Experience the rich heritage and vibrant rhythms of Jamaica with the double DVD: JAMAICAN VIBRATIONS!

THE STORY OF LOVERS ROCK explores the British reggae genre that blended romance with reggae rhythms and impacted British pop culture. THE JOURNEY OF THE LION follows Brother Howie, a Jamaican Rastafarian, on his quest to discover his roots from Jamaica to Ghana.

THE STORY OF LOVER'S ROCK

Lovers Rock, often dubbed 'romantic reggae' is a uniquely black British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of riots, racial tension and sound systems. Live performance, comedy sketches, dance, interviews and archive shed light on the music and the generation that embraced it.

Lovers Rock allowed young people to experience intimacy and healing through dance- known as 'scrubbing'- at parties and clubs. This dance provided a coping mechanism for what was happening on the streets. Lovers Rock developed into a successful sound with national UK hits and was influential to British bands (Police, Culture Club, UB40) These influences underline the impact the music was making in bridging the multi-cultural gap that polarized the times. The film sheds light on a forgotten period of British music, social and political history. 

"It's the music that matters, and that is put on the screen with real skill and affection." ~ London Evening Standard

"Mr. Shabazz conveys a love of the music and its culture." ~ The New York Times

"You can add The Story of Lovers Rock to the short list of must-see, politically-tinged documentaries which shed light on the cultural roots of a lesser-known musical genre, ala Calypso Dreams and Buena Vista Social Club." ~ AALBC.com

THE JOURNEY OF THE LION

The Journey of the Lion* is a rare docudrama starring Rastafarian musician Brother Howie, who dreams of the land of his ancestors - Africa. On a journey in search of his roots and his identity he travels across three continents with his humor and sensitivity intact.

|Jamaica and Germany | 1992 | 90 mins | docu-drama | English | Fritz Baumann, dir. |

“Howard A. Trott, the subject of Fritz Baumann’s film The Journey of the Lion, is a Jamaican Rastafarian who lives an impoverished existence with his two children in a shack on the outskirts of Kingston. Disgusted with modern civilization, Brother Howie, as he is known, dreams of repatriation in Africa. Out of the blue one day, he receives a letter from the sister he hasn’t seen in 30 years inviting him to visit her in London. Leaving Jamaica for the first time in this life, he embarks on a journey that takes him to England and eventually to Egypt and Ghana. In the final scene of this eloquently simple film, Brother Howie stands on the remains of a coastal fortress and reflects on his ancestors who were carried off as slaves… “ -- Stephen Holden - The New York Times.

*"If you've not yet seen this beautiful film - The Journey of the Lion - i can highly recommend this. it's the best film i've ever seen on the subject of repatriation and Rasta living, the film gives an accurate view of the self-sufficient rasta lifestyle which many other film-makers have attempted to document but have failed to accurately portray this. The Journey of The Lion gives real insight into the life of a single parent rasta family living in the countryside and also follows brother Howie on his journey to Africa which is fulfilling his life long dream." - Reggae Films UK