Sunday, February 17, 2013

Jimmy Cliff on Sound Opinions

2013 Grammy winner Jimmy Cliff was a interview guest on PRX's music discussion program Sound Opinions.

You can listen back to the full interview via this link. Jim and Greg do a decent job discussing Cliff's early years with Leslie Kong and Beverly's Records through his present work with Rancid's Tim Armstrong.

From the Sound Opinions website intro:

And speaking of Grammys, singer-songwriter Jimmy Cliff walked away with his second “Best Reggae Album” Grammy last week. Rebirth is Cliff’s 30th reggae record in a career that spans the history of the genre. Talking to Jim and Greg, he traces the evolution of reggae from party music celebrating Jamaican independence, to a more introspective music about roots, spirituality, and identity. While he may not be as famous as countryman Bob Marley, Cliff was instrumental in breaking reggae in the U.S. As the starring actor and songwriter for the cult filmThe Harder They Come, he introduced Americans to Rastafarian culture, dancehall music, and his own hits “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “The Harder They Come.” Cliff might be a reggae founding father, but he’s no purist. He talks approvingly of punk’s adoption of reggae sounds and even returns the compliment: Rebirth features a cover of The Clash’s “Guns of Brixton,” a song originally inspired by The Harder They Come.