 2010, it was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is considered the most influential figure in reggae after Bob Marley (1945-1981), with whom he collaborated at the beginning of his career, notes the AFP agency.
“The first time I made a record, they gave me 1 shilling”, Cliff told the French newspaper in 2012. “The Wailers (Marley’s band) had more luck than me in Studio One: they gave them 2 pounds a week.” The shilling was an old British monetary unit used until 1971, equivalent to one twentieth of a pound.
Born in July 1944 in Saint James, western Jamaica, in a modest background, Cliff never stopped being interested in multiple musical influences and maintained a active political speech.
“I was inspired by the 2011 London riotsbut also for the Arab Spring”, he told Le Monde in the same 2012 interview, in which he also mentioned “social injustices, religious hypocrisy and political factions”.
Over the years, he has collaborated with groups such as The ClashKool and the Gang, and artists such as Sting e Annie Lennox. He also participated in cinema on several occasions.
With the success of the 1972 film “”, in which he starred, inspired in part by the experiences of his poor childhood, Cliff became known worldwide and introduced reggae to a global audience.
Jimmy Cliff is a paradox of Jamaican music. Recognized since the ska days, first reggae artist to sign with Island labelactor and singer, was the composer of multiple worldwide hits, a star in Latin America and Africa, highlights AFP.
But Cliff was also a misunderstood by the reggae public due to its ‘commercial’, ‘popular’ image and alongside him as a star very assumed, far from the usual Rasta imagery.
The Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holnesssaid that the country should reserve a time to honor Cliff“a true cultural giant, whose music took the heart of our nation to the world”.
“Your music cheered people up in difficult timesinspired generations and helped shape the global respect that Jamaican culture has today,” Holness added. “Good riddance, Jimmy Cliff. Your legacy lives on in every corner of our island and in the hearts of the Jamaican people.”
