Review of Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae

Structured around a reunion concert featuring legendary musicians from one of the more popular periods of Jamaican music, Rocksteady resembles the recent The Buena Vista Social Club, but this documentary is of limited appeal. 1966-1969 was the high point of popularity for this form of music, and although it was the golden era of music for Jamaica it was incredibly short lived. Coming after ska and before reggae, the rock steady era gave a new voice to Jamaican musicians. They created music that "will continue to inspire and uplift", and laced throughout the soundtrack are familiar songs like The Tide Is High and The Rivers Of Babylon. Their music gave a voice to the unrest and political turmoil strife that shaped Jamaica in the turbulent period following independence from Britain in 1962. "The music that I loved would be forgotten if I didn't tell you our story," says Stranger Cole, who serves as a sort of narrator and guide through the history of the rock steady era of Jamaican music. This Swiss-Canadian co-production centres around a reunion concert in which many of the singers and musicians of the era returned to Jamaica. Many of the legendary musicians from that period had found fame internationally, and had not played together for nearly forty years. Their meeting is quite poignant and brimming with a sense of nostalgia and warmth for each other. The film features studio performances and interviews with some of the stars of the era. The performers visit some of the places that were important in Jamaican music history. Director Stascha Bader also incorporates a lot of rare archival footage to provide insights into the Jamaica of the period. There is no real overall narrator of the film, as Bader is content to let the participants tell their own stories. There are plenty of fascinating anecdotes, and one group of female singers recall their excitement at playing in front of 80,000 people while supporting Bob Marley. Rocksteady is the first film from director Bader, and it shows in the structure and choice of material. However, for a film built around a concert, there is remarkably little footage of the event, most of it coming in the final minutes. Rocksteady will certainly appeal to fans of this type of music.