Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae

First of all I LOVE Rocksteady. However, this Documentary/Concert was laking. The video quality was great and so was the audio but where are all of the Rocksteady Greats? They all cannot be dead. Maybe there was contract issues. Anyway, I think that the Documentary part of the disc was the best part. It allowed for you to get a sense of what that era was like and to see some how Jamaica looks today. The problem with the Concert is many of the people who was in the Documentary part of the Disc was not in the Concert. They just used the biggest names from that era to perform. Also, the Concert only lasted about an hour. How can you leave U-Roy or Derrick Morgan out of the Concert? I quest we should just be happy with what we got. Over all great looking disc but not enough representation of this great time in Jamaican music history.

I have always loved Rocksteady; it harkens back to a simpler, sweeter time in Jamaica. This film does it justice. The photography is beautiful and it is well put together. The music is great - even though all the performers and most if not all of the musicians are well beyond their prime. The DVD includes about 90 minutes of documentary, plus a nice bonus section with a 60m concert at the Montreal Jazz Festival and a "behind the scenes" feature. My only complaint is that the framing cuts off part of the captions that identify the performers. It looks like the producers might have transferred a 16mm film to DVD and changed the ratio. Definitely one of the best films yet on Jamaica.

It starts out with Stranger Cole reflecting back on his singing career and wanting everyone to remember that era, the rocksteady era, the roots of reggae. The legends (Stranger Cole, Hopeton Lewis, Derrick Morgan, Gladstone Anderson,Ken Booth, Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths, Leroy Sibbles, The Tamlins etc.)of that era meet up in Jamaica to talk about their lives, the music, and to record some of their songs with Stranger Cole commentating throughout about the history. It's a great video! You'll really appreciate the integrity and great work these artists have done and are still doing. The dvd also has a bonus section showing the concert that they all participated in. You'll definitely want to add this to your collection if you're a reggae addict! Very entertaining!

A superlative documentary of the surviving members of Jamaica's golden age of music,brought together for a reunion concert,forty years later in Kingston,JA.Remembering those days more than two generations ago when Jamaica's finest vocal and instrumental artists honed their skills often for little monetary remuneration and because of massive unemployment everywhere in Jamaica,many were forced to relocate to distant lands for survival's sake.This tour has brought Jamaica's finest back together to recognize the signifilcance of Rock Steady to the world of music. Give thanks and praise to His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie,Rastafari

I love the history of Rocksteady. It gives me a better understanding of Reggae. I was especially intrigued by the 60's time period. During the 60's in the U.S. we were experiencing the Motown sound. Funny how events shaped both cultures in ways that were often alike.

More of a get together with some reminiscing than a true documentary of rocksteady, but still a viable purchase for the true fan of ska, rocksteady and reggae. Casual fans will be bored.

Enjoying it very much

Great movie about the history.

日本語翻訳があればもっと良かったなと。ただ、BGMとして掛けていられるぐらい、いい曲ばかりです。